Essential Survival Gear Blog

My Top Ten Essential Survival Gear Items

1. Map and Compass

Getting lost in the wilderness can be exhilarating– but remaining lost causes panic, disorientation and often lead to disaster.

A map can be of great help in decision-making; not only in planning your trip but also in providing possible escape routes should the unexpected occur. Knowing where you are on a map, you will often be able to easily discern obstacles such as steep terrain, cliffs, or swamps that you should avoid. If you do become lost, a map can help you figure out just where you are and provide information on where you should go to extricate yourself.

A detail map can help you orientate and get you back on track, but if you do not have a map, a compass can tell you where north is no matter where you stand on Earth.  What an unbelievably neat and amazing thing! Imagine that you are in the middle of the ocean, and you are looking all around you in every direction and all you can see is water, and it is overcast so you cannot see the sun… How in the world would you know which way to go unless you had a compass to tell you which way is “up”?

2. Flashlights

If you do need to spend the night outdoors, your source of light can help you rig a shelter, gather fire-making materials, and bed down for the night. A flashlight or headlamp can be used, as an excellent signaling device at night, for the light can be visible for many miles. Without a light source, it is very easy to injure yourself stumbling around in the darkness.

I prefer the shakable or solar flashlights if I am preparing to survive a long time and not be dependent on getting access to new batteries.

Self Powered Radios are also very helpful in times of emergencies

3. Water and Water Filters

Water is vital for any survival and unfortunately; many people neglect to bring enough water with them. You can live without food for many days or even weeks, but you won’t live without an adequate supply of water for very long. Because water is bulky and heavy, on an extended outing you will need to find additional sources of water and a reliable means of making water safe to drink.

The problem is, no water is to be trusted and you can only carry so much water. A gallon of water weighs eight pounds and when you are active that is about the amount you will need every day. So on an extended outing, planned or not, you are going to need a local source of water.  Always have a way to treat water to make it safe to drink.

There are a number of inexpensive water treatment filters that easily fit in your pack. You can also use chemical means to treat water or boil it. If you plan to stay in one area for an extended time, consider using the solar disinfection method to make large volumes of water safe to drink.

4. Extra Food

Anyone heading out on a hike without extra food is asking for trouble. Without food you quickly run into trouble. Hiking zaps your energy.  Bring fuel food – you’ll burn off those extra carbs before they have time to nest on your thighs or gut. If space is a problem, pack a simple trail mix full of nuts and fruit – there’s no need to buy expensive pre-packaged foods when you can make your own cheaply at home.

5. Extra clothing

The clothing you are wearing may become wet from rain, snow, sweat, or falling into water your extra clothing should include waterproof jacket and pants. Rain gear can double for wind protection and as a ground cloth to keep dampness from penetrating your resting place.

Extra clothing can serve a variety of purposes. Insect protection, protection from poisonous plants, thorns and shrubs, the sun and wind. Extra clothing can be used for tourniquets, bandages, sacks and pillows. Extra socks can double as mittens.

Extra clothing can be used as a poor mans sleeping bag of sorts. If you must spend the night outdoors, rig a shelter and put on all of your clothing. You can even stuff your extra clothing with dry leaves, grass, milkweed or cattail fluff, or any other lofty material that can be used as insulation.

Avoid cotton, which easily becomes waterlogged and next to useless. Wool is an excellent choice as it remains warm even when wet. There are a variety of modern synthetic materials that are easy to dry and wick away moisture.

Summer or winter, one article of clothing I never leave home without is a warm wool hat. Pound for pound a wool hat is the warmest piece of clothing you can have. Up to 30 percent of the heat your body loses is through your head, so a good hat will go far in keeping you warm. If you find yourself having to spend a night outdoors, wearing your wool hat will go far in helping you sleep warm and comfortable.

6. Making A Shelter Supplies

Always bring an emergency shelter. A 5ft by 7ft waterproof tarp or space blanket can be used to construct a serviceable emergency shelter. The shelter should provide protection against rain, cold, heat, sun or snow.  Sticks, leaves, branches, and other plant materials can be used to extend the insulation of your shelter and help you survive in hot or cold climates. Build a debris hut and you can survive in nearly any environment.

Always bring at least 25 feet of cord. 50 feet of cord is better. Good parachute cord can be obtained at your local Army Navy surplus store. 550 Para cord can be used in a variety of useful purposes including construction of an emergency shelter, climbing, tying objects together, splinting broken bones, building a raft, snaring small game, and even constructing a bridge across a small stream.

I also recommend bringing several feet of thin wire and several yards of all-purpose duct tape. Duct tape is an excellent means of making field repairs to ripped clothing and is useful in a myriad of ways. Wire can be used to make a variety of repairs, prongs and hooks for fish and frog spearing, or the snaring of small game• Rope or Cording. Twenty-five feet is a good suggestion for how much to have on hand.

7. First Aid Supplies

Always bring a first aid kit, nothing fancy.  Your first aid kit should contain the means to treat the usual array of cuts and burns, punctures, splinters, and blisters. In some areas you may need to treat snakebites or allergic reactions.  Bring any prescription medication with you and warn others that you are taking meds in case you are in a situation where you cannot speak.

A larger group first aid kit should provide the means to treat broken limbs and digits, heart conditions, hypothermia and other location specific injuries.

8. Survival Knife or Multi Tool

Great for slicing through bandages, branches or cutting your sandwich in two. A good multi tool should have all the things you need from pliers to a small saw to a screwdriver to fix your sunglasses in case they break on the trail.

Always bring a knife or multipurpose tool. Good survival knife is an extremely versatile tool and can be used to make other tools. Useful in the building of shelters, making fires, repairing clothing, performing surgery, making weapons and defending yourself.

A multipurpose tool is even better. A built in pair of pliers can be used for a variety of tasks. A can opener can come in very handy.

You’ll typically find survival knifes that have clips points, are double edged, and some even have saw backs on the top to help cut small branches and twigs for starting fires.

9. Fire Starter Supplies

Always bring a means to build a fire. Knowing how to build a fire is a fundamental survival skill. Waterproof matches, lighter, and some kind of tinder are a minimum. A Fire Steel is an excellent lightweight and waterproof backup and much safer bet than a standard lighter that might become water logged or lose fluid.

Fire is usefully for preventing hypothermia, drying out clothes, making water safe to drink, keeping animals at bay, and for signaling. A good fire will keep you warm in all weather conditions and keep up your morale. You can also use fire to cook food and boil water to destroy pathogens and make it safe to drink.  Antler Fire Starter

10. Survival Guide Book

Since you may not have use of a computer to get information on survival in the wilderness, it may be a good idea to have a physical book just in case.

Besides the Holy Bible, my favorite is SAS Survival Handbook, by John Wiseman

Here is a sample on what’s inside.

How to make traps and weapons and how to prepare the prey are some of the topics that are covered.

• Finding and preparing food and what you need to keep going.

• Learn about wild edible plants, animals and insects – plus animal tracks and techniques for hunting, trapping, fishing and handling the kill.

• Gives you knowledge on how to organize your camp, construct the appropriate shelter and create tools. You will find descriptions of many different types of shelters, from arctic to tropical conditions.

• Learn different fire-lighting methods, and how to build a good cooking fire.

• You will learn how to make maps and compasses, plus other ways of direction finding.

• First aid priorities, natural medicine and treatment procedures for tropical and other diseases, cold climate hazards and dangerous or poisonous creatures. If no professional medical help is available, this can be lifesaving knowledge.

• Meaningful illustrations are important to help you understand the text and it makes the book a lot easier to read.

Click Here, For Books That easily fit in your backpack

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