How to make a backcountry survival kit

If you spend your free time in the wilderness hunting, fishing, backpacking or skiing, you know that if something goes wrong, help is often many miles away. You also know that accidents do happen and people do get lost. Prepare for the unexpected while you enjoy nature by carrying a well-stocked back country survival kit. The components of this survival kit will help you procure the essentials for survival: water, fire and shelter. It will also help provide some comfort and motivation for getting out alive.

Things You'll Need

  • 10 water purification tablets
  • 2 non-lubricated condoms
  • Space blanket
  • Heavy-duty 55-gallon trash bag
  • Small butane lighter
  • 20 wooden strike-anywhere matches
  • 10 cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly or store-bought fire starters
  • Bandanna
  • Mini led pinch light
  • Single edge razor blade
  • Emergency whistle
  • Button compass
  • Small signal mirror
  • 100 feet of dental floss
  • 6 feet of duct tape wrapped around a 1/4 inch wooden dowel
  • 50 feet of 550 para cord
  • Extra batteries for GPS, flashlight and pinch light
  • 10 aspirin or other pain reliever
  • 6 anti-diarrhea tablets
  • 4 large adhesive bandages
  • 4 alcohol prep pads
  • 2 4 inch by 4 inch gauze pads
  • 4 single-use packages antibiotic ointment
  • Tube of lip balm
  • Photo of loved ones
  • Selection of small and medium-size zip-top bags
  • One large zip-top freezer bag
  • 5 heavy rubber bands
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the space blanket and trash bag (which serves as a sleeping bag) into a zip-top bag. This is the shelter group.

    • 2

      Place the butane lighter, matches and cotton balls or firestarter into a zip-top bag. This is the fire group.

    • 3

      Place the aspirin or pain reliever, anti-diarrhea tablets, adhesive bandages, alcohol prep pads, gauze pads, antibiotic ointment and lip balm into a zip-top bag. This is the first aid group.

    • 4

      Place the bandanna, pinch light, razor blade, whistle, compass, mirror, dental floss, duct tape, para cord, batteries and photo into a zip-top bag. This is the miscellaneous group.

    • 5

      Put the five small bags into the large freezer bag. Wrap the kit tightly and secure with the rubber bands.