How To Build A Pocket Survival Kit

By

Connor Langdon

Copyright 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Redundancy In Survival Items

Confidence In Your Kit

The Best Survival Kit

What To Put In Your Kit

Your Kit Is Ever-Evolving

Making A Mini Survival Kit Or EDC

Additional Resources

Introduction

Walk into a camping store or visit the camping section of a sports retailer, and you'll no doubt find small kits containing items such as fire starting materials, signaling devices, shelter items, water purification tablets or drops, as well as other things related to surviving in the outdoors. Survival kits are available in several different sizes and are suited for various outdoor-related activities. There are kits for hunters, fishermen, cyclists, hikers & backpackers. Think of any outdoor activity & there may be a survival kit made for that particular field.

With the increase in the number of people venturing into the wilderness today, the potential for harm or injury has also increased. A high percentage of hikers, backpackers, kayakers, cyclists & others have no formal training in safety awareness when it comes to being outdoors. The media has helped raise the interest of would be adventurers with cable television shows such as Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, Man Woman Wild, The Alaska Expedition & many others. In a good way, this has helped to get many sedentary people outside & to enjoy the world around them. As a downside, most of these people don't realize the potential dangers that lay in wait for the unprepared.

Learning outdoor survival skills, as well as bushcraft skills, has grown exponentially in just the last five years. People are finding enjoyment & satisfaction in learning outdoor skills which our ancestors relied upon in order to make a life for themselves. Taking time on the weekends to learn such skills can be a great relief from the week-long battle of a job, & is a way to challenge the mind & will of our person. Anyone going out into the outdoors should find the time to learn some basic survival skills, just in case they find themselves stranded in the woods, or even on the side of the road miles from help. But this report isn't about the skills needed to survive a night or two in the wilderness, or how to start a fire from two sticks. This collection has to do with building a personal survival kit; one that can be carried on your person; which can in effect, help save your life in an emergency.

Let me make a point of having a personal survival kit:  it is of no use to you if it's not carried with you when out in the wilderness.  The internet is filled with blogs, reports, ebooks, websites & videos showcasing the various elements that can & should be carried in a survival kit. All of this information does nothing to help you if you don't put it into practice. Build a survival kit, build several, then take one with you on your next excursion.

Of the many survival type kits that can be made, the kit outlined in this report is one that can be carried on your person, particularly in a pocket or small pouch on a belt. An even smaller kit is outlined at the end of this report. Let me make clear that a compact-size survival kit is most likely not something that can effect your survival in a long term scenario, but rather for a day or two at most. An individual who has extensive training in outdoor survival living is one who may in fact be quite capable of living in an emergency wilderness setting. A more fully outlined kit, often referred to as a bug-out bag or bail-out bag, is a kit which can help effect your survival for up to 72 hours. This type of kit is not outlined in this manual.

Let's go over some important points in regards to building a personal survival kit, then talk about what items can and should be included in this kit. Your kit should be tailored to your specific environment, as well as to your level of knowledge and skill set. It's also good to note here that many items that you'll include in your own kit will be redundant items.

Redundancy In Survival Items

When you're out hiking, backpacking, rafting, cycling or doing some other outdoor-related activity, you'll already have on your person items which can or will effect your survival. This includes the clothes on your back, a water bottle, a knife, a backpack with a tent or tarp in it for shelter. A personal survival kit is simply a miniature version of what you should be carrying already in a larger pack, yet carried separately on your person, in an event that your larger pack is lost.

If you normally carry a compass in your pack, then a small, button-style compass would be a good item to have in your mini kit. A photon light would be the smaller version of a headlamp; a mini folding knife would complement a larger knife in your pack; a space blanket or drum liner would be the equivalent of your shelter or sleeping bag; water treatment drops or vial of bleach would be the same as carrying a water filter, etc. These items are smaller, more compact versions of what you normally carry in a backpack. They are redundant items.

The Most Important Survival Tool

What do you think is the most important and valuable tool in your survival kit? Is it a knife, shelter, a means to start a fire? None of those. It's that which you carry with you every second of everyday; it's your brain. Not only is your brain important for learning the skills necessary to survive in the outdoors, but it's vital for improvisation. If you can use your mind to help you adapt to any situation, substituting and improvising items that you may not have, then you can survive anything, anywhere. Ingenuity goes a long way when you're resources are limited.

I enjoy reading stories of survival, whether it's in the sub-freezing temperatures of the arctic, or the tropics of South America. Every story is unique, and yet they all are very similar. In the toughest of conditions and harshest of climes, man finds a way to live, to endure. Survival stories help inspire us to go beyond what we think is our limit, temper our will and determination for greater accomplishments. It's useful to learn survival tips from experts on television and in written word. But that spirit of determination, the desire to adapt to any situation and overcome whatever obstacle we're up against; that which comes between us and survival; that's the most important skill we can learn. The mind is the most important tool we have in our kit.

Confidence In Your Kit

Experienced survivalists are constantly revising their own survival kit; adding, subtracting and replacing things here and there. If you ask one of them why they decided on the things they carry, a common answer will be 'experience'. It comes down to what works for them, based upon their knowledge and personal skill set. They are confident in their kit because they are confident in their knowledge, which is the basis for their personal kit. Their knowledge is formed from experience, their experience is built upon practice; real-world living and not theory.

What Is Skill Set?

You may be thinking, 'what does skill set mean?' A person's skill set is comprised of the particular skills that he or she possesses, such as fire-starting, shelter building, hunting and fishing, day and night navigation, gathering wild edibles, tool-making, etc. The more you're capable of doing in the wilderness, especially without the need for tools and man-made materials, the more self-reliant you are, and the greater your skill set is. As many survival experts preach, 'the more you know, the less you need'. A more experienced person will therefore have a more concise survival kit than an average hiker or backpacker.

Part of the confidence you have in your kit is also rooted in the quality of the items you choose for your kit. In today's market of survival-related gadgets, there is a plethora of cheaply made items. In a real-world survival scenario, you don't want to be trusting your life to a mass-produced trinket that some corporation is selling just to make some money. Each item needs to be tried and tested in a real wilderness setting.

When shopping for and gathering the items you want for your survival kit, it's a good idea to build at least two identical kits. Use one for practice, so that you're well versed in the operation of every item. If something breaks or fails somehow, discard it and replace it with something of better quality. The second kit will be what you carry with you. You can practice using the items in your kit in your backyard at home, or while camping on an overnight trip. Get familiar with each and every piece of your gear.

The Best Kit Is One You Build Yourself

There are many commercially available survival kits in stores today. Many of these kits contain items of poor quality. If, at any time, you find yourself having to depend on a man-made item in order to survive, that item needs to be of excellent quality! One piece of your kit can mean the difference between life and death.

Because we all don't engage in the same outdoor activities, a one-size-fits-all kit isn't practical. The items in your kit are relative to the activity you're engaging in. If you do decide that you'd rather purchase a ready-made kit from a local retailer or online shop, there's a good chance you'll remove or replace some of the items in the kit to better suit your needs. For example, you may decide to replace fishing hooks with several safety pins, or take out the waterproof matches and put in a small cigarette lighter. You may not care for wax covered cotton balls, but opt for cotton balls rubbed with petroleum jelly as a better fire tinder.

Something to consider:  If half or more of the items in the purchased kit end up being replaced, or discarded altogether, then the price of your 'purchased' kit has just risen. In the end, you may realize that it's cheaper to put together your own kit.

Some important questions to consider at this stage of developing your survival kit:

What are the specific needs related to my activity?

              -Day hiking

              -Backpacking

              -Mountain Biking

              -Skiing/Snow-shoeing

Should I carry any first aid items in my kit?

Should I carry any perishable or non-perishable food?

How will I carry the kit?

What is my budget for the items in my kit?

Of course, these are just a sample of things to consider, & at this point, we haven't touched on the list of  specific items to put into your kit. But here we should decide on the size of the kit to be carried, as well as how the kit will be carried on your person. As mentioned earlier, the type of personal survival kit we're discussing here is one that can be carried on your person. It should fit into a small metal or plastic container that will fit into a small pouch and can be attached to a belt. An even smaller, mini-sized kit can be fashioned, which can be carried on a keychain or hang from a necklace. We'll talk on that kit as well near the end of this report.

A popular choice for small survival kits today is that of the altoid-size tin can. This is both a lightweight and multi-use style container. The tin can be used to drink water from, as a signaling mirror, a means to make char-cloth with and even boiling water for disinfecting and cooking.

A larger size aluminum box is also something to consider, though it should be noted, because of its larger size, may not be as portable and easy to carry on a belt. Pictured below is the Adventurer Aluminum Survival Kit Box sold by Best Glide ASE.

In considering the type of  bag or pouch in which to carry your personal survival kit, a small molle-style pouch or camera bag is a good size case in which to carry your survival kit.

A military style carrying pouch, such as the Blackhawk model pictured above, is an expensive choice but excellent quality. You should opt for something that is tough and durable, made of a waterproof or water-resistant material, such as is found in military gear.

What To Put In Your Kit

Now for the details on what to put in your kit. If you ask 20 survival experts what should go into a survival kit, you may get 20 different lists. One reason is that not all survival experts have the same background or experience. Experience is one of the greatest influences on what goes into a kit. But if you have no experience, or not a great deal of it, you still need to start somewhere. So, in order to decide what items to put into a kit, let's break down the needs of someone in a survival situation.

The needs will focus on five basic headings:  cutting tool, combustion device, cover/shelter, container and cordage. These headings have been taken from Dave Canterbury, author of Survivability For The Common Man. Dave refers to them as the 5 C's of survival. In his book, he goes into detail about the system he's developed, which is comprised of the 10 C's of survival. In my opinion, this is the simplest, yet most effective system available today for helping people develop their own survival kits. Let's go over quickly the 5 C's of survival.

1.       Cutting Tool.  The most important external tool you can carry in a survival situation is a knife. Even a small pocket style knife is handy to have. It is an essential tool. Even on short hiking trips, I always make a point of carrying a knife. Many times, I've met hikers who don't carry a knife with them and even make light of needing a knife. It's these same people who ask to borrow my knife for whatever reason. I can't remember how many times this has happened.

2.       Combustion Device.  After a knife, the means to start fire is the next most essential item to carry, even above shelter. A shelter can be fashioned with outdoor materials, even in the most crude fashion, and still be a life-saver. When faced with a survival situation, when you need to start a fire, then you must have a dependable means to start a fire. If the ground and all fire-starting materials around you are wet, then using the bow drill fire method will do you no good. You must have sure fire. Carrying a ferrocerium rod, along with some tinder, such as cotton balls or jute twine, will help you get a fire started to the point where you can dry out other materials to continue that fire. In some cases, a fire may be all you need to stave off the cold.

3.       Cover/Shelter.  Your first line of defense against the elements; cold, heat, rain and snow; is the clothes you are wearing. An inexpensive poncho or drum liner can be carried in your mini kit and used as a make-shift shelter or sleeping bag.

4.       Container.  In order to collect water for drinking, as well as for boiling and cooking, you need a dependable container. In order to boil water in it, your container needs to be metal. In a survival scenario, it is possible to boil or heat water in a plastic container to make it safe for drinking. This action should only be used when your life is on the line. Heating plastic to high temperatures releases harmful toxins.

5.       Cordage.  In many instances where you need to build a natural shelter, cordage is a necessity. The ability to make a structure stable is something that cordage can provide. Rope, paracord or some type of twine can be used for countless chores and is a valuable item to have in your kit.

As mentioned above, this system is part of a more comprehensive list compiled by Dave Canterbury of The Pathfinder School, LLC. Based upon these 5 simple points, we can then put together a list of items to carry in a personal survival kit. Following are some suggestions, but by no means the only things that can be included in your kit. There is no perfect kit.   

Small folding knife or multi-tool.

Two scalpel or utility blades.

Ferrocerium rod and/or cigarette lighter.

Some Wetfire fire starting blocks, cotton balls or jute twine.

Paracord or twine, such as mason's line or bank line.

Space blanket.

Poncho.

A signaling mirror.

A whistle.

Miniature LED torch, such as a photon light.

Eye dropper filled with bleach, iodine or water purifying tablets.

Some strong food grade plastic bags for collecting, purifying and carrying water.

Button compass.

Small bandages, super glue for cuts; antiseptic ointment.

Cloth or canvas needle.

Bonded nylon thread or dental floss.

Tweezers.

Duct tape.

Ranger bands or some rubber bands.

       A few fish hooks, swivels and sinkers; length of fishing line.

One square foot of aluminum foil folded.

Wire ties.

       SAS wire saw.

       P-38 can opener.

       Ten or twenty dollar bill.

       Phone card.

       Extra driver's license, even if outdated.

As I wrote above, there is no perfect kit. This list is a sampling of what can be put into a personal survival kit. Go through this list, checking those items which you feel would be a good idea to carry in your own kit. Think about the activities you engage in the most, and the items you believe would benefit you the most when in those situations. Practice with the items in your kit. After a month, go through the list again, deleting or replacing anything you feel is needed. Over time, you will develop what you feel is the best kit for you.

Your Kit Is Ever-Evolving

Your kit of today will probably not be the same kit five years from now, unless of course, you don't ever actually carry or use the items in your kit. Ideas change and evolve, preferences are altered over time. You should from time to time think on ways to improve your kit. This means replacing or removing items from the kit. If you've been diligent in practicing with the items in your kit, then no doubt some of those items will need to be replenished now and then.

As time goes on, your knowledge should be increasing in the areas of outdoor survival, as well as your skills. You should be further advanced in your skills two years from now. Skills such as fire-starting, shelter-building, tool-making, navigation, hunting and gathering, etc., should be constantly refined. With the increase of knowledge and skill, the evolution of your kit is inevitable.

It's important to do a regular inventory of the items in your kit. At least once a month, take the time to go through your kit, inspecting each and every item to ensure that they are in good condition and fully useable. Replenish those items which have been used and are lacking.

In closing, I'd like to emphasize another important idea when it comes to carrying a personal survival kit. When you're out hiking, backpacking, cycling or simple car camping, remember that there are others in your group who are dependent on you and your knowledge and skills. If a problem arises, or one of your group is injured, you may be the one that people look to for help. You should at least have an idea that this is a possibility. In fact, you should expect it. This means that you'd better be prepared. Don't leave it up to someone else to have a small kit with them that could help in an emergency. Don't assume that another one in your group will have the knowledge and skills necessary to effect a solution to an unforeseen problem. It's your responsibility to be prepared; and if you would be prepared to help yourself, then you must be prepared to help others.

I hope this short publication has helped bring some awareness or instruction in how to build your own personal survival kit. This has by no means been an exhaustive resource on the subject of personal survival, but hopefully it has given you some ideas on building a kit and put you on the path of always being prepared when you go out into the wilderness.

Making A Mini Survival Kit Or EDC

An even smaller and more basic kit can be carried on your person everyday. There are teachers who speak about EDC, which stands for 'everyday carry'. These are items which are with you everyday at work, school, out doing errands, etc. They can be carried on a keychain or carabiner. The mini kit is a stripped down version of a personal survival kit; the bare bones.

On my backpacking trips, I carry several items on a necklace. This was something I learned from another hiker friend of mine, and that which many military individuals employ. The most common survival necklace is fashioned of a ball-chain material, from which hangs a lighter or firesteel, a small light, can opener, knife, compass, etc.

My necklace is comprised of 550 paracord. From this necklace hangs a firesteel and striker, a magnesium rod, a photon light and a spy capsule containing two types of tinder:  jute twine and a piece of a cotton filter. In my pocket is always a knife, which could just as easily hang from my necklace, and on my watchband is a small compass. With these items, I always have five of the ten C's which Dave Canterbury teaches in his pathfinder system. Of course, some important things are missing from my mini kit, such as a container for carrying water and a cover or shelter. But this is a stripped down kit, and the contents are primarily those items which are needed the most. An exception to this would be a drinking container. Below is a picture of the necklace I carry.

The necklace contains roughly 8 feet of paracord for cordage purposes. It's woven from one continuous strand of multicam colored paracord in a rope style weave. The clasp is a plastic safety slide release buckle, which has a break-away load of 20 lbs. This is a good option, as the necklace won't choke or harm me in any way should it become entangled on a tree, vine, fence or anything else. 

Additional Resources

Fire-making/Survival Kit

Books

Build The Perfect Survival Kit by John D. McCann

Build The Perfect Bug Out Bag:  Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit by Creek Stewart

When All Hell Breaks Loose by Cody Lundin

98.6 Degrees:  The Art Of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin

DVDs & Movies

Primitive Living Skills, Applied by John & Geri McPherson, Bill Lansdown

Off The Land:  The Advanced Guide To Using Wild Plants

50 Outdoor Skills Survival DVD starring Dick Person (2003)

Desert Survival Tricks, Tips & Skills DVD by Tony Nester

Websites

http://survival-expert.com/  James Mandeville

http://www.survival.com/    Home Of Hoods Woods & the late Ron Hood