My three season base pack weight is about 12 pounds, a couple more for winter. Base weight means all but consumables-- food, water, and fuel. My all up for three days is more like 21-22 pounds. There are some ultratralight fanatics who get below a 5 pound base weight, but I'm not even interested in going there. At 5 pounds, a first aid kit is something like a few bandaids and some antibiotic salve. Survival gear is typically a whistle, a mini Bic and an SAK Classic. I just read last week of a guy who carries just a single edge razor blade for a knife.
When going on multi-day trips, your pack full of gear is your survival kit, with water carrier, water treatment, cooking tools, navigation tools, extra clothing and shelter. My PSK is for Murphy's Law scenarios: my gear has been lost or damaged, I'm injured, or lost. My PSK is the minimum that might keep me alive. At the very least, my PSK is a necklace or pocket lanyard with whistle, firesteel, mini-compass, LED microlight, and a mini-multitool or small knife. The next step up includes water bladder/treatment, fishing and snare items, space blanket, garbage bag, wire saw, more fire starting tools, cook pot, more signalling gear, paracord or other small line. The goal is water, fire, food, shelter, navigation, and signalling. First aid is something that I compartmentalize separately-- I carry a 6 oz kit that readily transfers from day hiking to multi-day packs.
For day hiking, I have a hydration pack or a small pack with a water bladder, a PSK in a pouch mounted on a sheath with a knife, a bivy bag and first aid kit. I carry a little exrta food, like a granola bar and candy, and a spare layer of clothing-- a fleece pullover or an insulated vest. A poncho is a good multi-use backup raingear and shelter for those summer day hikes where full rain gear seems too much. If it looks like rain, it's a lightweight rain jacket, and rain pants too for shoulder seasons.
Leaving my trip plans and a deadline with a trusted friend or family member is the first stage of my survival plans. I know if I don't call and check in by a certain time that they will call in the cavalry and I can plan accordingly. That weighs and costs nothing!
A pound of survival gear is a lot--- half that would do. That's shy of a larger knife, which I'm seeing as a personal choice. Moras and SAK's are about 3.5oz. Full size multi-tools start in about 6oz and can double if you want. A thick 4"-ish fixed blade and sheath runs more like 8oz. Saws, hatchets or machetes aren't absolutes for hiking survival gear and can add a lot of weight in a hurry. It's another personal choice.
By personal choice, I mean other than the essentials that all the outdoor oganizations recommend. IMHO, if you go afield without them, you're just asking for trouble:
1. Map
2. Compass
3. Flashlight / Headlamp
4. Extra Food
5. Extra Clothes
6. Sunglasses
7. First-Aid Kit
8. Pocket Knife
9. Waterproof Matches
10. Firestarter
11. Water / Filter / Bottles
12. Whistle
13. Insect Repellents or Clothing
14. Sunburn Preventatives
