There are many different views out there on what you should be carrying with you everyday for your personal survival items. I would say for this reason most things that you carry with are going to be a personal preference. There should be some core items that are standard that every pack should have.
- Fire starter of some sort (IE. Doan magnesium fire starter )
- Survival multi tool or knife
- 20 ft. of para cord
- Bandanna or smock
With this all of this in mind we have recently designed a kit that knocks 2 of these items off of the list. We know that two of the most important survival items are a fire starting source and a knife to start and help collect your tinder and fuel for the fire. In any situation a knife is by far the most handy Item to have because of the multi purpose it has, especially if you are carrying a swiss army knife or multi tool. We call our kit the Mini Every Day Carry kit or Mini EDC. In this kit are two items that we have researched and found to be the very BEST in a fire starting source and knife, which are the Doan Magnesium Fire Starter and the Swiss Army Camper knife.
At this point there is many additional items that you can carry with you. For instance I carry my Off road real survival kit which has most of the necessary items listed above. I also carry around a pair of Binoculars mostly for preference reasons, because I like to have them on me at all times. After you have the core items that are many additional things that you can add to your pack.
- Fixed blade knife
- Additional lengths of para cord (can never have to much of this stuff)
- Water retention of some sort
- Water purification system
- Mini backpacking stove or Twig Stove
- Firearms with necessary permit
- Thumb drive with important documents that you may need
- Quick shelter such as the Personal Survival Tarp
- Food items from trail mix to Mountain House meals or MRE’s
- Expanded First Aid Kit
- Collapsible saw for for building permanent shelters and a fire
- Basic Sewing kit
- Additional Light sources like flashlights
With these things in mind some of the items may not be necessary things for you but would be for others. The Main thing to remember when you are choosing these survival items is priority. Like I talked about with the core items earlier, getting a fire started and a shelter built, you are well on your way to increasing your chances, at that point you need to start searching for a water source and food. With the fire you are going to be able to not only cook your food that you find but also boil your water to purify it so that you do not get sick from the harmful bacterias.
When you are deciding to add items to your every day carry pack you may want to start with items that are going to make things easier and more efficient for you. Starting with your water retention like a water bottle and a possible metal cup to boil the water with, then moving to a simple purification system that would take the boiling step out of the mix. Next would be a quick shelter option which will allow you to be mobile and not have to exhaust your much needed energy to survive.
Additions beyond these items are clearly up to you and I would say “Be Creative!” come up with items that you will get multiple functions out of. Think of things that are going to help not only you but others survive the harshest of conditions. Like Perry talks about all the time, Survival is 90% a mental game, and if there are survival items that will put your mind at ease make sure that you pack them.
As always keep it and fun and keep it safe and we will keep “Simplifying Survival“
Perry,
Just a heads up I had some Lightmyfire sporks that I got at the outdoor expo a few years ago. I got them out for my grandsons to use for a fun snack and they ended up with the silverware. Getting used once in a while. Two have totally broken. They just come up in the dishpan in two pieces. They have become brittle.
My large Gold one was being used exclusively for when I was testing the Ten Minute Meals… This is only about ten uses…. You can snap it like a twig.
Do you still recommend them?
Do you think they have improved the material?
The design is awesome but the durability is lacking.
If you have a working relationship with the company I can let you send back these broken pieces for an example. They were not abused unless stirring boiling soup is abuse. I’m sure the red one
was not even used for that because it was too small.
The import of the items you must carry are dictated by a myriad of factors, but in my experience, the items of most necessity start with water. 100% pure water without a smoke signature is my #1 priority. EVERYONE will want your water source, so keep it top secret, eyes only. Next:
body temp regualtion, which would include whatever might be needed as dictated by the temp swing from night/day. In cold and dampness, I rate in order of import: feet, hands, ears, skull, and if extreme enough; any exposed skin.
a knife
SA on food availability. I have been in the woods for days and not see a single rabbit. If I have to attain food covertly, then I would have to move covertly and plan, wait, and have an exit route/plan that would not reveal my existance (in the event I have to acqire food by force or stealth.)
wound care
ammo
weaponry: why ammo before weaponry? Because frankly it has more value as a commodity for self or barter; and of course the weapon is useless w/o it.
an intimate knowledge of the 1000 sq miles surrounding me. That is 100×100 miles if you are in the wilderness, you should know that parcel like your backyard.
No smoke signature. Not ever.
I would check the following habitually: water, mental accuity, caloric availability/deficit, body temp, SA, stealth integrity.
I mean 10,000 square miles, not 1000. 100×100 miles (if you are in a wilderness situation). Know it w/o a map.