Whether you’re a bush pilot, a hunter, or simply an outdoors aficionado, you should have a good quality survival kit. When you picture that kit in your mind you undoubtedly envision a first aid kit complete with tourniquet and HALO Seals with a side of knives and fire starters. But there’s more to an all-out survival kit than only those smaller tools – there’s so much more. For example, you’ll do far better in the mean woods if you have a good gun on your side. Make that a lever gun and you’ve definitely attained bush pilot survival status. That’s just what Skinner Sights is after with their new Bush Pilot Survival Kit: survival with a side of badass (am I allowed to say “badass”…I suppose I just did, twice).

The new Skinner Bush Pilot Survival Kit does indeed come complete with a firearm, and not just any firearm, either. The long gun included in this kit is a custom Chiappa .44 Magnum lever-action rifle (personally speaking, I think lever-action rifles are fantastic – try killing a gator with one…or maybe something more likely in the woods, like a bear). This particular customized rifle is a takedown model for the sake of easier storage. Rear sight is the company’s own precision sight with interchangeable apertures while the front sight is fiber optic. It weighs in at 5 1/2 pounds, has a walnut stock, and a 16″ stainless steel octagon barrel. Capacity is 6+1.

From Skinner:

Other kit components: The kit includes a RAT-7 OKC Survival knife with a 7.2-inch carbon steel black powder coated blade and Micarta handle. The BUSH PILOT logo and serial number on the blade matches that of the carbine. The kit also contains Titan storm and water proof matches (in a sturdy capsule), a U.S. Government issue Doan magnesium fire starter, Ration brand heat and cooking stove with Hexamine fuel tablets, tough “polyester film space blanket” tube tent large enough for two adults, Brunton TruArc 3 flat base scouting compass and 50 feet of Mil. Spec. 750 Parachute cord.*

Gun and other components come packed into a 1,000 denier Cordura carry bag with a 500 denier liner and padding in between. MOLLE loops are included for the knife sheath. The bag is closed not with a zipper but with what Skinner describes as a “full-width buckle down closure flap.” The company says there is room left in the bag for other pieces of survival gear in addition to what is included.

MSRP $1,799. According to the Skinner Sights site there is a limited time introductory price of $1,499. The carbine is only available as part of the survival kit. You can see the kit online on the company’s main page at http://www.skinnersights.com/index.html