Hello all,
I hope that this article helps people with their own survival kits. This kit is carried in my daypack which is used for hiking. I have taken two survival course, one civilian and one military (which was two weeks long) and I have a lot of experience in the back country. I have had things go wrong so the contents of this survival kit is a result of that training and experience.
The goal of this survival kit is to keep me more or less comfortable until I can figure out how to get myself out and back to civilization, or I am rescued. It is important to have a goal so it helps make it easier to build.
Blue Mesh bag, at top of my pack - meaning handy.
- Match safe with matches in it.
- This match safe is waterproof.
- Petzl headlamp
- Very useful when you are late getting out and it leaves the hands free
- I also have two extra batteries in the mesh bag for the Petzl.
- Silva Prospector compass with whistle.
- This compass has been with me for a very long time. I know my watch, and my iPhone have compasses. But in case there is no electricity left I can us it.
- And the whistle is handy for signalling but also for using with keeping bears away. I have tested and confirmed that.
- Fire starter - rod and blade that can be used for fire starting
- Always smart to have two different ways to start fire.
- Coghlan’s Outdoor Notebook
- Small, light, and weather resistant
- Good for emergencies
- or sending messages with someone
- Space Pen
- This pen can write upside down, or in cold, or in warm, and it lasts a long time. Can even write in the rain.
Blue water resistant sack in the bottom of my pack
- Small plastic SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) case.
- Not much bigger than a pack of cards. It contains:
- Compass,
- knife
- striker and rod for fire starting
- fishing line and hooks
- Snare wire
- Twine
- Aluminum foil
- And a paper with 62+ life saving tools and techniques (fire starter helper!)
- Not much bigger than a pack of cards. It contains:
- Three sets of Parachute cord - maybe 25 meters each set
- Used for lean-to
- Used for stretcher
- Used for travois (draggable stretcher)
- Used for brace for broken limbs
- emergency blanket
- silver on both sides kind
- emergency blanket
- Silver on inside
- Red on outside
- Quiet and durable material
- Survival playing cards
- From Trueways Survival
- Tips, and illustrations on each card
- Signalling Mirror
- Small pencil with duc tape around it.
- Duc tape is very handy!
- Cards with Ground - Air emergency code
- From my military days but rescue pilots do know the code
- Long burning candle
- Will keep a snow cave warm
- And good for light as necessary to save batteries
- Aquatabs
- Used to purify water
- Wire saw
- to cut wood
- Match safe
- Waterproof and with matches in it
- Rod and scraper
- To start fires
- Small roll of surveyors tape
- Good to mark a trail
- Good to mark a grave in the back country
That is the list of my stuff. Hope it is helpful.
General Comments
- I use Gaia GPS software on my iPhone for navigation. They have amazing maps to work with the GPS in my phone. I take a fix on my vehicle in case we have trouble getting out. It will, if you enable it, track where you go, and make it very easy to return to your vehicle if you get lost somehow.
- You need to know how to use everything in the kit, even if you are cold and hungry.
- Snare wire is to catch rabbits. They are the best thing to get as you can skin them with teeth and your hands. I have done it - it is true.
- Cars and homes have different requirements so different kits. The kit above is for the back country.
- On longer trips, or trips to places like deserts where water may not be available or in bad shape, I bring a small pump that purifies as it pumps.
If anyone has questions or comments, I look forward to them.
Michael
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