Survival kits have become popular in many areas of the world for a number of reasons. Ranging from simple packaged essentials to complete survival equipment including a few luxuries, pre-packaged survival kits are a big business. Unfortunately, purchasing pre-packaged survival packs can become very costly and leave you missing a few items you might have valued had you prepared the kit yourself. To avoid this circumstance, let’s take a few moments to review a few basic items that should be included in every survivalist’s kit and a few extras that can go a long way towards making a survival situation more comfortable.
Every survivalist’s gear should include the necessities to ensure that the three essential needs of life (Food, Water and Shelter) can be adequately provided for. The simplest survival kits, such as survival knives, are popular among outdoors enthusiasts because they are lightweight, easy to access and relatively low priced. More complex survival gear packages are readily available for use as roadside emergency gear or disaster preparedness. While the ways and means of providing for food, shelter and water may be different depending upon the style of survival kit chosen, the individual kits almost always feature some means of answering all of these three basic needs.
Many basic survival packages feature rudimentary fishing or hunting equipment, such as hooks and lines or snare traps, to provide a method of obtaining food. More sophisticated kits may also include pre-packaged foods and some even include basic cooking equipment. With a properly chosen kit, survivalists can go through almost any ordeal without missing too many meals.
Another essential for sustaining life is water. Even a basic survival kit should include some method of making water safe to drink. Many lower priced kits include thermal foil sheets that can be used to collect rain water and which also can be used as shelter. More advanced survival kits may include canteens, water purification tablets or filters or even bottled water.
In a survival situation, finding shelter is often a priority. Something as simple as a lean-to constructed from a few sticks and a thermal foil sheet can provide an amazing amount of comfort to an individual who finds themselves suddenly exposed to the elements. Most survivalists packaged kits include the basic for building a shelter as well as hand tools such as a multipurpose knife that can be used for cutting branches and string to assist in building shelter.
To add more comfort to your unexpected stay in the elements, you might choose to add a few little extras to your survival kit. Small things like a few spices to add flavor to food, a radio with batteries or a hand crank, even a favorite candy bar or powdered drink can make an emergency situation a lot more bearable. If you are taking any prescription medications, such as heart medications or insulin, thinking ahead to add these items to your personal survival kit may just save your life.
It is an unpredictable world. Emergency situations can happen at a moments notice. With properly prepared survival kits, you can not only survive, but do so comfortably.