Dave on Gear

[Barney]

Here is another awesome vid from Dave, the co-host of Discovery's Dual Survival. Again, he points out the most important things to carry when out in the wild.

YouTube - ‪5C's of Survivability Quick Run Down1‬‏

[Johnny]

Dave is just great! Not only that he talks crazy fast but the stuff he tells is pure gold. Such wealth of information that fast is really a sign of good education and experience in the field.

[IndianaHiker]

There is some good stuff there but as a backpacker I can tell you that I will NOT be carrying a wool blanket not a metal container.

I can keep warmer by having the proper base layers in my pack at a small fraction of the weight of a wool blanket. If you are going to carry a wool blanket might as well carry a good synthetic sleeping bag. Its lighter and provides more insulation. Unzipped and spread out could still provide shade if needed.

The container I prefer is my Nalgene bottle. I won't be boiling any water I will be using my filter for water treatment. While he is correct that boiling removes 100% of all badies in the water my filter will remove anything that is harmful in North America. It will not filter viruses as they are to small but at this time viruses are not an issue here.

Everything that he has in the video is correct but as some point weight and pack-ability become an issue.

[Michael]

I agree about the wool blanket. I understand that Dave is talking about a kit that will do the best possible to keep you alive, and that wool will keep you warm even when you're wet. So I know that, from that perspective, he's totally right. Wool does the best to keep you alive under adverse conditions.

On the other hand, my sleeping bag is smaller and lighter. It's rated to 40⁰ by the manufacturer. I've used it down to about 45⁰ and I was actually a little too warm and had to unzip it.

Other than that, great video. I got sucked into watching about an hour of his videos. They're some of the most practical and down to earth survival stuff you'll find on the net.

[oldsarge]

Great info guys, always good to hear other points. I agree, there are other options to what he said. But as far as the absolute basic, he points out some good items to have. I prefer 550 cord over anything I've used in the past. The wool blanket is going to be heavy when it's wet. I like my military issue poncho liner, it's a nylon outer shell with a quilted inner insulation that always suited me just fine. I'm sure there are way better items out there but my budget doesn't allow me to take advantage of them all. I guess if I were the average Joe who never ventured in the woods before and wanted to start, these item would be a great beginning until I got hooked up on this forum and got more feed back from experienced outdoors folk.

[Judy Ann]

Caught this show for the first time last night. I gotta wonder about a man running around in shorts and barefeet for 20 years, especially when he is in Africa walking through marsh grass that is shredding his legs while looking out for hippos. I also noticed these guys don't practice LNT.

What about their camera crew? It isn't as if it was just the two of them out there pitting their brains against nature alone, but are with people who could rescue them from any serious situation at a moments notice. Wonder what gun was going to stop the hippo trying to kill them? Good show though, and I learned a couple of crazy things!

I would not carry a wool blanket in the hot, humid South.
I need a bigger knife
My container has a filter and is not metal
550 works fine
I want that striker setup he had!

Heck, now I'm getting hooked on survival stuff!

[oldsarge]

Les Stroud "Survivor man", takes camera gear to the field with him and films everything himself. He has a support crew which he can call in if needed. I wouldn't expect anyone to risk his life for a TV show. As far as "Dual Survival" goes, I prefer to think ahead and pack for my outing in the woods, a lot like Dave Canterbury. Cody Lundin is a wealth of knowledge on living with the bare minimum, but I chose to not live my whole life like that. I respect his way of thinking though, he not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. Got to give that to him. Even Mykle Hawke and his wife's show "Man Woman Wild" are interesting to a point.

LNT is not something that is practiced in any survival training. I'm sure as far the show goes, they are required to police up all the trash they leave behind, all edited out and serves no purpose for the show. The only time I would think it would come into play is in a survival, escape and evasion scenario. Normally in survival you want to leave traces of your presences. Rescue personnel tracking you look for it. LNT is for outdoor enthusiast who venture out and plan to return, enjoying nature and preserving it for others to see. Once the shit hits the fans and things go wrong, self preservation is the goal. Do what you can to stay alive until safe again.

[dinosaur]

The three stranded wax imbued cordage is quite good and very strong. But I have to agree with the sarge. 550 chord is d*mn hard to beat.

[Gondor]

Wool blanket is definitely out as far is shelter is concerned. I carry all weather blanket which holds the warmth even better but it may not be of same comfort level as wool.