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Survival Kit

Survival Kit

Learning survival techniques would mean that you're giving yourself more options to survive in a given situation or even thrive. So it really helps to learn and prepare for survival situation and emergencies. The first thing to do is to have your own survival kit. The environment is the key to the types of items you will need in your survival kit. How much equipment you put in your kit depends on how you will carry the kit. A kit carried on your body will have to be smaller than one carried in a vehicle. Always layer your survival kit, keeping the most important items on your body. For example, your map and compass should always be on your body. Carry less important items on your vehicle (if you have one). Place bulky items in the rucksack/ backpack. In preparing your survival kit, select items you can use for more than one purpose. If you have two items that will serve the same function, pick the one you can use for another function. Do not duplicate items, as this increases your kit's size and weight.

Survival Tools:

Your survival kit need not be elaborate. You need only functional items that will meet your needs and a case to hold the items. For the case, you might want to use a Band-Aid box, or first aid case, This case should be:

  1. Water repellent or waterproof.
  2. Easy to carry or attach to your body.
  3. Suitable to accept varisized components.
  4. Durable.

In your survival kit, you should have:

  • First aid items.
  • Water purification tablets or drops.
  • Fire starting equipment.
  • Signaling items.
  • Food procurement items.
  • Shelter items.

Some examples of these items are:

  • Lighter, metal match, waterproof matches.
  • Snare wire.
  • Signaling mirror.
  • Wrist compass.
  • Fish and snare line.
  • Fishhooks.
  • Candle.
  • Small hand lens.
  • Oxytetracycline tablets (diarrhea or infection).
  • Water purification tablets.
  • Solar blanket.
  • Surgical blades.
  • Butterfly sutures.
  • Condoms for water storage.
  • Chap Stick.
  • Needle and thread.
  • Knife.

Please note that there are just the very basic items, you should consider adding more tools based on the environment you might be exposed to.

Prior Planning

Detailed prior planning is essential in potential survival situations. Including survival considerations in mission planning will enhance your chances of survival if an emergency occurs. For example, if your job requires that you work in a small, enclosed area that limits what you can carry on your person, plan where you can put your rucksack or your load-bearing equipment. Put it where it will not prevent you from getting out of the area quickly, yet where it is readily accessible.

One important aspect of prior planning is preventive medicine. Ensuring that you have no dental problems and that your immunizations are current will help you avoid potential dental or health problems. A dental problem in a survival situation will reduce your ability to cope with other problems that you face. Failure to keep your shots current may mean your body is not immune to diseases that are prevalent in the area.

Preparing and carrying a survival kit is as important as the considerations mentioned above. For example an aircraft normally have survival kits on board for the type area(s) over which it will fly. There are kits for over-water survival, for hot climate survival, and an aviator survival vest etc..., and therefore you should do the same, this will help you plan and to prepare your own survival kit.

Even the smallest survival kit, if properly prepared, is invaluable when faced with a survival problem. Before making your survival kit, consider the environment you might need to use it in, the basic kit above may help you in many environments and terrains, but if you add more tools to a specific environment then you might have more advantage than carrying only the absolute basics. For example if you might be in a sea environment then an inflatable lifesaving jacket is essential.

If you need a more detailed list, check our Survival Checklist.

Below is a page where you can write down your survival kit check list, anything you write on this notepad will be saved for future visits.

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More information: We hope this page was helpful and provided you with some information about survival kit. Check out our main page for more survival scenarios here Survival Guide, knowledge is light, and knowledge can save your life. Make sure you do your best to know what to do in a survival situation and then hope for the best.

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