What to Put in a Survival Pack

Survival packs are designed to help people stay alive if they become trapped, injured or lost without a way to seek out assistance immediately. From being able to light a fire, to catching food to even building a temporary shelter, survival kit essentials include items that might prove crucial in a dangerous situation.

  1. Staying Warm

    • No matter how well you know how to catch a fish with your bare hands or how to get water out of a cactus, none of it will help you if you're not able to stay warm. No survival kit is complete without the ability to create fire, an essential element since mankind began climbing up the evolutionary ladder.
      Field and Stream magazine suggests having a steel striker with a Mini-Match magnesium fire starter in your kit as well as several wind and water proof matches with a striker. Tinder-Quik fire tabs, available at most outdoors stores, are essential as well as they will light even when wet.
      While a fire will keep you warm and provide light, it may also help to have an emergency blanket with you. They fold up and easily fit inside a pocket or strap to the outside of an Altoids can. They are thin, but are built to keep in body heat.

    Eating and Drinking

    • Drinking water is the most important thing when considering how to increase your survival ability. Pack a water bag, which can be made of any type of bag that can hold liquid, and 20 water purification tablets. Mark the bag with a line indicating one quart, which is how much water a single tab will purify. Also consider packing a water purifying straw, which is available for under $10 at Cheaper Than Dirt's web page, listed in the Resources section below. They are good for purifying up to 20 gallons of water and filters out 99 percent of the pathogens in water.
      When it comes to eating, your best bet is to have braided fishing line, wrapped around a bobbin, and a container with hooks and sinkers. You'll find plenty of bait under rocks and downed logs.

    The Knife

    • Don't leave home without a sturdy knife, preferably one that is capable of chopping. M4040's web page on building a survival kit even suggests a small machete to chop branches and small trees for firewood and shelter, as well as for protection and for killing prey. At the very least, have a sharpened knife capable of cutting through branches.

    Other Essentials

    • Pack a loud whistle, a signaling mirror and, of course, a compass. If you have room in your kit, consider medical supplies such as antibacterial ointment and some bandages, in case of an injury. An antidiarrheal is also suggested.
      Of course, the amount you can carry in your kit depends on how big you want it to be. Ideally, a survival kit has other items such as nylon or parachute cord, a small tarp, a cooking tin, a LED light and a multipurpose tool such as a Leatherman.