Nalgene Bottle Survival Kit

For those who have an interest in preparedness and survival kits, you have likely seen the infamous Nalgene Bottle Survival Kit – a survival kit where your survival items (knife, fire starting devices, signal mirror, compass, etc…) are contained within the Nalgene Bottle itself.

There are 3 factors which make this system appealing.

  1. You can easily transfer it from one pack to another.
  2. It’s small. It’s common for survival kits to be left behind or neglected because they are too bulky to pack quickly and easily.
  3. The bottle itself is very effective at protecting the survival contents from water and being crushed. The other benefit of housing your survival kit in a Nalgene bottle is that it will float if dropped in water. Tip: Buy a brightly coloured bottle so you can easily spot it if you lose it or if it goes overboard.
While these previous 3 points make for an easy-to-grab, fantastically portable, and robust survival kit, the majority of homemade Nalgene Survival kits lack two essential items.
The first item which is often lacking is that of a bag or pouch. If you are in a survival situation and need to use the Nalgene bottle to store water, what are you going to do with the survival contents inside it? Having a simple bag or pouch as part of the kit will enable you to quickly and effectively stow away your survival items.
Remember – these items are critical to your survival (that’s why you packed them in the first place) so it’s important to ensure you have a means of keeping them together when your bottle is in use.
The second item which is lacking, not only from this system, but from most survival kits (particularly survival kits purchased “off the shelf”) is something to boil water in.
When it comes to the Nalgene survival system, an effective solution to both problems is the Snowpeak Mini Solo Titanium cookset. It allows you to perfectly remedy the issues mentioned above (lack of a contents bag/pouch and a means of boiling water). The beauty of this combination is that it adds virtually no weight to the set up, nor does it add any additional bulk. In terms of dimensions, the whole system remains virtually unchanged – it’s essentially the same size as the Nalgene bottle itself.
The addition of SnowPeak’s titanium Mini Solo Combo makes for a superior survival system.
  • The bottle contains enough space in which to house all your essential survival gear.
  • The bottle provides effective protection for contents against crushing and is water tight – making it float too!
  • A brightly coloured cap makes it visible. In addition, choose a clear bottle so you can quickly see how much water you have left.
  • The size of the Nalgene Survival bottle is small enough to easily take with you without being a burden.
  • Using the bottle in conjunction with the Snowpeak Mini Solo Titanium Cookset gives you a two piece cookset which can be used to cook food, but more importantly, boil water.
  • The mesh bag that comes with the Snowpeak cookset gives you something to carry your survival contents in when your bottle is being used to carry water.

A perfect fit!

Note: The Nalgene Survival bottle system uses the 1 litre “Wide-Mouth” Nalgene bottle.

SnowPeak’s Mini Solo Combo Cookset Ti (Titanium)

Great piece of kit!

Finding a backcountry cooking system that is user friendly and doesn’t weigh you down is a search the avid outdoor enthusiast should take seriously.

The titanium SnowPeak Mini Solo Combo cook-set is ultra light, compact, and extremely durable – it’s pared down to the absolute basics and it’s all you really need.

Less is more and more is lazy.

– Jason McCarthy, Founder of Goruck 

The set is incredibly lightweight and fits together nicely into a mesh bag which is included. The orange cordage is great for visibility – see “The Colour of Survival.”

Not only is this a fantastic backcountry solo cooking system, it’s also a perfect addition (and arguably essential) to the infamous “Nalgene Survival Bottle.”

From the SnowPeak website:

SKU : SCS-004T

“This cook set comes with a titanium pot, cup, and lid, which stack and store inside the included mesh stuff sack. It features folding handles and graduated markings for easily measuring volume. Sets come in non- stick aluminum or titanium. Perfect for the solo camper or hiker that enjoys both hot drinks and hot food at the same time. As a plus, it is both easy to clean and carry.”

Material Titanium
Dimensions Pot: D 4″ H 5.1″
Cup: D 4.25″, H 2″
Includes Titanium Pot, Lid, & Cup
Capacity Pot: 28 fl oz, Cup: 10 fl oz
Size Stowed D 4.25″ H 5.2″
material Titanium
Made In JAPAN
Weight 5.5 oz
Additional Info  You can store 2 GigaPower Fuel 110g canisters upside down or 1 canister and the GigaPower stove w/o case.

Whether you’re considering this system for your backcountry cooking needs, or looking for a set to properly complete your Nalgene Survival Bottle, this kit from SnowPeak is worth every penny – an investment that will last a lifetime.

Cost: Around CDN $60

www.snowpeak.com

Fisher Space Pens

Not only are these pens great for the outdoors thanks to their reliability in virtually any condition, but they are also great for air travel (no more worrying about leaking pens).

Simple and reliable, this particular model is also cost efficient.

From the www.spacepen.com website:

 

Here’s a little history about the Fisher Space Pen Company. 

 

 

In the 1950’s there were dozens of ballpoint models, and nearly every one took a different cartridge. In 1953 Paul Fisher invented the “Universal Refill” which could be used in most pens. It was a good seller, since stationery store owners could reduce their stock of assorted refills.

 

Not content, Paul continued to work on making a better refill. After much experimentation he perfected a refill using thixotropic ink-semisolid until the shearing action of the rolling ball liquefied it-that would flow only when needed. The cartridge was pressurized with nitrogen so that it didn’t rely on gravity to make it work. It was dependable in freezing cold and desert heat. It could also write underwater and upside down. The trick was to have the ink flow when you wanted it to, and not to flow the rest of the time, a problem Fisher solved. Fisher’s development couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. The space race was on, and the astronauts involved in the Mercury and Gemini missions had been using pencils to take notes in space since standard ball points did not work in zero gravity. The Fisher cartridge did work in the weightlessness of outer space and the astronauts, beginning with the October, 1968 Apollo 7 mission began using the Fisher AG-7 Space Pen and cartridge developed in 1966.

 

1965 – Patent # 3,285,228: Anti-Gravity Pen The original AG7 Anti-Gravity pen was developed by Paul Fisher

 

1968 – Fisher Space pens used on Apollo 7 after two years of testing by NASA

 

1976 – The Fisher Space Pen Co moves into its 30,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Boulder City, Nevada from Van Nuys, California.

 

1980 – Paul Fisher was selected Small Business Person of the Year for the State of Nevada1983 – Fisher Space Pen is used by Ronald Reagan to sign the Proclamation inaugurating the Air and Space Bicentennial Year to celebrate Man’s first flight in a hot air balloon near Paris France

 

1985 – Fisher Space Pen Co. produces the Stowaway pen line manufactured using genuine gold from the treasure recovered from the 1622 Spanish Galleon – Nuestra Señora de Atocha

 

1995-96 – Fisher Space Pen Co. received the Nevada Governor’s Industrial Appreciation Award as Exporter of the Year

 

1996 – Good Morning America names the Fisher Space Pen a best stocking stuffer

 

 

1996 – Fisher licensed to produce 150th Anniversary Pens for the Smithsonian

 

1997 – Used during Everest North Face Ski Expedition

 

– Associated Press released a national article on the Fisher Space Pen Co.

 

1998 – The Fisher Space Pen is used on the Russian Space Station Mir to write the letters QVV (QVC Shopping Network) – the first product sold in space

 

– Seinfeld builds an episode around the Fisher Space Pen – Seinfeld is berated by his parents for accepting the pen as a gift from a neighbor who offers it as a token of friendship.

 

2006 – Sadly, Paul Fisher passed away at the age of 93.  The company continues under the leadership of his son, Cary Fisher and almost 100 seasoned employees, many who have been with the company for many decades.

 

If you’re passing by Boulder City Nevada, stop into the factory store.  Open 8am-4pm weekdays.Copyright © 1999 – 2008 Fisher Space Pen Co. All rights reserved.

 

Style: Cap Activation 
Length: 5.375″
Cartridge: Fisher PR4 Black Ink Medium Point
Barrel Colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Burgundy, and Black
Packaging: Blister Card

 

Cost: Around CDN $12

 

When Nature Calls…

Made from repurposed Lexan®, this serrated, sure-grip sanitation shovel is a great piece of kit for the proper disposal of human waste whilst in the backcountry. The serrated edges also make this trowel handy for general light duty digging tasks in and around your campsite. The Cathole Trowel from GSI is lightweight, quite a bit more durable than other camp trowels, and has Leave No Trace™ Usage Guidelines molded into the back.

Leave No Trace – Centre for Outdoor Ethics (Attached to each GSI Cathole Trowel)

“Improper disposal of human waste profoundly impacts the once pristine natural environments which we all cherish. From the simple unpleasantness of encountering someone else’s waste to the potential contamination of water sources, waste disposal affects everyone who ventures beyond the confines of the urbanized landscape. A cathole is an excellent way to dispose of human waste in the backcountry.”

Location:

  • Select an inconspicuous site at least 200ft. (approx. 70 adult paces) from water sources, trails and campsites.
  • The best sites have deep organic soil with dark, rich coloration and maximum  exposure to sunlight to aid decomposition.
  • Avoid areas of water runoff; seasonal or otherwise.
  • When camping for an extended period at one site or with a large group, be sure to widely disperse cathole locations.

Note: When camping in river canyons, solid human waste must be packed back out.

Excavation:

  • In most environments, dig a hole 6″ to 8″ deep and 4″ to 6″ in diameter.
  • In arid or desert conditions, dig a hole 4″ to 6″ deep and 4″ to 6″ in diameter.

Toilet Paper:

  • Use only plain, non-perfumed toilet paper in sparing amounts.
  • In arid conditions, toilet paper should be sealed in plastic bags and packed back out.
  • Whenever possible, substitute stones, leaves, snow or other natural materials for toilet paper.

Tampons:

  • Tampons must be packed back out in sealed plastic bags as they do not biodegrade readily.

Burial:

  • Always fill cathole with original soil and disguise with native materials (rocks, brush, etc…)
  • When burying toilet paper, be sure to bury it at bottom of catholes and cover completely with soil.

Urination:

  • When urinating, try to select inorganic surfaces like rocks or gravel which will serve to disperse urine and protect vegetation and soil.

Note: In some Western River Corridors, it is best to urinate directly in the river to protect the vulnerable shoreline. Please refer to local land management recommendations.

www.LNT.org

From the GSI website:

Made from repurposed GSI Outdoors Lexan products Serrated edges make for easy digging, even in the most stubborn soil. Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Usage Guidelines molded into back of trowel.”

MAJOR DIMENSION

10.2″

WEIGHT

3.1 oz.

DIMENSIONS

10.30″ x 2.60″ x 1.00″

MATERIAL

Recycled Polycarbonate

www.gsioutdoors.com

Cost: Around CDN $4.25

Survival Stories

Spend a day immersing yourself in survival situations through a compilation of some of the greatest tales of survival ever. Live through harrowing true life adventures from the safety of your favourite reading spot and gain a new appreciation for those who’ve survived some of the most extraordinary survival ordeals ever recorded.

The Best Survival Stories Ever Told recounts stories of ordinary mortals who achieved extraordinary things. Spanning the ice-locked Poles and the endless deserts of Arabia to the storm-tossed South Atlantic, the rainforests of the Amazon, and sheer peaks of the Himalayas, it charts the dangerous relationship between men and nature.”

Jon E. Lewis is a historian and writer, whose books on history and military history are sold worldwide. Jon holds graduate and postgraduate degrees in history, and his work has appeared in New Statesman, the Independent, Time Out, and the Guardian. He is also editor of SAS: The Elite Special Forces in their Own Words.

ISBN: 978-1-61608-455-4

Cost: Around CDN $13

 

Shelter and Warmth

In a survival situation, shelter from the elements is critically important. Although water is a high priority, depending on the circumstances, a person can easily succumb to the effects of hyperthermia or hypothermia much faster than dying of dehydration. To put things into context, a person may survive for 2 – 3 days without water; however, in extreme cold or heat, a person may not last more than a few hours.

When it comes to shelter and the idea of warmth, it is important to recognize that it isn’t necessarily the shelter itself that generates warmth. The primary function of a shelter, especially in a survival situation, is to provide protection from the elements (wind, rain, snow, etc.) and to a certain extent, predators. We seek protection from the elements because they endanger our ability to maintain our core body temperature.

For example:

The source of heat for a snow-based shelter could come from a candle, small fire, your body heat (by default), a lantern, or a combination of several different sources. While snow-based shelters provide excellent insulation, you should ask yourself – what is the source of heat it’s insulating for you?

Think about the shelters we move in and out of on a daily basis. Our homes, offices, vehicles etc… It is not the structure itself that generates warmth per se, but rather a furnace, fireplace, heater etc… In other words, the shelter’s warmth is generated by a heat source. In a survival situation, give some thought to the heat source of your shelter as it may ultimately determine the type of shelter you construct.

Remember – In a survival situation, shelter and protection from the elements is critical. Don’t forget that your clothing is your primary shelter and clothing should therefore be well thought out.

Shelters are effectively micro-climates which allow us not only to survive, but to live and settle in environments that would otherwise be quite inhospitable. Proper clothing is what allows us to leave our shelters (homes, buildings, vehicles etc.) and move around. Therefore it is essential to think of our clothing as a shelter… After all, our clothing does in fact protect us from the sun, wind, rain, snow etc…

 

Practice Safe Survival

In most compact/pocket size survival kits, it is rare to find a proper means to hold and carry water. If you wish to keep your kit small, a non-lubricated condom can be used as an improvised container. Place the unrolled condom inside a sock (to protect the condom) and fill with water – it will hold roughly 1 litre of water.

Tip:

To fill a condom with water, try to find a large source of water with a certain degree of water pressure.