COMING SOON...JUNE 30th, A NEW REVISED & UPDATED RANGER DIGEST.COM. NEW TIPS, TRICKS, SURVIVAL PRODUCTS and MORE! SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND BE PREPARED TO BE AMAZED, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WILL SAY TO YOURSELF..."WOW, NOW WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?" (Because you're not me, Army Ranger Rick, that's why : )

Please DON'T BUY any of my SOS Survival Kits! Not until you shop around and compare! And if you can find a better quality survival kit(s) than mine at a better price...BUY IT! I am NOT joking! Are you Hunter? Camper? Hiker? Trapper? Snowmobiler? Cross-country skier? Kayaker? Do you fly an airplane, like to go sailing or boating? Do you travel often to far away exotic places and spend a lot of time off the road in remote areas? Are you in the military or are you planning on joining the military? If you answered "YES" to any of these questions then you need a survival kit.

Sure, there are lots of survival kits on the market, some good, some bad and some really, really piss poor ones too. But I'll betcha none of them weigh less then 5 ozs, cost under $25 and the quality is…well, let’s just say if you’re not 100% happy with the quality of the items that come with my survival kits, return it and I’ll refund your money no questions asked. How's that, fair enough? In other words, “Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back!”

While full size compasses are no doubt better than small ones, you can’t pack’em away so easy inside a pocket survival kit. And you know those little itty-bitty compasses? Well guess what, they may look cute but they’re worthless. Why? Because they’re cheaply made and the needles don’t stay magnetized very long, that's why. But with my compasses, I guarantee they'll stay magnetized for a long, long time. If they don't, just send it back to me and I'll replace it, fair enough? And the compass that you'll receive with your survival kit will be one of these compasses in the photo. All three are very good quality "general direction" compasses, a lot better made than those cheapo mini/button compasses.

You’ve heard of the magnesium fire bar, right? Well this fire starter that comes with my survival kits is called a Magnesium & Flint Fire Rods. They’re thinner, lighter and easier to grasp and will produce 1,000s of sparks whether it's wet, frozen or muddy. Can’t get a spark to ignite your tinder? No problem, just scrape a few magnesium shavings from the mag side, place the flint side down on the ground near the [magnesium] shavings, scrape the flint side and presto - you've got FIRE!

Palm size mirrors will no doubt reflect sunlight at greater ranges, but finding a place to carry & store’em so they won’t break can be a problem. On the other hand, a small mirror may be easy to pack but they won't reflect sunlight as far as palm size mirrors will. And so by choosing a signal mirror not too big, not too small but something in between, you can’t go wrong. And the one that will come with your survival kit will be 1 x 2 inches in size and made of durable acrylic plastic.

Yea, I know there's a whole bunch of signal whistles on the market, but the worst type to buy are those with “little balls.” Why? Because they'll freeze up in extreme cold weather due to your moist mouth saliva and they won’t produce a “tweet” should you need to use it. The best type to buy & carry? The ball-less whistles, of course. And the one that will come with your survival kit will either be made out of aluminum that will also come with a small storage compartment, or my durable plastic Glow-in-the-Dark Tornado Whistle.

Yep, big knives are better than small ones. Duh? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know this. But if you’re gonna pack and carry a lightweight, compact, survival kit, it’s best to pack and carry a lightweight, compact, folding pocket knife too. Don’t ya think? Sure! And to make sure it'll keep on cutting & slicing when you need it, it’s best to chose a knife that comes with a serrated blade so it won’t dull so easy, like the ones that come with all my SOS Survival Kits.

Though there are 100's of different types of flashlights on the market, but the best type to buy, pack & carry in a survival kit are LED flashlights. Why? They’ll not only provide you plenty of light when the sun goes down, but you'll be able to pack & carry not only one or two "coin size" replacement batteries in your survival kit, but bunches of them. And they'll last a lot longer than non-LED flashlight (AA, C, & D) batteries too.

Everytime I go online to search for a survial saw, I find several types that NO WAY would I call'em survival saws. Why? Because instead of having "sharp teeth" they're nothing but cut up "toothless" spyral saw blades that go on electric band and scroll saws. Oh, they'll cut right through wood like butter, but only when they're attached to a rotating 5,000 rpm electric saw. But should you try to use’em as a freakin handsaw... they suck! So should you someday decide to go shopping around for a survival saw... watch out! You just might get stuck with a piece of s---. Or instead, you could get your money’s worth by buying the same type used by our US Army Special Forces, Rangers and the British SAS and other NATO/Allied Forces too, the same type of wire saw that comes with my SOS Survival Kits.

Now this ain't no B.S. If you were to buy these same or similar survival items somewhere else, I guarantee you would spend twice the amount of money when you add in the shipping & handling fees. Wanna bet? Don't believe me? Fine, then get off your butt, shop around and see for yourself. The average price I found these same or similar items selling somewhere else... wire saw - $10.00, magnesium & flint fire starter - $8.00, good small compass - $5.00, signal mirror $5.00, LED flashlight - $5.00, serrated folding knife - $5.00, and Tornado whistle - $5.00. Again, these prices do NOT include the shipping & handling fees! So, do you still think you can find these same or similar items selling somewhere else cheaper? Go ahead, I dare ya to shop around and try. If you do and you can prove it to me by showing me where, I will not only match that price but I'll give you a 20% discount off anyone of my survival kits. Care to accept my challenge? As Howie Mandell would say "DEAL or NO DEAL?"

So once again, here's what you get with my SOS Survival Kits...

..compass for navigation…	a mag & flint rod for starting fires…	a signal mirror for visual signaling…	mini LED flashlite for night use...
a whistle for audio signaling…	a folding knife for preping game…	and a wire saw for cutting fire wood, building shelters, etc.	FREE, but only with my fully assembled survival kits.

NEW "Budget" SOS SURVIVAL KIT: For those of you who want to save some $$$$ and you don't want the wire saw. Now available a "Budget" SOS Survival Kit for only $14.99. For more information about this survival kit, click on "My Store & Stuff" page.

Here's what ya can do with this tape...	use it for marking trails...	short distance signaling...	and as a first aid bandage too.

Now here's how to use the condom that comes with the water container kit as an improvised water container. First you remove it from the wrapper and then...

(a) open & hold with one hand...	(b) carefully dip it in the water...	(c) stretch & force the water downward...
(d) repeat until it's full of water.	(e) Drop in the water tablets, wait & drink.	Got a sock? Carry it inside like so.

So what do you think? Are my survival kits unique or what? You betcha they are and they start at $14.99 - $27.99. And you know what I like to tell people [jokingly] about my survival necklace? "It's the only survival kit on the market that you can wear butt naked!" Get it?

And just so you know, all these items that come with my survival kits were put through a series of tests to make sure they’re made of good quality and durable material. And so before I purchase these items in large quantities from different companies and manufacturers, here’s how I tested them.

They were first dropped from a three story building, then submerged in water for several hours, placed in a freezer for two days, defrosted, heated in a barbecue grill to a temperture of 110 (+/-) degrees and then I ran over them once with my car. The results? Well of course my tests were a bit extreme and some of the items took a beating, were dented and scratched up a bit. Duh? But believe it or not and I BS you not they still worked. Yep, sure did.

Cheap trinklets? Ha! I think not. How many other sellers and manufacturers do you think would put their survival kits through these same tests? Not many! So if you decide to order any of my kits remember this… Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back! And should any items arrive defected or broken they will be replaced FREE of charge.

What's zat? You don't like my survival necklace? You're afraid you might strangle yourself if you got it entangled in something? Well fat chance that'll ever happen, but yea it's possible. And so that's why my survival necklaces come with a "breakaway safety chain ”just in case you do find yourself in such an unfortunate predicament. Then all you gotta do to get out of it is grab the chain with one or two hands and pull it down sharply and it'll break apart. Did I think of everything or what? DANGER / WARNING: You should never wear the survival necklace on the outside of a shirt, always underneath it to avoid the possibility of getting it caught or entangled in something. But if you're one of those who don't like wearing anything around your neck, no problem then all ya gotta do is make yourself a "pocket survival kit" like anyone of these kits below.

Click on photos" twice" to enlarge.

Click on photos" twice" to enlarge.

Soap Dish Container - Plenty of room to pack inside a pocket rain jacket and space blanket and still have plenty of room for more stuff. Metal Candy Container - Can be used as a cup to collect rain water from puddles and when polished can be used as a signal mirror too. Plastic Film Container - Though a bit small, you can still pack inside quite a few basic essential handy survival items. Shoe Polish Can - Flat, durable, compact and water-tight, again quite a bit of stuff can be stored inside it. Plastic Can Keeper - This is my favorite survival kit container because it's airtight and will float should you accidentially drop it in the water.

Click on photos" twice" to enlarge.

Click"twice" to enlarge.

Huh? You don't wanna carry a survival kit in your pocket and you don't wanna wear one around your neck neither? No problem, then just attach these items to your car keys, jacket zipper, belt, knife sheath and many other things too. Check out the photo. Am I a genius or what? Don't answer that. But seriously, aren't these some good survival kit ideas? You betcha they are, so why waste money on a more expensive survival kit than mine? Did I mention if you're not completely satisfied with any of my survival kit I'll refund your money? I did? Oops! Sorry I forgot!

As with any survival kit it doesn't do any good to own one if you don't know how to use all the items that come with it. Duh? And so the only way to learn is to practice, practice, practice and keep on practicing until you do know how to use all the items.

And to further improve your chances of survival you should at least review and practice some of my tips here on my website. Such as… how to start a fire, build a shelter, snare game, filter & purify water, and soon to be posted... expedient signaling techniques and land navigation.

And if you wear or carry one of my survival kits and remember just a few pages from my site, you will no doubt be much better prepared for an unexpected outdoor suvival situation.

What I often to tell people who venture off the road without a survival kit..."Don’t you think it's better to pack & carry a survival kit and maybe never having to use it than to find yourself someday in a survival situation wishing you had one?" Make sense, don’t ya think?

And to those of you who claim to be survival gurus and don’t like my kits .. Don't ya think it's better to carry a few basic survival items than nothing at all? And because my kits contain the minimum items needed for survival, then consider'em a-last-chance-to-survive-kits.

Ya never know, someday ya might find yourself stranded somewhere, dark, wet and cold and the only thing that'll save your ass from exposure, hypothermia and dying is a survival kit. The one you WISH you had purchased but DIDN'T!

How To Use The…

NECKLACE WIRE SAW: In case you're wondering “How in the hell am I suppose to remove the damn wire saw from inside the rubber tubing?"You don’t remove it, you just saw right through it and peel it off. Now I've heard from a few survival forum gurus and Johnny Rambo Wannabes and they said "Hey Rick, cutting and discarding the tubing is wasteful, you should be able to remove it without cutting it so you can use it to suck water from small puddles.." First of all, the only purpose of the tubing is to protect the wearer from being scratched & cut up when the survival necklace is being worn around the neck. Second, it’s not very smart nor a good idea to go around drinking puddle water unless it's been filtered and purified first. And so if you don't have any means of filtering and purifying puddle water, what damn good is tubing? Duh? These are the same know-it-all survival forum gurus who tell others you can boil and drink water from one of those pocket survival kit tins. Not practical, try it and you'll see. TIGHTLY ROLLED WIRE SAW: To assemble, simply cut the paracord at the melted ends and then unravel and remove it. Then unroll the wire saw, straighten it out, bend the ends and place a split ring on each end and secure them in place. Then take the paracord, cut it in half and attach them to the split rings.

Now the best way to use my wire saw is to insert a wooden stick inside each split rings so you can grasp it better, either as a one or two person hand saw. Or another technique that works well is to attach the wire saw to a sturdy, flexible stick so it can be "curved" and used as a hand-saw.

As a general wood cutting rule, you should never use a wire saw to cut anything thicker than your wrist or arm. Why? Because the thicker the wood - the shorter the strokes and the more time you'll waste trying to cut through it. To save time, energy, and burning up precious calories, cut only ½ to ¾ through the wood and then break it the rest of the way with your foot or by slamming it up against a tree or rock. Works for me every time.

MINI COMPASS: Just to give you a fast crash course on how to use one…

(a) Place the compass in the palm of your hand (b) hold it level with the ground so the magnetic needle can move freely, (c) rotate the compass until the "point" of the needle is directly under the "N" for north, (d) choose a direction you wish to travel in, (e) pick out a distinctive feature in that direction such as a tree, boulder, hill, etc, (f) and walk towards it. And when you arrive at that spot, repeat these same steps over and over and over again until you arrive at your destination.

Now if you're wondering… "What destination? If I'm lost, how in the hell am I suppose to know which way to go?"

Well if you're that lost, instead of wandering around in circles like a damn idiot, just pick any direction and use the compass to keep yourself orientated in that direction until you find or bump into civilization. Or better yet, climb the nearest hilltop or tree to see if you can spot civilization anywhere, roads, houses, etc. And if you do, determine what direction it’s in from your present location and then get a moving before the sun goes down.

NIGHT NAVIGATION TIP: Unless you're in the military and on a combat night mission, it's not wise to travel during darkenss. But if you must and you can't see your compass very well, use your flashlight. If your survival kit came with a glow-in-the-dark whistle and a see-thru compasss, you can place the compass on top of the whistle so you can see it at night.

SIGNAL MIRROR : Provided you've got sunlight, all you gotta do is (a) hold the mirror in one hand near your cheek, (b) extend the other arm forward, palm facing and then form a "V" with your index & middle finger, (c) then place the target (a helicopter, airplane, ship, etc) in between these two fingers and (d) reflect the sunlight first onto your arm and then up & down in between the "V" and your rescuers should see it. ANTI-SCRATCH TIP: To protect the mirror from possible scratches so it'll always produce a bright, clear, sun reflection. Place a piece of paper around the mirror and seal it entirely up with tape. Should you ever need to use it, you don't have to worry about the tape sticking to the mirror and distorting it.

SIGNAL WHISTLE : Now I'll bet some of you think you know how to use a whistle, right? And I'll bet some of you think it's a worthless piece of S#*!. Don't ya? Well did you know a whistle can be heard a lot further than a scream? And no matter how many times you blow into whistle you can't wear it out? And did you know three (3) short bursts means someone needs help? And that it can be used to scare away wild vicious animals too? I'll bet you didn't know this, did ya?

MAGNESIUM & FLINT FIRE ROD: Yep, as I mentioned before, it’s similar to the Magnesium Fire Bar except it's thinner, lighter and easier to grasp and use. To use just scrape a few shavings from the "magnesium side" into a small pile near your tinder and then vigorously scrape the flint side with the steel striker or your knife and presto - you got FIRE! If it gets wet, dirty or muddy, no problem it'll still produce 1,000s of sparks every singe time. But it's best to try to get in the habit of starting a fire without using the magnesium [shavings] unless you really need to like in bad weather. And the sooner you learn how to do this - the sooner you'll be ready to put this skill to good use should you need a fire for warmth, signaling, cooking or for purifying water. To learn more about Fire Making, click on my __________ page.

TO ORDER MY S.O.S. SURVIVAL KITS: Click here for my Order Form

POSTAL INSURANCE IS OPTIONAL: But no postal insurance – no replacements! But be advised rarely has anyone requested their order to be insured and so far I have only received one complaint. But the choice is yours, NOT MINE!

WORLDWIDE ORDERS WELCOME: But first I need your address and the items you want to order so I can find out the shipping cost. Please don't forget to include your country's zip code too. I do NOT accept credit card orders, ONLY checks, money orders and Paypal, payable in US Dollars or Euros.

WARNING: My products are NOT recommended nor sold to children under the age of 18, therefore anyone who places an order warrants he or she are at least 18 years old or older.

RETURN POLICY: If what you order and receive is NOT what you expected. No problem, provided the kit(s) has not been used, worn and or damaged, you have 30 days to return it back to me via “insured mail” for a full 100% refund including the postal insurance. No postal insurance, no proof of returning it - no refunds.

SHIPPING TIME: Please be patient, don't jump the gun in sending me a nasty email asking "Hey, where the freakin hell is my order?" All orders are usually shipped out within 2-3 days or less after receiving your payment. If you fail to receive your order in less than 4 weeks, it's NOT because I'm sitting on your damn order but because the US Postal Service is taking their sweet time in delivering it to you. Trust me, when you finally do receive your order, check the postmark on the package to see when I mailed it. And if you're one of those impatient individual's who can’t wait, then please don’t bother ordering any of my stuff but instead take your damn business somewhere else! I'm not joking, this is only a part-time business for me - not full time, so please be patient, ok?

SUGGESTIONS? QUESTIONS? Email them to: Survivalnecklace@hotmail.com / Snail-Mail: Army Ranger Rick Tscherne, Unit 31401 Box# 8075, APO, AE 09630

DISCLAIMER: Under no circumstances can I, US Army Ranger Rick F. Tscherne be held liable for any injuries, deaths or property damage due to the use or misuse of my survival kit products. You are hereby officially warned when you purchase my products you use them at YOUR OWN RISK!

LEGAL NOTICE: Be advised I am retired (US military) and I live here in Italy, not in the United States. I do not own any property in the the US, I do not have a bank account in the US, nor do I have a US driver's license anymore. When I chose to retire and live here in Italy all my stateside assets were liquidated, closed out and moved to here in Italy. Everything, including my legal residence was changed to here too but not my US citizenship. All this was done for "security" and "legal" reasons due to I have no plans of ever returing back to the United States other than for short visits and vacations. Arrivederci America!