Are you prepared for an emergency? What if there was a natural disaster and you had to survive on your own? What if you were stranded in the wilderness? In any emergency or disaster situation, it is essential to be prepared. One way to ensure you are as designed as possible is always to ensure you have the right items. These items can help you in various situations, from getting lost in the wilderness to dealing with a natural disaster. So, what are some survival items you should have? Keep reading to find out!
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Fire Starter
Making a fire might be the most critical thing in a survival situation. A fire starter is essential because it can help you fire for heat, protection, and cooking. It keeps you warm, cooks your food, and keeps wild animals away. You can choose from different fire starters depending on what would be best for your needs. For example, some options are flint and steel, magnesium bars, lighters, Ferro rods, and matches. You can even make your fire starter using cotton swabs or cotton balls with Vaseline, which you then put in aluminum foil with holes in it. If you don’t know how to make a fire with these items, it is highly recommended that you attend a course in wilderness training before going on any significant expeditions or camping trips.
Multi-Tool Knife
A multi-tool can prove to be very helpful when in a survival situation. The Swiss Army knife is known to be one of the best items you can carry with you just in case because it has so many possibilities for what you could use it for. For example, you might need something sharp enough to cut the wood into pieces small enough to build your fire safely. You’ll also want something strong enough to break open ice or even carve down branches down so you can create an emergency shelter if needed. The same thing goes with hunting; sometimes game becomes trapped by natural debris, and having something sharp on hand like a pocketknife will help release it.
Compass
A compass is an essential item to have in any survival situation. All you need is a magnetic object, such as a needle or metal wire, and the North Pole to create your compass. A map is yet another essential tool you will want in your backpack for quick reference in case you get lost. Although survival experts recommend having a digital watch with GPS capabilities in emergencies, they also say it’s best to rely on traditional methods of finding directions when lost or stranded because batteries can die or satellites can malfunction.
Water Bottles And Food
You need to stay hydrated and energized at all times in a survival situation, which is why you must always carry water with you. It would be an advantage if you could purify water from lakes or rivers, although this isn’t necessary when you have bottles of clean water on hand. If your food supply becomes tainted or diminished in any way, having something to eat is also very important. So, when selecting the right foods for your survival kit, choose things with a long shelf life so they don’t spoil quickly. Some examples are energy bars, dried fruit, and even beef jerky.
First Aid Kit
In a survival situation, you must have a first aid kit with you at all times. This can prove to be very helpful in an emergency where wounds need to be patched up. First aid kits will mostly contain bandages and ointments to help disinfect any possible injuries or infections. However, there are some varieties that come with extra options such as tongue depressors, pills, splints, and even tapes to close more extensive wounds. Sometimes what you might not expect becomes helpful in the world of survival, so make sure your first aid kit is equipped with things you wouldn’t typically think would be helpful.
Paracord
Paracord is a must in any survival situation. This lightweight cord can be used for hunting, fishing, starting fires, and even building shelters. It’s much more robust than it looks because it can hold up to 550 lbs of weight, which would come in handy when trying to lift objects that are much too heavy for you to carry on your own. Although there are many varieties of paracord out there, you want to make sure you have enough so that if it breaks, you’ll still have another length left until you get somewhere safe.
Flashlight
Having a flashlight with you is pretty much a no-brainer. It’s imperative that the light on your flashlight is bright enough so you can see what you’re doing and everything around you clearly, but it also has to have a long-lasting battery life so it isn’t drained out after only an hour of use. This is going to come in handy when trying to find your way at night or even during emergencies where power might be cut off for some reason.
Conclusion
It is always best to be prepared for any unexpected event that might come your way, whether it’s in the middle of the day or when you’re in the middle of nowhere with nothing but what you can carry on your person. By having these items in your survival kit, you prevent yourself from becoming helpless in an emergency and give yourself that much more of a chance for a miracle.