Category: Survival Kit

The 72 Hour Survivalist Guide – Bug Out Bag Essentials

12/15/2015

By Survival Ready Blog Contributor

Virtually all survival blogs and survival guides have at least one lowdown on the bug out bag in their article inventory. Bug out bags, also commonly referred to as ‘bugging out’, will come up early in any serious conversation about survival. There’s a good reason for this, when disaster strikes survivors could well be pushed out to higher ground, or into the wilderness, in an escape for survival. Under such circumstances, your Bug Out Bag may be all you have (and need) to keep you alive long enough to reconsider your options and reformulate your plan.

Bug Out Bag 101

Essentially, your bug out bag is the bare essential kit you need to keep you alive for a short time, in the event that you are forced from your base (your hotel, resort, campsite etc.) A fundamental thing to keep front-of-mind when planning your bug out bag is that you need to mobile (so your bag needs to stay light enough to move with relative ease). Of course we are talking about ‘your’ bug out bag here too, so your bag needs to include what ‘you’ need to survive.
The ground zero consideration in planning your bug out bag is that it is very much designed to be a temporary survival pack. You need to focus on the event in hand and your prepped bug out bag gives you the backup plan and mental breathing space to do that.

Bug Out Bag Essentials

Water – need I say more!
Fire – for warmth, cooking and attracting attention when you need to
Shelter – for rest and protection, from the weather and predators
Food – need I say more!
Tools – often the difference between life and death in the wilderness. Essential tools include a knife (or three), axe, knife sharpener, spark maker and rope.

Of course this guide is just a high-level overview for bug out bag plans. I highly recommend you read this detailed article for a comprehensive guide, I’ve found it be the top bug out bag checklist article out there right now.

My Final Word On 72 Hour Survival Plans
Being isolated in the wilderness for any length of time is often too challenging for most people to survive for long. If a disaster strikes like a flood, volcanic eruption, earthquake or war, your chances are usually much improved by finding a safe shelter within civilization and an urban area. This is the goal your bug out bag should be primarily focused on.

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The difference between your bugout bag and your home survival kit

2/13/2015

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By Jesse Jones

Most preppers these days have already built their bugout bag, as these are fairly well known about and what their purpose is. If you are unfamiliar with a bugout bag, go here and familiarize your self with the concepts. Bugout bags are a huge key step when starting out as a beginner prepper. It forces you to sacrifice between necessity and comfort. As a bugout bag is meant for short term survival on the go, it doesn't necessarily house all the items you may need or want in all survival situations.

The difference between your bugout bag and a home survival kit

As you start to build your bugout bag, you will start to think about situations and scenarios for each and every item in your bag. If you can't think of a situation where an item in your bugout bag can serve atleast 2 or more purposes, there is probably an item that you can substitute to better fill the space.

What you will also notice about your bugout bag, is you don't have much space to work with. So what happens if we have a huge list of items we want to increase our preparedness, but don't want the weight or have the room in our bugout bag? This is where your full feature, or home survival kit comes to play. The absolute most important difference you must remember about these two types of kits, is that your bugout bag is made for on the go. Home survival kit's on the other hand are designed to carry items that might weigh to much, are too big, or just aren't practical enough to make it into your bugout bag. A bugout bag is generally kept in your vehicle everywhere you go. A home survival kit is usually kept within your house.

What is in a Home Survival Kit?

Just like your bugout bag, your home survival kit contains the necessary tools, supplies, food, and water that you will need for temporary survival. Although the intentions for a home survival kit are not permanent survival, meaning you won't be able to live out of it forever, the contents held within should provide you with a solid foundation for temporary survival while you make better of the situation you are in.

So what are some of the items you might find in a Home Survival Kit?

Food
Water
Clothing
Hygiene products
Tools (Knife, Saw, Hatchet, File, etc)
Weapons (Guns & ammo, Knives, Tomahawk, Dart guns, Sling Shots, etc)
Food Gathering Tools/Supplies (Snare wire, Rat traps, Fishing pole, etc)
Garden Supplies (Tools, Seeds, Guides, Botany guides, etc)
Locational Items (Maps, Compass, Signal Mirror, String and Pendulum, Etc)
Recording/Tracking Implements (Watch, Sand Hour Glass, Note Book, Pens, Pencils, Crayons, etc)

So what is the difference between your bugout bag and your full feature or home survival kit?

Many of these items will probably also be located in your bugout bag, although probably in smaller quantities. Again, The main purpose behind the full feature or home survival kit is having MORE supplies for your to survive off than your bugout bag does. Generally speaking, your bugout bag will be designed to survive only 2-3 weeks max. The home survival kit however is more designed around a time length of 2-3 months.

A home survival kit tends to be much larger and bulkier than a bugout bag. Although it is something you should be able to move and load into a vehicle on your own, getting as many items into your home survival kit will increase your chances of survival.

Much like your bugout bag, your home survival kit will generally be designed around more likely events in your area. As a prepper my self, I find it interesting that most preppers are focusing on a single occurrence. Our theory is a bit different than most, Prepare for it ALL! Now that doesn't mean you will be able to cover every possible situation, but part of your plans for preparing should be making the considerations about more likely scenarios in your region.

As an example, my family personally does not prepare for hurricanes or tornadoes. We have much more likely things that will be happening in our region that we would rather focus on and be prepared for. Oregon (the state I live in) has a long history of being hurricane and tornado free. Could they happen? Of course they could, there’s nothing preventing them from happening. We do however prepare for something like nuclear fallout. Here in Portland Oregon, we live within a close proximity to multiple nuclear facilities ranging from nuclear missile storage, hazardous nuclear storage facilities, and a nuclear power plant. Luckily for us the wind is usually consistent at west to eastward movement, and in most cases nuclear particles will be pushed away from us. However, since this is a real threat, we prepare accordingly.

I am really hoping that I explained the difference between your bugout bag and your full feature or home survival kit well enough. It's important to know the differences, and knowing which one serves what purpose. If you have anything you feel we should add, or if there is something you think we should clarify better, please leave us a comment, we love your feedback!

As always, Thank you for stopping by!

About the author
Jesse Jones has been writing for over 8 years for many news outlets and online media sources. He is an avid survivalist and prepper who can be found writing articles on his personal survival blog www.365preppers.com go check him out!

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Disaster Preparedness Kit Must Haves

1/26/2015

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Survival Ready Blog Team

There are countless types of disasters and each type presents a very specific number of challenges. How much equipment you put in your kit depends on how you will carry the kit. A kit carried on your body will have to be smaller than one carried in a vehicle. Always layer your disaster preparedness kit, keeping the most important items on your body. For example, your map and compass should always be on your body. Carry less important items on your load-bearing equipment. Place bulky items in the rucksack.

In preparing your disaster preparedness kit, select items you can use for more than one purpose. If you have two items that will serve the same function, pick the one you can use for another function. Do not duplicate items, as this increases your kit's size and weight.

Your disaster preparedness kit need not be elaborate. You need only functional items that will meet your needs and a case to hold the items. For the case, you might want to use a Band-Aid box, a first aid case, an ammunition pouch, or another suitable case.

This case should be--
• Water repellent or waterproof.
• Easy to carry or attach to your body.
• Suitable to accept various sized components.
• Durable.

In your disaster preparedness kit, you should have--
• First aid items.
• Water purification tablets or drops.
• Fire starting equipment.
• Signaling items.
• Food procurement items.
• Shelter items.

Some examples of these items are--
• Lighter, metal match, waterproof matches.
• Snare wire.
• Signaling mirror.
• Wrist compass.
• Fish and snare line.
• Fishhooks.
• Candle.
• Small hand lens.
• Oxytetracycline tablets (diarrhea or infection).
• Water purification tablets.
• Solar blanket.
• Surgical blades.
• Butterfly sutures.
• Condoms for water storage.
• Chap Stick.
• Needle and thread.
• Knife.

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Experts Picks: Top 10 Outdoor Survival Gear Essentials

1/25/2015

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Survival Ready Blog Team

If you trim down your bug out bag to the absolute top 10 essentials you MUST have. What are you left with? and why?

Recommended outdoor survival gear — Top 10 Essentials

Todd Smith, editor-in-chief of Outdoor Life magazine
1. Personal locator beacon (PLB) or cell phone
2. Map of area
3. Compass
4. Small first-aid kit
5. Water bottle
6. Flashlight/headlamp
7. Lighter and fire starters
8. Space blanket/bivy sack
9. Whistle
10. Signal mirror

Doug Ritter, founder of survivalist website Equipped To Survive,www.equipped.org
1. HeatSheets brand space blanket
2. Gloves
3. Chlorine dioxide water-purification tablets
4. Nylon braided line
5. Whistle
6. Lighter
7. Waterproof matches
8. Tinder (for fire starting)
9. Signal mirror
10. Personal locator beacon (PLB)

Mike Forti, graduate of the United States Air Force Survival School
1. Large knife (machete or hatchet)
2. Cell phone
3. Bic Lighter
4. 9 × 12 foot plastic painters tarp (0.35 mil thickness)
5. Mylar survival blanket
6. Mini L.E.D. flashlight
7. Water purification tablets
8. Water container of some sort
9. Small roll of fishing line or dental floss
10. Fifty Dollar bill (“After a few days lost in the woods eating bugs, it would be a real shame to emerge next to a 7-11, and have no money for food,” Forti said.)

Dennis Diaz, Chief Editor of Survival Ready Blog, www.survivalreadyblog.com
1. Water Filtering & Purification Gear (Water purification tablets, Lifestraw, Etc.)
2. Water container
3. Cordage (Paracord)
4. 2 Knives (1 folding & 1 large full tang fixed - at least 4”)
5. Thermal blanket & plastic tarp
6. Water proof fire starters
7. Flashlight
8. Trauma kit
9. Compass & ranger beads
10. 72 hour worth of MRE’s or high calorie bars style supplies

Via Gear Junkie

To trim a survival kit down to its top 10 essentials is to reveal the utmost necessary items for shelter, warmth, communication, navigation, sustenance, etc. in the deep wilderness. Here, then, are four experienced survivalists lean lists of gear you should not be without in any wilderness situation.

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Emergency Food Storage & Survival Gear

1/19/2015

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By Mike Brown

Is It Time To Consider Long-term food Storage?

Nobody can deny the fact that we are experiencing dramatic, exponential increases in scary events. If you live under a rock because you depend only on the M.S.M. (Mainstream Media), check out the following links:

Water Turning Blood Red: http://youtu.be/ouc-0HDvTwQ
Weird Disturbances in the Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEPuzX2ix3k
Meteors Injuring People: http://youtu.be/NTaoocI_6x0
Crazy Deadly Weather Events: http://youtu.be/gBZpJYJLboQ
Wars and Rumors Of Wars: http://youtu.be/CvimcxXsmjg
Economic Collapses Word-Wide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-hg4_5d0WI
Social Unrest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uo4L88OeIU
Disease and Pestilence: http://youtu.be/ZBbsnyqlihs
Massive unexplained Animal Die-Offs: http://youtu.be/wVzjLW-9uyc
Nuclear Accidents radiation In U.S.: http://youtu.be/pbdx3n-HG8g

The words that no parent should ever have to hear... are from a crying child saying, "I'm Hungry Mommy...please let me eat"... or... "Why don't we have food Daddy?" A combination of DIY (Do It Yourself) and freeze dried emergency foods are best. Making up food grade buckets with mylar bags ironed airtight with oxygen absorbents will last 25 years.

Millions of people are awakening to the fact that natural disasters, the dollar collapse and wars are threatening to come into their hometowns...up their neighborhood streets....to their front doors. Time to wake-up and realize FEMA warns people to get ready. FEMA has purchased tons and tons of freeze dried foods and billions of rounds of lethal hollow-point ammo which is illegal under the Geneva Convention to use in wars! They know something is coming - period!

It can't happen in America you say? History is a good teacher...so don't let your loved ones go un-protected. Get the only real insurance there is....get food and survival gear insurance...the insurance that any good provider thinks of... before the Red Dawn rises in the morning...please visit www.Survival-Food-Supplies.com today and use the planning tools there to protect your household! DIY (Do It Yourself) Supplies are there.

About The author
Mike Brown, 8 year Navy Intel vet and graduate of the classified S.E.R.E. (Survival Evasion Resistance escape) school. Owner of www.Survival-Food-Supplies.com and internet blogger. Former 911 Sick Rescue Workers, billion dollar class action law suit investigations supervisor.

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Emergency Survival Kit List

1/10/2015

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By Survival Ready Blog Team

There is no one size fits all survival or emergency kit for everyone and anyone. When putting together your kit, you must take into account specific needs you and your family could have in the event of an emergency. For example do you have kids, pet or elderly member in your household? Does anyone need specific care or assistance due to medical conditions? Do you need to stock up additional supplies due to your location (I.E. water in desert climate)?

There is not one emergency survival kit list that will be the end all be all list and contain everything you can possibly need. However there are universal supplies that are must haves in any survival or emergency kit

Via All Things Emergency Prepared

“A detailed survival list will help you and your family prepare essential emergency items that...
you may NOT have remembered or thought of, without having a check-list.

The survival stuff listed here includes many things that will be hard, or impossible, to find and will disappear very quickly from stores when a major disaster or emergency does happen.

You should do your best to prepare as many of them as possible, especially before a large scale or long term emergency."

Emergency survival kit list contents:
WATER
EMERGENCY FOOD
EMERGENCY POWER
COOKING & HEATING
SAFETY ITEMS
KITCHEN & HOUSEHOLD
PERSONAL CARE/HYGIENE
LIGHTING
TOOLS
CLOTHING
PET SUPPLIES
MISCELLANEOUS
SELF SUFFICIENCY SUPPLIES

Via All Things Emergency Prepared

Download the full survival kit list here

Full Article Via All Things Emergency Prepared

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Essentials for Your Emergency Preparedness Kit

1/7/2015

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You never know when an emergency will occur. Therefore you should always be prepared and have the necessary essentials. If you already have an emergency preparedness kit make sure its accessible and in good condition. Its good to clarify that an emergency preparedness kit should be fairly portable and therefore it is not design for long term survival. Think of it as a lighter version of your bugout bag.

Generally speaking, the main difference between an emergency preparedness kit and a bugout bag, is that bugout bags are usually more complex and functional than your typical emergency preparedness kit. Bugout bags are mostly intended for escape(hence the “bugout”), movement and survival until a safe location(usually a pre-established location) is reached. This could be well after the 72 hour mark and it also has the tools to produce and procure essentials like food & water. See our battle proven bugout bag here.
An emergency preparedness kit, would typically include essential equipment and supplies to keep you going for 72-hours if you are caught in the middle of a disaster. This makes this type of kit easier to replicate in multiple locations (Ie, Office, Car, Etc)

Below is a list of out top 10 essentials for your emergency preparedness kit:

"It is never a bad idea to prepare for an emergency. The kinds of things you need to prepare for will change depending on where you live, but everyone needs to have an emergency preparedness kit.

1. Water
While you can last for several weeks without food, the same is not true for water. If it is cool, 10 days without hydration is considered the limit. Taking that into account, it is a good idea to have one gallon of water per person, per day. The problem with water is that it is relatively heavy. One gallon of water weighs just over eight pounds, but trust us, all that weight is definitely worth it. Read more.

2. Cordage & Tape
Rope is also useful for camping, especially if you find yourself in a survival situation.

I prefer 550 parachute cord. It's lightweight, strong, and takes up little space. I am always wearing a paracord bracelet and usually bring an extra one camping, in addition to a large length of unused paracord. My extra bracelet has a side release buckle which makes it easy to attach to a strap on my pack. (Related: 101 Uses for Paracord) One neat property of 550 paracord is how it lengthens when wet. This is useful when you need a tight hold on something. Get it wet, then secure the object. When the cord dries, it will tighten. This is great for making grips on walking sticks and fixed bladed knives.

Uses:
- hoisting food to keep away from wildlife
- building emergency shelter
- making splint for broken bones
- lashing poles
- tent repair
- climbing
- attaching gear to pack
- fishing line
- trap for hunting
Read more

3. Food
How long can you go without food? The most common answer is between 4 to 6 weeks. Though, this depends largely on a person’s initial health. Regarding the emergency preparedness kit, it is a good idea to have a three day supply of food per person. The food shouldn’t need to be refrigerated or cooked. Some good ideas of the food to pack include:

Granola Bars
Trail Mix
Canned Meat
Crackers
Candy
Jerky

Organize the food according to meals in plastic bags. This way you don’t have to hunt through your emergency kit bag to find what you are looking for. Read more.

4. Bedding
There are two things to keep in mind when packing bedding: staying warm and keeping dry. Even in the driest environment, moisture is likely to form overnight and soak through the fabric of a cloth blanket. Invest in a water-repellent blanket and a tarp to protect yourself from moisture. A space blanket can be an ideal addition to an emergency it. Space blankets help you retain your body temperature, keep out the rain and wind and are compact and light. Read more

5. Clothing
Clothing is one of the most difficult items to pack because it takes up space and requires planning for everything. It is a good idea to have two shirts – short and long sleeves – a pair of trousers, a jacket, socks and under garments. And that is just covering the bare essentials since you don’t know what time of year it is going to be. At the very least have a jacket and a change of socks. Having warm, dry feet every night makes it easier to sleep and will keep you warmer overall. Read more

6. Lighting & Fire
There are various ways to get light when the power's out, including flashlights, lamps, flares and candles. Make sure you have spare batteries or matches. There are some flashlights and lamps that are powered either using a solar panel or a crank. These can be a great way to make sure you have light without worrying about corroded batteries.

For fire, always pack water-proof matches so you can start a fire if you need to. The matches should be placed in a water-proof container for extra protection, and they should be kept all together. Read more

7. First Aid Kit
We can’t stress the importance of this one enough. Having a first aid kit is vital in an emergency. Some of the items to included are:

First Aid Booklet (including CPR)
Adhesive
Antibacterial wipes
Antibiotic ointment
Band-aids
Bandages
Bicarbonate of soda
Eye drops/eye wash
Fever reducing medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen
Gloves
Hand sanitizer

Read more

8. Cash & IDs
While they don’t have to stay in the kit at all times, they should be close at hand and be in a water-proof container. During times of disaster it is probably unlikely that you will be able to find a workable ATM, so it is a good idea to have some cash stored in the kit as well. This can be used to purchase supplies or gas if needed. Read more

9. Shovel

You never know when you are going to need to dig yourself or your vehicle out of the snow or mud, or when you will need to build a fire pit or a solar still in the wilderness. Either way there is not a good substitute for a sturdy, well made shovel you can rely on.

10. Knife (Full Tang Fixed & Folding).
Knives have so many uses in every day camp activities and life in general. If you find yourself in a survival situation, your chances of survival are infinitely increased with a knife. I always have a pocket knife on me for everyday use and camping.

Fixed blade knives are ideal. They are more durable and resilient than folding knives as they do not have mechanical movement. They are also better for cutting large objects such as branches. Folding knives are great for a backup and less demanding tasks. Read more

Uses:
- cutting rope
- creating weapons
- opening packages
- boredom relief
- creating fire starters (ie: bow drill)
- building emergency shelters (cutting branches, cutting tarp, etc)
- cutting cloth for bandages (if you don't have a first aid kit)
- cutting bandages
- so much more; you discover many more uses through experience
Read more

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Homemade Survival Kits

1/3/2015

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By Survival Ready Blog

If you ever find yourself in a survival or worst case scenario, do you know what you need? Imagine for a second that you are lost in a wilderness area, social unrest has erupted, you’re the victim of an accident, or caught in a natural disaster.

Given that you are reading this, chances are that you have a fairly good idea of what to do, but do you have the basic, essential tools to help you survive.

Even if you don’t have a commercial emergency kit you may already have the essentials to put together your very own homemade survival kit. Building homemade survival kits from scratch can be very satisfying, yet also very intimidating. To see how to construct your Homemade Survival Kits click here

“A kit should contain basic elements to help you establish shelter, direction, water collection and the ability to catch or snare food. Many survival kits are available from different retailers. However, it is certainly possible to assemble your own kit in a size that is easy to transport.

Step 1
Select a small, durable and water resistant container for the kit. There are many options for storing a survival kit including metal containers with hinged lids and even sealing plastic bags. The main things to consider are the degree of water resistance and size, making sure the container is big enough to accommodate the contents. Consider placing a small container in a plastic bag for additional protection.

Step 2
Include fire-starting materials in your kit. Include more than one means of starting a fire. A small butane lighter, magnesium fire starter, waterproof matches, tinder and even a small piece of candle with wick are good choices. Never rely on only one method of fir-starting. Fire is a psychological boost. By making a fire you have the ability to somewhat control your situation and determine the outcome. Staying warm is nice too.

Step 3
Consider a means for collecting and purifying water. You can go much longer without food than you can water, especially under a stressful situation. Dehydration may quickly set in with symptoms ranging from mild disorientation to black out. Carry a few water purification tablets and a small piece of plastic sheeting or bag. If you choose a metal container for your kit, this may be used for boiling small amounts of water for drinking.

Read more here

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Military Survival Kits Guide

12/30/2014

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Military personnel can be sent out anywhere in there world. It may be a tropical, arctic or subarctic region. Soldiers typically carry all practical personal equipment wherever they are deployed to, and many times they may find themselves in remote areas, relying only in their gear. In these cases having the right gear can prove vital.

“The US Armed Forces have developed a number of different survival kits over the years, as well as a lot of individual equipment designed to help our troops stay alive in hostile environments. Other countries have acquired similar kits, and some invented a few unique gadgets of their own."

Studying the kits and equipment is fun and instructive, and a source of ideas for your own kits.”

Download the full report here

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Emergency Survival Kit Essentials

11/1/2014

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Whether you're going camping, hiking, hunting, or you just want to stock your home with the essentials in the event of an emergency, survival gear is a welcome addition to any home. Here are a few things to consider when browsing for the best survival gear.

What sort of things make the ideal survival kit? Regardless of your settings, a first aid kit, a lighter, blankets, food, and water are all good things to consider when purchasing survival gear. There are even specialized bags you can keep these supplies in, making it easy to store them in the spare room in your basement or the trunk of your car.

For our recommendations of what gear should be in your survival kit see our list here

Keep in mind, however, that it's not enough simply to purchase quality survival gear. If you're stocking up in the event of an emergency, it's important to check your supplies regularly to ensure that your food and water supplies are still top notch. Pack sensibly; make sure that all water sources are in water tight containers and stored in cool, dark areas. Do the same for any food items, even if it's just canned food. While most survival gear foodstuffs will last for several years if stored properly, it's nevertheless a good idea to make sure your supplies are still good. Nothing is worse, after all, than discovering your food and water has gone stale or moldy when you need it the most.

It's also a good idea to ensure that your survival gear is in working order. For example, make sure that your lighter or fire starter kit works and is easy to operate. Ensure that any flashlights or radios have a fresh supply of batteries. (As an afterthought, pack extra batteries as well; you never know when you might need them.

These are only a few things to consider when picking out the right survival supplies. While it may seem trivial now, in the long run you'll be glad you were so insightful. If you're having trouble finding everything you need, feel free to check out the survival gear kits available online to see if there is anything that caters to your specific needs. Learn more today about how the right survival gear can benefit you!

In addition include compasses, GPS navigators, flashlights, and emergency flares. Learn more about the importance of a survival tool kit today!

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The difference between your bugout bag and a home survival kit

What is in a Home Survival Kit?

So what is the difference between your bugout bag and your full feature or home survival kit?

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