Ultimate Survival Kit: What would you take?

A knife, a fire making kit and my scooby doo pajamas. I mean, if the SHTF and theres crazy people running around....who shoots a guy in scooby doo pajamas?!?!

Originally posted by badshotbones
A knife, a fire making kit and my scooby doo pajamas. I mean, if the SHTF and theres crazy people running around....who shoots a guy in scooby doo pajamas?!?!

i like your thinking.... [was to improve: find a onesy you know the kind with the footies]

reply to post by knowonder


There are definitely ways to hide a garden and make it blend in with it's surroundings. Regardless, the title of the thread was "Ultimate Survival Kit: What would you take?" and my answer was seeds. You wanted to know why, I told you.

You can take whatever you want, and I can take whatever I want, and when/if SHTF, we'll see how far scavenging gets you.

I am worried about the worst that can happen, a sudden disaster that will take out everybody at once.

Buying diving equipment in case we will be surprised by a super tsunami. I live 200 KM from the coast and will hopefully enough time to each my oxygen tank and have a chance of survival.

The oxygen tank will also be of value when for some reason the atmosphere will lose its oxygen. Hopefully it will restore in 30 minutes or so.....

A chemical suit and proffesional gass-mask.

I am still thinkimg about ways to protect myself against a super solar flare. The scientist compare the experiance like sitting in a microwave!!!!
Anybody know how to protect oneself against such a monster?

reply to post by growlikecrazy


look sorry if i sounded defensive or aggressive i was only stating my opinion. i agree a garden would be nice to have but IMHO i feel like anything that ties your down is a hazard at least at first. It takes months for a garden to grow if it does at all... until then you will have to scavenge as well... i dont wanna turn this into an argument just a discussion please.

I think that the best way to figure out what you will need, is for you to get out and go camping.
You could use no tent, or a tent, even a camper if that is what you have already, and that is how you plan on surviving. Take a long weekend or a week if you are able and go out and try it. Do not go to the store or buy anything while your there.
Take what you think you need and while your there make a list for things you would like, forgot or things you could use while you camping...do this while your out there camping. See if you can make do without some things to lighten the load.
I just got back from camping for 10 days in the mountains and I have modified my gear list this morning.
Everyone is needing and wanting different things for survival, and everyone has a different value for items needed for survival...do what works for you...because you are the only one that can know what works best for YOU.
After you do this and get finished with the experiance, see what you needed and then multiply it by how long you wish to survive or to be able to be gone...Now you have a basic idea of what you need for a real true survival situation...there will always be something you could use, need or forgot...no matter how well you prepair...survival is being able to get by without it and using you head for something other than a hat rack.

reply to post by saltdog


I really like this idea... I am planning a camping trip later this summer... i think i will make it as minimalistic as possible.

reply to post by rajaten


Listen, you don't need a fancy filter, that charcoal they use in fish filters? That's the stuff. Charcoal is nature's water filter, some of that and maybe some cheese cloth, heck throw some clean sand on top of the charcoal, that's it. If you ever seen Bear Gryllis drink from a dirty water source in the wild you would throw all those fancy filters out! I've seen him dig a hole about 1 foot away from the dirty water source, waited for the water to seep into his hole, then drink it. But, yeah I would just have some charcoal, that's clean mind you. on hand for water filtration.





edit for sp.

[edit on 30-6-2010 by Springheel Jack]

reply to post by knowonder


Hi knowonder--Sorry, I shouldn't have gotten defensive either. I agree that gardens can tie you down, that's why I would do my best to plant stuff that is pretty self-sufficient and pretty much wild so it blends in well. I will do this in many different spots in maybe a 5 square mile area so that I can always keep on the move and never be in one spot too long. If someone were to come across one of my gardens and steal from me, it would be okay cuz I'd have plenty of other little gardens all around.

reply to post by growlikecrazy


Hey np. that is better then what I consider a garden... almost makes it mobile.

reply to post by knowonder


I think a problem many people have (not pin-pointing anyone, just people in general) is that they tend to think inside the box about outside the box situations.

Gardening for example: When SHTF, no one is going to be able to garden and grow food like they do now. But, as long as you have the skills and the "know how", hopefully you'll be able to adapt to whatever situation you get thrown into.

Being mobile and never staying in one spot for too long is going to be so vital to survival. But, with that comes food, shelter, and water issues. If you're always moving, how do you know where your next meal is coming from, where to access fresh water, and how to shelter yourself from the weather?

What I do to prepare for unpredictable circumstances is think of the worse case scenario possible and try to come up with as many ways to cope as I can. One of those ways is bound to work. I try not to get stuck with one idea, one proposed solution, etc.

With gardening, for example, maybe I won't be able to--maybe I'll have to forage. So, I am learning what is safe to eat and what isn't. Maybe I'll have to steal from others, so I'm learning self defense and weaponry. You get what I'm saying, I'm sure!

Regardless, doesn't matter how prepared I am, the best thing I can do to prepare is know that I'll never be fully prepared

I am young and haven't had much experience but I am smart and quick on my feet.

The basics are water and shelter I suppose and depending on where you live you might want to stay where you are or get away from everyone. Both have their advantages and I personally would go out on my own. For me this keeps me on my toes and always thinking about the next move and if it will benefit me. If someone was with me I would have to think if it was best for them as well. I am a natural leader so that wouldn't be a problem but I am also very independent and would have better chance of surviving without having to watch other peoples back, it just depends who is around me and who of those people I feel I have to save.

For water I would buy a pack of condoms (they hold up to 2 liters of water and can also be used to waterproof things).
Shelter isn't a problem if you are staying put but if you are trekking out then you need equipment to build a shelter.
I recommend:
1.a larger knife and sharpener
2.a multi-tool of choice (good quality)
3.strong rope of some sort (at least 6 meters/18 ft)
4.small amount of lightweight material (parachute material)
5.strong string but thinner than you little finger (about 10 meters/30 ft)
6.a shovel of something that you can dig with like a Spatula
7.this might sound weird but i thought of taking a stainless steel knife, fork and spoon like these ( the fork can be used for traps and what you can imagine, the spoon can be used to dig and they can be used as eating utensils so you don't feel like a total barbarian)

For my first aid kit:
1.painkillers
2.antihistamine
3.a lot of multivitamins
4.bandages and band-aids
5.alcohol or iodine
6.alcohol swabs or cotton balls
7.small bottle of listerine

Food isn't the biggest problem, you can survive without food for a while so you don't need to take too much with you, I suggest:
chocolate-preferably dark, not white (good source of energy and keeps your moral up)
dried fruits
sunflower seeds
and some vegetables

For your meat you can hunt it so I suggest you read up on some trap manuals and other survival guides.

I research alot but I always carry my Collins Gem SAS Survival Guide, it is easy to understand and gives you all the basics to survive in the wild in a range of climates and conditions all over the world.

For some in-depth and advanced reading I suggest the manuals from the link on this page.

(this is my first post)

I recommend a good book on mushroom identification, with lots of photos. I have a great old Carl Zeiss microscope that’s great for spore identification and many other medical and health related uses. Its Bulky, but very useful.

Large rat traps and peanut butter, for squirrel and mushroom soup.

All I'd need is my trusty cosmetics kit.

I could use it in all situations. For food and shelter, I'd glop it all over and seduce me a man who brought all that crap mentioned in the above posts. If zombies were to attack, I'd apply zombie make up and act like a zombie. If needed, I could make myself look like a corpse as to avoid sudden death by an attacker. If it's an alien invasion, I paint my skin grey and/or green.

Originally posted by growlikecrazy

Gardening for example: When SHTF, no one is going to be able to garden and grow food like they do now.

I don't understand that statement. There are a thousand ways to garden. There are about 20 million gardeners in the United States alone. But you feel comfortable saying that "no one" will be able to garden and grow food like they do now.

Why is that? What if the problem is like the Black Death, and a quarter of the population is immune; why couldn't they garden?

Likewise, what if they economy falters, but governments stay intact (like 1930s)? Why couldn't you garden through a scenario like that? Or the collapse of the Soviet Union, for a more recent example. Everyone learned to garden, in both those situations.

Being mobile and never staying in one spot for too long is going to be so vital to survival.

Again, what makes you state such a sweeping generalization with such confidence? Again in the US in the 1930s, people in the midwest really did have to flee the dustbowl. But most of them settled in california and immediately began building lives for themselves, and in two generations made California into an economic powerhouse. Again, they finished their migration in less that about 5 years.

Being on the move makes people vulnerable, as you pointed out (not knowing where your next meal is coming from). So, why plan on moving if it is not absolutely necessary? Why not be prepared for the possibility that some disasters can be better endured by hunkering down, instead of abandoning all of your tools and social networks?

Other than to maintain a sense of adventure, being mobile constantly might do little more than waste valuable effort that might be better spent gathering food and finding a defensible base.

Is that "outside the box" thinking? Or is it thinking within another box---namely hollywood disaster flicks?

reply to post by MeSoCorny


You cracked me up! Thanks for the laugh… Its funny because as crazy as it sounds, it makes perfect sense.

I've actually given this a lot of thought since you posed the question. We all have our list of necessary items, objects and gadgets. However, the two things I consider most important are not something you can buy.
Other people and a sense of humor are top on my list. I wouldn't want to survive without either one of those. Other people are the reason for survival in the first place and a sense of humor will keep you from going insane.

reply to post by dr_strangecraft


Basically, I just mean that we won't be able to be as care-free with our gardening. Growing your own food right now is a choice--we don't have to--we could just go to the grocery store. However, in a survivalist scenario, growing your own food will become a necessity, and not everyone knows how to do it.

Therefore, those of us who DO know how to garden and grow our own food will be faced with hostile, hungry people who are more than willing to hurt us in order to get their hands on our food.

This is what I meant by what I said. Gardening will NOT be the same. We won't be able to have these big huge gardens we're proud of and show-off fondly. We'll have to be secretive and protective. We'll have to be guarded. We won't just be gardening, we'll be survival gardening.

reply to post by dr_strangecraft


Sorry, forgot to respond to the second part:

Maybe I should have said "Being prepared to be on the move..." My point is, in preparing for any kind of disaster, it's not safe to assume that you're going to be able to just stay put--you may have to up an leave. So, going along the lines what I was saying (being prepared for every situation and the worst possible situation), we all need to be prepared for having to leave our homes and be on the move. Therefore, we all need to know how to forage and survive"on the move".

One large back pack lined with heavy garbage bag (for water proofness with:
Goretex shell
polar fleece jacket
synthetic sleeping bag,
water bottle,
wool socks, wool sweater,wool stocking hat, heavy wool mittens,
large fixed blade hunting knife, fero rod, wet stone,
quality multi tool
duct tape,
para cord,
condoms,
fishing line and hooks,
snare wire,
fox 40 whistle
silva compass
energy bars
rip stop nylon tarp
alcohol swipes
bandanna
iodine tablets
advil

I guess that would be a good start