Anybody into survival gear and hiking?

[brewmaster15]

Just curious..its one of my past times.... survival gear, wilderness training, woods-lore..Anyone into it this here? where do you guys get your gear and food?

A couple places I go...

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/

and

http://www.thereadystore.com

and

http://www.nitro-pak.com

The above have great prices on freeze dried foods with awesome storage. The last two also have some very good gear.


Ebay is also a great place to find some excellent prices on survival gear.

Bug out bags.....must for anyone thats into this stuff... listings are all over the web for suggestions as to what to keep in this grab and go bag...

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/bug-out-bag/
http://offgridsurvival.com/survival-gear-bugoutbags/

youtube...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvWzwXtjlNI


This guy, Dave Canterbury , has a bunch of vids online and runs wilderness school..http://www.thepathfinderschoolllc.com/
some really great info there.

I don't usually watch the TV shows devoted to this stuff as some of it is just so unrealistic and staged thats its pathetic...but my kids and I have been watching a show on netflix called Dual Survival...


Dual Survival
(2010-2010) Seasons 1
Seasons 1 Streaming
In "Dual Survival," survivalists Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundin are dropped into a scenario that could happen to anyone. Equipped with minimal gear, they must draw upon their arsenal of skills to demonstrate what it takes to stay alive.

Have to say , its probably one of the best ,most informative ones I have found...My kids are really hooked too (age 8 and 10)... Theres a bit of theatrics of course, and staging...but theres actually real skills used. The two experts Canterbury and Lundin have to work together, though they are very much different survival critters..Its entertaining to watch.

Just sharing here....

-al

[Skip]

this is all the survival gear i need!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-A95e6q1NE/TcBuu-yHmRI/AAAAAAAAAPo/fqIGTGS4eI0/s1600/Zombie-Survival.jpg

http://zombiecombatclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/uncratezombie-300x300.jpg

http://www.myzombiegear.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/New_Scope_Ford_F-6501.jpg

[Stag]

Survivor man wins hands down! He is atleast smart enough to wear shoes :D

I get most of my gear onbase or at REI. REI can be a bit pricy but they have great sales and amazing selection. If you are a member they have amazing "garage sales" on returned gear.

These days as a new father I just have an awesome Bugout/Urban survival kit. Not much trail stomping for this survivalist.

MREs are great for calories to weight ratio. Do you have a military surplus store near you?

[brewmaster15]

Unfortunately we don't have any good surplus stores near us... we've got the usual sportsauthority, Dicks sporting goods, have a cabela etc.... but not any real good surplus places...I usually go thru the on line stores for that... MREs are a good choice for food for many as well...unfortunately I can't eat most of them..so I make up my own stores from Freeze dried foods. and theres a few nutrition bars I can eat. for raw calories " survival food tabs" are a pretty good one to have on hand...I have some in my kits as well

Congrats on the "new father" :)James! something to look forward to is building out the Survival gear with your kids.. My two have alot of fun building theirs... each has a first aid kit they made, fire starter, emergency space age blankets, compass, emergency rations, rope, pocket knives,Fishing kits, flashlights, rain ponchos,water bottles, and various other gear. We practice using it all the time.

-al

[brewmaster15]

Oh and when it comes to cooking food... since I use alot of dehydrated and freeze dried foods.. need a good way to boil water.....I have a couple of different burners, gas,alcohol etc... but my latest and greatest find so far is something called a kellykettle.. What an amazing and versatile piece of survival and trail gear...

see it here... http://www.kellykettle.com/

-al

[Melissa]

Lol skip!!

I've never been into roughing it and camping and hiking, although I'd love to give it a try... I just never have before.

BUT you guys would LOVE my grandma! She's such a hippy, always backpacking and is all about this stuff. She's amazing, drives out to the middle of nowhere in her sports-mobile and is gone for days and days. Lol not your typical grandma! She has so much survival gear it's dizzying...

Oh.... And she's a nudist...... Which is kind of weird. She hikes to the tops of mountains and usually takes a picture naked next to the elevation signs :/

[Discus-n00b]

I get all my MRE's from the military. They give us enough, and no one wants them most of the time on real short exercises so theres always extras, lets face it they don't taste all that great lol. I don't keep a stockpile or anything, just a few here and there. I'm sure once I get out of the military I'll build a set of gear or supplies, but right now I get enough of it keeping up with all of my military gear. I do have basic camping stuff in the garage though. Before I get out of the military I'll probably just head to base and hit the px/uniform shop and stock up lol. Like the military gortex, as expensive as it may be is the best I've worn.

I've always loved being outdoors, camping, hiking, etc. I'm an Eagle Scout and on 2 occasions I've been out to the Philmont scout ranch where you spend 2 weeks hiking miles through the mountains of New Mexico, carrying what you need. I'd do it again in a hearbeat.

Dual Survival is great, I'm hooked on it too. Did you see where Dave sliced his arm open just so he could show how to cauterize a wound with black powder? Ouch!

[ericatdallas]

Al, hopefully when you speak of freeze-dried foods, you're not talking about your blackworms ;)

The military commissary usually sells MREs pretty cheap. They don't always have the best ones, but I think they were selling them for $3.50/each. At least the last time I purchased some (friends wanted to try it) and we now keep some for emergencies. They're not the "official" ones but they look and unfortunately taste the same to me...

I don't normally use MREs for hiking in altitude b/c those heater packs don't work very well and I like my MRE entrees warm/hot.

Most of my hiking gear comes from Big 5 (I've only ever seen them in Albuquerque), REI, and online.

For the first-aid kits, I always like to add Israeli bandages (I think there's an 'official' name for them though). Very versatile and not too expensive if you look online for them.

[Stag]

Al, that kelly kettle is a great design. It takes so little fuel and can be used as a canteen.

You just got me psyched up about teaching my daughter one day. I am from Arizona, a great place for outdoors. I am currently in NC and this place is a whole new world of crappy-ness! Brier thorn, ticks and mosquito's kicks my butt every time I have been out in the woods here.

If we every happen to run into each other Al i'll show you my road side emergency kit paired with my bug out kit I keep in my car at all times. It is not much for costly gadgets but a lot planning went into it.

[jlcoop277]

I get most of my gear from my buddy who is SF and the army surplus store near me.
My wife thinks my go bag Is silly, but I tell her when the Z appoc happens she'll be glad I'm ready.

Congrats on the baby! My little man just turned 5 months the other day so I know what little time to do other hobby's is left after water changes and family time.