I once read a survival guide that was somewhat old, but had plenty of great advice. The only problem was that when I made the survival kits it recommended, I had either 300 pounds of gear to carry all at once or had twenty different kits to keep track of.

Obviously, things like rope, a knife, matches, and the like are useful regardless of where you are. However, different environments do call for different items at times, so how do you simplify it?

Dont forget a Sai!

this is a weapon used by ninjas for thousands of years with deadly force!

think of where you will be. plan according to that. What resources will you have available? What will you not have. Weapons for food, and for defense. Food for a short supply. And don't be a fluckbag, or you won't make any friends. Friends will be the catalyst to survival.

To simplify... pack the knowledge in your brain and you wont need any "kits".

Sorry for the one line only, but it is all I have on this... What can I say? I'm just a survivalist.

For a basic survival kit I think you need Cans upon Cans of Baked beens. Don't forget the Facemask though.

Seriously though. A knife, something to make fire, I'm actually serious about the cans of Baked Beens. You can eat 'em hot or cold.
Lots and Lot's of pure water. You also need something to kill with, A gun makes perfect sense.
Fuel. I think a 40 gallon drum of Petrol locked down in the baskyard with fuel stabiliser added is a good move.
Above all, you need a place to hide out. I think a Big Hole in the backyard, made into a Bunker is the way to go.

This is all a bit on the extreme side because I'm thinking in terms of a nuclear war.

Knife
Water
Gun
Boots
Good clothes
Fishing line, hooks, ect.
Some medical supplies, but not enough.

That's about what I have personally. I'm not big on survival and would prefer to have more as I can get it. But I'm a full time student and no job, so that's not much of an option.

My kit:

One long blade (broadsword)
Three short blades (utility length)
25 fiberglass arrows with fixed blade broadheads (I prefer 100 grain, but YMMV) and 25 extra broadheads
One traditional bow (40 lb draw), one compound bow (80 lbs)
three sarapes (mexican all-purpose blankets - traditionally wool, not the synthetic crap sold now)
three sets of moderately thick boot socks
One spare set of good jeans
One wool sweater
firestarter kit (dryer lint, waterproof matches)
5 lbs jerky
water canteen with porcelain filter
spices and seeds

I live in South Texas, near the hill country. Deer and small game are plentiful, so the 40-80 lb draw on my bows handles most game in the area. A sword is more than decoration, its also a gutting blade, butchering blade for large joint separation, and more versatile for things. For shorter blades I like in the 9-12 inch - a fairbairn-sykes commando dagger is primo, but hard to come by... wool keeps warm in the wet, even soaked. The rest is self-expanatory. seeding spice plants near wet areas also ensures that there is tradable stuff if TSHTF and we're all back to nomadic foraging.

I love threads like this where the poster says knowledge is all you need.

Almost makes me laugh. Yes, if you go into the woods without any clue as to what you are doing, its over. I dont care how much stuff you have. As for making your own in the wilderness, yup, great idea. But why would I want to spend 1/2 hour carving a drinking vessel when a titanium cup comes in under 4 ozs?

There are so many trains of thought on what to carry, what to leave behind, it really comes down to how you plan and where you are.

If you are in a metro area, the items you will want to carry will be to be light and defence minded, water purification would also be a good idea. Most everything else can be found or fashioned by whats left of your area.

If your plan is to simply grab an INCH bag and take off of an undetermined amount of time, the items and weight grows greatly. Medical, fire, way to find/kill foodstuffs, shelter (which can consist of a number of things from axes to rope to tarps, etc...)

If you have a planned retreat, i.e. somewhere to go to, or a meeting place, you can pack light and stockpile your cache or cabin or whatever you have.

The key thing in any kit is to use it, know it and understand its and your limitations. Anyone should be able to start a fire with a flint and steel, but can you? Or do you need matches until you get it right? Can you create a livable lean too or snow cave, or do you need your tarps and paracord?

I tweak my kit constantly as I use different items, or my personal situation changes. Its all about you and where you are going and what you think you can live without.

For the knowledge only people.....you wouldnt last a week where I am at without an axe, yes, I could make one with a sharp rock, a stick and some willow bark, but why? Surviving doesnt have to be about making life even more difficult should TSHTF, but being able to still enjoy living, and there are tools out there that make being alone in the woods a whole lot easier and enjoyable.

Im not sure what you would need in a kit there are many different opinions on this. For some reason people think survival means wondering around aimless in the wilderness forever. I think this is a symptom of watchin too much mad max and playing too much fallout.
It would be good to have a place to stay in but if you think wondering around is a good idea then you need something to wear, something to drink from, something to carry watter/food, a tool for getting and cleaning food and something to keep you warm.