I have always been drawn to the mystique of the miniature survival kit. Imagine that you have been instantly transported to the desertand must Survive with only the equipment you fits in a can of Altoids! Yes it was full well, you can build a shelter with sticks and leaves, start a fire with some raincoats matchesand catch some fish to fry with some hooks and floss! (Don’t ask where the pan will come from.)
In a real survival situation, things can be a bit different. On one hand, probably got into the woods somehow, and thus, there was a time when you packed up your gear. Which means you had some kind of context to pack your gear: an idea of what you might need, how long you might be in the woods if things go wrong, and the types of hazards or problems you might face.
To build the optimal survival kit, you need think about those things: where are you going be, and what are you going to I already have with you? For example, the survival kit guide. in the man-made diy does not include knife. They point out that if you’re the kind of person who packs a survival kit, you probably what’s more the kind of person who doesn’t go into the woods without a knife.
So let’s take a look at survival kits in terms of ten essentials, a traditional guide to packing gear for a hike or camping trip. All these things must be taken into account in some place in your supplies, andSome of these are great candidates for being packed into a mini survival kit.
- Navigation: AA small compass can go in your kit, but remember that it’s much more useful if you have a map to go with it.
- Light: Aheadlamp or flashlight, with extra batteries, is great to have. If you find a flashlight small enough to fit, remember the pros and cons: it probably won’t be very bright and/or it probably won’t have much battery life.
- Solar protection: yesgoggles, hats, and protective clothing won’t fit in the Altoids can. But you can bring a couple of packs of sunscreen.
- First aid: With limited space, stick to the top priority things. A single Band-Aid will not make a difference in your survival. But you may want to include bug repellant wipes, Benadryl or other allergy medicine, and foot care items. in case you need to walk much longer than you planned for.
- Repair of knives and gears: If you don’t carry a knife, some kind of blade help to. For gear repair, consider sewing needles, dental floss (which can be used with needles, but is stronger than regular thread), and a piece of duct tape rolled or folded to make a makeshift patch.
- Fire: A flint and pocket steel are great, or you can include a mini lighter. If you want to go old school, waterproof some matches by dipping them in wax. You can also bring tinder or homemade fire starters such as cotton balls dipped in Vaseline, but in many areas it is easier to make your own tinder from dry leaves or by using a knife to make feather sticks.
- Shelter: You can’t fit a whole tent in there, but a emergency bivouac or the space blanket is small enough to pack alongside.
- bonus foodNote: Nothing that will fit in a can of Altoids will keep you going for long, but if you have spare space, you might as well leave one of the mints.
- extra waterNote: Water won’t fit, but you may want to consider water purification tablets and a heavy-duty ziploc bag to hold the water. (or upgrade to MRE drink bagswhich are designed to hold beverages and are slightly more heat resistant than standard kitchen bags).
- extra clothes: Sorry, I think we ran out of room. (That space blanket might be nice if we’re cold, though.)
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With those needs in mind, here’s what I’d pack if I were making a kit to take on a hike or trail run. and I wanted to prepare myself for the possibility that I might get hurt or lost and need to spend the night there:
- a mini compass, for use with a separately packed map.
- A whistle. It’sIt’s not on the list above, but the places I’m likely to get lost are within earshot of someone who can rescue me. If my ankle is broken and my phone is dead, I’m going to blow three beeps on my whistle and repeat until someone comes along.
- a mini flashlight, the type of keychain. It may not provide much light, but I’d still rather have it than not.
- Sunscreen and insect repellent packetswhich it probably gets a lot of use as I always forget one or the other and don’t realize it until it’s too late.
- Allergy medications. Health.
- a tiny knife or scissors, sewing needlesY floss.
- Maybe a little roll of Scotch tape.
Packed separately:
- A printed or published map of the area.
- A space blanket.
am No including fire supplies, since my goal would be to survive a night in a place that was warm enough to do a happy little day hike in the first place. I will not bring water supplies because I am not likely to miss so much time that water is key to my survival. I’ll already have extra water and snacks as they are part of my regular pack for a hike or trail run. I’ll check the weather and bring appropriate clothing, but it’ll be nice to have the space blanket just in case.
But I am so I. With these considerations in mind, what would be its mini survival kit include?
