Take Your Kit With You

Light My Fire Firesteel Scout

Even if you are only going for a short day hike on a well-traveled trail, a survival fanny pack containing the items from the list below, could be a life saver. We’ve all heard stories about someone who went for a “little” hike and ended up being the object of a massive search and rescue effort. Too often the hiker wasn’t dressed appropriately, had not taken any survival gear and supplies and had not followed common sense wilderness survival tips. What had started off as an enjoyable outing, turned into a survival experience and media event.

Traveling in Isolated Areas, Take Your Outdoor Kit

Your car should always have an outdoor emergency kit safely tucked into the trunk, especially if you do a lot of driving in non-populated areas. When I lived in the mountains of northern New Mexico, work and shopping were only reached after a 30 to 40 mile drive down steep and winding roads, often through National Forests. These roads were not always well-traveled, so an outdoor emergency kit could have been invaluable if I’d ever needed it.

Outdoor Kit Ingredients

Budget-Wise Tip: Look for items that you might already have that can be used in an outdoor emergency kit. Use your imagination.

When building my own outdoor survival kit I found a number of items in my home that I could use, such as a bandana, pocket knife, gloves, baby wipes, dental floss, bandaids, flashlight and batteries, strike-anywhere matches, etc. My kit also includes twine, single-serve instant coffee, granola bars, a pocket sewing kit and a cranking cellphone charger.