Lost gear stories? Dummy cords

I could probably write a book on all the gear I've lost. Could call it Dummy Cords.

Lets see. There was the wallet I set down in the phone booth with my Marine Corps Birthday Ball tickets in it, the hearing aids that I took out in a pouring rain that then went through the dry cleaners in a shirt pocket, the watch I set on the paper towel dispenser when I was washing up in a rest stop, keys that just vanished, a bunch of fishing gear that kids dropped off the pier, and almost... my wedding band.

Details. Things can be replaced in normal times, but misplacing things will make you miserable or get you killed in a survival situation.

I've gotten so I retain everything on my body. Tied on with a dummy cord when possible, but at least in a buttoned pocket. Holsters and pouches all pass the summersault test without budging. On the water my glasses and hat have retention cords, and even my paddle has a dog leash retractor cord attached, so it can't get away if I drop it while fighting my way under a tangle of bushes in the creeks I explore. My phones all have stair tread tape on both sides of them to keep them from sliding around.

Even little details while putting on a watch can prevent disaster. I learned this the hard way this week when I dropped my watch on a concrete floor. Two week old crystal now sports a crack along one side. Had I taken a step or two I could've held it over a table and my fumble would have caused no damage. In the field I could crouch and use a leg to prevent dropping it in the mud.

Lessons learned.

Anyone else have lost gear stories?

HD

 

When I was in the Marines EVERYTHING important was dummy corded on me, but I've gotten away from it. Of course, it was easier with those cammie blouses and trousers, to tie the other end of the dummy cord through a button hole. It's worth taking another look though, to see what of my gear I can actually dummy cord; because it saved me many a time in years past.

 

My binos, ride in a pocket in my hunting coat, that was meant for game calls. it has a built in retracting tether attached. i don't use calls much, but my optics matter.

 

My mind wanders frequently to places that were never intended. Tethering it to my brain would be a helpful option.

 

Duct tape.

 

Lithium.

 

I've managed to lose two Kershaw Leek knives over the past decade or so. One right after opening up the hole in the end so it would just fit on a large key ring. I have a wrist lanyard on the one I carry now, and the tug of it on my pocket has alerted me to the fact that it had been knocked loose from its' clipped location on my pocket a couple of times.

I really wanted it attached to me in some more secure fashion, but I had not come up with a solution...yet.

Today I got a new retractable 16' leash for the cats (yes, cats.) and it came with a small nylon leash with a flat ring resembling a washer sewn at either end. Useless on cats, so I thought I'd see if I could use it to retain a knife. With one end looped around my belt, the other ring, which has about a 1/2" inside diameter, slips nicely over the clip on my Kershaw Leek. Since the ring is flat, it locks into the small end of the clip and stays put nicely. The black tether blends with my dark trousers and gets the knife inside the pocket at a level where it isn't visible, but it's still above any change I have to retrieve from the pocket. This was beginning to look promising.

Next hurdle was getting the knife free so I could use it. It is very secure on the end of a 10" tether, but is pretty useless there. The solution is to simply grasp the knife with the pocket clip side toward you and pull outward. The clip opens, washer flips over and the knife slides easily free of the tether. This sounds really complicated, but just pulling the knife out of the pocket and letting it fall to the end of the tether puts it in the perfect position in my left hand to pop it free. (My Leek has had the clip reversed from the way Kershaw produces them. The clip is attached at the point end of the blade for left handed opening.) A bit of practice on the draw and it's smooth and seamless.

I feel a little more relaxed using this retention method since I have lost a couple of these knives in the past.

 

Writing about the Leek gave me a flashback to my time in uniform and my favorite military knife. I still have this one because it was always dummy corded onto the right strap of my load bearing vest or H-harness. With about 30" of paracord wrapped around it and buttoned into a magazine pouch for a M9 magazine. To use this folding knife (Camillus TL-29) I'd just pull it out and drop it, letting it unroll the cord . Then I'd just grab the cord and slide my hand down it until the folded knife was in my hand. I've always kept the screwdriver/wire stripper blade, which has no edge for the last 1/2", closed on top of the lanyard ring. This allowed me to open it one handed by hooking the blunt end of the blade on my gear. This was the perfect blade for cutting a cord, stripping a wire, or opening an MRE packet. The USMC Ka-Bar is a fine blade, but the little TL-29 telephone lineman's knife was my everyday go-to knife.