Experts Picks Top 10 Outdoor Survival Gear Essentials

Experts Picks: Top 10 Outdoor Survival Gear Essentials

1/25/2015

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.

17 Comments

kevin duff

1/24/2015 08:50:11 am

I always bring a military poncho.

Tim Thompson

8/3/2015 01:05:01 am

I don't understand how 2 of these "experts" can make a list without a knife of some kind. And how does 2 items on one line (" 2 Knives (1 folding & 1 large full tang fixed - at least 4”) count as a 10 item list? In a list of basic, most important items for any variety of survival situations one might encounter, I cant believe that 72 hours of MREs (again, multiple items) or a $50 bill is even a serious consideration. Redundancy is good, but having a mirror, whistle, and PLB or cellphone seems a bit ridiculous considering it's taking up 3 spaces fit for other gear. While I'm by NO means an expert, I would see a true list more like this:
1. Large fixed blade knife
2. Ferrocerium rod
3. Stainless steel canteen or water bottle
4. 100' paracord
5. Multitool
6. Heavy duty space blanket
7. LED flashlight
8. Bic lighter
9. Signal mirror
10. Some type of water purifier (e.g. Sawyer Mini)

I would definitely choose a machete or hatchet of some kind in place of a signal mirror for my personal kit, if limited to 10 items. But then again, I'd burn the damn forest down if I had to get some attention that bad.

Dennis

8/3/2015 01:20:43 am

Tim
The post is about the top 10 essentials, not top the items. That's why the list contains line items tat could be more than one item.

Thanks for your input

8/3/2015 02:16:28 am

Dennis,
I'm really not trying to play devil's advocate here, but if the actual post is supposed to be as essentials then I think they still missed the mark by putting individual items. Wouldn't things like a map and compass go together as a "Navigation" category? And a whistle, mirror, flares, etc. go as "Signalling"? The post brings up trimming down your bug out bag, but it doesn't specify a limiting of the amount of items when saying "essentials".

I would think that 10 "Essentials" would get shown as:
1. Blades (knife, hatchet, saw)
2. Fire starting (fero rod, lighter, candle, matches)
3. Water purification (tabs, Lifestraw, etc.)
4. Signal (mirror, whistle, flare)
5. Shelter (para cord, tarp, space blanket)
...Etc.

It can be construed as confusing either way. And if it's "essentials",
I still think a knife is definitely necessary and a $50 bill is missing the point. (Although, the money and 7-11 point was pretty funny)

Kevin

10/12/2015 08:21:55 pm

They should seperate every day carry and survival. Some on the list are edc and some are survival.

8/3/2015 01:09:04 am

I'd love to see what kind of list all the other "non experts" would choose...

8/3/2015 02:57:41 am

Tim I guess we'll just have to disagree
Good day

8/3/2015 04:09:06 am

Well, I was just asking a couple of questions. I like the post and the thought process behind it. I even posted it to my FB page to see what others thought. It's a great conversation piece, but was hoping for a little clarification. Nevermind, I guess.

8/3/2015 04:14:52 am

Tim
I'm sorry I must have missed your questions. Can you post what was it you wanted clarification on? I'm unable to find your questions. But post them again and I'll see how I can best clarify them

Thanks
D

8/3/2015 04:53:54 am

Ok, this is how the post is set up at the top of the page: "If you trim down your bug out bag to the absolute top 10 essentials you MUST have. What are you left with? and why?" I love asking questions like this to primitive skills instructors, survival enthusiasts, and amateurs because you get a wide variety of answers, and some of them are things you may have forgotten or never even knew about. But the experts gave lists that showed individual items for some of their items, and generalized categories or multiple items for one line. Is the post supposed to be items in your bug out bag that get reduced down to as necessity? Is the post supposed to be "essentials" that can be grouped, like say a map and compass for navigation? I've seen many posts like this, but this one is just a little vague to me after you posted your earlier reply. One of the experts said tinder (for fire starting), but there are many versions of tinder, and a lot can be found in the wild. But another guy said "waterproof fire starters" where others listed particular items like a Bic lighter. Should it be a list of individual items? Should it be listed as "essentials" in a grouping fashion like "fire starters" or "water purification"? It doesn't matter to me which way it goes, I'm just a little confused. I'd never make a list that said individual items like a knife and a signal mirror, and then generalize by saying fishing kits and various fire starting items. The idea of "essentials" can easily be listed either way. But am I wrong for being confused as to doing it BOTH ways?
Again, I'm not trying to frustrate you or be an ass, maybe I'm just reading into it too much. Please forgive me if you feel like I am antagonizing you, because that's truly not what I'm trying to do. I really like your website and enjoy discussions on subjects like this.

8/3/2015 05:03:38 am

We placed no constrains in the answers whether the essentials for them where specific items in their bug out bags or a generalized category.

They were open to provide answers in the ways of categories of items and to those where they felt strong enough about specifics they simply gave specific items.

If it was items only the title would have read "the top 10 items".

As you said "The idea of "essentials" can easily be listed either way", and that's the focus of this post.
Let me know if this helps to clarify

Scotty

9/7/2015 09:46:41 pm

Top 10 items would depend on how long you plan on being out there but you would need these things

1) some form of shelter - or a way to make a shelter
2) Some way to make fire
3) a pot - to boil water and cook your food
4) a fixed blade knife 4" or more
5) a tarp and para-cord
6) a first aid kit
7) Clothing -- depends on the weather
8) some way to carry you equipment - backpack?
9) someway to trap food or a fishing kit if you are need a lake or stream
10) Water purification method.

Dennis Diaz

9/8/2015 02:47:54 am

Great input Scotty! Thanks for the comment

Bram de Hond

10/16/2015 04:19:21 am

Pretty nice to see what for y'all is important to survive outdoors. But I have a little question for the webmaster of this website: For quite a while now i've been the owner of an X-Tel 9000 and i've enjoyed it very much! It's an rugged smartphone which is proof to almost everything. Maybe you can review this phone? Show other people the good and not good features on this phone. http://xsystems-store.com/product/x-tel-9000/

The phone is a real outdoor machine!

RationalPrepper

12/20/2016 10:55:43 am

LOL I see that 2 of these survival "experts" can't count to 10. They have more than 10 items in their list.

Mike link

7/9/2017 02:59:40 pm

The top 10 Essentials

1) Your Wits

2) Education

3)Water --------- https://wagewaroutdoors.com/survival-school/finding-purifying-water/

4) A Plan

5) Knife

6) Fire Starter

7) Communications (Signal Mirror/Sat Comms)

8) Garbage Bag -------- https://wagewaroutdoors.com/survival-school/survival-items/

9) Paracord

10) Map and Compass

Akira Gil Lamagna

5/28/2020 06:55:30 am

Nice article. So far I have this 15 survival kit that I just claim here. https://bit.ly/1FreeSurvivalKit I just pay the shipping fee and I'm using it now.

Experts Picks: Top 10 Outdoor Survival Gear Essentials

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