JES HAVING SEVERAL PREPARED PACKS MAKES TRIPS SO MUCH EASIER THERE'S NOTHING TO CONFUSE TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS

AND FRESH COFFEE BEANS. THE DEET AND THE GRANOLAS PACKED!

Inventory for Basic Survival Kit
by Daniel C. Friend
Originally published in American Survival Guide, March 1990

Shelter and Warmth

• "Emergency" space blanket or bag
• Heavy duty plastic trash bag (2.5 mil)
• 550 parachute cord 25'
• 9' transparent vinyl mending tape (wrap around flashlight)

Water

• Heavy-duty plastic water bag (large heavy-duty ziplock bag will do)
• Iodine-based water tablets
• Large cotton bandana or triangular bandage

Heat, Light, and Signalling

• 9-hour candle
• Waterproof match case
• Waterproof strike-anywhere matches
• 2 bithday candles
• Disposable lighter
• Mmagnesuim firestarter
• Ccard-type magnifying lens [fresnel?]
• Police whistle on lanyard [beware of metal whistles they freeze to lips in cold]
• Stainless steel double-surface signal mirror
• AA or AAA flashlight with fresh batteries
• 50' surveyor's tape
• 3"x5" cards and pen

Knives and Tools

• Swiss ary knife or leathermean tool
• Knife sharpener (opposed tungsten carbide tips)
• Hemostats
• Small "ignition point" file
• 6" sharpened piece of hacksaw blade
• 4" extra-heavy duty sewing needle
• 6 heavy duty rubber bands

Direction Finding

• Good quality liquid-filled luminous compass

First Aid

• Clean cotton bandana or triangular bandage (see WATER)
• Hemostats (see KNIVES and TOOLS)
• Flexible fabric band-aids of various sizes
• Handiwipes
• Insect repellant
• Aspirins or Tylenol
• Moleskin or mole foam
• Pepto Bismol

General

• Mosquito headnet (for fishing or insects)
• Safety pins, 2 large 4 medium
• Telephone change
• Snare wire, brass or copper
• Survival cards

In Addition to the Basic Survival Kit Always Include the Following Items in Your Pack

• Individual ready-to-eat canned food (sardines, etc)
• Detailed map
• Separate first-aid kit, including prescription medications
• Small transistor radio
• Extra pair eyeglasses in unbreakable case

Inventory for Augmentation Kit

First Aid

• 4 3"x3" sterile pads
• 1 roll 2" cling bandage
• Trial size pack Coricidin D decongestant tablets
• Blister pack of 9 Cepacol throat lozenges
• Blister pack Pepto Bismol tablets
• Neosporin antibiotic ointment
• Extra sefety pins
• 6 flexible fabric band-aids

Shelter and Warmth

• 4'x7' poly blanket or extra space blanket
• 9-hour candle
• 25' 550 parachute cord
• Small disposable lighter

Food and Water

• 2 tins sardines
• Heavy duty nylon spoon
• Snare wire
• Mosquito head net
• Iodine water purification tablets
• Plastic water bag

Signalling

• Spare batteries for flashlight 

 

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Search and Rescue (BLUERIDGEMOUNTAIN)Kit
Visit the BLUERIDGEMOUNTAINRESCUEGROUP home page for more

 

• Clothes and foot gear for fair and foul weather
• Rain gear
• 5 large heavy duty plastic trash bags
• Water container 1 or 2 liter
• Headlamp flashlight and backup light
• Candle & lighter
• Knife
• Compass
• Personal first aid kit
• Pen and paper
• Whistle
• Two pairs plastic gloves
• Say pack
• 2 pieces Perlon - 5' and 7'
• 1 locking D caribeener
• 20' nylon webbing
• Leather gloves 

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Backpacker Magazine
June 1995

Always Carry

 

• Knife

• Cigarette lighter

• Garbage bag

10 Essentials

 

• Knife

• Lighter

• Garbage bag

• Water bottles

• High-energy food

• Map & compass

• Rain gear

• Warm clothes

• Signal whistle & mirror

• Medical kit

• Sunglasses

• Flashlight (headlamp) with spare batteries & bulb

• Firestarter

• Iodine

• Emergency kit (fishhooks, nylon cord, etc.)

Note that 15 items are included because nobody agrees on which items to eliminate!