Tools of the Trade: A Pack Built by the First 5 C’s of Survivability

Last week, I went over the idea and theories into how to build a pack. For last week’s blog click here. Now this isn’t my EDC, every day carry, pack. This one usually just stays in my car. However, it is the best example of an overnight wood bag that I can make at this moment. I am still testing this pack, since last year, to see what I will use and what I won’t. So let’s get to it. This is my pack:

I received this years ago as birthday gift. Until bushcraft I never really had any uses for it. Now as I mentioned above, I had this pack complete stuffed with these items down here:

Now as I said, this was my pack last year. I believe that you should try and clean out what didn’t work or you won’t be able to use (don’t need snowshoes in the summer) and only keep items that have worked for you or still need testing.

So breaking this pack is easiest by going of the 10 C’s of survivability. First on the list is cutting tools:

In the top left is my old hickory butcher knife. You can google this item to learn more about it. But it meets all the requirement for a knife that Dave Canterbury would use. It’s got a 6 inch blade or larger, full tang, high carbon steel, 90 degree spine, be able to strike with flint, and have a non-coated blade. It is in a leather sheath that I have used to strop the knife with. To the far right I have a camp hatchet with a 2 pound head and wooden handle. The mask is homemade. Curled underneath it is a fold saw. In the center from top to bottom is a 10 item multi-tool, a SAK hunter, and a knock off SAK. To the left of them is a wood gouge. Next to it is a survival
knife with a Ferro rod.

Finally to the left of that is my wife’s multi-tool and 4 inch pocket knife (I have actually shaved with her knife)

Now while all of these items could be used, there is some redundancy with them. So I use the rule by David Canterbury: the 5 by 5 rule. The rule is that you only need five different cutting tools to do 90% of your working task. The factors to take into consideration is which type of environment you will be in for what you will need. His example is if you were in a swamp or marsh a machete would be more useful than an axe. With this in mind, since I am surrounded by the eastern woodlands I pack for that. So of the tools above I will be packing the knife, hatchet, folding saw, gouge, and SAK hunter.

Next is my combustion devices, which I keep in a char tin:

 Inside here is a lighter, Ferro rod, 6x magnifying lens, flint, candle, and some char-cloth all contained in my char tin. Now these items all contribute to fire. Now with following the 5×5 rule I have 5 ways to make fire under different conditions. So with the lighter, instant fire; it’s the best way and easiest way to build a fire even with awful materials. With my Ferro rod, using the spine of my knife I scrape the rod removing sparking material and causing sparks. These sparks burn hotter than flint and steel sparks, which allows it to catch tinder or char cloth really fast and easy. The magnifying lens is a renewable fire starting resource. Unless it is a cloudy day. With both the lighter and Ferro rod there is a finite amount of use.

However, with the lens as long as you have the sun you can start a fire. Flint is an old and reliable resource to for fire building. You only need a striking steel or your knife to make sparks. Lastly the candle. Now during event this candle has helped me extend the length of my fire from my lighter to get wet tinder to catch up. I even recently saw a video where Dave said the same idea I had, so I guess I can’t be that wrong. I suggest giving it a shot. Now those are the 5×5 tools. Others could’ve been a fire piston or reusable match. I will being trying these out later. The char-cloth and char-tin are really just components of building a fire and the next fire. So I don’t call them tools.

Here are my items for Cover Element: 

It is very simple and that is something I need to work on. However you could do a lot worse than a tent and emergency blanket. On top of this, but not in this list for reasons, I also have an extra complete outfit. These clothes are camo for hunting and thick for winter or colder conditions. They will help keep my micro climate up while the fire will help my macro climate of the campsite.

Containers are without a doubt just as important as your knife, unless you wish to make clay pots all the time. From cooking to storing cooked food to drinking water most bushcraft wouldn’t be possible. Now in this picture I have all of my containers and cooking kit. The reason they are shown together is that 90% of these items are the same.

So I have 3 water containers. Two have black paint that prevents them from being covered in the residue from campfires. The bowl in the back is my go to for boiling. Using the vice grips as a pot handle I am able to boil more
water. Also a camp mess kit with a plate, frying pan, camp pot, two cups one metal, one plastic, seasoning kit, a canvas water bowl, lighter, can opener, matches, paper for emergency tinder, spoon-knife SAK style eating utensils. I choose to keep two metal water bottles available to boil water. The bigger one is 32 oz. and can be handy when needing to measure water purification chemicals. Also both bowls, vice grips, and the mess kit. Along with my other metal cup and spice kit, I’m ready to make any meal.

Going along with cordage I have a few options, they are:

To the left is a pound of #36 bank line, the olive green and blue silver cords is 550 para-cord. Next to that is wax coated thread, and finally camo color utility rope. Dave swears by bank line, but I haven’t gotten to use it yet.

Now these next items could be considered luxury items and not needed, however since I’m still trying to increase my fire skill I consider these crutches only needed until they aren’t needed. They are:

A balloon pump or bike pump and some aluminum foil. The foil can help keep the bottom of the fire dry in wet conditions, be used to wrap and cook food items, or even use it as a reflective blanket to help keep warm. The pump is more a single function item. I use it to keep the embers hot and instead of my own breathe. As I get better I can lose these items.

With that, this concludes the first 5 C’s in my pack. Next week we will explore the last 5 C’s and other luxury items in my pack. As always feel free to comment, share this blog, and check back next week for a new one. Follow me on Facebook: @BPackBushcraft and on Twitter @BPackBushCraft. Until next time, keep those fires burning and put another log on for me.