Disasters never come announced, so it is better to be safe than sorry. Putting together your first survival kit is one of the first proactive measures you can take to face these dangers.
However, different scenarios call for different tools, and all of this may confuse you. Therefore, we have compiled a list of things crucial to your survival kit.
1. The Basic Tools
One of the factors to keep in mind while making your survival kit is to make sure it is compact. In other words, only take the necessary items and use items with multiple uses.
You cannot take your entire toolbox during an emergency, but you can make do with a few appliances.
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In such a case, multi-tools will be your best friend since they have multiple uses compiled in one tool. You will soon realize how much your life depends on this small fellow when its multiple uses are revealed.
Besides cutting and hunting, it can also help with digging, self-defense, and more. Some other tools you may take are cords, pliers, a wrench, a magnifying glass, etc.
2. Navigation
As this survival kit is prepared for anything, it will not only get you through possible natural disasters but also will aid you in situations where you may have lost your way.
We cannot always rely on Google Maps in scenarios where our phone battery may have died; therefore, a manual navigation system is essential. Remember to include an up-to-date map of your area or the area you are headed to in your kit.
Along with the map, a compass will also come in handy to help find your way through the map.
3. Lighting
A light source is one of the primary items needed in any survival kit, whether it is from fire or a flashlight. They can be used to get through dark places, can be used in an SOS signal, and can also be used to make a fire.
If your light source is going to depend on a flashlight, make sure that they are durable and that you take back up batteries.
Using the best flashlights you can get your hands on is important because you never know how long you might be stuck without light.
4. Nutrition
Food is one of the most difficult parts to decide on while building a survival pack because you have to choose food which is filling, has good nutrition value, and has a long shelf life.
Furthermore, depending on the circumstances, the food also may have to be high in calories. Canned food items are a good option to go for due to their long shelf life.
Moreover, protein snacks such as candy bars and granola bars will also come to use because of their nutritional value and their portability.
However, taking these items in abundance will take up a lot of your space and, on top of that, might not last you a long time in the long run. It will benefit you to also learn how to gather ingredients and cook with tight resources.
5. Water Purification System
Staying hydrated during an emergency is very important. There are more chances of malnutrition, dehydration, or illnesses developed from improper water filtering weakening us before any other natural disaster can. As such, keeping a couple of liters of water in your kit is vital.
On the other hand, you cannot carry months’ worth of supply of water. It is simply impractical. Luckily, thanks to technology, we have a variety of portable water purification systems available in the market.
These innovative water purification methods range from water purification tablets to mini water filter systems.
6. Tools to Create a Fire
Fire is not one of man’s greatest discoveries without proper reason. Having resources to create a fire is important for many reasons. As mentioned previously, you might be stuck in situations where you need to know how to cook for which you will need a fire.
Therefore, you need proper tools, and you need to know how to start a fire in the wild.
Furthermore, they can also be used in SOS signals, as a defense mechanism, as a source of heat, and so on. One of the first things you will need are matches and a lighter.
However, you will also need to know how to make a fire from limited resources as well, in preparation for a worst-case scenario. For this, you will need emergency tinder and a magnifying glass.
7. First Aid Kit
You also need to be prepared for injuries during emergencies. Even minor injuries can become life-threatening if it gets infected.
A. First Aid
In order to disinfect such wounds, you should include rubbing alcohol or antiseptic wipes. Then, to protect the wound from dust and germs, you should also keep gauze and band-aids.
To deal with more complex wounds, you may need other tools such as tweezers, scissors, and so on.
B. Medication
Even after wounds are dressed, sometimes they still end up getting infected. In other cases, you might contract diseases from water conditions, bites from insects, and other situations.
Therefore, keeping some basic medication such as painkillers and antibiotics on you will help you in these situations. If you have any special conditions such as diabetes, stock up on medicines for those as well.
Final Thoughts
Items in a survival kit should not be only restricted to these items; you can also add other things such as a portable fire extinguisher, pet food, etc. They can be customized depending on the person you are preparing it for and the disaster-situations you want to prioritize to prepare for.
All in all, preparing for life-threatening situations may seem absurd, but you never know when disasters may hit. With these basic items and a handful of survival skills, you are now ready to take on the world, no matter the dangers it may throw at you.
William Halford | September 27, 2019
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Since you discussed multiple use items, which helps to save space and weight,rather than alcohol for wounds, how about a bottle of hand sanitizer? It can be used on wounds, and also on the hands where they cannot bee washed. to help prevent illness.
Paul Shultz | February 12, 2020
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I have been backpacking my whole life and just in the past 5 years started preparing for shtf. I read a lot of articles about the subject. I have not seen anything new that will help If you bug out you can only take so much with you before you run out of gas. How many guns can you carry. I feel three is enough, handgun, shotgun and long gun. The three can be carried and if you get the same caliber for handgun and long gun less weight. I could go on and on about each section but I think you understand where I am coming from. Reality check that most of us will not survival the initial shtf situation.