How to make a survival kit
I have often thought about a small survival kit that I could carry in a tobacco tin.
It would be small enough to carry in the pocket of my barbour coat. Although unlikely to be needed in an extreme survival situation it would be very useful if you went out for a long walk.
When I made my first one - it got used within a few days when one of the kids fell over and needed a plaster!
Survival kit candidates
- Cigarette lighter
- 2 large safety pins
- 3 plasters
- Antiseptic wipe
- Small pen knife
- 2 fishing hooks
- Fishing line
- 2 coffee sachets
- Sachet of sugar
- 2 Tea bags
- Cotton wool
- Short pencil
- Three sheets of paper
- Needle and thread
- Small torch (like a mini maglite)
- 2 boiled sweets
- Possibly an emery board
I’m not sure that all of these would fit inside a survival kit. The kit enables you to do a number of useful things.
- Light a fire (the cotton wool could be useful for helping to get the fire going)
- Catch a fish. You can make a pole fishing rod out of a long stick. (Turning over a few stones should help you to find a worm).
- Minor first aid
- Make a cup of tea or coffee (provides that you have access to clean water). You can use the base of the tobacco tin as a cup and possibly a saucepan. You could also find a coke can that could also be used for boiling the water.
wire saw
snare wire
comn domn for carring water
How to make a personal survival kit:
Find a small pocketsize tin or waterproof box and fill it with some of the components below :
Fire:
Small disposable lighter
Windproof waterproof lighter
Flint
Matches
Winproof and Waterproof Matches
Wet Fire Tinder Cubes(burn when wet)
Cotton wool soaked in petrolium jelly(tinder)
Candel
Signalling:
Signal mirror
Light
Cutting:
Small Penknife
Small Locknife
Scalpel Blades
Commando wire saw
Shelter:
Space Blanket
Orange Survival Bag
550 Cord/Parachute Cord NOT PARA CORD !(it rots easily,frays and if you open up 550 cord it has 7 smaller strands inside)
Food and Water:
Purification Tablets
Plastic Bag
Snare Wire
Fishing Kit:various hooks,sinkers,snap shot,weights,and various strengths of line
Navigation:
Compass
Miscellanious:
Pencil
Waterproof paper
Duct Tape
The purpose of a survival kit is for you too survive until rescue arrives and nothing else.If you look at other websites you will see survival kits that are huge,this is a bad idea theres no point being stranded in the woods with your survival kit in the car brcause it was too big or too heavy to carry.
What you put in your kit is up to you this contents list is only a guide,remeber its up too you.If you are not very good at firelighting you might use the space for extra firelighters rather than a pencil.
Another thing don`t put componenets in just for the sake of it, don`t put a sewing kit in if you dont know how to sew.
Lastley choose carefully you might be tempted to coose a vial of windproof matches because they are cheaper than a windproof waterproof lighter and look nice!,BUT choose the matches and you can light 25 fires,chosse the lighter you could light 150 fires +so don`t comprimise!
Lastley choose the type of component that is best for you a good example is the flints better quality ones are bigger and take up less space but poorer quality ones are tiny.It depends on your level of skill and room in your kit which one you pick.
George Sawkins 13
magnesium striker or flint and steel striker
comdom (can hold up to 1 leater of water)
plastic bag and tin foil
Little container of rubbing alchol
a whilstle
a coumpas
water purifying tablets
A small pocket knife is probably usless, the best knife I can think of for this kit is the Swiss Army Knapsack, it has; lock blade, good saw, toothpick, tweesers, can opener, screw diver, cork screw etc. - but it should be in your pocket anyway.
Those wire saws don’t work very well, although they cut cow horns off good.
What is the emery board for?
I would drop most of the first aid stuff, we can cure infection, but hypothermia would kill you sooner. So add one of those big orange garbadge bags - acts as a rain suit and/or a shelter
If I was packing this much stuff, I would pack a bannock mix in a bag; flour, b.p.and salt, just add water and wrap around a stick to make bread.
I am making my next survival kit around a Cold Steel hollow handle Bushman Knife, check it out.
A good kit should fit in a small rucksakand should have this stuff=.a bowl, cork and needle=fill the bowl with water, float the cork in it then balance the needle on the cork;the pointy end of the needle should point to north.a mirror=the sun will reflect off the mirror and someone will find you if you are lost.a binbag=for a shelter roof or rain mak.poket first aid kit=in case you get hurt.mini calogas stove=for cooking.mini metal saucepan/bowl=to cook/boil stuff in.penknife=you know what thats for.hot choc satchets=for hot chocolate.tins of food+can opener=food.cutlery.blanket.string=to tie stuff up with.a cooking spit
more stuff is on my website=www.sofsite.webs.com
I also carry a pack of “Jellybabies” (a soft chewable sweet sold in the UK) which I have been very grateful for to give the energy boost needed to get out of trouble (three times now) after misjudging distance/wind/tide when paddling at sea in bad weather.