Two items all kits should have is a small water filter & Lifecaps a pill that will sustain life for months with water. Look for yourself Lifecaps.net coupon code healthcap

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David Bolanos, civil air patrol emergency services ground team member.
1.survival knife (gerber is always good)
2.magnesium bar or “mag-bar”
3.tinder
4.poncho
5.atleast 20ft. of paracord
6.compass
7.water purification tablets
8.fishing line or snare wire
9.fishing hooks with waits and floaters
10.first aid kit essentials

1. Knife
2. Axe/machete
3. Sharpening stone
4. Flint
5. Canteen/waterbottle
6. Metal cup
7. 100ft paracord/rope
8. Tinder bag
9. Flashlight/batteries
10. Tarp
If you realy want to SURVIVE, i would quit messing around with all these toys like cell phones, your likely not going to have service, easily breakable or damaged, snare wire,likely to break, in the most extreme situations you need real tools! not little toys, especialy when your limeted to a 10 piece kit! those useless items add substantial weight with verry little capability. 20 feet of paracord? are you serious!!?!?!? 20 feet might last you 3 days, and thats if your smart! iodine tablets are good but they run out! bic lighter and matches break, are useless if they get wet, and eventualy run out, flint takes ALOT longer to run out, is very durable and wont break, and can be utilized in very damp wet and cold conditions! provited a tinder bag and clear headed thinking youve got yourself a fire! but i can NOT stress enough as to how vitaly important (infact, the most important)tool in survival is your… BRAIN! when you dont panic and you calm yourself down and control yourself, you alow clear headed thinking. that alows you to prioritize and asses your situation, and more importantly it gives you the WILL to actualy SURVIVE!!!!!!!! even without a survival kit!

im a 16 year old high schooler
1. buck knife
2. 30ft climbing robe.
3. lighter or waterproof matches.
4.compas
5.survival blanket
6.metal cup
7. 22 rifle w/ ammunition
8. tarp
9. needle and thread
10.led flashlight (lightweight)

In the U.S. Army
1. knife
2. fire starter
3. canteen
4. canteen cup
5. compass
6. 550 cord (50-100ft)
7. flashlight
8. signal mirror
9. local map
10.contractor bag

and Nick, even 30ft of climbing rope will be bulky and heavy. in a survival situation you will most likely not find much use for 30 feet. try downsizing to a smaller gage rope with filler cords you can pull out if needed.

When it comes to what to pack and carry in a compact, pocket survival kit, the “gear junkie” needs to research and do his homework a bit more indepth. Doug Ritters so call survival kit lacks some of the most important basic survival items like a knife, light, and water purification tablets and container. It’s obvious all of these other comment contributors here know more what to carry and pack than the gear junkie. Could it be the gear junkie took a bribe to “hype up” Doug Ritter survival kit? Maybe, maybe not. But I’ll bet he doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to post this comment here nor to contact me as to why he hasn’t kept his word to test out and do a review on my SOS Survival Kits that he stated he would after I forwarded him two separate samples of my kits. Care to challenge me and or to reply back? Bet you won’t. Yours truly, Army Ranger Rick Tscherne – US Army, Retired 1972-93

1.Fixed Blade Knife w/serrated edge
2.Survival Blanket
3.Small Compass
4.Fishing line, weights & Hooks
5.Steel water reservoir
6.Sea2Summit Tarp Poncho
7.Flint
8.50 ft para cord
9.Fox 40 Whistle
10. UCO 9hr Candle

17 year old high schooler
1.AK-47 plus five mags
2..38SPL with extra ammo
3. A knife
4.fire starter
5.Tarp
6.Blanket
7.Canned food
8.Water
9.Pancho
10.Large backpack to carry your stuff.

16 year old high schooler
1. good knife
2. water container with water in it
3. Paracord( as much as you want to carry)
4. Tarp
5. flint and steel
6. your best friend or your dog
7. Fishing stuff
8.Whistle
9.Machete
10. Something to put #‘s 1-5 &7-9 in.

heres what I would Bring
1. leatherman(multitool)
2.snare string
3.magneisium fire starter
4.1 person tent
5.bow
6. arrows
7.hatchet
8.coat
9.pork and beans
10.rubber knee boots

This is a really great list, good work!

It’s NIIIIICCCCEEEEE!!

Yes a Brain,but also knowing how to layer clothing and properly using your equipment is the key to survival. Shelter,water,fire and food

1)knife set
2)guns like rifel and pistol air or co2 guns so you do not get fined and ammo plus co2
3)cloths
4)blanket
5)mp3 player or cd for time passer’s
6)friends without them youl go nuts belive me
7)shovel for fox holes
8)gun rest stick extendable for hiking and holding things up
9)journal to record things
10)boots

1)Hunting Knife
2)Matches with water-proof bag
3)First-aid kit
4)Flare gun (with extra flares)
5)Flint
6)Foldable shovel
7) metal cup
8)water-proof blanket
9)compass
10)wire or something that can keep thing tied

for bare essentials, all you need is a good knife, smarts, and water. No one brings a ak-47 on a casual hiking trip…

I got lost in a state park with my friends for 2 days and we survived freezing temperatures (barely) with knives, warm clothes, and a little hope

This is a list of the minimal amount of gear i carry when i go for a hike no matter who i,m with or where I’m going. these are Items i wish i had at one time or the other. From the bottom up NOTE EVERY THING IN MY BAG IS IN A ZIP-LOCK BAG ::camelback bladder- tarp 9×13ft- Head &face beanie,Gloves- food(3packs of oat meal, bag of dried rice, 3 packs of Metrex)- poncho, survival blanket,first aidkit(needle*thread,aspen,gauze pads,bandage,bandaids, antiseptic,water tablets cottonwrap,wire splint,salt,neosporin, magnifying glass,small pocket mirror,fishing line, thin wire15ft 100ft,3hooks,lighter,paracord 150ft,binoculars,small flashlight, extra batteries,magnesium stick,small tinder poach )*A NEEDLE CAN BE USED AS A COMPASS RUB THE NEEDLE IN YOUR HAIR TO GIVE IT A MAGNETIC CHARGE PLACE THE NEEDLE ON A SMALL LEAF OR ANYTHING THAT WILL MAKE THE NEEDLE FLOAT IN A CUP OF WATER OR ANYTHING THAT WILL HOLD WATER THE MAGNETIC CHARGE WILL ACT LIKE A COMPASS AND GIVE SPIN AND GIVE YOU NORTH & SOUTH),blank white peace of paper & pencil 5candles)-climbing rope 2 carabiners- OUT SIDE POCKETS- trash bags- hatchet- army shovel- large flashlight- 2 or 3 durable knives- small .22 ruger in side holster that is the equipment i carry with me at all time when i go hiking it sounds like a lot but it is a lot of small light items you can bundle together in a zip-lock my pack weights about 25 – 30 pounds that is not that much this pack will last me as long as it take for help to find me or for me to gather food and water. lots of methods for making water

Survival kit, schermival kit…
If you don’t have it on you ALL THE TIME, it doesn’t count. The thing about critical/survival scenarios is that they’re unexpected.
There are many good ideas here, but how much of this stuff do you carry every day?
Another idea would be to go on a three day “trial run” with your kit. See how it works while you have the luxury of failure.
My $.02.

Some good ideas. I have always found that a Hiking staff was a good tool. It is great for poking and stability while walking. It also makes a great make shift tent pole. I have a six foot para cord with two clips on it. one for a belt loop and one for my staff. that way I never leave it leaning on a tree.

McDonald’s drive-thru associate
Head set with battery pack
Spatula
Extra Ketchup packets
Clearasil
Ability to Super-Size it
Fries

i am in middle school and i have came up with beter stuf then that like a sat phone and a reverse osmosis water purifier

1 Good Knife
2 Space Blanket
3 Flint w/ striker (knife can be used but just incase)
4 Canteen w/Cup
5 Pad of paper and a pen, Can be used in multiple ways, Passing time, some inks are flammable, paper is also great if it is not wet.
7. Rope, I’m not going to go on how much but not less that 30FT.
8. Multi tool sort of knife. (Things with all those jazzy features)
9. Pill pack, contains essential vitamins, Aspirin, pain kills, also life pills.
10. Cell phone or Personal Locater or GPS (if you leave the serial number. They can track it, like they did for a stolen car)

How can there be a typical survival kit anyway??… It all depends where you are going and what you are going to find.
When you pack for your adventure, you identify the possible threats of your journey. Surviving in the desert surely does not require the same kit as surviving in the jungle or on a mountain!
So if you are more likely to have a plane crash in the jungle that in the desert, you will pack a different kit!
I don’t even understand why that discussion arises all the time. It’s down to personal preference but, most of all, on the location you’re going to explore.

8thgrader.

1. Water purifier
2. All weather blanket(Not one of those flimsy “space blankets” ;) )
3. Hatchet
4. shovel
5. first aid kit
6. flint+striker
7. swiss army knife
8. bow and quiver of arrows
9. a bag of wire, string, fishing line, etc.
10. (Haha. having trouble coming up with more)um… (funny coming) a herd of rabbits!(i dunt think they are herds tho…)

(oh and this isnt really what y’all are talking about this is what i would want if i was going to be deserted on an island.. or maybe in the wildness forest.)

knife
maches
torch
tarp
mirror
compass
map

A survival pack should be based entirely on the area you are going, and the nature of a trip. Depending on where you are going, adapt the kit appropriately.

At a bare minimum:
1- a good knife. Needs to be a strong, durable design- I use a Buck lock-knife with a non-serrated blade- easier to sharpen.
2- Swedish fire steel. Lasts for months, can be used in all conditions, and will never fail you if you learn to use it correctly.
3- whistle. A must of a survival pack is a means to attract the attention of a rescuer. This could be a whistle, or a signal mirror, or a set of flares if you’re feeling confident that they will be kept bone-dry.
4- A good water bottle. I use a Sigg bottle as they are nigh-on indestructible. Water’s vital, and you need a good container.
5- Good clothing. By ensuring you are well-dressed for the environment you are in, you not only increase your chances of survival considerably, if you’re dressed appropriately you will be more capable of avoiding a survival situation. Hypothermia, sun-stroke, sprained ankles and blisters can all be prevented by choosing the right gear to start with.

These are the bare essentials- the kit can also contain as much or as little extra as you feel is necessary, AND YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY USE. There’s no point packing fishing hooks and lines if you haven’t the faintest clue how to use them. Kits can contain any number of extras though-
thread, needles, dextrose tablets, water purification tablets, tarps, para cord, compass… the list goes on.
Pack it all in a sealed, water tight container, and you’ve got yourself a survival kit.

For those posting AKs, rifles, bows, and other such firearms… unless you can perform a complete field-service on the gun to keep it operating, are licensed (and capable) to carry it, and can ACCURATELY and SAFELY fire it, there is no point. Guns are heavy, ammunition is finite, legality is a big issue, and bows require a high level of skill. They’re a great luxury to have, but to most of us they are just that- a luxury.

How long it takes for you to die: 3 hours to exposure, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food

Shelter:
1. Tent, covered hammock, bivy bag, or poncho
2. Appropriate clothing, including rain gear if in wet area

Fire:
3. Swedish FireSteel, BlastMatch Fire Starter, or other similar ferrocerium fire starter

Water:
4. Canteen – if you use a steel container it will make your life easier when it comes to boiling your water
5. Metal Cup
6. Access to water—
-Forest area with lakes/streams: no additional item required
-Desert area with little-to-no water: large plastic sheet to form a condensation trap.
-Ocean coast: 3’ length of copper tubing + lid for metal cup. You need to desalinate your water and the simplest way to do that is to make your very own little still.
-High alpine area: No additional item required
-Jungle area: No additional item required

Food:
7. Emergency rations x7 – lightweight and compact, waterproof wrapper, eat 1 per day for full nutrition or 1 every 3 days to prolong starvation

Utility:
8. Large fixed-blade knife of good quality
9. 100’ of paracord

Rescue:
10. SPOT Tracker, PLB, EPIRB, or equivalent. Push the HELP! button and rescue is on the way to your exact location (give or take 4 feet) :-p — Or a waterproof/ruggedized cell phone if you KNOW 100% that you will have service.

All of these items can be bought fairly cheaply (Except #10) and they all fit with room to spare in a standard size school backpack.

1. 18 yr old high school cheerleader
2. manufactured home
3. endless supply of food
4. endless supply of potable water
5. 65 inch tv
6. DirecTV
7. electricity
8. air conditioning
9. nice comfortable chair
10. alcohol

1.)good knife my bowie combo has a 10” blade and for finer work a 3 1/2” knife.
2.)my strike force artificial flint with an extra compartment for tinder like fine steel wool or commercial tinder.
3.) an all weather blanket that isn’t the mylar but it’s more of a tarp.
4.) a giant folgers can for boiling water. and possibly a container.
5.) as much paracord as you can carry I can not stress this enough.
6.) a copy of the s.a.s. survival handbook.
7.) a quail call and hawk call because if you have ever blasted the hawk call at a rabbit they tend to f-r-e-e-z-e in place- thank you don rearic.
8.)a map and compass of the area.
9.)a g.p.s. tracking device.
10.)my savage arms mark 2 .22 caliber rifle with a federal pack of ammo.

1.pocket knife
2.axe/machete
3.water proof matches/magnesium rod
4. mess kit (cateen,cup utensils plates
5. first aid kit
6. tarp
7. poweful rifle for big and small game with plenty of ammo
and sleeping bag

ER technician… avid survivalist/fastpacker

1. A large thick high carbon steel knife.  -(used  with a thick piece of hardwood branch or rock, pound the back edge of the knife and use like an awl. theres no need for a hatchet)

2. clear plastic tarp. -can be fashioned into a shelter, wrapped around your body to trap in heat and stay warm, PLUS a small square can be cut to use for a solar still.

3. A magnesium fire starter -good fire starters are essential to body energy conservation in a physically extreme survival situation. Less work = more energy stored for travel, hunting, building,etc…though they can be made from surrounding material;bow string/stick fire starters consume waaay to much energy.

4. metal container.- pot, cup, canteen, pop can…whatever just make it fire proof for boiling water. (Water tablets and micro filters don’t last forever. heat yeilds the endless supply)

5. 50-100 ft. of Para cord-(This cord is high strength in a little package, and can be stripped down to tiny strings to fish, sew, lash, snare, and sooo much more).

6. small fish hooks -If you buy the right kind you can even straiten one out to sew with if need be.

7. thick guage sewing needle

8. head covering. -(hat, bandana, snow hat etc… 75% of body heat is lost through your head. More if you have bald or crew cut hair.

9. S.A.S survival manual

10. Some sort of back pack, ruck sack, or bag to carry your gear and findings while on the move.

Alternate #10. A calm head and the will to stay alive.

All of this is built around the assumption that you were able to prepare for your situation. Remember though that you can’t think in terms of each item, but instead what each item does. Glass or aluminum can be substitute for a knife,… any concave metal can hold water to boil,….. fabric can be torn into strips and braided into cord,…… necessity is the mother of invention. keep calm, be creative, keep a constant tab on your surrounding elements, and dont ever stop working (hard) at catering the necessities to stay alive. Food, Water, Shelter, and Warmth, and perhaps protection depending the situation.

I agree that there is no survival kit that will be perfect for every situation, but here’s my best list:
1. Hydration pack or backpack with a few, or at least one metal water bottle. (If you count that as two items, then sorry, I cheated.)
2. Water filter or water purification tabs
3. Emergency Blanket
4. Fire Starter
5. Basic First Aid Kit
6. Tarp
7. Extra Layer; I’d take fleece
8. Energy Bars
9. Headlamp with good batteries
10. Leatherman

And assuming I could take more than 10 items (whether that is realistic or not is clearly debatable), I would also take: freshly charged phone, GPS or map/compass, cordage, mirror, whistle, hooks and line. I’m sure there’s something I’m forgetting, but then again, that’s reality.

I also believe that some of the best things you can take are things that cannot be packed. Things like the will to survive and the ability to think clearly and make good decisions under pressure and stress. Any “Oh Crap” situation can easily be made worse. I think the best thing to “pack” is the ability/skill to be smart.

Backpacker, Hiker, Hunter, Angler and Survivor. USMC survival training.

1.Knife
2.Firesteel (spark is hotter than any match or lighter and works when wet)
3.Backpack(or bag)
4.Aluminum Canteen(can boil water)
5.Paracord
6.Emergency Blanket
7.Any Fishing gear
8.SOG Tomohawk (Hatchet, Throwing Tomohawk, digging pick and hammer in one)
9.Rifle with ammo or bow with arows
10.Proper Clothing

Most people die in the wild from shame. Do not think about what you could have done, think about how your going to live another day.

I have a wife and 4 kids. If something ever happened, and I was in a SURVIVAL situation, I keep several back packs weight of less than 40 lbs, and with room for expansion. (to carry found food) Each pack is placed in a designated area. one in each vehicle, and a primary in the house. my primary weighs in at 35lbs it contains
1 valor survival bowie with fishing line, weights,hooks,matches,compass,sharpener.
1 large bowie as backup so I can have my wife carry if needed.
1 small plier multitool with tweezers and such
3 small led waterproof flashlights
20ft parachord
half gallon ziplock with 4ft of heavyduty foil,3 heavy duty trash bags, sunscreen,crystal light packs(flavoring,and each packet contains 100%dv of vitC) small container of my special seasoning for any game I might find. small containers carrying tea, coffee, sugar cubes, some pasta,a deck of cards, 2 whistles(one for me and one for wifee)dental floss,2 lighters wrapped in cellophane,cheap sunglasses,buillion cubes,10peices of candy, small mirror, a survival compass(has compass,whistle,3in measure,and magnifier that can be used for fire.) 3 packs of ramen, some no perishable MRE,S and various other small items. I also have a small flat cast iron frying pan in there strategically placed to prevent from being shot in the back. every container can be used for cooking or boiling water. all can be spit among 2 people, for dual survival, but still be carried by a fit person for a considerable distance.
but the most vital thing i keep in each of my packs is 2 bottles of water, and a small plastic bottle of rum and triplesec. lol!!
But literally the most integral part of survival is knowledge, and understanding of yourself. Keep yourself calm, and any other person or people you might have with you. Know how to survive by being awar of your surroundings. Keep eye out for ANY caloric and hydration opportunity. Find out fast if you need to travel to find help, or set up a base camp. If you keep your wits you will survive. Even naked a human has more tools than most animals in nature. We are survivors, urviving is a mind game. And only those that tune into that old million year old cave man attitude will survive.