The Mud Life - 4 - May 2019

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GOODS & GEAR This little pack made by the knives and tools masters, Gerber, is a great piece of kit to take on any outdoor trek or camping trip for use in an emergency or survival situation. The ripstop nylon bag with waterproof zipper contains 8 essential items which are all packed in an inner plastic ziplock waterproof bag. Contents: Gerber Paraframe mini-knife, fire starter, a cotton ball (fire tinder), wire, waterproof bag, sewing kit, emergency cord, emergency whistle There is also a Priorities of Survival pocket guide containing Bear’s survival essentials, and on the back of the brightly coloured bag there are land to air rescue signaling instructions.

B EA R GRYLLS BA SIC S U R V IVAL KIT

The Muddy team was invited to a Gerber day where we got to use lots of different products whilst being shouted at, and encouraged, by ex-army soldiers. We were given some tasks to do using just this Basic Survival Kit. We were told to make a fire and create a snare, 2 of the most essential things to do if lost in the wilderness - create warmth and find food. The Basic Kit’s mantra is:

Stay prepared. Stay alive. As a team we had to scour the forest floor for dry twigs, then build a fire using the cotton wool for tinder and use the fire starter to create the sparks. I found it easy to get the sparks to fly, and created a nice fire in no time, whilst other members in the team went off for a quick bit of training on how to make and position a snare for the best results. The Paraframe mini- knife may be small, but it's very useful. It has a flip out blade which locks into position, and has both smooth and serrated sections, and a handy belt clip. The cord can be used for plenty of applications, but keeping your food off the forest floor would be one of the best, and the emergency whistle is a no-brainer. The Basic Kit does have the survival essentials, but as the name says just the basics packed in a spacesaving size, so keeping it in your backpack wouldn't be a hardship, and it would be worth doing so that if you do have an unfortunate accident, or get lost, you have the means to keep yourself going. Bag dimensions: 11.5cm x 13cm Weight: 161g more at » www.gerbergear.co.uk THEMUDLIFE.CO.UK

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