Emergency survival kit...Help!

D

drjones

Joined
Sep 6, 2000
Messages
913
Hi. I want to put together an emergency survival kit. I want ideas on what I should put in it. I'm using a 2200 Cubic in. backpack, so I've got a fair amount of space. Also, do those "space blankets" work at all? The ones that are a sort of aluminum foil.

Here's a very concise and INCOMPLETE list, just so you get the idea...

bottled water
gas mask/dust mask (WHERE IS A GOOD SOURCE FOR INEXPENSIVE ONES?)
Snack food
knives (Of course! :D)
first aid kit
lighters

...stuff like this. Anything else?

Thanks
drjones
 
IF, if you want to put in a gas mask, get a new one, not surplus. And get something you can get replacement filters for but my theory on gas masks is: By the time you realize you need one, it's too late.

http://www.gasmasks.com

They were one of the premier vendors for gas masks pre-Y2K. All of them are new, direct from the manufacturer. The newest, nicest is the Special Forces Tactical Model which has a lighter, lower profile than the M17-series.

If you want a good dust/fume mask, get one that people use for air-brushing. They're small (just covering your nose and mouth) with several filter options and you can still wear glasses or goggles.

As for knives - LOL - that's a can of worms! Everything else on your list seems readily available.
 
Always Carry Items:

• Benchmade 550 Axis Lock (or substitute) Knife,
• Victorinox Swiss Army Pioneer or Soldier knife,
• Cricket Electronic or BIC butane lighter,
• Identification with emergency contact info,
• Cash, ATM Card, and Phone card,
• Photon* flashlight and Traser Glowring on a keychain,
• Hatch Resister gloves, bandana, mini 1st Aid Kit ,and Gargoyles eye
protection,

• Mini Emergency Kit - Mission - 24 to 48 hour exposure resistance, all climates, low initial risk situation. Kit contains:

01. 3M Antibacterial Bandages (3)
02. J&J Butterfly Bandages (2)
03. PDI Alcohol Prep (1)
04. Zee Antibiotic Ointment (1)
05. Fresnel Lens / Magnifier
06. Mini-BIC Lighter
07. Sparklite
08. BSA Hot Spark Ferrocerium Rod
09. Striker / Hacksaw
10. TinderQuik (5)
11. Cortland Braided Dacron Cord (17’ Orange 135lb test)
12. Brass 24ga. Wire (3’)
13. Potable Aqua Tabs (20)
14. Trojan Unlubricated Condom
15. Button Compass
16. Phone Card (60 min.)
17. US Quarter Dollar
18. Post-It Notes (10 - 1.5"x2")
19. ACR Whistle
20. Surveyor’s Tape (10’ Orange)
21. Signal Mirror (1" round)
22. Victorinox SwissCard Knife
23. Knife Sharpener (1/8"x2" Ceramic Rod)
24. Sewing Kit (USGI Desert Storm surplus - 3 needles, 3
pins, OD thread, 2 buttons, needle threader)
25. Awl Needles (4)
26. Waxed Dental Floss (10yds)
27. CR2032 Battery (1)
28. Electric Tape (36”)
29. Handcuff Key
30. Personal Medicines (Ibuprofen x 2 / Zantac x 2)
31. Nails (4)

The kit can be seen here:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid16/pa5219c27f8002a6059f3d7034e2de095/fdf4123e.jpg

Mike
 
2200 cu inch backpack holds a great deal of equipment, certainly more than adequate for emergency survival kit, in fact, you should also consider making a small one as indicated in excellent previous responses since this can always be "on you." But in bag that big you should easily be capable to cover all the essentials- start with SHELTER and SIGNALLING.
For SHELTER you could hold a sizable tarp in your size bag, 10 ft X 12 ft, also 100 ft of paracord or nylon cord, you could also keep thin sinthytic blanket or wool-sinthetic blend plus silver mylar space bag (bigger than blanket), plastic garbage bags are versatile also since you can cut them to use as lining between you and ground. Also if it is big enough it may suffice as "emergency sleeping bag."
You should also keep FIRESTARTER, ferro/magnuseum rod and scraper at minimum with your preferred tinder. Also waterproof matches, lighter, etc., it doesn't hurt to be repetitive here.
SIGNALLING miinimum should be signal mirror, bright tape or reflective markers, you can include lightsticks also. Good whistle is crucial, you can whistle constantly with little effort but will lose your voice screaming to attract distant ship/airplane/helicopter/searchers attention. Obviously if you can afford $/space you can include electronic transmitting device of your choice.
WATER PURIFICATION tablets- potable aqua- but you can fit purifier in, as well.
I believe a good pot or two is crucial as well, plus sierra cup, for you cannot easily reproduce its function (and quality of its function) with materials found in nature.
First aid kit should have all the basics.
Food is less important than above, you can survive easy if not so comfortable for a week without food but not without shelter, fire, and water. Also you can have best steak dinner but it will not help plane above or searchers on the ground find you. For efficient carry food you can get "survival bars" hi-calorie with unsaturated fat, protiens, etc., nuts and granola are excellent too, dried fruits, jerky, etc. Of course, also keep items for procuring food, firearm if you are trained, snare wire (not just 10 feet, more like 100 ft brass wire if you can pack it), fishing kit with variety of hooks, lots of monofilament and sinkers, lures are good idea.
This list is not exhustive, also you must tailor to your environment, but this is kinds of thing I keep in my truck kit. Of course, a good manual (like John Wiseman SAS book) is a must for backpack size kit.
Martin
 
Dont forget matches in a water tight container. Carry 2 containers on your bodie, a third and larger one in your pack.
 
Thanks, but wouldn't a lighter be better? Especially an element-proof one? Anyone have a recommendation of a good one?

drjones
 
Yes a lighter is fine but, when it comes to fire starters it is good to be redundant- lighter AND matches AND ferrocerium rod. Unless you are experienced woodsman, firestarting is very difficult "from scratch," add to it rain or other inclement weather and problem is compounded.
Lighters are good but rule of thumb in emergency, if it can go wrong it will go wrong- leaking, small part breaks when dropped, etc-. even "windproof" kind (which are very expensive and bulky) cannot improve upon ferro rod and striker for reliability. It is cheap, small, and only improves with experience.
Martin
 
• Photon* flashlight and Traser Glowring on a keychain,

Sgtmike88:
Where did you get the Traser Glowring? The only site I have seen is from Great Britain and they can't send the glowrings through U.S. Customs anymore. Any info on a source in the U.S. or able to ship here would be greatly appreciated.

Mith.
 
Originally posted by sgtmike88
Always Carry Items:
• Photon* flashlight and Traser Glowring on a keychain
Click to expand...
Allow me to make a recommendation for the Inova micro-LED over the Photon lights, because the Inova is more or less (mostly more) waterproof. I just checked the Photon website and their light is apparently still not built to deal with getting wet, since there is no mention of it on the Photon II specs page. A feature as valuable as water resistance/proofness would certainly get mention if the light had it, given some of the other fluffy filler info they included on the webpage.
http://www.photonlight.com/products/photon_microlight_II.html

The Inova micro-LED light is pretty much the same size & weight as the Photon II and can deal with water. Inovas take 1x 2032 battery (red LED) or 2x 2016 batteries (for other colors). To buy Inova micro-LED lights, check out 1SKS who has pretty decent prices for them and is also a sponsor of BFC here.
http://www.onestopknifeshop.com/store/inova.html

(edited to add) SgtMike, Thank you for listing out the contents of your kit so comprehensively. Your list gives others a good idea of what to include in their kit and/or serves as a good baseline kit for those just starting to organize their kit.
 
The Inova it is indicated in the web link information as "water resistant" which is the same as the Photon. Doug Ritter at www.equipped.org accidentally left a Photon microlight in his pants, which was then washed in the washing machine, it worked afterwards with no problems. Also the Inova in the link does not have constant "on" switch, is there other models with this feature?
Martin
 
Actually, the Inova micro-LED (single LED) lights at 1SKS DO have constant-on switches. I verified that fact with a call to them a couple months ago. But their webpage has incorrect info regarding that feature and has not been updated yet. :( For your own peace of mind, you could call them and insure that the one they send to you does have both momentary and constant-on switches.
1.866-BUY-1SKS - Toll Free Ordering
1.904.880.3322 - Help & Information
 
cover all of your bases and you'll be prepared:

1. Shelter (Tarp, tent, trash bags, machete, axe, rope, saw, etc...)

2. Potable Water (Bottled water-rotate every 3 months, filter, iodine, etc...)

3. Fire (flint, Lighter, matches, tender- at least 3 ways to make fire)

4. Food (MRE's, jar of peanut butter, Gatorade mix, coffee, spices, etc...)

5. Signal/ communication (Phone, radio, mirror, whistle, etc...)

6. Navigation/ direction (map, compass, GPS, altimeter, etc...)

7. medical/ personal needs (prescriptions, spare glasses, feminine hygiene)

Carry enough stuff to see you through 72hrs. of a crisis for each person and tools to improvise indefinately.

I.E.
2 gallons water- short term
water purifier, pot, water containers- long term

Visit these sites:

www.survival.com

www.equipped.org
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top