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ABOUT SURVIVAL KITS

Survival kits are exactly what they are meant to be - kits that are made up explicitly for the sake of survival. They are put together for use in times of emergency, so they are not going to have all the comforts of home. Rather, only the essentials you will need to get by till help arrives, ie, food, water, shelter, warmth, contact to the outside world, and so on. While a mylar space blanket, for instance, will not replace your comforter - it will, however, reflect about 90% of your body heat and in return keep you from freezing to death. Believe me, you will be glad it was a part of your survival kit. So don't underestimate the potential of some of these inexpensive items.

one thig to keep in mind...kits are made up of tested reliable products that will suffice the situation and are put together as inexpensively as possible, so as not to break the wallet, but still provide ample protection. It takes a lot of time and gas to put one of these kits together for yourself, as you may have already encountered. This being from experience. So, many prefer to have the peace of mind in knowing that this has already been taken care of. Thus, we provide the basic and most essential products needed for survival in any disastrous situation. But it is up to you to supplement these kits with the necessities that personally suit your needs. So we may suggest that after you acquire one of these kits, you add to it things of a more personal nature that you feel would work better for you in an emergency situation. For instance a small pillow, some medications to add to the first aid kits, or an extra pair of windshield wipers for the autos.

Some of the supplies in these kits, such as food, batteries & first aid often have a 3-5 yr. shelf life, so these items should be updated. Here's what you should consider:

-Start with the best survival kit you can afford and add to it whenever possible, keeping in mind the major groups: Water, Food, Shelter, Communications (light, signaling, radio, etc.) Fire and Warmth and First Aid. Also included should be a good Knife and/or protective devices.
 
-Under ideal circumstances, a larger tent would be a good place to call home in an emergency situation - whereby you are suddenly displaced from your regular home. However, even a small 2 man tent will shelter you from the elements in an extreme emergency.

-Remember, an emergency poncho and solar bag or blanket could mean the difference between freezing and keeping warm and dry. They are small and very inexpensive and for that reason alone should always be a part of the the kit.

-Valuable as gold, is the next item on the list. Can't say enough about water. Emergency water is a must. Keep some packets or Aqua Blox boxes with you at all times and always have a some type of back up water purifiers and/or filters for filtering water.

-Include some type of food in a "grab to go bag" that hold you over anywhere from 1-3 days. This could include one or more of our emergency food bars. These will provide you with enough calories to maintain your strength for at least 3 days and they also taste pretty good considering.

-Visible means of communications include having a signal mirror, good whistle and an LED flashlight at the very least. An LED flashlight, because of it's range in light, little use in battery power and no light bulbs to burn out. Dynamo or wind up flashlights, especially those with built in radios, flashers, cell phone chargers, etc are especially good to have in your kit.

-As for the fire starters, they are almost as valuable to have as water. Fire means warmth and protection against the elements, light at night, the ability to purify questionable water and cook a potential meal, and keep animals and harmful critters at bay. Always have more than 1 means of starting a fire- a butane lighter, magnesium starter, wind-waterproof matches, etc.

-Lastly, but not least, you will need First Aid Supplies. In the category of first-aid, do a little research on the different kits and purchase the most comprehensive kit you can afford and then add to it personal medications. etc.
Be sure to have supplies that will be able to stop major bleeding and splint major appendages.

-Many feel that a good Knifes is an invaluable part of any survival kit. They are generally left out because the price range and quality vary so greatly that it is not practical to include one. And particular taste in knives also vary greatly. While Swiss knives and multi-tools are commonly included, because there should obviously be some type of knife, a good quality "fixed blade" survival knife should be included also. The best knives of this nature have a full tang; meaning the knife blade and handle metal are made from one solid piece of metal and are not pinned, screwed or welded together. Even if you cannot afford a more expensive knife, a lesser quality is better than nothing.
Usually a blade length between 4 to 8 inches is preferred and considered by many to be ideal.

-Once you have acquired these items, it is also very important that you check out the supplies in your kit and make sure they work and that you know how to properly use them beforehand. What good is a survival kit that has tools which do not work. Plus you do not want to go through an educational o.j.t. (on the job) learning process in times of emergency. Try to start a fire using several means and work up to what you think you could handle in a dire situation. Check out your survival fishing and snare wire trapping material and research what is involved... if these are things you think you might have to rely on. Get familiar with your knife or multi-tool and so on.

-Don't underestimate the importance of having a survival kit with you at all times. Most likely this will be in the vehicle you normally use in your daily life. When your home, at work or at play, it will normally be there with you, so this is the best place to start putting together a kit. Chances of getting deadlocked on a highway during a disaster are good. There will be many roads jammed and many accidents that could possibly keep you stranded there for quite some time - maybe overnight or longer. Again, you may even be forced to abandon your vehicle. Evacuation from biological or chemical attack could mean evacuation from the area. Make sure this survival kit has the necessities to keep your auto mobile and running (Tools, jumper cables, tow rope, tire inflators, etc.).
A flat tire with a non maintained spare could be a real setback in times of emergency. This is where a can of tire inflator sealant is invaluable. It will have you on your way in minutes. Note: while a can of tire inflator sealant is great for an emergency, it should not be a replacement for a well kept spare. Once you get back to safety and take your tire in for repair, many tire station owners will tell you that this sealant is very hard to remove and there may be an extra charge for doing so.
Also you will want to try to include some type of strobe light or warning light in case of an accident; or for working on the vehicle or guiding someone to you when your off the road. You might also consider a shovel for getting out of snow or mudstuck areas, and an axe or saw for clearing trees from an obstructed road.

-Eventually, your luck could run out and you might find yourself faced with some type of emergency situation. Natural disasters such as tornadoes, storms and floods could wash away bridges, knock down trees and power lines and make driving impossible. Freezing blizzards could force you to have to stay in your vehicle for a day or two until things break and you can get help.

In more serious situations, such as the Katrina disaster, your only means of shelter might be something outdoors, along side where the homeless are forced to survive, without even so much as a blanket... or you could be guided to large gymnasiums or even abandoned buildings where you are forced to survive with what you have on hand. Remember there will probably be no electricity, running water, sanitary restrooms, or places to eat, and even if there were, credit would be non existent and you may not have the cash to buy any food. And what if the food was no longer safe to eat? And of course fresh potable (drinkable) water would be extremely hard to find.

 The more knowledge you obtain about survival and the more "hands on" practice you acquire, the better your odds are of surviving a dangerous catastrophe without any severe repercussions. 

One final thought: If you think that you will never need these items or that such an emergency would never confront you, you might be playing a deadly game of "Russian Roulette". While we hope to never use these items, it is comforting to know that your prepared -  If not, the odds may be against you.