As outdoorsmen / women we often look for the solitude of the wide expanse of nature as our natural way of everyday life, be it kayaking, wild camping or mountain hiking, but what do you do when it all goes wrong and you are at the mercy of mother nature and the elements?
Survival situations have often been romanticised in films and television as a great adventure, Castaway starring Tom Hanks is a prime example, an unskilled person surviving for years without an ounce of survival knowledge and with nothing to help and support them.
In reality a survival situation is a scary, daunting and confusing experience, often clouded by misjudgment, wrong choices and a lack of kit and knowledge.
In this blog I will be delving into the depths of the very underappreciated possibles pouch, the kind of which I have carried throughout many countries as a failsafe in case the unexpected happens and I am stranded in the middle of nowhere with only myself, my knowledge and what I have very carefully packed to rely on.
The possibles pouch is carried by many different organisations, from military personnel, to park rangers in Africa, and wilderness guides in Alaska, as a lightweight back up kit catering for the possibility of having to spend a few nights in the bush. Pouches will obviously differ from climate to climate but will also have some similarities.
My personal possibles pouch is set up primarily for temperate climates and even though over the years it has gone through a few modifications it has always followed roughly the same kit list.
Before I go into the contents of my personal pouch let us have a look at the origins and exactly what a possibles pouch is. The possibles pouch originated in the 18th and 19th centuries as a bag carried by mountain men, frontiersmen, and hunters. The bag was used to store a variety of items, including tools, medicines, and food. Modern day possibles pouches are effectively A small bag or pouch that goes with you everywhere no matter what. It has the minimum amount of gear needed to 'survive' if you get separated from your pack and camp.
My personal possibles pouch is a Ben and Lois Orford pouch made in the UK using strong and sturdy leather with dual double danglers for the belt attachments and inside it contains
- large locking Swiss Army Knife
- jumbo ferro rod
- Fallkniven CC4 stone
- torch with flashing capability
- 20 gauge snare wire
- basic fishing kit
- zippo waxed tinder sticks
- 20 foot of 550 paracord
- finally a bandana
With the right knowledge this small kit can be a life saver in the unfortunate event of a survival situation.
The Swiss Army Knife is the locking hunter which is the same that was previously issued in the British Air Force survival kit with a large locking blade, large saw, gutting blade and can opener. Even though it will never compare to the size and strength of a fixed blade it is still a multipurpose tool that will fulfill everything needed of it, be it skinning game or carving traps and notches. The saw also has a very square spine making it perfect for striking the ferro rod.
I prefer to carry a large ferro rod not only for longevity of life but it also offers superior grip in comparison to the army sized one, producing sparks at about 3000 degrees and working in the wet, cold and heavy wind it will always be a valuable survival tool. With fire comes the ability to cook, purify water, ward off predators, boost morale and prevent hypothermia.
A good sturdy torch with flashing capabilities is a must for the purpose of rescue, white light can be seen for miles which massively improves the chance of being seen and rescued.
I carry the zippo tinder sticks as a backup to the possibility of not being able to source dry sufficient tinder from nature. I do favour birch bark which grows widely throughout the whole of the northern hemisphere but also use cramp balls when they have spored and turned black. They glow with such an intensive heat when a spark from a ferro rod is dropped on them that they will ignite dry grass or dry bracken with such ease it feels like cheating sometimes .
If rescue is not available and you have to hike out under your own steam, food is an important factor to build up the strength needed to undertake such an arduous journey and that's where the snare wire and fishing kit come into play .
The snare wire is 20 gauge which is thin enough to work it easily but also strong enough to target rabbits, hares and most small mammals, the aim when it comes to trapping is to cause as little pain and suffering to your prey as possible whilst still making sure you have a meal.
The fishing line I carry is a small hand reel of 150 meters of 60lb monofilament with a 20 gram plumb weight on a slider for bottom dwelling catfish. You can also adapt a spring snare with fishing line instead of snare wire to make a self striking trap which would prevent the fish from spitting out your hook and escaping.
The paracord is pretty self explanatory, making cordage in a survival situation can be done but paracord has the added advantage of being pretty wear resistant and much, much stronger, when combined with the fishing line or snare wire you can make very effective traps.
A lot of people carry bandanas on a daily basis in the wild for a wide range of reasons, they can be used as an emergency bandage, water filter and even reusable toilet roll. I have personally used mine wrapped around my hand or leg and used it to soak dew off of the grass in the early morning and it's very surprising how much moisture you can get out of it when it is absolutely soaked.
I hope this has given everyone a little insight into what I carry in my personal pouch and the reasons behind every item but I also hope it has inspired you all to build your own. Being prepared is always the first line of defense against losing control of your situation and succumbing to mother nature, of course everyone's possibles pouch will be different depending what their individual needs are and location of travel.
When it comes to choosing a suitable pouch there are many great ones out on the market from brands such as Casstrom , Ben and Lois Orford and Helikon
I hope to see you on the trail sometime.
PLEASE NOTE: it is the readers responsibility to ensure the kit they carry complies with the law in the country they are in.