Most of us are familiar with the standard bug out bag, but this catchall for 72 hours worth of survival should be considered more of a bigger picture kind of tool while a survival kit is the barebones items you need to survive.
The exact contents of a good survival kit will vary with the environment you plan on using it in, but there are some basics that every good survival kit should have.
Survival Kit Basics
A good survival kit should be three things. First, it should be as portable as possible. This means using the smallest container available to keep it in is a must. We’re not talking about a backpack or small rucksack here, but more like a belt-worn ammo pouch.
Second, it should be waterproof or at least water resistant. You don’t want a heavy rain to ruin your survival supplies.
Third, it should have a few compartments to help keep your kit organized. Multiple compartments also help to keep items safe if a tear or other damage happens to another compartment.
Once you have the basics of the kit itself down, there are four main categories of supplies to keep in it.
1. Basic Contents
There are a few basic supplies to keep in your survival kit and they include:
- Candle
- Lighter, metal match, waterproof matches
- Small hand lens
- Needle and thread
- Knife
The knife here doesn’t need to be a huge survival knife. It can be a small folding knife or a multi tool that includes a sharp knife. Needle and thread should be of a thin gauge to work for both suturing as well as sewing fabric.
2. Signaling
In a survival situation it’s common to want to stay hidden to avoid the many dangers that come from other people, but there are times that you need to signal someone to receive assistance or to communicate without sound. Some signaling supplies include:
- Signaling mirror
- Emergency whistle
- Micro LED light
The LED light can be a keychain-style light, but make sure the batteries are fresh in it and that it’s not the kind that needs unscrewed to replace the batteries. Learning a little Morse code is important with these as well. If you’re not familiar with it, keep a small card with basic words and signals on it.
3. Food and Water Procurement
Two of the most important things to worry about when surviving are food and water. When looking at a survival kit there’s not nearly enough room to keep water and food in it, so you need to keep supplies that will help you procure these in the wild.
- Fishing line
- Fishhooks
- Snare wire
- Water purification tablets
- Condoms for water storage (non-lubricated of course)
While keeping a few condoms in your bag might seem odd, they actually have a lot more uses than what they were intended for. Non-lubricated condoms can be used to transport fairly large quantities of water and collapse smaller than any other water container. You can also use them to cover wounded toes and fingers as a bandage of sorts in an emergency.
4. Safety and Shelter
The last major category has to do with keeping you safe and sheltered. These supplies will help fix you when you’re hurt, keep you from becoming hurt, and give you shelter from the elements.
Compass
- Anti-diarrhea medicine
- Solar blanket
- Razor blades
- Butterfly sutures
- Chap Stick
- First aid items
- Fire starting equipment
- 550 cord
- Poncho
In regard to the health aspects of this section, having a good anti-diarrheal is very important in case you get sick either by water-borne illness or food related issues. While having diarrhea today is terrible, in a survival situation it can kill you by dehydration.
First aid items is a general heading covering basic items like bandages, gauze, tape, etc. Fire starting equipment is also covered at the top but it’s worth mentioning again as a fire can save your life.
For building a shelter you should have a decent length of 550 cord and a poncho. These together can get you out of the rain and allow you to dry out a little.
Wrap-Up
With size a constant concern with a survival kit, you need to make sure you use as many items as possible that have more than one use. A poncho can keep you and your gear dry when walking and can serve as a shelter when you’re not. 550 cord has quite a few uses from sewing a pack up to tying your shelter down. The candle can be used for not only light but the wax can be used in making a fire starter as well.
The more uses an item has, the smaller your kit will be and the more likely it is you’ll have it with you when you need it. While a survival kit should be part of your bug out bag, you should keep the survival kit close to your body and out of the bag. This helps you in the case than one or the other is lost. Keep the most important items close to your body and the less necessary ones farther out. With this in mind you’ll have a good plan for surviving just about anything.