Hitchcraft – Hang’mups – Survival Module

I’m a firm believer in being prepared for a few different eventualities. It’s just hard wired into my brain to be that way. I always carry a blade of some sort, a flashlight, a lighter, a compass, a bandana, some cord, etc. Depending on the activity I will have several different layers of crucial gear. One rudimentary layer in my pockets, a more elaborate layer in a set up of some kind on my body, and then all the stuff carried in a pack. Not so important on a stroll to the grocery store, but very important when on a two week canoe trip in a very remote area where I likely won’t see anyone else the whole time. Horses for courses. From my own hairy experiences, and learning from others hairy experiences (the best way to learn), I know not to put all my eggs in one basket, and to have some redundancies built in.

I’ve had little survival tins of one sort or another for many years. For the most part I see them as a last ditch backup. I generally have a better version of everything in them, but if I lose something I will have a spare.

I also enjoy thinking of alternate ways of carrying survival kit around.

While I think they serve a potentially useful purpose I also see them as a fun mental exercise. The compiling of the components, practicing to become proficient in their use, and the puzzle aspect of getting it all to fit inside a small container: call me strange, but I find that an enjoyable thing to do. There are worse pastimes.

I’ve seen people carrying various gizmos and gadgets on their key ring. I tried that approach and didn’t like the huge lump that resulted. I liked the general idea, but I needed to find a more streamlined way to do it. Carrying stuff loose in the pockets is just a no go. But I’ve been playing around with para cord for quite a while now, making fobs and lanyards and dog leashes and hat bands and various other things. At some point an idea took hold and germinated into this.

To have a survival kit, not in a container, but on a carrier. That the carrier could also come apart and serve as one of the most useful and crucial items one can have.

I decided to try a paracord hanger, made with a snake knot. I started with one of these hooks, which can also be found in sailing shops. The 550 cord came from Supply Captain (I used +- 6 meters (20') of it). The small split key rings and the McGizmo clips came from Lighthound.

I wove and re-wove this about 4 times, to get the length and arrangement just right. I wanted everything to hang in as slim a bundle as possible, and it took a few tries to get it perfect. The cord tends to spiral when it’s braided into a snake knot, and I also wanted the items to spiral around it as they descended.

Working down from the top:

Fenix E0 – simple little AAA flashlight (review of it here) (I believe it’s discontinued)

Whistle/Spy Capsule – loud whistle with a small compartment that originally contained a small piece of paper that contact and medical info could be recorded on. Not a bad idea, but I chose to put Wet-Fire in it.

Long Spy Capsule – contains two pieces of Rite in the Rain paper, a 1" piece of pencil lead, an unknown length of Spider Wire, some fish hooks and sinkers, a needle wrapped in dental floss.

Sparky K1 Fire Starter – small magnesium bar, flint and scraper. I opted to remove it from the leather pouch to cut down on bulk.

SOG Crosscut multitool  – the scissors on it are quite powerful. I used it once to build a shelter out of two pine trees, using just the scissors to cut off the branches. Not the optimal tool for the task, but it worked. (discontinued - bummer)

Peanut Lighter – works pretty much like a Zippo, but an O-ring seal means the fuel won’t evaporate in 2 days like a Zippo

Small Orange Spy Capsule – containing Wet-Fire

Small Green Spy Capsule – containing MicroPur MP 1

Small Red Spy Capsule – containing Aspirin

Brunton 9067 pin on compass – getting the pin out was quite a tricky procedure, since I feared I might break the plastic, but in the end I managed it.

And then of course there’s also a decent length of 550 cord. And I guess if things really got that bad, I could probably find a use for the split key rings and the clips.

Every item got a shrink tubing cover to protect it in some cases, and also to prevent things from coming unscrewed. If it ever comes down to needing anything, the shrink tubing could also work as tinder.

The compass, multi-tool and flashlight are the only things on a clip since they were the only things I figured I would really need to actually remove. The spy capsules I can just unscrew to get at the contents, the peanut lighter I unscrew and it’s ready to go. The whistle and the Sparky, I can use while still attached, and the latter is pretty easy to get off. The compass I might want to have on a wrist loop or attached to the lapel of my coat. The flashlight is something else I might want to have in my hand, clasped in my teeth,  attached to a hat, etc. The multi tool is another thing that if I need it, I will want to easily move around.

There is a spare split key ring as well as a larger one at the end of the braid. In case I come up with something else I want to attach to it, or I want to tether something to it, I have that option.

It started out straight, but it’s a bit longer than the pockets I carry it in, so it’s taken a bit of an S curve over time. Just like the snake knots tendency to spin and the deliberate winding placement of the gadgets, the spiralling theme carries through.

All together it weighs 240 grams. It’s still a bundle, and it’s not the most comfortable thing to carry in a pocket, but it’s not that uncomfortable either. I definitely know it’s there. When I’m standing or walking it’s okay, but crouching or squatting is the time when I really notice it. It doesn’t have to be carried in a front left pants pocket. I’ve carried it on a PFD for instance. I have a design drawn up for some pants that have a pocket specifically designed to house this that runs down the side. That might make it a little more doable.

And here it is with the Hang’mups – EDC Module.

Hitchcraft – Hang’mups – EDC Module

I have a bit of an interest, some might call it a fixation, with how to carry stuff. How to have needed things accessible, yet be comfortable to carry, and still be secure.

There are always a few things that I find handy to have in my day to day goings on. A pen, keys, nail clippers, tweezers, a lighter, a flash light, etc. Carrying things loose in a pocket is just asking to lose things.

I’ve tried having a bunch of gadgets on a key ring, but I just found that way too lumpy. I knew I wanted to be able to carry it in a pocket, but I had an idea for something that was a lot more streamlined. The idea formed in my head and this is the end result.

I decided to try a paracord hanger, made with a snake knot. I started with one of these hooks, which can also be found in sailing shops. The 550 cord came from Supply Captain (I used +- 4.5 meters (15') of it). The small split key rings and the McGizmo clips came from Lighthound.

I ended up weaving and re-weaving this a few times to get the placement and arrangement just right.

Working down from the top: 

Fisher Trekker Space Pen – Probably the most used item. I put it right at the top so that it can hang out above the top of my pocket. Many times I find myself needing it frequently, and being able to access it easily is nice.

Fenix L0D – Superb single AAA light with several output modes. I have a large split key ring on the end to act as a thumb loop. Only 7.35 cm long and 1.4 cm in diameter, by twisting the head you get five output types: 25 Lumens (which runs for 3.5 hours), 9 Lumens (which runs for 8.5 hours), 75 Lumens (which runs for 1 hour), Strobe, SOS. At its highest setting it’s brighter than a 3D Maglite! (review of it here.) (And  MagLite keep on selling the Solitaire like it’s something to be proud of.)

Ronson refillable lighter – Not really sure which model. Looks a bit ghetto since I had to duct tape a piece of cord to it to be able to hang it. It may not be pretty, but it works. If I find something sleeker, I’ll use it. In the interim, this will suffice.

Gerber Nail Clippers – Best nail clippers ever. Gerber doesn’t manufacture them anymore, (although you can still get them from the link I provided), but the German kitchen knife manufacturer, Zwilling J.A. Henckels, does make something similar.

Uncle Bill’s Sliver Grippers – Spend any amount of time around wood and you’ll understand how handy these are. Useful for more than just removing splinters though, including finicky detail work.
Pill Fob with Aspirin – More for giving to someone if they’re having a heart attack, but also just for its analgesic properties. I’m going to get another pill fob and fill it with Benadryl for someone that may be having an allergic reaction.
Wrist Loop – Good place to store it when not in use.
Jumbo Spy Capsule/Pill Fob – I carry……candy in there. Annoyingly squeaky when opening.
And on the bottom I have a larger split key ring that I clip my bundle of keys to.

As of this writing, I’ve been using this set up for about 2½ years and I’m really happy with it. What started as a feasibility study, proved to be a solid idea.

The whole thing weighs about 200 grams. Very comfortable to wear – I really don’t feel it at all. And like I said, I’ve been wearing it every day for 2½ years. If I’m wearing light pants, it tends to jingle a bit, but when wearing heavier pants, it doesn’t jingle at all.

In this photo you can also see the wrist loop I did up attached to the bottom.

Perhaps the only “downside” to it is that the flashlight, from getting battered around, either gets turned on (which if I’m fortunate I’ll notice the light shining though the material before the battery is drained) or I’ll reach in my pocket and find the bezel and the battery in the bottom. I know to check the flashlight often. There is a certain point the bezel needs to be turned to, to prevent it coming undone, or turning the light on. So certainly not a “huge” concern, just something to be aware of.

And here it is with the Hang’mups – Survival Module.