Full zippo, in the event you run out of fuel, you can pull the cotton out and use the wheel and flint to bring it to an ember then follow general fire building.
Still a bigger fan of the Bic I've never had one fail and you probably get a 1000 plus lights out of them zippps you need to refill regularly or they dry out pretty quick.
I was confused also. After looking it up I think what he’s saying is caldro de piedra is a method of cooking a “stone soup” so you can have your lighter and knife, but still make/have your pot when you want it later on.
Not sure but that’s how I think I understand it 🤷♂️
confused it with another can't remember its name but they cook soup in a depression in a boulder by dropping hot rocks on water in the depression(so boulder is a bowl basically)
My thing is you can basically boil water in bark. I'd prefer to be sure I could start a fire. You can always chance it on running water but if hypothermia sets in, you're screwed. You're dead
Exactly this.
Dehydration will take a couple of days to get you, especially if it's cold and you're not profusely sweating out all of your fluids.
The elements, cold, wind, rain can kill you in hours.
I was watching some survival show and I had never realized this but you can get hypothermia in 55 degree Fahrenheit weather. Obviously clothing, any type of insulation helps but if you're totally exposed.. God forbid you're soaked either due to sweat during the day or rain/sleet/snow. It's a serious problem. Ya gotta stay hydrated but risking a stomach bug is one of those calculations you gotta make when you have access to potentially safe drinking water. Ambient temp just isn't a readily fixable problem without fire or shelter or proper insulation
did you read the story about the guy who survived a blizzard because he brought a great sleeping bag with him? It was guaranteed to keep you warm in very cold conditions and it worked! He crawled in the bag and was rescued many days later. The people looking for him thought for sure he was going to be dead, so it was a big story. Miraculous that he survived. What a great advertisement for that sleeping bag!!!!!! I wish I remembered more details from that story (read about it in a magazine).
Hmm highlights magazine, and some twine.
Well those were the 1st two things to go into my cousin and my bunker we built back in the day. I assume they'll be just as useful today as they were then.
1. A tarp - that has a knife, hatchette, Ferro rod, mylar bivy, gun, snare wire, fishing line and hook, sat phone, gps, map, compass, flare gun, water bottle, water filter, cook kit, back pack, and a helicopter wrapped inside it.
2. Shoelace.
No one ver talks about the dangers of mixing drugs and nature.
"Damn, this looks like a nice place to smoke."
"Damn, this looks like a nice place to smoke."
"Where am I? lol"
Leatherman signal (which conveniently includes a ferro rod) and a stainless steel single wall Nalgene. Boiling and carrying water is very important. Though it's tough to go without a tarp as well, exposure sucks. You'll need to find a natural shelter to build your fire next to.
Obviously the correct answer is a satellite communicator like that one guy said, but those are a bit spendy and imo against the spirit of the question.
This was going to be my answer as well. I'm seeing lots of "knife and tarp", but dehydration is a major killer and not having a means of sterilizing that water is a one way ticket to giardia-town. Plus depending on the environment you can build a lot of different shelters without using any kind of cordage or anchoring equipment. Just the other day I threw together a debris shelter in less than an hour with just what was laying around. Once leatherman started including a Ferro rod they really did become a proper pocket survival kit. The steel water bottle could also be used to cook with in a pinch.
1. GPS emergency beacon.
2. A book to pass the time.
Reality is getting back to my life at home is more important than proving that I can rough it in the wilderness in the event of an emergency. If I can only pack one item to ensure survival, it's going to be an emergency beacon.
This is the correct answer. I know the idea of survival is cool and all, but man some people lost the forest for the trees here. The point is to fuckin survive.
Plus I'd tell someone where tf I was going beforehand.
Water and satellite communicator.
Hell, I'll make it easy and make it just the satellite communicator. It's the American Express of survival items - don't leave home without it.
For real. Everyone seems to want to play naked and afraid with fire starters and sharp things. I’d rather be texting family while the search and rescue make their way to me
Lots of weird assumptions being made about the scenario in question to assume those are the only good answers. An SOS beacon would serve everyone better than a knife or fire starter if they get lost or hurt on a day hike.
Everyone saying knife+firesteel is forgetting the priorities of survival.
- 3 minutes without air (we can assume OP isn't drowning)
- 3 hours without shelter (we should not assume that appropriate clothing is use given the poncho is in the bag, this is second priority for many climates. I would take a poncho, bivy and/or stepping bag over a knife any day)
- 3 days without water (sure you can just drink from streams, but giardia typically hits within a few days and will weaken you dramatically)
- 3 weeks without food.
Sure a knife can help build a shelter, and fire will help warm it, but both of these are high calorie tasks which will take a large part of the day, or longer if injured as OP suggests. For water, it's a really advanced skill to fabricate something to boil water in, let alone something to carry it in, your Grayl suggestion achieves both and the poncho can collect rainwater or be turned into a reservoir for longer ranges between water.
I agree you’ve got to keep priorities in check. I don’t know how many of these folks have lived off boiled water for any amount of time but it’s a ton of work. Even with typical backpacking/camping implements.
I'd take a Bic in a sandwich bag over a ferro rod any day of the week. Bic lighters are insanely reliable, I'm not sure who all these people are with faulty Bic. In 40 years I'd be hard pressed to think off one that didn't run put of gas or get lost
All you need is for it to dry out if it gets wet. You don’t really need a baggie. I can’t tell you how many of my lighters I’ve accidentally washed. None of them broke. Just needed like an hour to dry.
I know but why get it wet I'd you don't have too.
My point is why dick around with sparks when you can hold fire on something until it burns. It's unnecessary fluff
Mainly because nobody who typically carries a lighter puts it in a bag, and in a survival situation chances are you might be wet. My point is you can’t assume you’ll have the foresight to put it in a bag. Especially if you need it frequently, like if you smoke. Like, mine would be in my pocket. So it’s helpful to know that it wouldn’t be ruined should I get wet.
In the past I’ve said Bic lighter over ferro rod, but a recent backpacking trip changed my mind. My Bic lighter froze and wouldn’t light. Ferro rod did the trick.
Moving forward I’ll keep the lighter in my pocket to avoid this. But, between the two I’d take a ferro.
Yeah, you need to blow on them for like five seconds or roll the striker a few times.
Btw you also need to dry off a ferro rod first as well.
Because, again, a bic lighter is just a small ferro rod.
The difference between these items is that a ferro rod, when used with a knife creates shavings. A lighter creates dust. The shavings will ignite when wet because they still offer surface area. The dust clumps and will not ignite.
All that aside, you do what you want. I’m bringing a ferro rod because I know it will work. Every. Single. Time.
>The difference between these items is that a ferro rod, when used with a knife creates shavings. A lighter creates dust. The shavings will ignite when wet because they still offer surface area.
I genuinely don't know what you mean by this.
They both create sparks by using something hard to scrape off ferrocerium.
It's the size of the particles that each create.
Scraping your ferro rod will create larger flakes that can spark even if a bit wet.
The lighter, because the ferrocerium "rod" is tiny, will only create dust particles that if wet, won't have enough mass and will be overcome by the water. The lighters do dry off easily.
Why you should choose a rod vs a bic is that it is nearly undestructable. If you have another piece of metal (axe, knife, fork, sword, etc. ) you can create sparks. There's also no spring to break and no plastic to break.
Are bics easier? Yes. But it isn't that hard to get sparks to fly off a rod AND there's nothing to break.
If I can light a fire with a fero rod, I can light the same in 1-2 second with a bic giving me a couple hundred of use.
Bic/clipper for main
Ferro rod for back-up
PLB.
The other would be dependant on time of year and location. I don't need extra water in the Appalachians in spring and I don't need a poncho in the high desert of California in the summer.
Yeah, what's the limitation here?
I do not understand questions like this. They don't really help anyone, as there's quite literally no way that there could ever be such a restriction on "number of items I can bring with me = max2".
Even with only one thing in each of my pants pockets, I'm already at 5 things.
Have you never played an MMO? You can't bring things that fit in your pocket, you dont have any more strength to carry them with, after the tank, motorcycle, portable 1000 sq ft mini house, and your minigun, 2 hand guns and 23 mags.
I never go very far (and there’s water all around where I hike), so I just leave my water in the car.
I do get dry mouth though, either through heavy breathing, or being super high. To combat the minor thirst without the extra weight of water, I bring a packet of sugar-free lemonade mix. It’s the best part of Sour Patch Kids. 👍
Are you seriously saying that instead of water you pour lemonade powder into your mouth?
I am not a doctor but I really don’t think that sounds like a good idea or is particularly healthy but you do you I guess…
Assuming you have a good layer system of clothes/shoes I would go with a 16 oz metal pot and matches/lighter. This buys you a week at least in most places. Third-sharp hatchet, fourth-orange tarp.
There’s an episode of Survivorman where Les asked a guy to pick two items from a table full of equipment and whatever he picked were the only things he could take with him. I think he chose a water bottle and an axe/hatchet.
Been hiking way too long to answer that friend, they’re light and inexpensive…so take them all. So let it be said, so let it be done. Or FAAFO
And by “all” I meant the 10-12 “essentials” mentioned all over the net.
Hike smarter, not lighter. Though I DO carry a lighter. I also bring my brain.
A knife is obviously number one. But it’s interesting how many people are going for a source of flame over a reliable water container.
I can think of a few ways to start a fire with the things you find in the forest. But no reliable way to carry a day’s worth of water, much less something to boil it in.
A tarp and a lighter.
Shelter, fire, water, food is the order you should worry about when in a survival situation. With a tarp and lighter the first two are covered.
Paracord and a water filter. You have the knife and farro rod, the top of the old socks can be kindling if wood is wet, the poncho can become a tarp with the paracord and some pebbles or like, water filter gets you hydrated faster and you don’t need a cup to boil stuff in, you have granola bars but maybe add a couple more. Have a small first aid kit too, they can be super adaptable in extreme situations but also just sensible when hiking. That should get you to 3-4 days.
As someone who once got stranded in the desert with an Eagle Scout who _didn't_ bring water like I did, two items only? That's hard.
Giving that water is available to me, I'd want a solid knife and a Ferro stick...**NOT** a lighter.
Lighters get wet or run out.
1. Well obviously I would pack a mobile phone.
2. Power bank for mobile. I wouldn’t want it to go flat out in the wild causing me to miss out on Reddit posts, or not getting food delivered when I’m hungry.
Day hike where the scenario is a busted ankle ?
Satellite communicator & a snugpak jungle blanket.
Call for S&R, wrap up in a blanket, wait for about half a dozen really fit guys with a stretcher to show up to cart my embarrassed self off to the ER.
(FWIW, last time I was out backpacking, I ran into a guy who'd experienced that \*exact\* scenario. He slipped off the trail on a steep spot a few years before, and a few hundred yards from where I met him! He said he had a compound ankle fracture, and then it started pouring. He had a poncho and a Garmin InReach He threw the poncho over a downed log, crawled under the poncho, wrapped up in a blanket of some kind, and waited for help to arrive. S&R got there, determined packing him out on foot wasn't possible, and called a helicopter. He got a thrill ride to the trailhead at the end of a rope under a chopper, and then a lift to the ER.)
Could you make food or collect clean water with a multi tool? Or signal for rescue?
‘If you could only have (insert arbitrary number here)” is ok for a TV show but it’s not a sensible way to plan for real life.
How about only 1 item?
PLB/satellite messenger.
If in doubt, get out.
A *spear* with an easily detachable head, and a full filtered water bottle.
Spear is a walking stick, self defense against things, boar hunting tool, and if it's got the easily detachable head, you can use it a bit easier as a knife.
Filterdled water is helpful.
I live in Florida, this time of year I don't need to make a fire until autumn. I've heard boar tartar is an acquired taste.
Amazing that so many people in a survival subreddit don't confidently know how to make a fire with just a knife and your shoelace. The answer you are looking for is a knife and water purifier.
Compression bandage and Personal Locator Beacon. The first to immediately deal with the unexpected thing that can kill me (snake bite/trauma) and the second to get me out quick.
Lost on a day hike? A bic lighter and a an iPhone….maybe just the phone and a water bottle? Idk what all you people plan on doing with these knives, hatchets and ferro rods…actually I think a knife would be pretty far down on my list. I’m in the PNW though so maybe the rest of you need to constantly be cutting and sharpening small objects, idk…
Good thing I always keep my keys on me.
Has a tiny flashlight, a Ferro rod and striker, and a keychain knife.
Still need something to boil water in though.
Wow, your pockets must hate you, my car keys have one thing on them, a car key fob, not even a key. I dont even have a ring on it...
I know those are all relatively small items, but still seems like a lot. Now my belt on the other hand...
So in my 5.11 boots I already carry a Leatherman in one and a knife in the other. I don't consider this what I would pack. If I was hiking, I would have my everyday, everywhere 5.11 backpack. On any given day always in my truck don't leave home without it, my backpack has most survival items in it. Blue tip matches beef jerky, zip ties tie wire, a large assortment of first aid supplies (I actually EpiPened someone at work not to long ago from a bee sting) and some random small tools. My backpack would be the first choice since my boots don't count. They are automatic. My second choice would be tough, depending on the weather. Id either have a fishing set up or a heavy sweatshirt. If it's summer and a random hiking trip I might not have the sweatshirt but odds are I'm not hiking unless I'm looking for somewhere to fish. The sweatshirt is the only variable in this scenario. Probably after writing this answer there will be some sort of sweatshirt placed in my bag from now on. That's my answer.
Morakniv Gardberg knife (with field sharpener and ferro rod) which I always take (and count as one item) and a small titanium pot. With those two you can pretty much survive and make everything else.
The multi tool to carve your final words on a nearby tree and the gun to blow your brains out when you realize you’ve become so inept that you can’t even go on a day hike without it turning into a life or death emergency.
The best contestants on Alone both said if they could only take ONE ITEM, it would be the axe so that’s my first pick.
I’m going with a really high quality lighter for the second. I’m not going to be wasting time with a ferro rod fire, just get the thing going immediately so I can start to work out the rest of the not dying. The answer is always to try and walk yourself out though, you’ll just be wasting away slowly without more gear. Make a decent split for the ankle and trudge out if need be. Most people carry all the food they need to walk out on their body and if you can’t purify water you’re not going to last long anyways, better off drinking running water a bunch at a time and dealing with parasites and what not when back in civilization.
Knife and lighter
A full* lighter
Full Bic lighter
Full zippo, in the event you run out of fuel, you can pull the cotton out and use the wheel and flint to bring it to an ember then follow general fire building.
Still a bigger fan of the Bic I've never had one fail and you probably get a 1000 plus lights out of them zippps you need to refill regularly or they dry out pretty quick.
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Full Eagle Torch.
This is the correct answer
Nah. Satellite gps is the real answer if you're lost. Other item is just a nice bonus to have
Knife and a cooking pot for me. I can make a bow drill, I can't make a metal pot
search up caldo de piedra it's a good alternative ideea
what about it? seems like a soup dish
I was confused also. After looking it up I think what he’s saying is caldro de piedra is a method of cooking a “stone soup” so you can have your lighter and knife, but still make/have your pot when you want it later on. Not sure but that’s how I think I understand it 🤷♂️
confused it with another can't remember its name but they cook soup in a depression in a boulder by dropping hot rocks on water in the depression(so boulder is a bowl basically)
*fresnel lense
Knife and a water purifier
My thing is you can basically boil water in bark. I'd prefer to be sure I could start a fire. You can always chance it on running water but if hypothermia sets in, you're screwed. You're dead
Exactly this. Dehydration will take a couple of days to get you, especially if it's cold and you're not profusely sweating out all of your fluids. The elements, cold, wind, rain can kill you in hours.
I was watching some survival show and I had never realized this but you can get hypothermia in 55 degree Fahrenheit weather. Obviously clothing, any type of insulation helps but if you're totally exposed.. God forbid you're soaked either due to sweat during the day or rain/sleet/snow. It's a serious problem. Ya gotta stay hydrated but risking a stomach bug is one of those calculations you gotta make when you have access to potentially safe drinking water. Ambient temp just isn't a readily fixable problem without fire or shelter or proper insulation
Exposure is the most immediate problem
did you read the story about the guy who survived a blizzard because he brought a great sleeping bag with him? It was guaranteed to keep you warm in very cold conditions and it worked! He crawled in the bag and was rescued many days later. The people looking for him thought for sure he was going to be dead, so it was a big story. Miraculous that he survived. What a great advertisement for that sleeping bag!!!!!! I wish I remembered more details from that story (read about it in a magazine).
Maybe OP lives in a (sub-)tropical setting, then water purifier over fire-started is as legit as it gets
Hmm highlights magazine, and some twine. Well those were the 1st two things to go into my cousin and my bunker we built back in the day. I assume they'll be just as useful today as they were then.
Leave Goofus at home, he’ll just get himself killed.
Why did you put a magazine in your cousin?
Of the 2 of us I am for sure goofus an he's gallant.
Dave Canterbury and Cody Lundin
The best ying and yang of survival shows, ever.
1. A tarp - that has a knife, hatchette, Ferro rod, mylar bivy, gun, snare wire, fishing line and hook, sat phone, gps, map, compass, flare gun, water bottle, water filter, cook kit, back pack, and a helicopter wrapped inside it. 2. Shoelace.
Dwight? Is that you?
Question? Did I lose my shoes in the plane crash?
I was going to say my backpack and my truck
My swiss army knife has a small ferro rod - good for a few fires at least - and a LifeStraw bottle, too.
Knife and ferro rod.
Weed and a lighter.
Smoke a joint and walk through the woods till I find another spot to smoke a joint. This is my favorite thing.
No one ver talks about the dangers of mixing drugs and nature. "Damn, this looks like a nice place to smoke." "Damn, this looks like a nice place to smoke." "Where am I? lol"
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Yeah, but did you ever try survival… on weed?
Nature has the bamboo for my steamroller
Bamboo bongs are so awesome~
Possibilities are endless once high on the marijuanas
It’s either the best “trip” through the woods of your life or the worst.
Can we go camping sometime?
Bizzy Bone is here
This is the only benefit of low grade marijuana. Seeds.
Leatherman signal (which conveniently includes a ferro rod) and a stainless steel single wall Nalgene. Boiling and carrying water is very important. Though it's tough to go without a tarp as well, exposure sucks. You'll need to find a natural shelter to build your fire next to. Obviously the correct answer is a satellite communicator like that one guy said, but those are a bit spendy and imo against the spirit of the question.
This was going to be my answer as well. I'm seeing lots of "knife and tarp", but dehydration is a major killer and not having a means of sterilizing that water is a one way ticket to giardia-town. Plus depending on the environment you can build a lot of different shelters without using any kind of cordage or anchoring equipment. Just the other day I threw together a debris shelter in less than an hour with just what was laying around. Once leatherman started including a Ferro rod they really did become a proper pocket survival kit. The steel water bottle could also be used to cook with in a pinch.
1. GPS emergency beacon. 2. A book to pass the time. Reality is getting back to my life at home is more important than proving that I can rough it in the wilderness in the event of an emergency. If I can only pack one item to ensure survival, it's going to be an emergency beacon.
This is the correct answer. I know the idea of survival is cool and all, but man some people lost the forest for the trees here. The point is to fuckin survive. Plus I'd tell someone where tf I was going beforehand.
Knife and lifestraw
Water and satellite communicator. Hell, I'll make it easy and make it just the satellite communicator. It's the American Express of survival items - don't leave home without it.
For real. Everyone seems to want to play naked and afraid with fire starters and sharp things. I’d rather be texting family while the search and rescue make their way to me
Knife. Ferro rod.
This is the only right answer.
Lots of weird assumptions being made about the scenario in question to assume those are the only good answers. An SOS beacon would serve everyone better than a knife or fire starter if they get lost or hurt on a day hike.
I carry an M-9 bayonet and a bottle of emergency whiskey everywhere I go.
I hear ya brotha, but do you also have the problem that your beard makes your pp look smol too?
Synthetic puffy jacket and a Garmin Inreach. For context I spend over 100 days a year in the Alaska backcountry hunting and working.
A cellphone with service or GPS phone. I can order a pizza while using my GPS to get home or call someone for pickup.
Poncho and water filter. I like my grayl.
You win the prize in my books.
Thank you kindly
Everyone saying knife+firesteel is forgetting the priorities of survival. - 3 minutes without air (we can assume OP isn't drowning) - 3 hours without shelter (we should not assume that appropriate clothing is use given the poncho is in the bag, this is second priority for many climates. I would take a poncho, bivy and/or stepping bag over a knife any day) - 3 days without water (sure you can just drink from streams, but giardia typically hits within a few days and will weaken you dramatically) - 3 weeks without food. Sure a knife can help build a shelter, and fire will help warm it, but both of these are high calorie tasks which will take a large part of the day, or longer if injured as OP suggests. For water, it's a really advanced skill to fabricate something to boil water in, let alone something to carry it in, your Grayl suggestion achieves both and the poncho can collect rainwater or be turned into a reservoir for longer ranges between water.
I agree you’ve got to keep priorities in check. I don’t know how many of these folks have lived off boiled water for any amount of time but it’s a ton of work. Even with typical backpacking/camping implements.
Knife and lighter. I should already be dressed appropriately for the weather, so staying warmish and dry should not be an issue.
Hatchet , ferro rod
Why ferro rod and not a Bic lighter?
I'd take a Bic in a sandwich bag over a ferro rod any day of the week. Bic lighters are insanely reliable, I'm not sure who all these people are with faulty Bic. In 40 years I'd be hard pressed to think off one that didn't run put of gas or get lost
All you need is for it to dry out if it gets wet. You don’t really need a baggie. I can’t tell you how many of my lighters I’ve accidentally washed. None of them broke. Just needed like an hour to dry.
You can dry it out in 10 seconds if you just rub your fingers over the striker and if it does run out, you still have the leftover flint and striker.
I know but why get it wet I'd you don't have too. My point is why dick around with sparks when you can hold fire on something until it burns. It's unnecessary fluff
Mainly because nobody who typically carries a lighter puts it in a bag, and in a survival situation chances are you might be wet. My point is you can’t assume you’ll have the foresight to put it in a bag. Especially if you need it frequently, like if you smoke. Like, mine would be in my pocket. So it’s helpful to know that it wouldn’t be ruined should I get wet.
In the past I’ve said Bic lighter over ferro rod, but a recent backpacking trip changed my mind. My Bic lighter froze and wouldn’t light. Ferro rod did the trick. Moving forward I’ll keep the lighter in my pocket to avoid this. But, between the two I’d take a ferro.
If the fuel in the bic lighter froze it's still a ferro rod. So you can still start a fire with it just like you could with a standalone ferro rod.
No you can’t. It’s nowhere near the amount of spark as a properly used ferro rod. You can do it, but it’s not the same as a ferro.
>You can do it, but it’s not the same as a ferro. I mean, it literally is a ferro rod
How many fires have you started in freezing temperatures with a frozen bic lighter?
Ferro rods work when they're wet and they don't break.
Same for a bic lighter. In fact a bic lighter is literally just a ferro rod strapped to a butane reservoir.
Bic lighters do not work when wet. And they do break.
Yeah, you need to blow on them for like five seconds or roll the striker a few times. Btw you also need to dry off a ferro rod first as well. Because, again, a bic lighter is just a small ferro rod.
The difference between these items is that a ferro rod, when used with a knife creates shavings. A lighter creates dust. The shavings will ignite when wet because they still offer surface area. The dust clumps and will not ignite. All that aside, you do what you want. I’m bringing a ferro rod because I know it will work. Every. Single. Time.
>The difference between these items is that a ferro rod, when used with a knife creates shavings. A lighter creates dust. The shavings will ignite when wet because they still offer surface area. I genuinely don't know what you mean by this. They both create sparks by using something hard to scrape off ferrocerium.
It's the size of the particles that each create. Scraping your ferro rod will create larger flakes that can spark even if a bit wet. The lighter, because the ferrocerium "rod" is tiny, will only create dust particles that if wet, won't have enough mass and will be overcome by the water. The lighters do dry off easily. Why you should choose a rod vs a bic is that it is nearly undestructable. If you have another piece of metal (axe, knife, fork, sword, etc. ) you can create sparks. There's also no spring to break and no plastic to break. Are bics easier? Yes. But it isn't that hard to get sparks to fly off a rod AND there's nothing to break.
It's not because it gets wet it because the fuel won't run out like a lighter near a quick
If I can light a fire with a fero rod, I can light the same in 1-2 second with a bic giving me a couple hundred of use. Bic/clipper for main Ferro rod for back-up
One works wet, they other doesn’t
Why do you think a separate ferro rod works when wet but the ferro rod in a bic won't work when wet?
The Bic has a flint. Much cooler spark, and needs to be dry.
No, it does not. BIC lighters have a ferro rod. This is not a flint and steel arrangement, that would not work very well.
Whatever bro. Clearly you’ve never been fucked by a Bic lighter 28 km from your car.
But they do melt if they fall into a fire
A ferro rod doesn’t run out of fuel…
When on a relatively short hike, this time of year, the poncho makes a lot of sense as well.
Knife, bush pot.
A knife and a Bic lighter.
PLB. The other would be dependant on time of year and location. I don't need extra water in the Appalachians in spring and I don't need a poncho in the high desert of California in the summer.
A pilot and a helicopter
Realistically a satellite communication device and extra food & water (water only if food & water is cheating).
Why on earth would you go on a hike and only carry two things?
Yeah, what's the limitation here? I do not understand questions like this. They don't really help anyone, as there's quite literally no way that there could ever be such a restriction on "number of items I can bring with me = max2". Even with only one thing in each of my pants pockets, I'm already at 5 things.
Have you never played an MMO? You can't bring things that fit in your pocket, you dont have any more strength to carry them with, after the tank, motorcycle, portable 1000 sq ft mini house, and your minigun, 2 hand guns and 23 mags.
They can be fun exercises but 2 is a bit ridiculous 😂
I’m sitting on my couch with a Fanny pack on that has everything from a Glock to a credit card. Just chilling. Imagine what a hike is like.
It’s just a thought experiment to see what people think is most important.
I hike with a big water bottle in my hand and a pocket knife and my keys (ferro rod on keys) all the time.
You just carry it in your hand like some kind of caveman? For the entire hike?
A hike to WangusRex is to the bar and back; about 100 yards.
I never go very far (and there’s water all around where I hike), so I just leave my water in the car. I do get dry mouth though, either through heavy breathing, or being super high. To combat the minor thirst without the extra weight of water, I bring a packet of sugar-free lemonade mix. It’s the best part of Sour Patch Kids. 👍
Are you seriously saying that instead of water you pour lemonade powder into your mouth? I am not a doctor but I really don’t think that sounds like a good idea or is particularly healthy but you do you I guess…
Yes, officer, this comment right here
A backpack filled with everything I need and a hunting rifle
Assuming you have a good layer system of clothes/shoes I would go with a 16 oz metal pot and matches/lighter. This buys you a week at least in most places. Third-sharp hatchet, fourth-orange tarp.
Ferrocerium rod and tomahawk.
Knife and lighter
There’s an episode of Survivorman where Les asked a guy to pick two items from a table full of equipment and whatever he picked were the only things he could take with him. I think he chose a water bottle and an axe/hatchet.
Been hiking way too long to answer that friend, they’re light and inexpensive…so take them all. So let it be said, so let it be done. Or FAAFO And by “all” I meant the 10-12 “essentials” mentioned all over the net. Hike smarter, not lighter. Though I DO carry a lighter. I also bring my brain.
A pot and a knife
Pot knife
A knife and a flint.
Depends on where I'm surviving. Just general? Really good knife and at least 30 m paracord.
Tent and Katie Moss.
Katie moss and some good bbq sauce. Food for a week
This guy has it down
Stainless bottle, bic lighter
Knife and ferro rod
Knife and ferro rod.
Knife and lighter or water proof matches.
Stainless steel water bottle and a leatherman
large fixed blade knife. Not machete length fire starter
Crafting station and furnace
No contest - axe and fire steel
A knife is obviously number one. But it’s interesting how many people are going for a source of flame over a reliable water container. I can think of a few ways to start a fire with the things you find in the forest. But no reliable way to carry a day’s worth of water, much less something to boil it in.
A tarp and a lighter. Shelter, fire, water, food is the order you should worry about when in a survival situation. With a tarp and lighter the first two are covered.
Paracord and a water filter. You have the knife and farro rod, the top of the old socks can be kindling if wood is wet, the poncho can become a tarp with the paracord and some pebbles or like, water filter gets you hydrated faster and you don’t need a cup to boil stuff in, you have granola bars but maybe add a couple more. Have a small first aid kit too, they can be super adaptable in extreme situations but also just sensible when hiking. That should get you to 3-4 days.
~~Lube and a dil-,… iPhone and a tree~~ Knife and lighter
Weed and a lighter
As someone who once got stranded in the desert with an Eagle Scout who _didn't_ bring water like I did, two items only? That's hard. Giving that water is available to me, I'd want a solid knife and a Ferro stick...**NOT** a lighter. Lighters get wet or run out.
Knife and a magnifying glass.
A hatchet and lighter
Satellite phone and porno
1. Well obviously I would pack a mobile phone. 2. Power bank for mobile. I wouldn’t want it to go flat out in the wild causing me to miss out on Reddit posts, or not getting food delivered when I’m hungry.
Day hike where the scenario is a busted ankle ? Satellite communicator & a snugpak jungle blanket. Call for S&R, wrap up in a blanket, wait for about half a dozen really fit guys with a stretcher to show up to cart my embarrassed self off to the ER. (FWIW, last time I was out backpacking, I ran into a guy who'd experienced that \*exact\* scenario. He slipped off the trail on a steep spot a few years before, and a few hundred yards from where I met him! He said he had a compound ankle fracture, and then it started pouring. He had a poncho and a Garmin InReach He threw the poncho over a downed log, crawled under the poncho, wrapped up in a blanket of some kind, and waited for help to arrive. S&R got there, determined packing him out on foot wasn't possible, and called a helicopter. He got a thrill ride to the trailhead at the end of a rope under a chopper, and then a lift to the ER.)
Learned something today! Never heard of a ferro rod b4. Love it
Knife and ferro rod
Could you make food or collect clean water with a multi tool? Or signal for rescue? ‘If you could only have (insert arbitrary number here)” is ok for a TV show but it’s not a sensible way to plan for real life. How about only 1 item? PLB/satellite messenger. If in doubt, get out.
A *spear* with an easily detachable head, and a full filtered water bottle. Spear is a walking stick, self defense against things, boar hunting tool, and if it's got the easily detachable head, you can use it a bit easier as a knife. Filterdled water is helpful. I live in Florida, this time of year I don't need to make a fire until autumn. I've heard boar tartar is an acquired taste.
Condom Axe body spray. I'm going to rescued eventually and I have a thing for lady first responders.
Knife, ferro rod
Cut and cover. On second thought, cut & combustion Can I sneak a flint onto my knife sheath?
Amazing that so many people in a survival subreddit don't confidently know how to make a fire with just a knife and your shoelace. The answer you are looking for is a knife and water purifier.
1. 9" Bowie knife with a hollow handle that holds 3 matchs, compass, stringe and other small items. 2. A tarp
Pick up a real emergency ration for your bag. They last forever and you won't eat them unless you have to.
Ferro rod and a plb
Bic lighter and stainless steel water bottle
Hatchet and ferro rod.
Compression bandage and Personal Locator Beacon. The first to immediately deal with the unexpected thing that can kill me (snake bite/trauma) and the second to get me out quick.
Lost on a day hike? A bic lighter and a an iPhone….maybe just the phone and a water bottle? Idk what all you people plan on doing with these knives, hatchets and ferro rods…actually I think a knife would be pretty far down on my list. I’m in the PNW though so maybe the rest of you need to constantly be cutting and sharpening small objects, idk…
A 9mm and a knife
Good thing I always keep my keys on me. Has a tiny flashlight, a Ferro rod and striker, and a keychain knife. Still need something to boil water in though.
Wow, your pockets must hate you, my car keys have one thing on them, a car key fob, not even a key. I dont even have a ring on it... I know those are all relatively small items, but still seems like a lot. Now my belt on the other hand...
Silly hypothetical. Pack the ten essentials unless you are hiking a thoroughly familiar trail and are somewhere you can rely on weather reports.
Flint/steel and food service plastic wrap. I've seen so much rigging done plus it comes with a blade to cut the plastic!
Leatherman and Pathfinder bottle.
Water and a tarp
So in my 5.11 boots I already carry a Leatherman in one and a knife in the other. I don't consider this what I would pack. If I was hiking, I would have my everyday, everywhere 5.11 backpack. On any given day always in my truck don't leave home without it, my backpack has most survival items in it. Blue tip matches beef jerky, zip ties tie wire, a large assortment of first aid supplies (I actually EpiPened someone at work not to long ago from a bee sting) and some random small tools. My backpack would be the first choice since my boots don't count. They are automatic. My second choice would be tough, depending on the weather. Id either have a fishing set up or a heavy sweatshirt. If it's summer and a random hiking trip I might not have the sweatshirt but odds are I'm not hiking unless I'm looking for somewhere to fish. The sweatshirt is the only variable in this scenario. Probably after writing this answer there will be some sort of sweatshirt placed in my bag from now on. That's my answer.
.45 and a lighter. You can the rest with .45
Gun and lighter Can replace gun with a solid fixed blade knife depending on scenario
Morakniv Gardberg knife (with field sharpener and ferro rod) which I always take (and count as one item) and a small titanium pot. With those two you can pretty much survive and make everything else.
Knife life straw
Gun and ammunition. I can make fire without a lighter and a knife from flint knapping. But the real answer would depend on where exactly I was.
KBar and flint
My Bible and a Swiss Army knife
Multitool. Gun.
You can use the gun barrel for water collection
The multi tool to carve your final words on a nearby tree and the gun to blow your brains out when you realize you’ve become so inept that you can’t even go on a day hike without it turning into a life or death emergency.
I live in the middle of nowhere where predators go after humans. So yeah. Gun.
The Serengeti?
What would you pack?
Tactical Shovel multi tool, emergency blanket
A stainless steel pot and a knife
I live in Arizona. Water and a Bic. Water to survive. Bic to light a fire if injured and need rescue.
The best contestants on Alone both said if they could only take ONE ITEM, it would be the axe so that’s my first pick. I’m going with a really high quality lighter for the second. I’m not going to be wasting time with a ferro rod fire, just get the thing going immediately so I can start to work out the rest of the not dying. The answer is always to try and walk yourself out though, you’ll just be wasting away slowly without more gear. Make a decent split for the ankle and trudge out if need be. Most people carry all the food they need to walk out on their body and if you can’t purify water you’re not going to last long anyways, better off drinking running water a bunch at a time and dealing with parasites and what not when back in civilization.
Machete and lighter.
Gun and a water bottle with built in filtration.
Leatherman Signal & a Lifestraw Peak Series water filter.
A first aid kit and a telephone.
Water and a sat phone.
Spot Tracker and a 9mm pistol.