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Making a survival kit, part one
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A pocket-sized homemade survival kit
Few things inspire more debate than the contents of a survival kit. Everyone seems to have one item or theory they hold superior to all others and they’re convinced that anyone who doesn’t agree is doomed to a very grim fate. So take any suggested survival kit with a grain of salt (including this one).
You’ve probably seen plenty of prefab survival kits on outdoor-store shelves. You know the ones: bouillon cube, tea bag, and fishing line, all packed in the handle of a knife (or other unreasonably small container). They’re great candidates for the Backyard Test: take one into your backyard and live out of it for a weekend. Then decide if you want to trust your life to it when things are grim.
You may decide, after the Backyard Test, to make your own survival kit with items you personally select and know how to use. Such a kit won’t be the size of a sardine can, but it should be small enough to fit in a pocket and light enough that carrying it is no trouble at all.
Note that a survival kit is not meant to replace the Ten Essential Systems, which you should have in your pack. It’s completely separate, something you’ll break out after your pack with the Ten Essential Systems slips down a gully, or floats down a stream, or… You get the idea. In an ideal survival situation (if there is such a thing) the Ten Essential Systems are saving your bacon like they’re supposed to and the survival kit is just gravy: extra matches, extra shiny blanket, extra duct tape.
Buy extras to practice with
Your kit, however you come by it, may not be perfect but it’s better than nothing. You can greatly increase the potential utility of whatever kit you’ve got by practicing with whatever components it contains (so buy extras, and if you go with a store-bought kit buy two and sacrifice one to training). If you have to use the kit for real you’ll probably be pulling it out on one of the worst days of your life, when you’re cold, confused, hungry, and/or hurt. This is not an environment conducive to learning.
Okay, on to the kit itself. The Rule of Threes is a good way to narrow down what should be in your survival kit.
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A survival kit has basic first-aid supplies
The first rule is: Three minutes without oxygen. Strictly speaking a pocket-sized survival kit doesn’t have room for a whole lot in the first-aid department: maybe some Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment packets, and a couple of gauze pads. Any major trauma will have to be addressed through other means, whether by tying your t-shirt around that arterial bleed or splinting your leg with a sturdy branch and shoelaces. I strongly recommend taking at least a basic first-aid course so you understand the fundamentals.
You should have a few yards of duct tape in your survival kit, and it also has a first-aid application. It’s not sterile of course, but will hold a gauze pad in place and in a pinch you can close wounds with it. It’s also great for blister prevention.
Next: Part two, shelter and firestarting
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