* Land-Based Survival Kit *

Sections

Water
Protection
Shelter
Food
Medical
Navigation
Communication & Trust
Sanity & Spirituality

I am a novice at this and am calling out for all you pros to help!
I'm looking to categorize the different aspects of surviving, so people can think it out, what goes into a survival kit, so it can be tweaked as needed for their specific local needs. Here's some of what I put in my kit (no gun), with some explanations, broken up into categories. Feedback would be awesome, and please point out things I forgot!

WATER
water pack - like a back pack that holds a gallon of water, includes drinking hose
water purification tablets
water filters

PROTECTION (also used for food)
guns and typical weapons
wrist rocket (no real need to carry ammo)
bow string (super lightweight, you can make the bow when you're out there)

SHELTER
knife
bag of tie wraps
30 feet of 4mm climbing rope
saw
hatchet
foldable shovel/spade
wind-up LED light
appropriate clothing
sharpening stone (if weight is not an issue)

FOOD & COOKING
bag of jerky
bow and arrows (homemade) / wrist rocket for hunting
magnesium bar / flint and steel / fire kit
waterproof matches / lighter
metal pan and cup (small with multiple uses)
3 pounds of organic quinoa (amazing grain!! Can be eaten raw or cooked. A little heavy but one of THE most nutritionally beneficial things on the planet, you could live on quinoa and water alone. [pronounced keen' wah].
10 ziplock bags (light and general purpose)
small fishing kit
100 feet of 1mm rope
Edible plants guide for your area (or know it before you need it!)

MEDICAL
typical 20 piece survival kit
waterproof bandages
iodine? or alcohol wipes?
insolation blanket

NAVIGATION & TRAVEL
compass
topographical map
wire cutters / pliers / multitool
crowbar
machete
steel toe boots
lightweight binoculars

COMMUNICATION & TRUSTING PEOPLE
signal mirror
who do you trust? no idea...
small radio (useless after a while but could be helpful if weight is not an issue)

SANITY & SPIRITUALITY
The mind needs something to do, more so in the beginnings of being in the wilderness. After securing shelter, learning the area, and gathering food, I'd recommend even something mundane, and seemingly silly, like gathering rocks, drawing in the sand, something to allow your natural creativity to flow. Meditate if you can (mind's eye visualization games, counting breaths, prayer). Make arrows, better shelter, signs for people who may come by after you've gone.
Lucky Survivor hat


[edit on 11-11-2009 by notreallyalive]

[edit on 11-11-2009 by notreallyalive]

I bought an awesome survival vest at a military supply place - has like 10 pockets, loops everywhere. I have a significant portion of what's listed above being stored in the vest already! It can be worn under a common jacket if you don't have all the tools attached like I do.

I own everything on the list above except for guns. This total kit cost me less than $300

I put off having a kit for a long time... Now I'm glad I finally did it! I feel more confident just knowing it's there, whether I ever use it or not it was money well spent.



[edit on 11-11-2009 by notreallyalive]

You water supply should also contain plastic bags. Excellent re-usable cotainers that do not weigh anything and takes almost no space. Plastic bags are also great for collecting dew off branches and such.

In your food supply, don't forget the vitamin pills.
Jerky might get you some low grade protein and salts, but not much more.
Problems that might occur due to lack of various vitamins could be a disaster. How do you find vitamin D in nature if you can't fish? How about vitamin A? Without them, your body will fail pretty soon.

I'd bring protein powder, like the ones you get at the fitness store. But this requires clean water which could be harder to find than you might think. These powders do however have all you need (vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates...). Even though they are no long term solution they can very well keep you going for some time. You need about 4 decilitres (approx 1.5 cups) of powder per day to keep alive at a more or less manageble level. This kind of nutritions needs no heating either (good if you need to hide and fire building is out of the question).

Just some ideas...

Originally posted by notreallyalive
The mind needs something to do, more so in the beginnings of being in the wilderness. After securing shelter, learning the area, and gathering food, I'd recommend even something mundane, and seemingly silly, like gathering rocks, drawing in the sand, something to allow your natural creativity to flow.

You should realize how hard it will be for some people to really live off the land. There will be little to no time for dilly-dallying around collecting rocks. Without a group effort, and being alone, one will spend most of their time procuring food. This will keep you busy and focused.

You show shelter but suggest nothing that would make one. I like to use the GI ponchos or shelter halves as they call them. You set them up like a pup tent. In winter you just pile about 3 feet of leaves on top for insulation and fabricate some type of door.
Keeping yourself fed is of course more difficult to do in the winter. Unless you know how to trap you will probably starve. Hunting in a survival scenario creates alot of noise if you use firearms and bows are only as good as the person shooting it. Without practice it's just about useless.
I like to carry a set of old electric guitar strings for snares, they work great for everything up to the size of a woodchuck or raccoon and don;t break as natural cordage might do (especially when it's cold)
Overall you have a fairly good kit planned although for weight's sake I would leave the hatchet, folding shovel and machete behind.
The last main items I would want is my multitool and PUR hiker water filter.

Thanks Raud, asktheanimals, and susp3kt!

vitamins or protein powder
learn trapping and bring guitar strings
carry more lightweight food for that first week of more intense travel, building, collecting

There is one biggy missing from your list...

Keeping the Right Attitude.....
Real survival situations feel enormously unfair. Almost all
survivors face the feeling of injustice — it’s as though the
world is conspiring against you or the odds are simply
beyond your abilities. To survive this situation, you can’t
let these feelings take over. You need to have your head on
straight and keep a positive outlook.

To keep a positive attitude, the first thing you have to do is
size up your situation. Take it all in. This can be very difficult
for some people, and it can stand in the way of clear thinking.
The truth is that most survival situations are so unexpected
that they leave you a little stunned. You have to master
disbelief. Many people perish simply because they can’t go
beyond denial.

The following suggestions can help you keep your spirits up:

✓ Be resourceful. Resources and options that you’ve never
considered are available to you. Use rocks as hammers,
nails as fishhooks, and belt buckles as reflectors for
signaling. Then think of new options and work out more
plans. Think of a way.

✓ Be patient. Consider that being rescued or working your
way out of the problem may take time, but never assume
that no one will come looking for you, or that you can't get yourself out of trouble.

✓ Never say die. Misery and fear can fool you into thinking
you’re finished. Don’t let your mind play tricks on you.
You can keep going long after you feel like you can’t. A
lot longer. Don’t give up. Keep a positive attitude, or
grit your teeth in grim determination. If you slip into a
negative attitude, you’ll melt like a candle.