Essential items that should be in your survival kit

Making your own survival kit is not a hard thing to do as long as you know where are you going to use it. Do you need a survival kit for your car, your backpack, a week adventure or just a one day hike? All these things should help you get together all the crucial things for your survival in the wild.

Also, you need to think about the resources that might be available in the region you’re visiting. Do an investigation about the area as it will help you decide which items are the most important for you. Here’s a list of basics that your kit should contain.

Matches/Fire-starter

In a survival situation, fire can be a life saver

Waterproof matches, a lighter or whatever kind of fire-starter is a number one essential item that every survival kit should have. Be sure to have a backup option and keep the fire starting materials in waterproof containers or plastic bags. You don’t want to find them soaked in water after a rainy hiking day. Keep your matches dry and light a fire at anytime of the day or night.

Knife

Any tool that has a blade can be a lifesaver in a wilderness survival scenario. A pocket knife, a multi-purpose tool with a knife, or a fixed-blade knife are all good enough to be a part of your kit. You should choose a quality blade, a size that suits you, and try to use it before you leave home. It’s important to feel comfortable with the knife you’re going to use whenever needed.

Compass and maps

Be prepared to go old school on navigation

Be prepared to spend some time without a GPS. Bring a topographical map if you’re off road, and a road map otherwise; or both. For even more security bring a compass, and you’ll never be lost or make circles in the forest without realizing it.

Paracord

Keep 20 feet of 550 paracord in your survival kit. You can use it to make a rope, for fishing, to fix a tarp to a tree, to fix your tent, to carry or hang things, and many other uses. If the size of your survival kit allows, pack some more. Of course, you will need to know a few basic knots to make best use of it.

Flashlight

An LED headlamp leaves your hands free

A head-mounted LED flashlight is the best choice. You will have your hands free all the time while doing a campground activity during the night. Bring an extra set of batteries even though LED flashlights consume little power. In the end, it depends on your personal needs and preferences on what kind of flashlight you’ll choose for yourself.

First Aid Kit

You might think that you’ll never need it, but the fact is that a small first-aid kit is always very welcomed when in a survival situation. If you don’t like to carry around anything too heavy, then a small tin kit that contains the basics is sufficient.

Extra clothing 

A good quality lightweight rain jacket will also protect you from windchill

A knit hat, a rain coat or jacket, sweatshirt, and a pair of gloves are some of the items you should consider having depending on the weather conditions. Hypothermia can become a risk during a cool rain or when the temperatures drop at night, even in summer . Extra layers of clothing are always good to have handy if needed, no matter if it’s cold or hot.

Food

Calorie dense food bars are perfect for a survival kit. They last long, taste good, and will keep you going for days. Also, they are light in weight so you can have plenty of them in your survival kit.

Stainless steel water container

A stainless steel water container is a must have because you can use it to boil water from a suspicious source.

A stainless steel water bottle can be heated on the fire to boil your water

According to this list and your personal needs, try to put together your own survival kit that will accompany you on every trip from now on. Good luck!

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