Help me build a man kit

Using a.22 long rifle on bunnies works great. Whistle, bunny stops, dispatch with shot to head.

I use a machete almost every day I'm in the field. Even when not in the woods, but walking around crack town. People tend to stay away. I have a high dollar one that is good. A coworker who has a sideline internet knife business bought us a very affordable one on-line. It was called a Brazilian Army knife or somethin similar. Very cheap and very good until I drove off with it sitting on the edge of the truck bed. That's the last itime I saw it. Don't waste your money on those at Wally world.

Your pocket knife needs to be smaller.

You "hunting knife" could be a medium size Buck or similar. Not too big.

There's a knifemaking class at a community college in North Carolina; actually, several of them. One is for the modern method of cutting away the excess metal after you trace an outline, and another for smithing it the old-fashioned way. I think it'd be pretty cool to pull out a knife that I made. Until it broke in a desperate situation because of my crap knifemaking skills.

They've got even more gunsmithing classes there, too.

Anybody make a good folding knife out of composite so I can stop donating them to the TSA? I always forget to unclip the little $9 Wallyworld 2.5" Gerbers from my pants until I'm standing in line. Its cheaper to leave it than to go back and check it at the gun counter.

Leaf springs make good machetes

I thought at first you were looking to build a man from a kit. Revell had a kit back in the day.

You guys are weird.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Anybody make a good folding knife out of composite so I can stop donating them to the TSA? I always forget to unclip the little $9 Wallyworld 2.5" Gerbers from my pants until I'm standing in line. Its cheaper to leave it than to go back and check it at the gun counter.

You can (or could) bid on quantity lots of knives that the TSA confiscates. My co-wrker did., Usually have a handfull of Swiss Army knives.

Are you going to store your man kit in a man purse?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Anybody make a good folding knife out of composite so I can stop donating them to the TSA? I always forget to unclip the little $9 Wallyworld 2.5" Gerbers from my pants until I'm standing in line. Its cheaper to leave it than to go back and check it at the gun counter.

Weren't knives that could pass through the metal detector what got us into all this trouble in the first place?

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd discuss that too freely

One nice thing about the box cutter - abuse. Want to cut wire? Hack away at something too hard? Poke at things? Doesn't matter, you just swap out the blade. I have a "good" knife as well but I try to avoid that sort of use because of what it does to the blade. Plus that little Gerber I hotlinked is just SO small when folded up. The biggest problem is remembering it's in your pants before you try to board an airplane so the TSA doesn't get their panties in a twist. No problem, if I need a weapon I'll just grab those oxygen tanks in the carefully labelled overhead bins...

stuart in mn wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Anybody make a good folding knife out of composite so I can stop donating them to the TSA? I always forget to unclip the little $9 Wallyworld 2.5" Gerbers from my pants until I'm standing in line. Its cheaper to leave it than to go back and check it at the gun counter.

Weren't knives that could pass through the metal detector what got us into all this trouble in the first place?

Well sure, but my motives are pure. I don't want to jeopardize the safety of the aircraft - I just want to have something handy to stab the next guy who does (or that bastard who brought the baby into business class)

A good .22 rifle for the money is the Savage 62F semi-auto. NIB for $140. There is also a bolt action model for a few $ less. Not modifyable like the Marlin or Ruger may be, with assault rifle style stocks and high capacity bananna magazines, etc., but that stuff is a little ridiculous anyway IMHO.

I love the pictures in catalogs of people with heavy weather gear on, somewhere in the mountains, laying prone in the snow with a 22 rifle and $200 worth of tactical mods, optics and a bipod, like its Red Dawn or something.

Per Schroeder wrote: You guys are weird.

you're just now figuring that out..????????

What is so great about the Ruger 1022?

The Ruger 10/22 is the Mustang of the gun world. You can buy absolutely anything you need to modify it any way you want. It's not terribly sophisticated, but it works really well. It's cheap and you can work on it yourself. It's one of the most popular civilian rifles ever built.

Nothing at all wrong with a 10/22. But if you want a bolt action, I'd recommend the Savage MkII. The free-float barrel is a nice touch in a rifle that cheap.

I don't call mine a man kit. I call it my E36 M3 Pack. That is, if the E36 M3 hits the fan, gets too deep (or the zombies show up), I can grab that and spend at least a month in the swamp. If you're going to have to carry this thing into the woods, you don't need redundant tools. Multi-tools are good, and you can combine the pocket knife and hunting knife into one unit. I'm partial to Shrade Old Timer folding hunter knives; it's a sheath knife, worn on the belt, and will serve both functions. Don't forget your sharpening stone and/or steel. If your knife isn't sharp, it ain't a knife. Breakaway utility knives are cool, too. They don't weigh anything, and don't need to be sharpened. A good boy's axe or hatchet is nice to have, and maybe an entrenching tool.

For small game, an over and under 22/410 is hard to beat, but slow to load. If you insist on semi auto, stay with a 10/22 Ruger. It's the Miata of 22 firearms. Put a collapsable wire stock on it, and it will fit in a back pack.

There are many things other than what you've listed needed for a ZEB (zombie escape bag). MREs, compass, lotsa nylon twine, duct tape, camo poncho, and some sort of camo tarp to make a lean-to. Don't neglect your feet; have a very good fitting set of boots.

The list goes on and on, but if you conserve utility and space, you can fit it in one framed hiker backpack. Keep it loaded and where you can grab it at a moment's notice.

Jacques, wish I'd known about this last weekend. Here's what I tend to carry all the time:

Swiss Army Rambler

Used to carry a classic, but this one is barely any bigger, and has a philips screwdriver with magnetic tip. Wish they made one like this, only with the led light instead of one of the removable tools.

Kershaw Ken Onion Blackout

Its a nice assisted opener thats pretty useful whenever the swiss army blade is too small/weak. A little pricey, but you can probably find it on discount near $50 somewhere. Can also get it with a serrated blade, if thats your thing. Oh yeah, Made in the USA. I think most/all of the Kershaw stuff is.

Ruger 10-22.

This for hunting knife:http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?i=413243&pdesc=Freeman_Stag_S30V_Knife&aID=503F1&merchID=4006#details_box_holder Whatever pocket knife fits your hand the best, but S40V or D2 blades are worth the double in price they bring. (unless you're the type that looses your knife every two weeks) Most machettes are two long, thin, and light to work. Blackie Collins makes a good one:http://www.osograndeknives.com/Ontario/ontario_-_blackie_collins_18_field_machete.htm

And...Escrima classes wouldn't hurt!!!

Wow, thanks for all the responses!

As for additional supplies, we've got bug out bags for the whole family, though we could use a few extra items.

I want a separate pocket knife to ward off the crazies on my paper route. A couple weeks ago some psycho weirdo started yelling/chasing/stalking me on my route one morning. Called the cops but I don't think they found him. At that point i realized i had nothing to defend myself with if needed. I carry a tire iron now but it's a bit unwieldy for running around the neighborhood.

That Kershaw does look nice. OK, i've got some researching to do.

thanks!

Jacques

I carry this http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/192

And this all the time http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/161

stuart in mn wrote: Weren't knives that could pass through the metal detector what got us into all this trouble in the first place?

Nope. It was the training of people to sit still and be victims that got us in trouble.

stuart in mn wrote: Weren't knives that could pass through the metal detector what got us into all this trouble in the first place?

I've always wondered about that . The official reports were that the hijackers used "box cutters" , but I know the difference between a box cutter and a utility knife. A box cutter only cuts to ~3/8" depth, so as not to damage the contents of the box. A utility knife can be extended much farther, in particular the break-off style made of plastic; they will extend about 2". Some people may describe a utility knife as a box cutter, but I wonder..

Obviously the evidence is long gone, but it's always bugged me that we don't really know what they used.

When I go buy a new folding knife I usually look for a blade that is no longer than my index finger. That way if you ever need to 'fish' your hand and your knife into a tight spot to cut something, you can keep your tip of your finger on the back side of the point and can still grip the handle the way it was intended. This helps from cutting stuff you dont intend on cutting.

RossD wrote: ...cutting stuff you dont intend on cutting.

Refer to King Tut thread.