What is in your Emergency/Survival kit add why?

[cnynrat]

I am working on finishing up some "get home bags" that we'll carry in all our vehicles. The biggest risk we face here in SoCal is a major earthquake. Should that happen during working hours, we'd both be about 25 miles from home, and in a bad enough quake may not be able to drive home due to bridges and overpasses being out. So, I'm looking for something that could support a long walk home if need be. These would also be in our vehicles when we're traveling, so they also would serve as our emergency kits when were on the trail. To meet that requirement I'm building each bag to support two of us in case we are together when we need these.

I'm surprised how few of these lists include food items. This is one of the last things I need to do is figure out for our bags. I'd be interested in recommendations for food items for that purpose. My objectives here are to have enough ready to eat calories for two people for 3 days. That can be cold food, but I think I also want to have the ability to prepare some hot liquids in case the weather is cold. Thinking about some instant soup, tea, maybe cocoa for that purpose.

Anyway, here's my list so far:

Water
2 - 1 Qt water bottles, filled (We always have other water available in our vehicles which can be used to supplement this supply depending on the situation)
Steri-pen
Water purification tablets
32 oz Platypus (for collecting additional water when available)
Coffee filters (for pre-filtering water if necessary)

Food/Cooking
Jetboil Zip Cooking System
Spork
Emergency food bars (TBD)
Instant soup (I like Knorr)
Tea

Sleeping/Shelter
Tarp
2 - SOL Thermal Bivy
SOL 2 Person Emergency Blanket

First Aid
Adventure Medical Mountain Weekender
Quick Clot Sport

Utilities
Roll of Duct Tape
Head light + Spare batteries
Flashlight + spare batteries
Candle
Small Axe
Leatherman Tool
Knife
Bug repellant
Waterproof matches
Fire starters
50' Para cord
25' 1" tubular webbing
2 - Locking biners (not really sure why I included these)

Communications
Sharpie
Notepad
2M HT (Yaesu FT250R)

Personal Protection (Requires some special treatment given CA gun laws)
Handgun (My choice is a .38/.357 Revolver for simplicity and dependability)
Ammo

Clothing
Lightweight hiking shoes (anticipating the earthquake while at work scenario, don't want to walk home in dress shoes)
Hat
Hiking Socks
Leather/Work Gloves
A few Trash Bags
A few Ziplock bags (1 Gal)
Fleece
Light water/wind repellant jacket

Hygene/Personal
Chapstick
Hand Sanitizer
Handy Wipes
Camp suds
Pett bags
Small microfiber towel

Navigation
Compass
Map of our local area (if we're traveling, we'd have a map of that area)

 

[K2ZJ]

A plb and only a plb. If I get a flat, help is a push of a button away!

 

[postalWagon]

@ LandCruiserPhil
I was thinking a bic and petrolium jelly cottonballs... the fire starter sticks work too.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

@ LandCruiserPhil
I was thinking a bic and petrolium jelly cottonballs... the fire starter sticks work too.

Yes cotton balls work great but somewhat a waste of space when you normally have pocket lint

For size consider Potassium permanganate and Glycerin can be stored in large pill capsule- Chemical fire starter
Potassium permanganate will double for - water purification and cleaning wounds


For the vehicle Chlorine and brake fluid - reaction is more violent
The chorline will double for water purification also

 

[Andy@AAV]

I carry large garbage bags in place of mylar blanket. My thought is more multi purpose used for staying dry, heat containment, and stronger. I admitt my weakness area is cold climates (living in the desert) but I do know cold kills so I may think too much about staying dry and warm.
Thoughts?

Garbage bags are not a bad idea, I may add one if I can find some that suit me. I don't like the strength of them (usually) and the bulk plus its hard to find them in bright colors other than white. I like the mylar since it reflects heat (build a lean-to out of it with a fire in front and it reflects the heat onto your back side) and it can be used as a signal device. Nothing wrong with staying dry though. Cold and wet is lethal. The desert can get plenty cold. Try 29 Palms at night in February.

I think my idea of survival kit is different than some here. It sounds like a back packing trip instead of survival
I just want a kit compact enough to carry all the time that will get me through. A nice pack full of gear that I left in my truck when I walked up the hill for the perfect view is not going to do me any good when I discover that rock I hit shorted a wire and my truck is now charred wreckage...

 

[bfdiesel]

I carry a sharp knife, a lighter , and knowledge everywhere I go. Airplanes excluded for the knife.

If I am going to be out hunting, expoing, hiking ect. I also take a 1 liter hdpe bottle full of water, a compass, a waterproof container with matches, a roll of Teflon tape, and a roll of electric tape at a minimum. If it will be particularly wet or frozen I also take a fire starting paste of some kind. All but the bottle is carried in my pockets.

Whatever you have in your survival pack make sure you can use it, just reading the instructions may not be enough get it out and practice with it. With items that expire keep track of them and use them for practice when they need replaced. Go through your first aid kit semi annually and check for expired/missing items and always give it a once over before heading out with it.

For cold climates staying dry is critical, but if you are out and dressed properly ie wool or material similar it will buy you time to get a fire and shelter going. NOT cotton or down once wet these do not provide much insulation. Cotton will loose 90% insulation value when wet vs wool only loosing 10%. Also think and plan your fire starting with numb fingers and shaking uncontrollably. Bic lighters are almost useless. A zippo style that you don't have to hold any buttons down for however my still get the job done, but only if it isn't wet. This style can be grasped and rolled along say the palm of your other hand or your leg.

The best thing you can have with you is knowledge of first aid, the area and what you can do if you need to survive.
my $00.02

 

[Joker]

Try 29 Palms at night in February...

No thank you, I jumped in there late Nov in 92 with only my cho liner and light weight poly pro; I froze my butt off that night once we stopped moving.

 

[postalWagon]

I'll pass on any visit to the stumps, especially in the winter .... that's cold ...

 

[Sawyer]

I'd like to carry a lot more, But have learned it will never be enough no matter how much I carry. So, my kit has gotten smaller over the years.

My primary kit is:
Sabercat
Survival Kit - I decided after much debate and research to just buy a prepackaged one. It fits in one of the side pockets and gives me just about everything I could need to survive in the wilderness. Of, course I have taken a few classes over the years... including S.E.R.E. school when I was in the NAVY.
container I carry this in the opposite pocket with some paracord, a prybar, bic lighter, hand sanitizer and lots of extra space
Whistle
Headlamp
a good fixed knife

The majority of my pack is empty and I just add things as the trip may dictate (extra layers, food, etc). I always have a water bottle next to me in the cup holder, so that is my go to bottle if I need to bail and it can clip to the outside of the pack for carrying. If you are allowed to legally conceal carry, it is a great pack to do so with. I keep this pack within arms reach in my truck, I use it when I hunt, and go for day hikes.

My truck has all the normal goodies we take when venturing off the path. However when on everyday trips, It always has a couple of freeze dried backpacking meals, emergency ration drinking water, Wiggy's Poncho Liner

A word of caution on trash bags, they have a lot of great uses. Just be cautious and aware when using in really cold conditions. They can create a lot of condensation on the inside which could increase the chances of hypothermia, frost bite, etc.

Also, training..... you can never have too much!!! Practice with all your tools. See what works for you and what doesn't. Take a good wilderness medicine course ( I am a wilderness EMT). You will learn you can treat yourself and others with a lot less than you think. It is the Macgyver of medicine which makes it real fun.

Would a Spot or PLB be nice to add to this??? Yeah, and one or both may make it in the kit someday. Only time will tell.

Some things I am looking for: Good edible plants book and/or survival guide for Southern California. I just moved here and want to add it to my kit.

 

[Sawyer]

Will do thanks!

check out some of Christopher Nyerges published works.

He's an acknowledged expert at it, numerous books, television show appearances, used to edit "Wilderness Way" magazine and he's a founder of the "DirtTime" website.