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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Attitude toward Gear

My attitude to gear is that I'm not simply carrying a bundle of things on my back. Choosing an item of gear and seeing how it relates to what is there already is my concern. That the gear I carry feels like a single unit is important to me. When I have the feeling that an item I'm carrying is somehow a loner in my pack then I reject it, and find something else. Being satisfied that every item has it's place, and every item is a reflection of the whole I think I have assured myself that when a major disaster comes this simple attitude to gear selection will make all the difference. Of course if I should lose the pack........ :-(

I just have ton admit gotta be King here for odd ball stuff.... I go out and return too! But I take things from a couple different centuries (LOL) I look on with suspicion at folks that have all BRAND NEW stuff... By Stuff I mean everything I can see..... If it is all brand new I avoid them......I like to see well used clothing, and equipment... A brand new canoe for example with well used paddles is fine..... I think it likely the canoe was replaced, but when I see a brand new canoe, paddles, life jackets, and clothing I look out for inexpedience....

To be contrary I carry a pocket stove, but I also carry a strike anywhere matches in a Marbles Match Safe, and a real file steel steel in a tin with tinder and char.... I use a bic lighter in orange so i hopefully won't loose it.... I don't generally carry to many tools on my wood walks likely a belt knives most the gear stay's at home mostly, but I can take more for long trips about!out....

I have been known to bark up the right tree and create gear from scratch when the need arises, even when I carry a line of modern materials... that happens when I am fishing and get bored sitting around and the season is right.... I live where the fishing and hunting is pretty good, and if that time comes need to survive an am really hungry I make do with less gear , as catching 1 fish at a time won't feed me fast enuff cut some poles make simple rods or a trot line.

Gear, or if you will tools,equipment or whatever you call constructed artifacts reflect two things; function and culture. A traditional kukri and a cold steel tactical knife both cut. The kukri is not a kukri without the trident notch and Cold Steel would be out of business if the powder epoxy coating was dayglo pink.The kukri would still be a superb chopper and the Cold Steel easier to find if dropped. In the real world a piece of wood, stretched deerhide or rabid squirrel could care less. We can agonise endlessly over "stuff" Just remember that in Nature the generalists usually survive over specialists. We can often be to clever for our own good. My gear is a sickening assembly of contradictions; surplus,cutting edge high tec, mickeymoused and redundant. I go out. It works. I return.

May your blades stay sharp, your guns shoot straight,your fires burn warm, and your wits stay about you......Scout Out!

Original: http://scoutinlife.blogspot.com/2009/02/attitude-toward-gear.html

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