SURVIVAL KITS

Survival kits can make the difference between hardship and adventure.
Learn what to put into your survival kits.


So, who needs survival kits anyway?  With today’s emphasis on health and fitness, more people are taking to the outdoors to find fun and entertaining ways to get and stay physically fit.  As advanced as civilization is, people still get lost, stranded, or become involved in some kind of accident and can suddenly find themselves dependent on their own resources for survival.
Survival kits can range in size from very large to quite small.  (You could even turn your fanny packs and carryalls into survival kits.)  Assemble several survival kits and keep them in numerous places such as your home and any recreational vehicle you own, including your bicycle.  The more you know, the less you need, so the best thing is to educate yourself on some basic survival techniques.  A knife is probably all an old wilderness sourdough needs, but most of us need a bit more in our survival kits just to get by. What do we want in our survival kits?  Water, food, shelter and warmth are the issues you will need to address, so your survival kits should give you the means to get them.  For Water:  boiling, purification tablets and filters are viable ways to make it potable.  Food:  some protein or energy bars will sustain you for a few days while you go about obtianing hardier fare.  As for shelter; a cave, lean too, a tent or even a sheet of plastic will do in a pikch.  For warmth we need to be able to get and stay dry and be able to make fire.  Being able to signal for help would be a definite plus.
 
Though the more you know the less you need is very true, the more you have the easier it is, is also true.  A small kit of hand-crank tools in your survival kit could become your very best friend in many situations.

Here are some suggestions as starting points for your survival kits.

     1.  Some first aid supplies.Stuffed survival kit
     2.  At least one good knife.
     3.  A spool of small nylon cordage.
     4.  A small sewing kit.
     5.  A tin cup ( a complete mess kit would be nice.)
     6.  Water purification tablets.
     7.  Water filters.
     8.  Water proof matches AND a new bic lighter.
     9.  A magnifying glass.
    10. A small hand mirror.
    11. A whistle.
    12. A couple pieces of plastic sheeting approximately. 9’x 12’
    13. Space blankets
    14. Toss in some dehydrated foods and some energy bars
           and you will be set for a little while.
    15. 100 Mile An Hour Tape will come in handy for
           most emergency repairs.


All of these things will fit into a small back pack or book bag.  You can add on from here with any extra medications you might need, a dry change of clothes or some extra socks, and don’t forget those two books I mentioned earlier in this article.  Your survival kits can never be too complete and the best tool you can have in any survival situation is your brain, truly the best of survival kits.
 











To Basic Survival Skills home page




___________________