A Survival Kit You Can Live With

I am a fan of making your own survival kit. This is the essence of self-reliance as you know exactly what’s going into the kit, how it works, and that will be tailored to fit you. Life insurance at its best!

You will want to carry enough gear to take care of the “Big 5″ survival priorities of: Shelter, Water, Fire, Medical, and Signaling. For a guideline, here’s what I carry:

Shelter
~ Your first shelter is your clothing so dress appropriately (i.e. avoid 100% cotton and use poly/cotton BDUs, fleece or wool shirts, Underarmor, etc…)
~ Green or brown tarp (6′x8′ from Home Depot)

Water
~ Potable Aqua Iodine
~ 2 to 6 quarts depending on the time of year; 5-20 gallons in the vehicle
~ 2 packets per day of Vitalyte or GU20 electrolyte replacement powder

Firemaking
~ Spark rod
~ Bic lighter
~ REI StormProof Matches
~ Cottonballs smeared with Vaseline stored in a film canister. Use a teaspoon of Vaseline per cottonball to create an excellent wet-weather firestarter.

Signaling
~ 2″x3″ glass signal mirror
~ Whistle
~ Cellphone

First-Aid
~ Adventure Medical Kit augmented with Fast-Melt Benadryl, Ibuprofen, and GU20 electrolyte powder.

Miscellaneous Items
~ LED Headlamp
~ 30′ of 550 cord
~ Swedish Mora Knife (fixed blade)
~ Swiss Army Knife
~ Jerky/Trailmix

Remember to check the weather in the morning during the rainy season, leave a travel plan, and carry your survival gear at all times.