SAS Survival Kit 

Lofty's "The SAS Survival Handbook" in hardback was my bible back in the 80's when I was a teenager - it was always at my bedside (that and a copy of Smash Hits featuring Kylie Minogue obviously)! 😁

Watching your video and glanced up at my bookshelf to see the original book poking out at me. It's a beast of a book not just in content but in size. I labeled my copy with surname and reggie number and just noticed how many of us old knackers commenting here still use our last four as part of our email addresses...yourself included😂😂😂

Lofty and his wife visited my mum every single night when she had a breakdown not just a sas survival legend but A real genuinely nice person both him and his wife I haven't seen his son David for years but he was same as well all real nice people!!

Well played. Mr. Wiseman is one of the iconic figures in the survival field, to be sure. I've been a long time devotee, as well as Bradford Angier & Townsend Whelan, Mors Kochanski, and several others. Thanks for your perspective!

I've read the SAS survival handbook 4 times. I've read other books but nothing and I mean nothing comes close to this book in the amount of useful info provided. Thanks for this informative video. Please keep up the good work.

Great kit. Like the tin foil suggestion and the improvised bellows.

That little folding blade with tweezers you can glue a small ferro rod on the back spine of the folding cutter blade and use 90 degree spine of tweezers to use as a striker very compact

Great video and great revamp on the good old tobacco tin. Brought back memories and placed some orders on amazon for 3 items i don't carry but probably should. Potassium permanganate. Candle mint cake And snare wire. Thanks

Excellent video! I cut off a thin strip of fine grain sanding paper for my tin and stuck it to the inside lid. Can be used well to strike a match, and also good for filing down finger nails if they become pulled and things start snagging on them.

Neil this is a Great video ! I can’t wait to see the over night video using the kit. Thanks for sharing.

Good video. One of the 6 inch nails can also be made into a spear barb very easily .I did this years ago while on a hunting trip to Stewart Island (New Zealand). A small fire a bit of beating with an axe head for shaping etc. speared a few flounder and one cod with it. Also in another hunting trip in the north Island I sharpened both ends of a nail , tired some string to the middle of the nail , baited it with a bit of meat , used cotton to gently tie the nail along the length of the string and threw it into a deep part of a creek and an eel took it straight away.. as the eel swallows the bait , the cotton breaks away and the sharp ends of the nail lodge in the throat of the eel. 2 inch nails are best. this is an old maori way of catching them , except they used wood. Nails in a kit are always handy to have. Our eels can get quite large out her in NZ.

Excellent breakdown of the kit.

Excellent tribute to Lofty Neil, Thank You !!!

Great video, very thought provoking.

Great info many thanks for sharing your knowledge. I've gone with storm matches as I found Bic and similar "flint and wheel" hate rain and wet hands. I also have one compeed.

I knew this was going to be good Neil & hands down the best I’ve watched on this topic! I got my copy for Christmas in 1986 while still at primary school & have many fond memories of messing about in the woods. My mum was a bit perturbed by the subsequent request for a condom though. She was relieved to find out I thought their primary purpose was as a water bag! 🤣 Yours is one of the few vids that properly demos Lofty’s layered system. I like that you also point out that for a civilian the equation is different allowing for some differing choices. A great modern weight conscious reinterpretation of the kit. Some redundancy is good but no need to pack duplicates of duplicates of duplicates. Thanks Neil.

Excellent video!

I built a similar grab and go / survival pouch. Really useful to know there's a just one lump to carry that's the base of all other load outs. From belt pouch to haversack to pack. That thing's helped me out of a few situations from ordinary to nearly serious. I used a swiss army canteen cup (small) inside a nylon drawstring bag. Bag's great to avoid having to repack inside the cup until I get home. Most used items: back up small headlamp, sweets, caffeine pills, cord and knife. Least used bulkiest item is a PLB. Weight ~560g

Excellent Work. Appreciate it. Thank You.

Great kit.

I am in the process of doing something with a stainless steel tin from Aldi so this was very useful. I never thought of it being that pouch however it makes sense.

Great kit, the 6 inch nails were brilliant.

Had the opportunity to meet John .while doing a training at ft Bragg .he is a wealth of knowledge .great kit neil . Very useful items

I've made and used several emerg kits... and I've heard of the 6" nails before, but forgot all about it! Gonna get some big nails for my kit! Thank you. I just became a subscriber.

Thanks mate, great idea with the nails.Multifunctional items are essential to justify their weight in the kit .Great wee video. ATB

I was given this as a present by clients. I am a registered Saharan guide and we had spent two weeks well away from any settlements, living as nomadic shepherds do. The wife carried this in her baggage throughout our trip, where I essentially taught them all they needed to know...for the desert. 🌴🇲🇷🐪

Very good content really enjoyed the video.

this was a great video. an update with a trip down memory lane. ive got jaded with the blah blah vids of product placment. this is legit thanks for the share

Thank you for this, I have this book and I love it. Seriously I'm ashamed that I haven't bought a few more copies - one for the car and one for my bug out bag, but in my defense I keep it by my nightstand so I know to grab it if I have to go.

Love Lofty's book !!

Excellent a well done video about a valuable item!

Nice kit!

Nice video very well explained, very well thought out survival kit. The small mess tin makes a great survival tin as you can boil water in it and fit more stuff. LOFTY book is a great book that has inspired a lot of people

Thanks again for sharing 👌

Lofty wiesman and Eddie Mcgee old school .. Good video and very imformative thanks .

What’s often forgotten is that soldiers deliberately dump their huge heavy packs before going into combat or perhaps when being pursued by hostile forces. That’s how they lose them. Civilians don’t have to do that and don’t typically carry packs anywhere near as heavy as military packs. So the risk of being without a lightweight pack is minimal, and accidental loss can be prevented with a strong lanyard clipped to a belt. Carrying a 5kg/11 pound pack is very efficient, it only uses around 150 extra calories over a day. That’s half a Snickers bar. In that you can have a good storm shelter, like an Alpkit Hunka bivy, a warm sleeping bag, a folded ccf mat, a 2500 calorie ration bar, 1st aid kit, water filter and 2 bottles, spare socks, signal kit. Everything needed for immediate emergency shelter, without the need for fire. Building a natural shelter will take 3hrs min, and use 1200 calories. A night without sleep uses another 135 calories extra and leaves you foggy and weak next day. Emergency kit should be chosen for function, not size. A small, fragile space blanket is not a reliable shelter in rough conditions when you need it most. A small kit can’t contain good shelter or insulation, so it should focus on preventing the need to sleep out. Blister kit, foot/leg injury treatment, torch and spare batteries, trail marking tape, shoe/boot repair glue and tape, water tabs. No one with any sense or skills should get lost or caught out by unexpected severe weather, it’s accidental injury or footwear failure that’ll slow you down and use up daylight, forcing an overnight stop. Even a bad blister can reduce walking speed by over half, so a 3 hour return hike takes 6 hours or more. Getting home or back to your vehicle or base is always better.

Cool piece of kit my friend 🤠

I saw a video of the talk Lofty gave at an outdoor gathering some years ago. He was asked what he thought of Ray Mears. He said Ray was the one person with whom he'd like to be stranded on a desert island. He said he could eat well for several months on Ray. He also said Ray was the wrong shape for bushcraft and survival. I tend to disagree. Possibly it's because I am closer to Ray's shape than to Lofty's. Or possibly because a bit more meat and fat on one's bones is that much more "food" as far as your body is concerned. I found the kit shown here interesting, as was the author's attitudes. Here in the US we often DO carry a firearm when hiking, so Ammo weight is a consideration. In fact (the last I heard) you are required to carry a magnum class handgun if hiking or working the backcountry in much of Alaska. Bears are quite prevalent. Several thousand miles further south in Northeast Texas I was driving home (living at my deceased grandmother's farm which lay between two river bottoms) late one night, and a mountain lion (aka cougar) was laying across one and part of the second of the two lanes. I stopped about 3 meters from him with my lights on him. He was obviously enjoying the warmth in the road left from earlier in the day, and he was not inclined to move. I hesitated to try to drive around him, as I'd probably run over his tail if I stayed on the road. Staying on that road was the only option, since it dropped off steeply almost at the edge of the pavement. After about 10 minutes of looking at that marvelous beast (damn big cat!), I flashed my high beams several times. Just like an annoyed house cat, his tail started twitching. Eventually he got up slowly and walked off the roadway. I drove on home while making a mental note to ALWAYS carry a reasonably powerful firearm, whether long gun or pistol, whenever I wandered into that bottonland area... which I occasionally did. I would hate terrably to shoot such a lovely creature, but I'd hate even more being mauled or eaten by one. In a well maintained campground in Yellowstone National Park for various reasons I was sleeping on the ground beside my truck. I woke in the middle of the night due to my dog's constant barking, to see a medium size black bear coming DOWN a tree about 2 meters from me. I sat up, but it was about all I could do, being zipped into US military mummy sleeping bag with only my face exposed. The bear turned and looked at me, and I at him. I must have looked like a large green worm with a human face. He snorted and shook his head (appearing confused), then he walked away very casually, and I went back to sleep. He was just looking for any snacks a careless camper had left out. Black bears are not too aggressive unless it is a mother with her cub(s). It's made for a good story for a long time, though. The USA has a number of dangerous predators, both four and two legged which must be considered when hiking and camping, especially alone. Larger groups are less likely to encounter either kind, but personal defense is always advisable... and the individual's responsibility. Look up "united states national park disappearances". There are far too many and often the person is never found. Even the well maintained hiking trails are often a thin track through true wilderness once you follow it away from campgrounds and settled areas. This is not a park, and it sure isn't a petting zoo. That is the environment I grew up hiking, hunting, and camping, and I usually was not on a hiking trail or in a well maintained campground. In the summer of 1973 I became disoriented on a mountain in Northern California. By the time I realized the path I was following had become a faint animal trail, I was lost, and I faced the very real possibility of needing to make an unplanned impromptu camp for the night. That was the day I started studying outdoor survival skills. A "lite" version of that is today called "bushcraft". I realized, standing on that mountain side with the sun starting to set, that I needed AT A MINIMUM a cutting tool and a way to make a fire. I have never been without these since... well, unless in an official building, or when I was in military basic training, etc. A minimalist kit of a Swiss Army Knife and a Doan fire starter (original USGI magnesium block with a ferrocerium rod embedded in one long edge) lashed together with a leather thong lived in my left pants pocket for decades. Other items rotate with it these days, since I rarely get out of the city. But it never hurts to Be Prepared, as the old Boy Scout motto went.

Very informative. Good info thanks!!

Thank you so much really appreciate 🙏

Good show.

Nice useful kit 👍

No situation is going to stop you! You just keep going.

It’s a great book and I agree probably the best guide still available

On the lighter. Add 20 ft of fishing line, and 2 small hooks to the end of the tape.

Loved the video,John,Sheppey............................

Should had pen and paper handy. Oh well, guess I just get to watch again and make notes. Great video! Thanks

Corporal Bean had one of these but lost it on a bus on the way to his first survival meeting . He brought his trusty bear which got him through the worst of conditions . He survived barely

A good share .. thanks 👍. It's nice to see others' take on these types of kits .. good food for thought. The SAS Survival Manual .. I have the large version. Got it back then, when first published and made available in South Africa. Has been, and still is, a valuable Resource. For info .. there is another Military-Based Survival Handbook out there and even earlier than Lofty's Guide. 'Don't Die in the Bundu' by Col DH Grainger. Aimed at Rhodesian Soldiers operating in the Southern African Bush which for the inexperienced, can be an extremely harsh amd hostile environment .. inter alia, indigini with big feet, horns, claws, teeth or just a bad attitude. First published (under correction?) in 1966. I got mine late 60's / early 70's and it accompanied me, covered in a protective sheet, everywhere. It became so dog-eared and worn that I replaced it in the 80's. For the time .. and even now, an Excellent Common Sense Resource for the Southern African Bushveld, or similar .. well worth a read and for one's Home Library. Take care ..

Dental floss is excellent for sowing ,50m on a roll and very strong and compact.

Good video. Id look at replacing the button compass with a Suunto Clipper you can actually navigate to within 10degrees with them.

Informative and beneficial video

Nice one 👍 great video 👍 see you in your next video ps I like the huskavarna AXE 26" just thought I'd mention it thanks

When I bought the survival guide I bought two, one for the little boys room and one for my camping box :)

I remember seeing a prepackaged version when I was a kid. It was in from Brigade Quartermaster. I remember wondering about some of the contents until I put one together for myself and went out for an overnight camp out.

I'd like to add a "transport safety" on the Bic so the tab won't accidentally get push when stored (or in a pocket with other items): Just put a little spacer (possibly made from a PET-bottle-cap) under the tab, and secure it in place with a piece of tape. An O-ring can also be used, and more easy to reuse.

The old Camouflage NBC Haversack for the S 10 Respirator is bomb proof, and great for carrying emergency kit.

Cool Video 👍 Thank U for the Info and the Links 👍 U got a new subscriber.... Greetings from Austria Vienna ✌️

Nice ideas there 👍 I’ve managed to pack so much stuff in my small trangia mess tin (including a full tang bushcraft knife) that I tend not to take it because it’s too heavy 🤣 🧠 🔫

Great video and provokes thought about my own kit. Alternative to hot chocolate I prefer the Batchelors cup a soup sachets, the shelf life is also better than hot chocolate. When hiking I carry a couple of Seven Seas rations which have a very long shelf life and can be used with cold water so don't need.a fire. I like the mess tin you have, as it is bigger than the old tobacco tin and more useful. As an equivalent to the old tobacco tin size I like the aluminium sealable containers which do not require tape to seal them up, can be opened easily and can be used for cooking too. They are sometimes available on Amazon and Greenman Bushcarft.

I'm so glad that a couple of years ago I got my copy signed :) That one doesn't make it out anymore but the other copies do. It can be very easy to get carried away packing more items, knowledge really does replace kit as time goes on.

Look nice weather over there

Thanks for featuring my song!

On CS Shovel I shortened the handle for better chopping. And a screw driver to remove screws to put a larger handle if needed and small file.

simple easy to use on the budget lightweight survival kit. Everyone can assemble one and learn how to use it.

Great video man, you have a great kit put together, the heavy duty foil could be used to keep you warm and as a reflective signalling surface, maybe put a 90 degree angle on one of the nails to make a ferro striker that is just my 2 cents for what its worth. that book has been a little bible for me as a kid growing up.

Hey Neil, great video buds. I still have my original copy of the survival manual and the urban one which is probably more rare.

The orange pouch could be used as the marker panel. Swing it around your head to draw attention.

Mate, either you have two of those little tins or you're Mary Poppins. I've got almost identical kit and it fills the tin, two tobacco tins and the rest of the space left CS-95 P.L.C.E. utility pouch

That kit is very similar to the one I have designs for. Just a couple of suggestions. Add one yellow-green chem light. Red light doesn't travel as far, and bright green is the most catching color to the eye. My other simple suggestion, would be to remove the child safety guard on your lighter. I really like that you have the space blanket at the top. I would probably pack mine without the bag, because if I'm shivering, or suffering from heat exhaustion, I want to be able to deploy the blanket ASAP. Really good kit, though.

U talk affectionately that I like

Great video! Nice watch is that the citizen echo drive Chandler?

If that pouch had some molle straps on the outside, it would make a great dump kit for canoeists. The molle straps are to attach it to a PFD.

Oh that is really nice survival kit. I would add some dental floss and a curved needle. Instead of that 1940's browned sewing kit hahahaha. That one made me smile. But dental flos is real strong and you can make repairs and also stitch yourself up when you got a gaping wound.

I have the Collins gem version plus I have it on my phone. Good vid. You covered most of the items needed. Just one thing, it's pronounced Frennel as he was French. Kudos mate, sub'd

I have 3 versions of Lofty's book and I have a Survival Tin and pack in every Bergen and mini versions in day packs. As a first aider with trauma training and experience I carry a slightly large I-FAK with me, not just for me and any party I may be with, but anyone who I come across who may need medical assistance. Only carry what you have training in use of. I have a personal admin kit too that covers some of the items in a pocket on my pants or jacket. I have taken to building some small tin penny stoves and placed one in every outdoor bag I have with a small brew kit, fire making kit - (four of the wax fire starters and 2 hexy blocks, lint and cotton balls and a tiny ferro rod). I have a poncho and jungle hammock that weighs nowt that is my day bag and a mozzy net. I always have some other stuff on a paracord attached to my smock or jacket.

I really liked the vid and subd. In my pocket my edc is a small knife, lighter with G tape around it, mag glass, small light, whistle, UZI pen, firearm, spare ammo. My day sack has water and wind resistant nylon jacket with hood or frog tog jacket for the season and either thin fleece or thin lambs wool sweater for warm or cold weather, super light hammock, foil /fabric pad, separate net, light tarp, 2-55 gal drum liners, double size SOL Mylar blanket. Tiny meds-super glue- leather needle with attached heavy duty nylon thread-tweezer, two sanitary wipes kit and a bleeder kit. Sak or fixed blade knife depending. Small folding saw and or cold steel shovel with sheath. Cold Steel shovel provides Protection with sheath on from two legged threats, without sheath for 4 legged or snakes, clear trail and site, help process wood for fire and help move or put out fire, remove bailed pot, dig latrine and coyote well, move away branches leaves and snow, hammer pegs or poles. Appropriate 2, 3 or 4 cup cup or pot and stove system and brew kit and snacks. Sawyer water filter both bags and screw on bottle. Good book and head lamp with extra batteries, second whistle for companion. I will navigate in with compass pencil and note book. The tin and pouch just don’t fit my time in the woods. It’s my time to escape. I use all of these items when outdoors except the medical. Different meds for allergy pain diarrhea anti acid, and tweezer have really made discomfort minimal on a day or weekend trip. Spring open fire restrictions and freezing or below freezing temps determine my stove selection to heat water. Snacks etc require no cooking. Compass and headlamp has helped prevent me from getting lost or from spending the night unless it was an overnight trip.

Still have the original copy of the SAS Guide 2004. Good video and some interesting modern alternatives! Did you ever fo a video on testing the kit out in a simulated scenario as I can't find one? 🤔😪

Just finished watching the first season of rogue heroes. The story of how the SAS was started. I'm confident that those crazy bastards only carried a flask and a hand grenade for a survival kit.

The pocket knife the video briefly showed looked like one of the Mauser pocket knives from the 1980s. I loved that knife but lost it many years ago

Hi 👋 If your pouch kit is in your bag and you lose your bag your screwed. Needs to be on your belt. I’d also double up on what you carry as if you lose the edc pouch you still have the contents of the kit. eg your torch. 2 is one and 1 is none. That’s why in the book Lofty has everything required to survive. I think your reduction would leave you at risk if you need it and have been separated from your Primary kit (Bergen), or Secondary kit (webbing). The Pouch is a third set of equipment and the tin is “I’m in real trouble now” kit.

i have the same pen knife as you,,,,,got it from a knife shop in the arndale centre,,,manchester,,,two weeks before it got blown up ,,,,thats some time ago ,,,,but its still going stronge,,,,,,

Here is a more loud compact whistle that you can put on your key chain.

I like to make homemade energy bars. Peanut butter, peanuts and raisens, honey or maple syrup, oats, chocolate spread melted and mixed in a pan

Great video Neil, just a thought, if you swapped out your mylar blanket for one that has orange on one side, you have both an emergency blanket and a signal / marker panel, like i say, just a thought. Hope things are getting better for you, atb mate

Good video. How about a small fishing kit? Cheers

I love your logo ❤ I'm buying my dad a shirt for Xmas 🎄 he isn't a bushcraft guy, but a 4th or 5th generation farmer

Cool little compact kit 👍

I am actually on my fifth copy. The other four got worn out by borrowing and living in my bag. This one is in a hard case, with a small Bible, a couple of multi issue comic books, and a pocket copy of the US Constitution.

I still have my original hardback copy. It was rightly considered "the survival bible" back in the day. I made many of these kits myself for leisure/fun...I would have sold my gran for a "beta light" back then as well. :D

Great video .the more you know ,the less you carry.i carry a lot 🤐

The original white square one doubled as a lean to shelter :-p

that compass,,, did you ever entrust your life to it? there are very small models, just bigger than that, that are really safe_ I see no reason to put them aside, but,,, its your kit!_ thanks for sharing

Have you ever used one of those mini flares? They are about the most underwhelming pyrotechnic I have ever seen!😂 In some forest areas you would be lucky for one to clear the tree canopy😁

why not use 4 lightweight tent pegs as tent pegs? They will also serve to make the stand for cooking on. Nails is heavy!

👍

I feel that duplicate items are needed. I feel that the case should never be opened, until it is needed in an emergancy. So, for instance, if you have your knife on you, you will have a small blade in the survival tin. Everything you'd need in an emergancy, but scaled down in size (but still of a usable size).

Do you have any idea where I can buy the MK 8 mini flare kit in the United States?

Honestly, Im really not that into patriotism or national pride, but any mention of the SAS gives me a warm glow. They went all over the world gathering expertise on how to survive from locals in the farthest corners of the planet, studied how to survive in the biggest shitholes imaginable, and anyone who serves in the unit has to learn this shit first hand. Better men than me, and the SAS really know their shit.

Had a bit of a think on this. Different strokes for different folks and environments. Seems to me Northen hemisphere socus on fire so much. Here even in torrential rain its just grab some Ecalypt or pine needles you got enough oil in that to spark up. Nails I replaced with small tent pegs. I get you're more into hot choc than coffee. Im more a 3in1 guy myself. Definately approve of peanut butter. But here, heat sweat, I have some electrolytes. Sugar type energy hit too. I do like.a small bag or two of nuts from ALDI. Im sure others have similar portioned in foil bags to. Very calorific, light, and well chewed can make 2 meals. I think there is a balance between military and civillian to be found. Military, resupply can drop from the sky. Civvie, you on your own, but that means you aint in a combat situation, dont need to cater for a sucking chest wound, and can choose cashews of a survival/sea biscuit. In your orange bag you have some room. Id make a light bag with light nylon strap too. Just to put waterbag in as a carrying pouch slung. I keep a light kinda backpack in my pack. Often gets used wet gear added food collected, waste plastic wrapping etc. Weighs 30 gram got bells n whistles a zipper even on it. You could have one you made be even less weight very minimilistic