The Beginner’s Guide To Building A Ready-for-Anything Survival Kit

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

You may not ever need to venture out into the woods to live off the land in some post-apocalyptic scenario – but you never know. The right survival gear can be what keeps you alive in many situations.

Building a survival kit will look a little different for everyone depending on your specific needs, skills, and the climate around you. Be sure that the tools and supplies you put together make sense for you, regardless of what you think you ought to have.

The first step: your bag 

Perhaps, your survival kit will need to hold a lot of stuff. There are many advantages to a tactical backpack that make it worth the investment. Imagine assembling the perfect survival kit only to find that your bag is so uncomfortable to carry that you need to toss out precious supplies.

Besides plenty of room, your survival kit’s bag should also be durable, have thoughtfully constructed compartments, and ideally have a hydration system built in to spare you from digging for a water bottle.

The essentials

As you build your survival kit, the essentials should come first. The American Red Cross recommends items like water (1 gallon per person, per day) and non-perishable food for three days in case of evacuation or two weeks if staying at home. 

The Red Cross further recommends items like a flashlight with extra batteries, a radio, first aid and medications, personal hygiene supplies, important documents and extra cash, emergency contact info, a cell phone with a charger, and maps.

For staying outdoors, especially if it could be several days, you will also need a tent, fishing and hunting gear, and weather-appropriate clothing.

Other essential tools are at least one utility knife, purifying water, a tarp, paracord, duct tape, fire-starting means, blankets, and a whistle.

Other factors to consider

You may need to personalize quite a bit from the essentials list. If, for example, your kit needs to address the entire family’s needs, it may be wise to take a form of entertainment for children. 

Think about what everyone would need if they couldn’t be home in terms of everyday health and hygiene: those who wear contacts will need backup glasses, women will need menstrual products, and anyone taking medication will need a plentiful supply.

Remember, too, your environment. It might not be appropriate to store a survival hammock if there aren’t many trees nearby, but you will surely need a hefty firearm capable of disarming a bear or moose in Alaska.

General tips

Anytime you can conserve space with multi-use tools, take advantage of it. You might not think you need a paracord, but you can efficiently tie it into a bracelet, and it might be convenient for securing a tarp. General items like safety pins or duct tape are crucial for their versatility in the same way.

Pack smart by grouping similar items together but ultimately saving space wherever possible. So you might stash smaller items within rolled-up clothing or your rigid tackle gearcase. Remember that you can also strap bulky items to the outside of your bag.

Tailor the details to your preparedness level. If you don’t know how to make fire with two sticks, by all means, take flint and tinder with you.

Before you go

Once you have your survival kit assembled, unpack and repack it often. You want to be fully aware of what you have and where it’s located in an emergency. Survival is all about preparedness and adaptability to your specific context, so build and modify your kit according to what’s realistic.