Survival Kit Odds And Ends

Lists for assembling your own survival kit abound. A Google search for survival kit contents resulted in about 1.8 million hits, for example. Rather than put out just one more list of food, water purification filters, fire starters, and fishing gear, instead here are some odds and ends that are often overlooked on those lists. While most of these items aren’t “mission critical” elements to survival, they will go a long way towards providing a modicum of comfort in a situation that's already stressful enough.

Gloves: Decent work gloves may very well be a Godsend if you find yourself building a lean to shelter or chopping firewood. A word of caution though, don’t just buy a new pair and toss them into your kit. You’ll want them broken in a bit first.

Hat and sunglasses: An old ball cap will keep the sun off your face. It can help change your appearance as well, if that’s a concern. Sunglasses are great to have too as spending hours on end squinting is no fun. Your local dollar store probably has both on hand, in any number of styles.

Sunscreen: If you’re relying on your survival kit to get you to where you’re going, things are hard enough without having to deal with sunburn too.

Bug repellent: In my area, the mosquitoes season starts in early summer and runs until mid-autumn. Some are big enough to carry off small children. Without repellent, it isn’t a matter of if you’ll get bit, it is a matter of whether you’ll end up looking like you have chicken pox an hour from now.

Spare socks and underwear: In almost any situation, you can probably get by for a few days with the clothes you’re wearing. However, clean socks are a necessity for foot health. Clean underwear is a great morale boost.

Bandana: Wide range of uses, from a sweatband to bandage, water filter to a makeshift small sack.

Small assortment of spices: Things like salt, pepper, cajun spice mix, and garlic powder. Not a ton of stuff, mind you, but just a few small containers will go a long way toward making your foraged food go from merely palatable to downright tasty.

Crazy glue and/or glue sticks: These are great for making expedient repairs. Crazy glue can also be used to seal wounds, though you’ll need to leave the bottom of the wound open for drainage to avoid sepsis if the wound is deep. You can heat the end of a glue stick with your fire and use it for repairs as well.

Zip ties: nylon zip ties are handy in many situations, including shelter building. In this same sort of category, binder clips are awesome for shelter building. Another related item would be the plastic coated wire ties often used in toy and electronic packaging.

Pencil, paper, and pencil sharpener: Having the means to make notes to yourself or leave notes for others could be very important. Plus, a pencil sharpener works great for making wood shavings to use as tinder.

Empty plastic bags: A small stash of Ziploc bags work great for storing found tinder and other resources as you trek through the wilderness.

Small pry bar: Okay, this one might add a little weight to the pack. But, if your area of operation is largely urban, you might very well end up needing to open a locked door or window to evac an area in a hurry. Word to the wise, those little keychain pry bars probably won't cut it.

Lip balm: Yeah, I know, it sounds so metrosexual but bugging out generally means you’ll be outdoors, exposed to the sun and wind, which leads to chapped lips. This can actually be a rather painful condition. Lip balm takes up almost no space in your bug out bag. Plus, if it is petroleum based, it can double as a way to help get a fire going.

Cash and coins: We often think of bugging out as running off to the woods. Odds are, though, that at least some of your journey will be through civilized portions of the country. It makes sense to have some cash on hand to make purchases, should the need and opportunity arise. Think about it like this – it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Pack enough cash to get you a room at a midrange motel, someplace clean and that doesn’t charge by the hour. Add in a little more cover a meal or two and you should be good to go. Stick with small bills, nothing larger than a ten or twenty. Don’t forget a few dollars in change for vending machines, too.

 

I should add pepper spray which would be useful in case of an attack by a stranger or predator. Some analgesics or pain pills are a must in the wild as you are likely to experience sprains or cramps due to the uneven terrain. Not to forget a bright flag which can be mounted on a long pole if you happen to get lost. Oh! I forgot a high decibel whistle to scare wild animals and to announce your location if you get lost.

 

Haha....thanks for the elaborate list. I was keen on the lip balm. And for sure you are right. I have been a victim of scorching sun and less water for re-hydration. I wished to have lip balm, because I had excessively licked my lips. It ended up looking dry and cracked.