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Reviews > Health & Safety > Emergency and Survival Gear > Adventure Medical Pocket Survival Pak > Chuck Carnes > Field ReportAdventure Medical
Kits
Pocket Survival Pack  Field Report by Chuck Carnes Report Date: May 17, 2006
Name: Chuck Carnes Age: 36 Gender: Male Height: 6 ft. 0 in (1.83 m) Weight: 175 lb (79 kg) E-mail address: ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com City, State, Country: Greenville, South Carolina USA
I love the outdoors – I’ve spent time camping in the outdoors since I was born, and have been actively hiking and backpacking since then. I consider myself a lightweight hiker, usually carrying 20 – 30 pounds (11-13 kg) for hikes up to a week in length. I hike at an easy pace, averaging 2 mph (3 kph). I am a one-man tent camper for now. I like to carry a single trekking pole when I hike to help relieve stress to my legs and knees. I like to get out on the trail as often as I can.
Manufacturer: Adventure Medical Kits Model: Pocket Survival Pack Year of manufacture: 2005 URL: www.adventuremedicalkits.com Listed Weight: 3.9 oz (111 kg) Actual Weight: 3.7 oz (105 kg) Listed Size: 5 in x 4.5 in (12 cm x 11 cm) Actual Size: 5 in x 4.5 in x 0.8 in (12 cm x 11 cm x 2 cm) MSRP: $27.50 USD Features (taken from the web site): The Pocket Survival Pak contains a collection of survival tools for when you find yourself abandoned, stranded, or lost in the outdoors. Keep it in your pocket, or on your person. Waterproof...floats...easily opened and resealed! Items in pack: Rescue Howler Rescue Flash Signal Mirror 20 mm Survival Compass Spark-lite Fire Starter Tinder-Quick Waterproof Survival Instructions Duct Tape Scalpel Blade Stainless Steel Utility Wire Fresnel Lens Magnifier Heavy Duty Nylon Thread Braided Nylon Cord Fish Hooks Heavy Duty Sewing Needle Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil Safety Pins Pencil Waterproof Note Paper
I have taken the AMF Pocket Survival Pack on two day hikes and one overnight trip. The two day hikes were taken in the Paris Mountain State Park and the overnighter was taken at Jones Gap in the mountains of Ceasars Head State Park. On all three trips the Survival Pack was tucked away in my front pouch that I carry around my waist that holds my camera, snacks and other small items. I carried it there so that I can reach it quickly if I had an accident or needed something from it quickly without having to fish for it in my backpack. It is very lightweight and I can not really tell that I am carrying the small amount of added weight to my gear. To me, it is worth it if I needed it in an emergency. Below, I have listed the items that come with the Survival Pack and a short description of its intended use. During my field experience, I have been able to test a few of the items. My comments on the item are noted in red. Rescue Howler: This is also called the Fox 40 Rescue Howler. It is a three chamber, triple frequency whistle. It has a db rating of 110 and is made of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) polymer in bright rescue yellow. It is pea-less and blows free any water that may get in the whistle from being dropped in water. The whistle is very loud when blown. It does take some effort to get the high pitched sound from the whistle. By effort, I mean a good bit of forceful air has to be blown through the whistle. If a person is injured to a point of not being able to blow a lot of forceful air through the whistle, it will not be as effective as it is designed to be. For my Long Term Report, I will test to see how easily it is heard at different lengths on a trail. Rescue Flash Signal Mirror: 2 in x 3 in (5 cm x 8 cm) Lexan polycarbonate with aiming aid. Directions are printed on the back and it comes in a protective sleeve to keep the mirror from getting scratched. The instructions on the back are in-between layers of polycarbonate to keep the instructions from getting damaged. The instructions are in English. 20 mm Survival Compass: Liquid damped compass with lanyard groove around entire compass; useful for basic wayfinding purposes. I have used the compass on a short route on the trail and it seems fairly accurate. Spark-lite Fire Starter: Waterproof, military issue, one handed use, artificial (ferrocium) flint and steel firestarter. It is orange in color for visibility if dropped. If dropped in water, simply shake off the water and the firestarter is ready to go. I tried this at home to see how easy the tinder would start with the spark-lite. It only took one flick with the spark-lite and the tinder quickly started burning. Tinder-Quick: 4 wax-impregnated cotton swabs in a clear plastic zip-lock baggy. Pull cotton apart to expose finer cotton fibers and it is ready for the sparks. Each piece of tinder will burn 2-3 minutes. The tinder started to burn with only one spark from the spark-lite. The tinder burned for approximately 2 minutes 40 seconds. Waterproof Survival Instructions: 33 illustrations by Doug Ritter on waterproof paper. Detailed and easy to understand illustrations written specifically for this kit. Not used at this time. Duct Tape: 26 in x 2 in (66 cm x 5 cm) rolled around a plastic looking tube. There is not much to say that people don't already know about duct tape. Thousands of uses including first-aid applications. Not used at this time, but will be used to check adherence. Scalpel Blade: #22 stainless steel blade sealed in foil package. Can be used as a back up for a broken knife or when a razor is needed for emergencies. Not used at this time. Stainless Steel Utility Wire: 6 ft (1.8 m) of mil-spec wire. Stronger than brass and less likely to break when twisted. If breaking it is needed, a multi-tool will need to be used. Not used at this time, but will test the wire for number of bends before breaking in half if a knife or scalpel is not available. Fresnel Lens Magnifier: 2 in x 3 in (5 cm x 8 cm). Used for enlarging the survival instructions for better reading. Also can be used as a back-up fire starter if the sun is shining. Not used at this time. Heavy Duty Nylon Thread: 50 ft (15.25 m) of 10.5 lb (4.8 kg) test fishing line or thread to be used for sewing. Can also be used for making bird and small game snares. Also many other uses. Not used at this time. Braided Nylon Cord: 10 ft (3 m) of 150 lb (68 kg) test nylon cord for shelter building or repairs. Not used at this time. Fish Hooks: This is part of a fishing kit that comes with 4 medium sized fish hooks, 2 removable split shots and 1 snap swivel contained in a clear plastic vial. Not only can these be used for fishing, they can be used for small game snares and traps. Not used at this time. Heavy Duty Sewing Needle: Large size for penetrating heavy duty materials and large eye for easier threading. Stored in the plastic vial with the fishing gear. Not used at this time. Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil: 3 sq ft (.28 sq m) of foil can be used as a wind blocker for a fire. Sturdy enough to use as a container for water. Not used at this time. Safety Pins: 4 medium-large safety pins can be used to repair gear or clothing. Can also be used to secure other gear to keep from being lost. Also stored in the plastic vial with the fishing gear. Not used at this time. Pencil and Waterproof Paper: Miniature #2 pencil and two 2 in x 3 in (5 cm x 7 cm) pieces of waterproof paper. Can be used to leave messages or writing important notes. Not used at this time, but will test the waterproofness of the paper. For the items that have not been used, I will test or try the item during my Long Term phase and will report my findings in that report.
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