An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 25 THe 5 c's of survival By JoE PRICE THE '5 C'S OF SURVIVAL' WILL HELP OPTIMISE WHAT YOU CARRY TO ASSIST IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION OR DANGEROUS SCENARIO. IT IS BY NO MEANS THE ULTIMATE GET-OUT CLAUSE, BUT IT DOES OFFER THE BEST MEANS OF INCREASING YOUR CHANCES IN A WORST-CASE SCENARIO. PLUS IT IS NOT SITUATIONAL OR ENVIRONMENTALLY DEPENDENT. This list helps make your kit multi-use and provides some of the hardest things to replicate in a survival situation with each item having more than one use. The 5 c's breakdown as follows. we will look at each component in more depth in further issues. combustion Besides cutting, one of the most important things on this list is combustion. The ability to make fire is often overlooked and should never be a given. Fire keeps you warm, disinfects water, cooks food, and hardens wood for tent stakes and improvised traps. A Bic type lighter wrapped in a bicycle tube is preferable to a Zippo. The inner tube helps prevent gas leaking and also can be used as an ignition source. Wrapping your Bic type lighter in duct tape gives you another material for repairing gear. cutting Your knife is your life in the field. Choosing one should be given as much thought as any primary tool. There are a lot of knives on the market. It needs to be low maintenance, ideally be- tween 4-6 inches in total length, and either full-tang or made with a strong, moulded, polymer handle. cordage Cordage is one of the hardest things to replicate in the field. Carrying even a 100 feet of good quality paracord or bankline can be a major asset for simple things like replacing a broken boot lace, improvising a sling for your primary firearm or helping with build- ing shelters and lashings. container Containers should be single walled stainless steel bottles. This allows for boiling water, cooking and making tinder for future fires. Try to keep the bottle measurements universal, such as 1 litre. That way you can measure your water intake, manage it and use water purification tablets in correct quantities, eliminating the need for second-guessing in the field. cover Besides your clothing, a basha or tarp takes care of most cover needs. Something small such as a DD Ultralite hammock weighs little and packs up easily to fit in a standard cargo pocket giving you hundreds of configurations and shelter options. Joe Price is a 'living to learn' survival enthusiast, a mem- ber of the Irish Bushcraft Club and an Irish Ambas- sador for Mora Knives. he works in the Camo Shop thecamoshop.ie

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