Disaster preparation has become big business for a lot of companies, and “all-in-one” survival kits are quite the rage. Many of them are celebrated as the perfect packs for one person to have to survive three days, a week or even longer in an emergency. Unfortunately, a lot of them are not all that great in reality.
The average survival kit includes things like:
- A basic first aid kit
- Generic Swiss-army style knife
- Food bars
- Four ounce packets or boxes of water
- One or more hand warmers
- Emergency poncho and sleeping bag
- Matches
- Survival whistle
- Light stick
- Small flashlight
- Tissues
- Compass
- Basic sanitation items
- Backpack
That’s a good start, for sure. Of course, what passes for a good kit is going to vary depending on your goals. For basic packs however, you always want to make sure you have a change of clothes, more water (most pre-made kits don’t have enough), enough calories to last the amount of time you’re anticipating, medications, extra socks, an extra pair of glasses if you wear them, contact information and important documents and cash. This will get you through if you know where you’re going and you are sure to get there in a limited amount of time.
I always keep a battery and solar and/or crank powered radio handy as well. They’re small, lightweight and can provide important information when you need it most. I’m also a big proponent of having some sort of solar-powered battery as well, if only to charge your phone or other batteries if you’re stuck without power for a while.
If your goal is to make it somewhere quickly but you don’t want to be caught in a bad situation if you get stuck, your number one goal is finding clean water. With a handful of pouches you may run out, so a purifier, whether it’s tablets, a purifying straw, a filter bottle or even a portable non-electric steam distiller, is always an excellent idea. On top of what I would have in a basic kit, I also have fishing line, hooks, waterproof matches and a variety of other small things stuffed into the handle of my survival knife. I also carry a snare and a few other light hunting tools in case I need them. And, since this goal focuses on a little more unpredictability, I upgraded my first aid kit to include sutures, butterfly closures, a snake bite kit, scalpels, scissors, large clotting pads, burn pads, thermometers, safety pins and more. I also threw in a collapsible military mess kit and a hobo tool (which has a spoon, fork and knife in one) and a folding stove and fuel, among other things. For me, this is the basic pack.
If you really want options you might want to upgrade to a good camping pack or alice pack with a frame. With a good compression sack you can get a sleeping bag and water proof bivvy cover in it as well as a machete, ax, perhaps some MREs and any other tools you’d need to camp out anywhere. A bag with outside attachments lets you hang even more stuff; just make sure you pack it in a way so you don’t pull yourself over backwards or harm your back.
As an example, this is most of what is in my most expansive pack:
- Disaster plan with emergency locations, evac routes, maps and waterproof protection.
- First Aid Kit with bandages, gauze, ace bandage, thermometer, sutures, butterfly closures, alcohol pads, surgical scissors, penlight, scalpel, burn pads, itch cream, bug spray, sterile wipes, gloves, finger splint, medical tape, small mirror, floss, dental pick, toothpaste, pain relievers, Benadryl and more.
- Survival book and plant ID guide.
- Mess kit and utensils.
- Canteen with canteen cup and case.
- Toilet paper, wipes, toothbrush, basic sanitation stuff.
- Water purification tablets.
- Water purification filter bottle.
- Water pouches.
- A selection of MREs and calory bars.
- Stainless steel water bottle you can use to boil water.
- At least one change of clothes; extra socks are always good.
- Swiss Army Knife.
- Survival Knife.
- Camp Ax/Shovel (either separately or as a multi tool like the Crovel)
- Machete (if you think you may end up in the woods)
- Small hatchet and folding spade.
- Radio with multiple power options.
- Flashlight and lightsticks.
- Fire starters like waterproof matches, lighters, tinder and magnesium fire starter (make sure you have an all weather option).
- Leatherman multi tool.
- 550 Paracord (enough to climb, trap, wrap, etc).
- Cash, ID, important documents.
- Slingshot (if you know how to use one, they can be handy).
- Weapon/Hunting (if needed and you want to be able to defend yourself; mace, a small handgun, a knife, whatever you are comfortable with). I have a spear that can attach to my pack, a Crovel, and a variety of other things the average person probably doesn’t include.
- Multivitamins and medicines.
- Compass
- Basic fishing gear and snares
- Portable HAM or CB radio for communication (Morse code is always good to know)
- Sleeping bag, tent, tarp, bivvy, something to keep you warm and dry.
- Hand and body warmers.
- Extra batteries.
- Solar powered battery to charge other devices.
- A signal device or two like flares, a whistle and a mirror.
- Duct tape. Everyone should have duct tape, no matter what.
- Candles or other light sources.
- Safety pins and a basic sewing kit.
- Gas mask and some filters.
- Plus other stuff I’ve packed in and forgotten about.
The really important part
I have a basic car pack, an intermediate pack I could live on for four days (more if I do some fishing and basic hunting), and my mega pack that could get me almost anywhere over any amount of time. But no matter who you are or what kind of tools you have, it won’t matter if you don’t have a plan for what to do with your kit. The worst time to plan for an emergency is while it’s happening, so determine the most likely situations you may face, your goals should they happen, and how to best achieve your goals. Keep your pack handy in a place that makes sense for your location and situation. Keeping it in the attic if you live in tornado alley is not the best plan, for instance. No amount of preparation will matter if you can’t access your supplies or get them where you need to be.
Other quick thoughts
When possible, always keep your car gassed up. If you have to leave suddenly you don’t want to break down in two miles when the nearest gas station has lost power. When making your getaway kit, consider what you’d need to leave out if your car was not an option. If you’re still having trouble deciding what you need, keep track of everything you use and do for a few days. This can be eye opening and can help you determine what you’d least like to live without.
If you enjoy preparing, you might also like our MRE articles: Military vs Civilian MREs and How to Get Them and Choosing The Right Civilian MRE. Be aware of costs: do price comparisons to make sure you’re getting the most for your money. BePrepared.com has some good starter kits and more medical options than some other sites.
