DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Survivalist/Camp/Hiking Equip.

now, i know all 3 aren't the same, but there's a lot of crossover within the communities.

just wondering what you guys would consider getting if you had an *dream* unlimited budget, but let's keep it reasonable.

is knowing how to start a fire with natural resources still important? or do you guys do what others today do, just keep a bunch of matchboxes in a ziplock bag and call it a day?

best boots for rough terrain. durable tents, portable charging. etc.

for example, let's say you're going camping in an remote area, BUT the terrain isn't too rough that you can bring a vehicle.

do you stick with the tried and true Wrangler? or swap to an EV like the new Rivian and have a solar generator with a few portable panels? yea, the charge is waaaay slower, but your truck is essentially parked, so leaving it sitting there for a while is no big deal anyway.

say you're camping by the lake. do you ever swap up fishing tools as opposed to what you use on a normal boat? or is it the same? how useful is netting?

i'm basically just thinking out loud here, but just wondering how you guys would go about it.

for anybody who is a huge outdoorsmen, how much overlap - or little - is there between the 3? obviously hiking is definitely more light equipment based, but combined with camping, what do you bring or don't bring?

how much of the stuff for camping is useful in, say, a mini survival scenario where you just posted somewhere for 2 weeks, have your prefered vehicle in a wooded and sloped environment?

I never do much, if any, of it, but if I were to get into it, I would consider Hiking and Survivalist to be the same thing, and that would be the foundation for camping... assuming we're talking Primitive Camping and not Glamping. I'm not talking about "hiking" on well marked trails, but actually going through the woods... I'd treat it like a survival excursion simply because you don't know what you're going to encounter or what might happen. Like the Boy Scouts teach: Be Prepared. Or, like the SEALs teach: have a plan, and a backup, and a backup to the backup because Two is One and One is None. For day trips on well marked trails, I'd prepare based on the area, but I'd always have at least a Camelbak or similar for water, and a way to filter more water. Getting caught out deep somewhere and running out of water REALLY sucks.

Basically, all the stuff you learned in the Army, have that stuff on-hand, and dress that way. I wouldn't sweat having the chic brands, but instead focus on Function & Durability & Reliability. Whatever brands check those boxes are the ones to get.

After that, anything else you add is really just increasing comfort levels and conveniences. I mean, once you go above "survival" level, the first thing I'd add on an overnighter is Coffee, lol... so, I think it really just comes down to how you want to roll once you've covered the basics.

Very weird you start this topic as I was thinking about making a topic about bugout bags. You wouldn't need it for camping, but if there is a survival situation this is what you need.

There's bugout bags on amazon. My partner said it's better to make your own to have better quality. So I'm doing that and am at the point I need some knives. I would guess a hunting knife and a machette. Does anyone have advice about that?

So far I have:

Tactical flashlight (solar powered and can be charged from a car, and can also be used to charge your phone)
Fishing kit
First aid kit
2 person survival tent
Water purifier
Fire starter
Paracord

I would recommend a flint fire starter as per your matches question. They aren't difficult to use and can last for thousands of strikes if you purchase a good one. Others have pretty much said what my other comment would be. Are you looking at a long term survival scenario or a long camping trip? The overall answer to many of your concerns hinge on the answer to that question.

I would also strongly consider a reliable water filtration system. But once again that's more survival gear than for camping trips. On a camping trip you can consider your location and water availability into the mix. In a survival scenario you may not be afforded that choice.

This kinda fits the topic. I have one of these use it around the apartment a lot. Lights up an entire out door area.

LED light

[img]https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2...rn_BS-16-995632-sw_500x.jpg?v=1623354059[/img]

What kind of hiking are you considering? Long, multi-day treks would use ultralight shelters and gear. Advances in this area have been huge over the last 20yrs or so. People are hiking the Appalachian trail with not much more that 20lbs on their backs. I was considering hiking the AT after retirement, but with this jacked up knee it's not going to happen. Now this isn't the optimal equipment if you're dayhiking from a base camp, or if you're taking the kids on a camping/fishing trip. For the survivalist stuff....one thing not mentioned that I could see here is water purification. I've used a Katadyn filter in mountain streams and didn't get sick, lol. A lot of long distance hikers use Aqua Mira tablets for the weight savings. Drinking water straight from the source is a definite no-no, those intestinal bugs are nasty. Have several baggies each with a Bic lighter and clothes dryer lint/Vaseline balls for your fire needs.

love the responses.

i was asking just in general, what would you guys bring on some of the dream scenarios of camping/hiking, or oh crap scenario's like survival.

let's say you got to pick and vehicle you wanted to start (non military), and then around 5-6k worth of equipment. for survival, you and your equipment is dropped into the middle of nowhere, say a remote location in northern canada, or the sahara desert in Africa.

or if you went camping/hiking, but like Purp mentioned, actually hiking, not on any designated trails. so one scenario could be the Amazon, or the Outback in Australia.

I would like to go to a "How to survive a Browns season"

On a serious note I would like to know what plants , including berries and insects are safe to eat and how to properly handle fish and insects that can pose a danger if not handled correctly.

Youtube has all that. This guy has a good channel but there are many good channels for foraging, survivalists, etc. Just look for the most popular ones, subscription numbers make a decent filter for this type of content. Idiots get called out pretty quickly.

https://www.youtube.com/c/LearnYourLand

I grew up camping in pup tents. From family camping trips, to fishing with friends on the riverbank at night for catfish or just outback of my parents property, I spent a lot of time in tents as a kid. By my 20’s was really into backpacking and rock climbing. Had a job at a high end sporting goods store. Bad pay, good commission, incredible deals on gear. I had top of the line stuff. Lightweight stoves, sleeping pads, water filters, you name it. I still own my Sierra Design two man tent. Weights about 3 pounds total. I use it occasionally for overnight fishing trips on the Deschutes. Barebones but rock solid.
Once I started working festivals I upgraded to bigger tents with more comfort. I first hit a Kelty 8’x8’x6’ nylon tent. Used it for a few years then upgraded again. I currently own a 10’x10’x7’ Kodiak steep walled canvas tent. Canvas breathes so much better than nylon. It’s bombproof with heavy steel poles, and can stand up to any weather thrown at it. I’ve ridden out epic desert wind and sandstorms at Burning Man, and slept dry during summer downpours. The steep walls make for big living space. It’s essentially a 10’x10’ room with a 7’ ceiling. No squatting. No sitting to put pants on. Etc. I put a big mattress in it, a table, all my essentials and there’s still room to live. Living in a tent for 5 to 14 days requires comfort. It’s hefty. 70 pounds of canvas. Another 10+ for the poles and stakes. So it’s one of those things I only pull out for the longer stays.
I don’t do much other camping anymore. Just don’t have the time for it.

I did a lot of camping with my family too when young. Mostly KOAs. Family type places with showers and restrooms. If you are buying tents and stuff....a good thing to have is a screen tent to put over the picnic table to keep the bugs out.

When I was about 12, my Dad took a month off work and my fam went on a month long camping trip around the usa. Great plains, petrified forest, vegas/lake meade, grand canyon, yellowstone, grand tetons, black hills, great salt lake etc ...you get the idea. My Dad had it planned each day where we would stay and what hiking/site seeing we would do.

It was pretty epic and lots of memories. You would have fun with your daughters on this sort of trip.

I'm kinda like Port. I never got into the "survivalist" thing at all. However, I spent a ton of time climbing mountains, exploring canyons, hiking in the forest, hunting, etc. With those things comes the fact that one can get hurt or lost. I used to make a survival list. Prepare an inventory list of essentials. Means to acquire water. Ability to start a fire for cooking and warmth. Shelter. Rope for tying knots and creating tools in case of having to be alone for quite some time. I don't think people how many uses a rope has. A knife that is hunting honed rather than kitchen honed. First aid kit. [I know that sounds weak, but you never know.] Layered clothing that can also be used for other uses. Windbreakers are good because they are light to carry, provide some protection, but can also be cut into strips and used for other things that might keep you alive. I think everyone knows this one, but invest in the best shoes you can afford. You ain't going anywhere w/out your feet.

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A little true story… I went skiing a number of years back on Mt Hood. Resort skiing. That day I was with a couple friends that weren't strong skiers. I figured it’d be an easy day on the slopes hanging with them on the groomers so I left my phone and water bottle and such in the car. When out with my normal ski buddies we always pushed the edges of the park boundaries and skied the glades (trees) out of bounds. Untouched snow. Great tree skiing. Anyway that day I found myself getting bored. So I’d tell my friends to meet me at the lifts and I’d take the harder slopes to get to the same spot. I also repetitively pushed what thought were the edges of the boundary. One run I found myself blissing out carefree when I started realizing I had been out of bounds for quite awhile. I stopped. Took off my helmet…. Silence. Nothing. No tracks except mine. I quickly realized I had skied lower on the mountain than the last lift reached. The snow was knee to thigh deep. There was no going up. No way. No how. I took a couple minutes to gather myself. Took some deep breaths. Then knew I had one of two choices. Either had to be performed perfectly or I knew I’d be spending the night on the mountain. Ski hard left and eventually hit the road coming up to the resort. Though I knew that road was carved into the snow. In many many spots the road can be more than 10-15’ lower than the snow as they clear the road by blowing the snow up high. Creating a deep walled hallway that the road navigates. The thought of skiing to the edge but having no way to actually get to the road didn’t seem like a good prospect. So I took the long way. Down, to Government Camp, the town at the base of the mountain. I knew I had about two hours of daylight before I’d have to start digging a snow cave to stay ‘warm’ for the night. I had a lighter. I had a half a Jack Links beef jerky stick. Most importantly I had to pick and choose my path. I was in my downhill skis and boots. Not free heel boots. Meaning I had no real way of generating power with my legs. Therefore I had to pick my path well and not get greedy with taking every downhill slope. There’s box canyons and such I couldn’t afford to get trapped in as any uphill had to be met with skis off, hands and knees climbing. Using my skis, in hand, parallel to the hill, out in front of me to help flatten the snow and ‘pull’ myself up the slope. I encountered that a couple of times. Nothing full box canyon style because of smart choices but it was brutal none the less. It took well over an hour but I finally hit an area where there were cabins. The first guy I saw realized I was in downhill boots and new what I had been up against to look him in the eyes. He invited me in for a cup of coffee and drove me back up to the resort. My friends had ski patrol getting ready to start a big search. They figured I got hurt in one of the in bounds glades. Nope. Full on adventure. One I’ll never repeat. I’ll never not carry my phone with me again. Resort or not. I also carry extra beef jerky and m&m’s when I ski. I also no longer ski out of bounds like that. No one I know anymore has the skills and/or desire to play hard like tgat anymore. We’re getting too old.
I’m just glad I can tell the tale and didn’t freeze to death that night on the mountain.
I didn’t tell my (ex)wife about that for months after the fact. Didn’t need her freaking out every time I loaded up and went to the mountain.

No camping for this guy anymore.

I do have a couple of bug out bags ready to go if needed. Bags to just grab and go on foot in an emergency. Just basic stuff everybody needs to have a shot.

Everyone needs to have a fire starter. I prefer Mag bars. Rain or shine, they fire up. I keep one on my keychain, a few others in the bug out bags.

Just a thought. People need to think about a destination before some emergency hits and you are forced from your castle.
Just setting off to wander, following the people is the wrong thing to do, IMO. You want to stay away from people for a while. You have people wanting to rob and kill you even in the best of times.

I have a destination about 25 miles from here. I figure it might take 2-3 days to walk there. With some luck reading the tea leaves might alert you to a problem brewing and I can drive there in 40 minutes. Once there I can hole up for a good while.

Just a tip...most people have to hole in place. A good, cheap item to have are those solar landscape lights. Buy 3-4 of those to bring in the house at night to provide all night lighting in the event of a power outage. Just set back out on the deck during the day to recharge. You can buy those for under $15 each. Cheaper ones under $5.

Those are just common sense items for normal run of the mill power outages we all experience a time or two a year.

Not sure I would get on that train. A domed train would be cool!

I spent 3 years in the Army sleeping in so many ways outdoors, miserable, and uncomfortable I will never sleep outdoors again unless I have to, or it’s in a camper.

You see, here in lies the problem. You have given different locations where the gear you would need to survive are starkly different. The only real way to answer your question in this form are very broad generalizations. The gear you would need to survive in these vastly differing environments is as different as day and night.

Between childhood and military, I did too. I used to be able to sleep on concrete, machinery, sitting on anything, heck even I could even nod off while standing if the watch was boring and nobody would be around. I have had zero interest in "roughing it" since. When we took our kids camping, it was in a cabin, and I didn't really even enjoy that. Also, don't care for hotels anymore. Stayed in too many too often. Just sucks IMO. Of course, I'm not talking nice resorts, I can do those.