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Message: <blockquote data-quote="boredgremlin" data-source="post: 2223054" data-attributes="member: 31646">Well now as a former army ranger i can tell you that any knowedgeable survivalist can make with a knife alone. Something to hold water is nice but a knife can get you that. 1) you wanna get a sapling up? You dont cut it. You hit it real hard, you shake it side to side until its roots are loose in the ground. If its still  to hard to pull up then you push it over till its flat on the ground then pull it back up. If you still cant get it up (wuss) you cut down and sever its roots. After that it will pull up fine. 2) canteen is good. But you can do without depending on your enviroment. In many places there are melons you can cut down and hallow out. Even here in the southwest or other hot dry desserts you can find water if you dig. You just move slower in overland type speed. Any cluster of scrub brush has some water in it. It is is brown, bracky, mineral and tastes like crap. Might give you mineral poisoning if you keep it up too long. But in the short term a good dessert rat (I am one, i can use the term) deosnt even need a canteen if he has a solid broad, thick bladed knife. A good thick broad knife is the ultimate tool. Give it solid manufacture and a halfway flat handle and it even replaces a hammer. 3) flint and steel. Dont need it with a knife. A knife ran lengthwise against a rock produces sparks. And can start a fire. 4) entrenching tool. These are nice. But a knife can duplicate it. If your using it as a tool and not a weapon and care about the edge. You can also cut wood to dig with or find a rock whose shape works. Or in soft ground human hands work best of all. 5) blankets. Hard to replace but in most climates digging a small trench to sleep in and building a nearby fire (using your knife per #3) can suit well enough. You dont have to be comfortable. Just not suffer anything to affect your combat effectiveness. 6) chalk. Cant argue this one for dungeon crawling campaigns. Its cheap and can save your butt. I definately agree even mainly outdoor  adventurers should have chalk. Good catch, stealing that to add to my campaigns basic pack. I let the players buy a basic pack with the wieght and cost allready figured out. Along with a list of whats in it. Chalk is definately going under the strongly recomended section there. Thx.  7) A big towel and a small blanket are basically the same. So unless your figuring the small thing towels (i hate those) the suggesions for one should work for the other.</blockquote>

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