So what's this tool then?

[Gadget]

Hi,

I was looking at british survival kits on Ebay and saw this tool amongst other items in a kit sold by HDG.......



So what is it? The tool looks cheap and nasty to me, maybe I'm wrong. (Is it really british mil issue?).

cheers,

-John

[Top-Gear-24]

It looks like one of these True Utility Scarab tools, see link.

[scrappy]

Made in china and sold under many names from what I have seen.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Scrappy hit that one right on the nose.  Not a bad little tool if you just need a quick set of pliers, but I'd hate to rely on it when the zombies are kicking in the door.

Def

[Rs217]

I have one. They're hopeless. I posted picks in the "Weird tool contest" thread.

[comis]

Personally, I am not a big fan for most of the BCB survival products.  On the surface, many looks and sounds great, but if you examine it closer with details, the standard is loose.  For casual camping maybe it is not a big deal, but I dislike anyone who will put out inferior 'survival' products and profit from those who believe in the products under false pretense.

[Gadget]

I agree with comis,
there's no place for junk like that when you can buy a tool like a Wingman new for around $25 (just bought one, seems to be good value)......... I'd never carry a kit like that knowing there's something in it that may let me down in a tight spot.

-John

[ironraven]

Some of their stuff is good, especially their fishing items, but most of the BCB prepacked survival kits are too mediocre for me to get really excited at their price point. (So says the guy who grew up in a family where you start building your own bug out bag about the same time your baby teeth fall out, and thinks that for most survival kits the fishing items are to keep you near water where you can be found easier and to keep you out of trouble.)

Never mind... I was going to question if this might be a knock off. It isn't up to the standards that the kits they build with Adventure Survival Equipment, but when I look at the UK web site, yeah, really, yuck. Smurfin' nasty gear in those BCB tins. I'll buy the ASE ones or an AMK kit to have a couple of spares for people, but, not those.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The stuff they put in their kits is pretty poor really

Your better of building your own kits I reckon

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[Gadget]

Dead right Mike........... much better to build your own kits, then you get exactly what you want.

I bought a Falkniven F1 a few weeks ago, then a Spyderco Native 5 last week, both of which I've wanted for a long time.... really nice knives!

cheers,

-John

[AimlessWanderer]

Here was my timeline on these kits ...

1) Buy a pre-made kit
2) Realise ingredients in pre-made kit are pretty poor
3) Modify kit replacing items like for like with bette quality bits
4) Decide I didn't fully agree with load out and build own kit
5) Realise (eventually) that as first three priorities are first aid, shelter and water, these kits are pretty useless and stop building/carrying them.

Years ago I was taught that from a survival point of view, there's no such thing as cheating. As an example, if you have to resort to fire by friction to get you through the night, you are already in a REALLY desperate situation. I consider these kits as being only half a step up from this - if that. Yes there's usually a little flint striker, but I wouldnt fancy trying to rely on that tine for harvesting and preparing firwood and tinder.  Another example was the little band aids folks put in these sometimes, when what you need is two trauma pads. Yes if materials are available you could spend a couple of hours with a delicate wire saw trying to fashion a shelter, or you could use a polybag and paracord or other shelter solution from your pack/car boot. These kits stem from special forces on E&E exercises, not civilians going about leisure activities or long drives. They can be fun to play with, but shouldn't be considered "survival kits" IMHO.

These days I tend to use tin kits like this as mini tool sets, or a mini repair kits. If I ever feel the need to take some "survival kit"n anywhere, you can bet your meat and two veg I'll be taking some proper kit. Spare clothes, Jetboil stove, shelter, proper first aid kit and decent tools

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Dead right Mike........... much better to build your own kits, then you get exactly what you want.

I bought a Falkniven F1 a few weeks ago, then a Spyderco Native 5 last week, both of which I've wanted for a long time.... really nice knives!

cheers,

-John

The F1 is a phenomenally good bit of kit!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

As for psk's most of my kit is no my person anyway ie Farmer, whistle and ferro ect and the contents of my tins tend to be a small compass, bit of inner tube, wire wool cordage and a magnifying glass and any other bit of useful crap like sutures I can cram in

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[Gadget]

50th's right,

some people go out of their way to carry the very lightest, smallest kit they can buy or put together, as soon as they need the kit they find themselves in a real mess instead of a more survivable and comfortable situation with a slightly larger kit with dedicated tools like a signal mirror or canteen cup ect..

Just this week there was a young guy showing his list of goodies on a survival forum, instead of a dedicated survival mirror he was going to use the aluminium foil he was going to boil water in the blackened coals of a fire. He was quickly put right!

It's good to know how to rub two sticks together but a 'Light my fire' is better and a cigarette lighter even better in most situations.
 
-John    

[AimlessWanderer]

The guy that I was learning from said try ANYTHING before resorting to rubbing two sticks together. Short out phone/car/other batteries, use glasses as a lens, a spark from an empty lighter ... anything ... and when it's genuine survival worry less about legal/moral ramifications for your actions - if you're alive you can argue about it later, if you're dead you can't! Primary objective - stay alive!

Carry shelter - you might not be near materials to build one, or be physically capable. Clothing is a vital part of that equation. Carry first aid - if you're squirting vital fluids out of a new aperture or just regaining consciousness after a head trauma, you're in no state to skip around forageing for natural dressings and medicines in an eco friendly sustainable way  Carry water and food, and get more well before you run out. If you need more water, don't piss about tieing hanky's to your leg and walking through dew covered grass  - walk downhill! That's where the water goes, go after it! Have a proper map and compass and knowledge to use it, and have the means to attract attention audibly AND visibly for both night and day - and the knowledge to use both. Do not rely on fire filling any of those options, the materials and your physical abilities (injuries/illness) might not allow it. Fire is a bonus if available - be prepared to survive without

In other words, ignore the commercial arm of the "survival" market and take every salesmans word with a pinch of salt, whether theyre selling you the latest "survive anywhere" kit, or selling you the latest book, DVD or whatever. The greatest survival tool is NOT a knife - it's the organic matter driving it. If the organic matter is up to par, survival is often possible without a knife.

</rant>

[Grant Lamontagne]

That was my comment a while ago in the Use a Cell Phone for Survival thread.  It doesn't matter how many Bear Grylls or Les Stroud survival kits you buy, you need the will and ability to improvise and adapt to survive.  Since they can't wrap that in a blister pack and sell that they have to sell you fancy knives and tools.

The good news is, when the zombies come, or the meteor plunges us into darkness etc, there are going to be a lot of unused "survival" knives available for the survivors to use! 

Def

[AimlessWanderer]

That was my comment a while ago in the Use a Cell Phone for Survival thread.  It doesn't matter how many Bear Grylls or Les Stroud survival kits you buy, you need the will and ability to improvise and adapt to survive.  Since they can't wrap that in a blister pack and sell that they have to sell you fancy knives and tools.

The good news is, when the zombies come, or the meteor plunges us into darkness etc, there are going to be a lot of unused "survival" knives available for the survivors to use! 

Def

and there will be a lot more up for grabs in the fists of lifeless morons who bought them thinking it would make up for their cerebral shortcomings