s/v Jedi

Preppers: my pocket knife

My pocket knife is the Benchmade Triage with serrations, carbide point and a rescue hook:

Making a choice for a pocket knife is like choosing a car: there are many and the best ones are expensive. If you are a ninja then you probably need a bigger knife but my choice is pretty good for the prepper/sheepdog type. This knife is designed to save lives, to rescue and for medics. This time the catch is the price: you're lucky if you find it for $150 and that's before tax most of the time. I did find knock-offs for less than a quarter of the price but my thought while buying this was that I'm only gonna buy one and only once so better get the best.

This knife is made to withstand salt water environments with the best stainless steel and G10 fiberglass grips used in it's construction, like one can expect at this price point. There are several versions and I'll explain why I choose this specific one: I choose orange so that you can still find it when you drop it outdoors. The serrated blade because I experienced how much easier that cuts through ropes, nets etc. and the bare stainless blade instead of black because the black finish will wear off and there is no tactical role for this knife at all in my case.

When the blade is flipped open, it locks in a way that there is absolutely no play and it feels like a fixed blade. It's 1/8" (more than 3.2mm) thick and shaped as what they describe as "sheepsfoot". This shape allows you to cut clothing or a bandage off an arm without risk of breaking the skin because the blunt side of the blade pushes the skin away from the cutting action. The picture above also shows the clip that secures the knife in your pocket.

Next function is the rescue hook. Benchmade sells it as a separate item as well and it gained a solid reputation when the Youtube videos started showing how this hook not only cut seat belts but also rip through jeans incl. the thick parts like it's waste band. It is held open by a spring but does not lock so it's recommend to position thumb or index finger on the serrated base of the hook, which lines up with the frame serrations for a good grip. Like the blade it has a stud which allows one-handed operation.

The last feature of the Triage is the carbide point which sticks out the end of the handle as shown in the picture above. It is usable with the blade deployed but not when the rescue hook is in use. A little carbide point will break car windows all day while hitting them with a bat often fails. The point is set into a steel part of the frame that also sticks out a bit; probably designed to protect the fiberglass from the impact with the window but it also doubles in a tactical role as you can defend yourself with a backhand hit much like you would break a window.

The climate we live in makes us not want to carry much gear so we tend to keep it in close reach like in the car, in the cockpit or pilothouse aboard or in a bag that we carry. It's also not the only knife we have but it's the one first at hand.

Preppers: $5 mini comfort bag that you should have!

This is a small ziplock bag that holds everyday essentials and can be carried in a handbag, shirt pocket, dash compartment etc. It's very durable, waterproof and can be replenished as items are used.
15 years ago I bought an off-shore rated medical bag to be used aboard Jedi. When I opened it up there were many smaller bags inside, each for a specific task and creating an organized system out of a huge pile of medical supplies. Ever since opening that bag I have adapted this modular approach for all the gear and supplies I have. With it comes the art of figuring out how small you can make it while still holding everything you need. This little comfort bag is not only handy on it's own; it also forms the basis of other bags, you just can't go wrong with it :-)

So here is the catch... you can't buy these and have to make them yourself. The items are readily available in the USA: I checked and found everything on Amazon. I have added some info about availability or different names for products in other countries and Amazon links (click/tap them) for the not so easy to find items.

I started with a small 3x4" (7.5x10cm) but heavy duty ziplock bag (Amazon). It is a very thick material (6 mil thickness) and used for packing jewelry, precious coins etc. This is the smallest size bag that can still hold the largest item. My goal was to pack a list of items I made and still have some room for extras. This is what it holds:

• OFF Deep Woods insect repellent towelette (Amazon).
• Safetec Sting Relief wipe (Amazon).
• StingKill ampule/swab external anesthetic with Benzocaine (Amazon).
• WetOne anti-bacterial towelette (sanitary wipe, Amazon).
• 2x Bandaid
• 2x mini-ziplock 1.25x1.25" (3x3cm) 2 mil thickness (Amazon) for the next two items:
• 4x 500mg Extra Strength Tylenol (Acetaminophen, Paracetamol).
• 2x Extra Strength Rolaid Antacid (for heartburn, acid reflux).

The OFF towelette saves the day when mosquitos are out without having to carry a spray can. The Deep Woods version has 25% DEET which works in the sub-tropical and tropical climates we live in. If you forget to use it then there is the Sting Relief wipe. It has alcohol and Lidocaine for antiseptic and itch relief. If you are stung by something stronger (bee, wasp, jellyfish) or are allergic to bites then the StingKill will help. This is a glass ampule/vial inside a plastic housing that holds the swab. You break the glass which releases the liquid and you can swab the bites/stings.
The WetOne's are marketed as a hand cleaner but many hikers and outdoors people use these when there is no toilet paper around so it's universal. The bandaids, pain relievers and antacids complete the bag.

I have bought most of the items in bulk which reduces the cost per bag to half so if you make a lot of them you save :-)

I also made a "Stuffed Comfort Bag" version which adds an extra OFF towelette, two extra Sting Relief wipes and one extra WetOne. This fills the little bag to it's maximum and I use it in larger bags like the survival pouch I'll post about later. I would not carry the stuffed version in my pocket but it would work well when tossed into a car glove compartment etc. It brings the cost up to $7 or half that when items are bought in bulk quantities. See the difference between the two in the picture below: