While were all setting in a nice warm comfortable shelter,take time to think of all the DIFFERENT things each item can be used for !!!!!!That 50' of parachute shock cord is really 500' of very strong line,I was told about 900lb PER STRAND, it has multipal strands inside that can be taken out one at a time,wont freeze or get stiff,snare,fishline,cordage.Rig a strand like you were going fishing,bait it [with a worm you dug up],tie it to a flexable limb/bush, lay it on the ground near the water if you are on a lake, birds/animals feeding along the lake will get caught just like a fish.
Extra medications/perscriptions.Your head loses heat 14 time faster than the rest of your body,so I was told at Cold Weather Survival training so a hat/scarf is a must,and crotch,armpits as pointed out lose heat fast.Things to AVIOD Caffeen and alcohol either or both will get you killed they constrict the blow of blood so you get colder quicker.Drink the hot water you just boiled to make it safe and you will be much better off.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Walking Crow,

You can take that water you just boiled, put it in a canteen, wrap the canteen with cloth, and place it between your legs. It will warm up the blood in your femoral arteries.

Since we've raised the issue of axes, what did the woodsmen do to sharpen their knives and axes in the woods? I'm inclined to think they just picked up a flat stone and ran it across the blade.

files show up in lots of trade inventories too....

OKAY!!!! We have the hardware,shelter and a nice fire, water is heating up!!!!But I am hungry,what can I eat,where do I find it,how do I prepare it and how much of it can I eat.Not just meat,could be difficult to catch,I am talking plant food.Cattails are very versital from the roots to the brown tops,pine nuts,but if I am in the desert that isnt an option so !!!!!!!!!!!Cactus which ones,what part!!!!We have fiddleheads[bracken ferns] here in spring but they go by fast so!!!!!!Which animals are easiest to catch and give the greatest return for the effort,frogs,eels,fish,snakes,mice.I can go a long time without food,just prefer not to.

USE A SEVEN FOOT WALKING STICK
For many years I have used a seven foot walking
stick on back country treks. Why 7-ft? So you
don't knock yourself out vaulting small creeks.
You can save your legs by pushing uphill with your stick. My favorite is a 7-ft piece of
Phillipine rataan. It's light, strong, flex's
and works well. I have other staffs mede from
Jack Pine limbs, iron wood, bamboo and hickory.

A good walking stick has many, many uses!

A stick is not a bad idea. You can make it into a spear. Better yet, you can steady your rifle with a stick.

can someone show a picture ora site of a hachet or hawk that is small and lite weight. i am in the market for one.

Benny, Take a look at Ron LaClair's "Shrew Hawk" on his website at www.shrewbows.com. I've been using one of those since last summer and it can do quite a job. Shoot sharp, Mike

If you carry a hiking stick, wrap ducktape in several spots down the lenght of the stick. Thousands of uses for duck tape including makeshift stiches (for gear and body). I tape a couple of razor blades in my wraps as well. A few extra blades can come in handy.

I didn't find this thread until too late to add much--alot of good advice here. I'll just throw in a couple bits: I always keep a very basic kit of knife, small hone, firekit and compass. I add to this items tailored to the environment into which I am going. I have been deep into wilderness deserts, jungles, deep woods and high latitude mountains [Rockies, Alaska]. Each of these requires a different approach. THINK. Your brain is your best survival tool. I always try to memorize maps of the area I am going to, in case I lose the map I take with me. Then I cannot get too disoriented. Weather conditions or possibilties must be considered. In high country Colorado or high latitude Alaska, weather can change in an instant--a warm sunny day can turn into a blizzard [been there, done that, didn't even get the T shirt]. I always carry a jacket and space blanket in such places. Any number of "nice to haves" can be listed, but after a while too many become cumbersome and you won't take them. Keep it simple and basic and try to avoid survival situations!

mike r you would be surprised how many fellows dont carry a pocket knife!

benny if your still looking for a hachet/belt axe you might look at the Gransfor's line. Not certain if I spelled the name right, but they're a Sweedish company that makes some very fine forged axes.

How PC are there axes and do they carry tomahawks?

They carry French and English tomahawks, and many other "primative" designs. But; be warned they ain't cheap!

Their small belt hatchet has a forged head, linseed oiled hickory handel, and a slightly rounded poll so one can use it for chores like skinning and such. Its very compact and looks like it wouldn't get in the way riding on your belt. Don't know if they're PC or not, but this type of axe head goes back to the Vikings and probably before.

For a really good source of survival info
go to: brigadeqm.com
drop down left margin to survival.
you'll find:
Army Survival Manual
Marine Survival Manual
Special Force operating Manual
and several others.

Oracle,
"Survival" is not listed on the left menu! No doubt the stuff can be found in their manuals, books, etc. category.
Sparks

I was treking here in Washington by myself
up around the Oso Area. A storm moved in fast
over a hill and started to pour, I had a piece
of canvas but would have been drenched setting
it up. Nearby was an old Jack Pine. Very thickly limbed and needled. I had to actually
crawl under the bottom limbs. Much to my surprize it was dry. I dug out all the straw
from the trunk base and made a small fire.
Later as some drops found their way through,
I hung my tarp on top of the lower limbs and
was dry, out of the wind and cozy. I spent
the night and half the next day enjoying this
emergency shelter. Theres what I call Christmas
trees (thick foliage) that work just as well. Sometimes you can find a dry spot in the rain shadow at the base of large trees. Why burn up needed calories building nifty shelters when nature provides it free ready to move in.

Same scenario happened to me long ago. I was setting up a lean to canvas and stick shelter, looking over my shoulder but what should I see? But a old growth cedar stump with three large holes in it base. A little digging and a big slab of bark to cover the main opening and I was toasty warm, dry and covered. Been a preferred form of shelter ever since.

regards, stump.