APS (All Purpose Survival) Pack

December 02, 2015

APS L1(All Purpose Survival) Pack - Detailed Contents & Specs

50L Mountaineering Adventure suspension air bearing backpack

 

  • 50L Rip stop nylon
  • Suspension air exchanges bearing system
  • Whistle on chest strap
  • Nylon webbing on each side “water bottle other items”
  • Adjustable chest buckle strap
  • Adjustable shoulder fastening straps
  • YNS belt buckle
  • Two horizontal side compression straps on each side
  • One D ring on each shoulder strap
  • One water tube holder on shoulder strap
  • Rear loading straps “for attaching external sleeping bag or other bulky gear”
  • Top loading straps
  • Two tool holders with elastic keepers
  • One zipper compartment in top lid cover
  • One zipper compartment on back
  • One zipper compartment on bottom holding water proof cover
  • Hip zipper pockets on each side
  • Bottom storage “can be closed off for separate compartment”
  • Main compartment that can be closed off to the bottom storage area
  • Open separate compartment inside main area

This is a really nice backpack, I find it to be very comfortable, it has a ton of attachment options, and it's well built. I was going to go with a slightly smaller bag but I feel the 50L fits into the sweet spot as it gives you ample room to expand your options as needed. 


Pocket SAS Survival Guide - 384pg comprehensive bush-craft / survival guide

  • 384 page comprehensive illustrated bush-craft / survival guide
  • 4.5*3*0.7" (11.5*8*2cm)
  • weight 7.6oz (216g) 

Taking a look at this book you will realize the usefulness of it. It's chalked full of step by step Illustrations on how to survive, identify edible plants, trap, build shelters and much more. 


100ft bundle of Nylon Paracord - 550lb Mil Spec 7 strand 

  • 100% Nylon Mil Spec 7 strand cord
  • 4mm in diameter
  • 100 foot bundle
  • Break load 550 - 650 lbs
  • weight 7.8oz (223g)

There is a thousand uses for paracord, this is 7 strand mil spec nylon cord, nylon will hold up better in harsh wet climates then it's polyester cousin.


LED Head Lamp - 4 Mode, High, Low, Red, Strobe (all lights)

 

  • 1 Watt LED Head Lamp
  • 110 Lumen
  • 3* AAA battery type 
  • Approximately 6hr on high with alkaline
  • 4 modes (high), (low), (red), (strobe)
  • light throw about 80m
  • Water resistant IPX5 rated
  • 90 degree adjustable up / down
  • 2.3*1.5*1.1" (6*4*3cm)
  • weight 1.7oz (51g) 

What a great headlamp, I chose this lamp for it's comfort, functionality, lumen power, light weight and common AAA power source. This thing is even IPX5 rated meaning it can operate in heavy rain conditions. I took that rating one step further and tested this headlamp submerged in a bowl of water. It was turned on in the red led mode for over 24hrs, it kept working and I could cycle through all of it's modes under water without issue. Still works great today, this is an awesome lamp! 


S Clip - High quality 3Cr13 stainless steel

  • high quality 3Cr13 stainless steel carabiner clip "not intended for climbing"
  • 1.7*0.7*0.2" (4.5*2*0.7cm)
  • weight 0.2oz (8g) 

These are high quality key chain clips.  These clips are strong for there size. Use these to hang more gear off your bag or multiple other uses. 


Trifecta - Thermal BIVVY, Canopy & Blanket

  • Alone as a thermal sleeping bag 
  • As a thermal BIVVY with a traditional sleeping bag
  • Improvised shelter 
  • Thermal Blanket
  • Tarp / Canopy
  • Emergency litter
  • 35.4*87.7” (90*223cm) BIVVY
  • 70.8*87.7” (180*223cm) Canopy
  • 9.5*4” (24*10cm) Packed
  • weight 11.7oz (333g)

I  created the Trifecta to increase the effectiveness of a traditional sleeping bag in colder climates or to use alone as a light weight bag in warmer climates. This gives options, I then decided to take it a step further and give even more options so that it can be used as a canopy or blanket. The more options the better in my book. 


 UCO Waterproof Matches

  • 40 Water proof safety matches per box
  • 3.8*0.8*0.9" (9.7*2*2.3cm)
  • weight 3.9oz (111g)

I wanted to include some good matches into this kit, UCO matches are consistent and high quality so there shouldn't be any surprises when you need them to light.


 High Dexterity Nomex Fire Resistant Mil Spec Flight Gloves

  • Nomex back, leather palm
  • Nomex is a DUPONT fire resistant material used in racecar driver and pilot uniforms
  • Note:  Nomex is fire resistant Not fireproof
  • weight 2.6oz (75g)

I spent 24 years in the military and the go to gloves for good dexterity, protection and a decent amount of warmth was the Nomex flight gloves. I also wanted to include these for the sake of protection from camp fires or responding to some sort of an emergency. DISCLAIMER: don't stick your hands in the fire to test them out. they are not fire proof! they are fire resistant.


ThruNite Archer 2A Flashlight 5 Mode, High, Medium, Low, Firefly and Strobe

 

  • CREE XP-L V6 LED Lamp
  • 450 Max Lumen
  • 2* AA battery type 
  • Approximant runtime with alkaline batteries, High (100 min) Medium (11 hrs) Low (96 hrs) Firefly (672 hrs) Strobe (140 min)
  • 5 Modes, High (450 lumen) Medium (75 lumen) Low (17 lumen) Firefly (.055 lumen) Strobe (450 lumen)
  • light throw about 130m
  • Waterproof to IPX-8 Standard 1.5m
  • 6.2*.90" (16*2.3cm at bezel)
  • weight 2.6oz (75g) 

Anyone who has used a ThruNite flashlight knows how well they work, I chose this light because of the standard AA power source, the outstanding brightness, runtimes and the firefly mode. The firefly mode can run for a month on 2 AA alkaline batteries and even longer with the included lithium batteries. It's just one of the best lights on the market


High Quality 7 Function Knife - 8Cr14 Stainless Steel

    • Locking Main blade 2.5" (6.3cm) one handed operable
    • Locking Saw blade 2.5" (6.3cm) aggressive saw "works very well"
    • Seatbelt cutter
    • Flat bit screwdriver
    • Small Phillips bit screwdriver
    • Glass breaker
    • Belt clip
    • All blades are 8Cr14 Stainless Steel
    • 3.8*0.8*0.9" (9.7*2*2.3cm)
    • weight 3.9oz (111g)

    So this was one of the most difficult picks that I had to do, the reason is multifaceted but I'll try to explain. First of all knifes can be very personal to some people and I'm sure someone will not like my selection, personally I think this is a really nice knife. Second and the more important reason is the legality of having a knife, type of knife, size etc. many large city's do not allow blades over 2.5 inches. For example Boston is the next closest city for me and having a knife over 2.5 inches in your car let alone on your person can get you jailed if it is discovered. This knife brings a ton to the table, the main blade is great, the saw blade is the best I have ever used on any utility tool aka leather man, Swiss army type etc. The seatbelt cutter works fantastic, I use mine to open those plastic safe like packages everything is wrapped in nowadays. The glass breaker looks like it would easily break a window "not tested' the screwdrivers are acceptable but the Philips is a bit small "my only criticism" on this knife.


    High Quality 7 Function Detachable Fork / Spoon Camp Knife - 3Cr13 / 2Cr13  Stainless Steel

    • Main Blade 2.5" (6.3cm)
    • Handle Material: Aluminum Anodized
    • 7 Functions, Knife, Corkscrew, Fork, Spoon, Leather Punch, Bottle Opener, Can Opener
    • Main Blade is 3Cr13 Stainless Steel
    • Accessories are 2Cr13 Stainless Steel
    • Black Nylon Case
    • 4.3*1.2*1.5" (11*3.3*4cm)
    • weight 4.8oz (137g)

    I wanted something more then a single spork, this set might add a few ounces but I feel it is worth it's weight in what options that it brings. I'm all about redundancy and this set has a good blade that could be used as a backup if your primary knife is not available 


    Berkey Sport Water Filter Bottle

    • BPA Free
    • 22oz capacity
    • Unique flip lid so you don't touch the straw with contaminated hands
    • 640 refill capacity (about 110 gal) on tap water 
    • 160 refill capacity (about 28 gal) on questionable source " always use the clearest source as possible, heavy sediment water will shorten the filter life"
    • 99.999% Viruses reduction
    • 99.9999% Pathogenic bacteria Surrogate reduction
    • 99.9% micro-Organisms reduction
    • 99.5% Pharmaceuticals
    • 89.8% Trihalomethanes
    • 95% Most Heavy Metals reduction
    • Below detectable limits - Inorganic Minerals
    • Below detectable limits - Volatile Organic Compounds
    • Also removes or reduces - Arsenic (>99%),MBAS (>96.67%), Nitrites (>95%), Selenium (>97.5%), Thallium (>99.5%), as well as rust, silt, sediment, turbidity, foul taste and odors.  
    • 10*2.7" (27*7cm)
    • weight 5.5oz (156g)

    This water bottle is fantastic, it filters just about anything you can throw at it. I wanted more than just a standard filter. In a emergency situation water quickly becomes the most important resource to survive. This bottle is very easy to use and is well respected in the water filtering arena.


    Navigation Compass 

    • Map Magnifier
    • Sighting Mirror
    • Luminous readout for low light conditions
    • 2 deg. Resolution
    • 1:24000 & 1:50000 Scales
    • Metric and Imperial ruler
    • Lanyard
    • 4.3*2.5*0.7" (11*6.5*2cm)
    • weight 2.6oz (75g)

    I wanted more then just a button compass and this fits the bill, it is accurate, fast responding, land nav compass it has a mirror that could be used as a singling device if necessary. The Dial will glow in the dark for better visibility at night.


     ACME 560 Thunderer Whistle with Lanyard

     

    • Waterproof speed pea
    • Easy blow "Ideal for anyone but better for child or injured person"
    • Small high tone
    • Lead free
    • 126db
    • 1.9*0.5*0.3" (5*1.5*2cm)
    • Lanyard  22" (56cm)
    • Total weight 0.5oz (15g)

    I chose this Whistle after looking at many different options. I like the ACME 560 because it is very loud, very easy to blow and under low pressure it is still very loud, also the overall quality is great.


    Celsius Zipper Thermometer 

    • Range -20 to 50c (-4 to 122f)
    • 2.5 degree hash mark increments
    • 3.1*0.9*0.3" (8*2.5*0.9cm)
    • weight 0.2oz (6g)

    I had this zipper thermometer made because I felt it is always helpful to know your environment. It is in celsius as this is the only option at this time. The hash marks are in 2.5 degree increments. It is a very accurate small thermometer. Can be attached to backpack, zipper etc.


    AA & AAA Lithium Batteries 

    • 4 - AA Batteries 1.5v 2900mah
    • 6 - AAA Batteries 1.5v
    • Batteries come shrink wrapped in pairs
    • 10 + Year shell life
    • weight 0.52oz (15g) Single AA
    • weight 0.26oz (7.5g) Single AAA
    • weight 3.7oz (105g) Total of all 10

    I chose these batteries because they are lighter, have a longer shell life, will not leak like alkaline, run time is much longer, and they preform better under harsh conditions.


    New Millennium Energy Bars

    • 7 - 400 calorie bars, 53g carbs, 8g protein
    • 5 year shelf life 
    • Assorted flavors 
    • Foil wrapped
    • 4.7*1.3*0.7" (12*3.5*2cm)
    • weight 2.9oz (84g)
    • 7 Bars total weight 20.7oz (588g)

    I chose these bars for a few reasons, they come in a variety of flavors, taste peaty good, have a ample supply of carbs and protein,  5 year shelf life, will withstand extreme swings in temperature i.e. in a hot car. They are a little high in sugar 32g but a small snickers has 27g of sugar for a 52g bar. So in my opinion not bad. This will be a reliable source energy when it's needed.  


     Emergency Drinking Water

    • 12 - 4.2 oz (125ml) Datrex Emergency Drinking Water
    • Shelf life 5 years
    • Emergency consumption instructions on back
    • Foil wrapped
    • 5.9*3.5*0.7" (15*9*2cm)
    • weight 4.6oz (133g)
    • 12 packets weight 56.2oz (1596g)

    I wanted to include packaged water as there maybe times where water is scarce or polluted. If you follow the emergency consumption instructions on back you should be able to go seven days if your not working to hard and being fairly static.


    Japanese Folding Pull Saw 

     

    • 190cm high carbon steal blade, 11 TPI
    • Impact harden teeth
    • Rubberized handle
    • 5 position locking blade, locks closed, 4 open blade positions
    • Lanyard hole
    • 9.6*2.1*0.7" (24.5*5.5*2cm)
    • weight 6.7oz (191g)
    • Japanese made

    I chose this saw after testing eight other saws, I found this one to be constantly in the top three saws of my tests. I tested cut time, cut depth on a set amount of strokes, ease of cut, how it felt in my hand and overall quality. This saw cuts almost as good as the silky gomboy witch I consider the best cutting saw, but that comes at a much higher price for little gain over this saw.


    Medical Kit Comprehensive (Being redesigned) No picture available 

    • I had the medical kit outsourced but it was not up to my specifications when I received the product. it's currently going through a redesign.The final product will be of high quality before I include it in anything I sell. 

    -


    Slight Taper Hybrid Mummy Sleeping Bag

    • Hybrid mummy bag 195cm(+25 hood) by 85cm to 65cm wide at foot
    • Shell: 190t polyester, water repellent, AZO free
    • Lining T/C
    • Filling: 1 layer, 300g/m2, 100% hollow fiber
    • Features: wind baffle, inner pocket, two way zipper, drawstring hood. compression bag
    • Temperature rating  25f (-4c) 
    • 86.6*33.4*25.5" (220*85*65cm)
    • 12*8.5" (30.4*21.5cm) Compressed
    • weight 50oz (1420g)

    I had this bag designed to accomplish few things that I felt was really important, I had a really hard time finding a Bag to fit the bill. The first was to make this bag a reasonable size but also to be smart about it. The second was to have a synthetic fill, I wanted this incase the bag gets wet as it will still offer some insulating capabilities. The last was to hit around the 25 degree mark, yet be small enough to carry in a backpack. This bag isn't ultra-light or ultra-small but it is reasonably small and light, what is the use of a bag if your unable to fit or it's unable to keep you somewhat warm. Don't forget to pair it with the Trifecta and increase the temperature rating by 20 degrees on those really cold days.


    Hand / Body / Toe Warmers 

    • 5 - Body warmers 12hr stated heat time
    • 5 - Hand warmers 8hr stated heat time
    • 5 - Pairs of toe warmers 8hr heat time
    • 3 + Year shell life

    I chose to incorporate these warmers as they can be very useful in a unexpected situation. These types of warmers activate once opened. I picked these as they were wrapped in foil bags, not plastic as air will eventually penetrate plastic and shorten the shelf life. Note: the run time hours are lofty, I would expect to get half the time of the stated hours.  


      Thermo-Fleece Balaclava

    • Thermo-Fleece
    • Breathable
    • Black color
    • 3 wearable configurations, facemask, neck warmer or half mask over your ears.
    • 14.9*11" (38*28cm)
    • weight 2.6oz (74g)

    I chose this fleece balaclava because it is flexible and you can open the top if you get to hot "you never want to sweat in a cold climate" Pull it down around your neck etc. just more options. Also most people just plain forget about some sort of head cover until its too late. 


    14 x 10 3-Mil  Slide Zip Bags

     

    •  Meets FDA/USDA specifications for food contact

    Very useful item to store and help keep things dry incase of a dunking. Do not throw these away as you could use them to carry water or many other uses.


    B.O.B. Breathable Outdoor Basics Poncho (image coming soon)

     

    • Outer side is Green
    • Full details coming soon
    • 64.1*89.7" (163*228cm)

    I created this Poncho to have many benefits over it's competition. It's Breathable, UV protecting, very light, strong and will even keep out many forms of acid rains. Lets see nylon do all of that!  


    Mini Lightning Strike Fire Starter

    • Made out of CNC - machined aluminum
    • Integrated water tight tinder storage
    • Comes with tinder for about 10 fires
    • replaceable flint

     When it comes to quality and being effective the Lightning Strike Fire Starter is the top dog. I chose to incorporate this starter as it's very easy to use, comes with quick start tender and when it counts this thing will start a fire. 

     

     

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