Survival Kit Basics

Most of the articles you'll read on survival kits remind you of the 3 essentials of any kit - shelter, water, and fire. In building my kits, I've drawn on these recommendations and others to expand the categories I use to organize my kits. These would be a good starting point to begin thinking about your kit.

Shelter - Being exposed to the elements can quickly chill you to the bone or overheat you in very little time. Being caught in a rainstorm or high winds can worsen the problem. Certain situations, like being stranded in your car or home come with their own shelter. Sometimes though even the integrity of your home can be compromised, such as losing part of your roof in a hurricane or having a tree branch flung through your window during a windstorm. Being prepared to provide shelter can buy you time to make other plans and keep you protected until help arrives or the danger passes.

Water - A person can't survive more than 72 hours without water under normal circumstances. Under more stressful situations, such as heavy exertion, hot weather, or with an injury, your water needs go up. In some situations, it is prudent to carry water with you. If not, you need to be able to collect and purify it if necessary.

Food - Food is less important than water in survival situations. As a matter of fact, since you use water when you digest food, you shouldn't eat unless you have water to drink. Nevertheless, some food can provide you with needed calories to get yourself to safety or stay warm. Food can also provide a big psychological lift in troubled times.

Warmth/Clothing - This category is often combined with shelter, but I like to think of it differently so I remember to pack an extra set of clothes. A space blanket can be considered shelter or a layer of warmth. I put hand warmers in this category, but I save fire making items for its own category.

Light/Fire - In a survival situation, you need to be able to see what you are doing at night, so flashlights, lanterns, glowsticks, etc. can be vital. A campfire or candle can also serve this purpose, but it can do so much more. Fire can keep you warm. It can keep unwanted wildlife away. It can signal your position to rescuers. It can warm or cook your food as well as purify suspicious water. It can also provide a psychological lift to keep you going when the world seems dark.

First Aid - In a disaster, you may not be able to seek medical care immediately and therefore have to deal with minor injuries and ailments on your own. A first aid kit should be a part of any survival kit. It can range from a few bandaids to a full kit for an extended time away from medical care. Preventing problems with good hygiene and good health maintenance before a disaster are also important.

Signaling - If you are ever stranded away from home, you want to be prepared to signal for rescue. That can mean lifting your hood and hanging a red bandana from a window to signalling to overhead planes with mirrors and smoky signal fires. In town, I try to always have my cell phone with me, but I want to be able to charge my battery if it runs low. You may also need to signal to rescuers on the ground without wearing out your voice which makes a whistle a handy addition to a portable pack. I've even included an airhorn to signal from the basement if we ever get stuck down there. Two-way radios may be a good choice depending on your circumstances and environment.

Diversion/Comfort - It is important to remain calm and keep your spirits up in survival situations. Sometimes that means waiting for an extended period for assistance. This gets even for difficult if you have to keep kids calm and occupied. A deck of cards, some suckers, a coloring book and crayons are all easy to pack and can help pass the time if needed

Money/Barter - If you have to leave your home suddenly, you may not be able to run to the bank, or an ATM may not be accessible in a winter sotrm. In the event of a region al weather problem, the power may be out and you may not have access to cash. Keeping some on hand in bills and change seems smart. In a region wide disaster, barter items such as toilet paper, soap, pocket knives, small bottle of liquor, or even some of your stored supplies (canned goods, bottled water, etc.) IF you have extra may be more valuable in trade than money.

Hygiene - While not an immediate need, good hygiene can keep you from getting sick at a time when you are already stresses. Stress can weaken the immune system, making you more vulnerable to disease. You need to be prepared to clean your hands frequently, as this is the easiest path for germs to hitch a ride into your body as you interact with a chaotic environment after a disaster. You'll need to provide toilet facilities if you are stuck in your basement during a tornado or in your "shelter in place" or if you are away from home. If you are going to be away from home for an extended period of time, you may need to occasionally clean the rest of your body to prevent fungal rashes and to make you more tolerable to your companions.

Special Needs - If you have infants or toddlers in your group, you'll need diapers (in the right sizes), baby wipes, and baby food/formula set aside. You can't count on breast milk during times of stress or if the mother is injured. Menstruating women should have a ready supply of pads or tampons available. Anyone on prescription medicine or with special medical needs will need to be taken into account. Medicines have a fixed expiration date and should be rotated out with a fresh supply before they expire.

Personal Safety - In disaster situations, your safety may also be compromised by distraught individuals who were unprepared or otherwise ready to hurt you to steal from you or otherwise. Weapons to defend yourself are a double edged sword. They can deter or stop these individuals, but they can also be a source of injury for you and your party as well as be desirable theft items themselves. providing security can include everything from door jams to pepper spray to firearms. The choice here is an individual one and will depend on your training, skill, and comfort level.

Tools/Misc - Anything else useful goes into this category. What goes here will depend on where and how you intend to use it. In you car you need a set of jumper cables, but at home you need a tool to shut off the gas if the gas line has been compromised. You can't say to many good things about a good knife and multi-tool.

In future posts, I'll detail the contents of the kits I've put together - including why I've chosen some things and left others out. I have supplies I always carry, a small personal survival kit, a car kit, a 72-hour bug-out bag, a shelter-in-place home kit, and supplies for an extended stay outdoors.