Here’s a list for a basic survival kit that you can build on your own. The biggest problem is what to carry it in, you want something small that can hold water. That brings up a key point, make sure your survival kit is not to big or you won’t carry it with you. The smaller and lighter it is the higher the probability that you will take it with you.
Big and heavy survival kits get left at home. Another key point is that as your survival skills grow your survival kit shrinks, the more you know the less you need or the more you can improvise.
Now, the key to a good survival kit is that you always have an “heir and a spare“. The saying comes from the old days when a king would always try and have two sons, so that if one died in battle or from disease, he would still have an heir to the throne. What that means to us is to always have a back-up for every item, for example, more than one way to light a fire (i.e. matches and a flint).
I’ve included the survival use with each item.
Well, here’s the basic survival kit list:
- Heat & Attitude = Flint and steel + fire-starter / Lighter + candle
- Rescue = Whistle / Signal mirror
- Food = Fish hooks and line / Snare wire
- Location = Map / Compass
- Light = Photon light / Light stick
- Cutting = Small Knife / Flexible saw
- Weather Protection = Survival bag or blanket / Poncho
- Shelter/1st Aid = Parachute cord / Duct tape (on pencil)
- Food = Hard candy / Power Bar
- Storage = Condom (for water) / Survival gear case
- Water = Water purification tablets / Filter Straw
- It beats pine needles = Toilet paper or paper towels in a zip-lock bag
The last one is pure convenience, but its lightweight and doesn’t take up much space, besides you can always use it for fire starter.
Also, a good choice for the food is something you don’t like (the nastiest food bar you can find), otherwise people have a tendency to snack on it when those outdoor munchies hit and then when you really need it its not there. One trick is to wrap the food bar in duct tape so it’s harder to get to and then you won’t eat it out of convenience, but in a survival situation you’ll cut that baby out.
Finally, another reminder to KEEP IT SMALL, if the kit is to big you won’t take it with you.
I’m a complete funloving and sporting person likes to travel and prefer going for adventerous trips….But at times it get so much messed up because I carry more than what is required….While surfing net I came across this site and reading this post got some very important and good suggestion which I shall keep in mind whenever I go for travelling.
Thanks both of you.
I just spent 13 days in the desert with my backpack & pistol.
Do you know where Golden Spike National Historic Site is?
Look it up on a map in google, then look for Park valley Utah
which is Northwest from Golden Spike.I started in Corrine,
Right next to the Golden Spike National Site. I want to tell you
What I had & what I did. First I want to tell you why. Golden
Spike is where the Eastern Railroad & the Western Railroad met
& the first coast to coast transit was formed.
Anyway, why I spent 13 days in the Desert is I have property
at Dove Creek, which is west of Park Valley & has the same kind
of terrain & I wanted to see if I could survive if I had to.
Water was tough, it only rained once & I filled everything I
could, I scooped up muddy water & let the dirt settle to the
bottom.
I had one of those 2 dollar ponchos in my pack & it became my
water catcher & it worked great.
I have a couple of those filter straws that filter the water
as you drink. I recommend them, they are easy to carry & take
up little space. They are made by Aquamira. Google for the
best price
I ate MRE’s, apples, beef jerky & took Lifecaps for 13 days.
The Lifecaps are awesome, all natural, keep your blood sugar
level, vitamins & Minerals even Iodine. Since they are all
natural they are absorbed by your body within 20 minutes.
You can live on water & Lifecaps. They take up very little
room, you can carry 3 months worth in one small pocket of
your Pack.
Lifecaps.net You can get 33% off right now using my coupon
code… Healthcap
I did have some Protein bars also.
Next time, I will fill my pack with protein bars, Lifecaps &
the rest with water. (as far as food goes) My first aid kit
& the rest of my gear would still be there.
I never had to start a fire. The days were so hot that the
cool night was a blessing.
It was supposed to be a 10 day trip but without a GPS it was
difficult for me to always be heading in the right direction.
I thought I was heading more West Than North & on day 8 I
saw the Freeway #30. I was tempted to hitch a ride but did’nt
I back tracked & went West & Northwest.
I do not know what I would have done without that day of rain
& the Lifecaps. I would take fiber pills twice a day, it gives
you a full feeling.
Water… If it was not for the rain, I do not know what I
would have done. Two days I acted as if I had no water with me
& tried to find water, crush roots & grass. If it would not
have rained, I would have run out of water & it would have
been really hard, I need to learn how to find water better.
I hope this helps. I really learned a lot & I will be better
prepared next year. I am going to do a 7 day in October, which
will be cooler & possibly snow. I will tell you about it.