Camping Basics: The Survival Kit

Camping is an excellent way to learn self-sustenance. You can learn how to live and operate in the forests that we humans evolved out of, but you can also learn something of yourself and your ability. Depending on your level of expertise and how much you want to, in popular terms, "rough it," you may want to consider bringing along a simple survival kit. I would actually recommend this to everyone of any level, unless you're Bear Grylls (but he has a camera crew, who probably have most of these things... take that for what you will).

The first thing you want to get is a water-tight, air-tight container. You can generally purchase these at any camping/fishing/hunting outlet store. Another option is a simple Tupperware storage container. Any size works as long as it holds everything. Barring these options, you can take these supplies and wrap them tight and thoroughly in cling-wrap. Once you open this though, it's a pain to get everything wrapped back up, so I would highly recommend either of the first two options. This will also only really protect against rain - if you drop your bundled supplies into a river, they're most likely going to sink (another benefit of water/air tight containers: they float!). That's a bad situation to be in. You can also sometimes also find water-resistant packs or carry bags. Again, they don't float - keep that in mind when purchasing.

The main things you want to include in your survival kit are waterproof matches and first-aid supplies. Matches should be an obvious choice, but it's important to get waterproof ones. A wet match is a useless match in an emergency situation. First aid supplies should also be obvious, but more specifically, you want Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment, burn spray, gauze bandages, medical tape, and sterile alcohol wipes (you can get pre-packaged ones at pharmacies) and/or a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide. This will cover most general first-aid needs. If you can't take care of it with general supplies, then you will need to seek medical attention. But what if you're, for instance, out on the Appalachian Trail and you're miles away from a road? It may benefit you to take a few extra supplies, such as a sterile knife/blade, a sterile needle, and some kind of stitch-material (regular thread may work, but you can't necessarily sterilize it...). Again, if things get that bad, you're much better off finding someone qualified to help you.

The next thing you want in your survival kit is bug spray, but specifically, something that will repel mosquitoes. They carry a cornucopia of diseases and sickness. Getting any of these diseases can quickly turn into a serious situation, so it's better to simply not have to worry about it. Use bug spray, even if it stinks.

Next, you should get some water purification tablets. These are usually found at camping or hunting stores. They're just chlorine tablets that will kill just about any bacteria that you're going to encounter in your drinking water. Assuming you can't boil it, put the water you want to purify in a container and drop one in, stir it around, and enjoy water that tastes like it came right out of city pipes! It may not be tasty, but it'll do. A quick note here, you should always try to boil water before you drink it. Purification tablets should come second to that. However, I've seen things that were touted to be "water purification straws," which looked like a standard straw with a bulbous filter on the bottom. I didn't try it, so I can't speak truthfully about their effectiveness. Your mileage may vary using them.

Next is a battery powered flashlight. It doesn't have to be a huge lantern looking thing, but it does need to be bright enough to let you see what you're doing if it's the only light source you have. You should also keep an extra set of batteries, just in case.

Another thing is a hand-held radio. Again, if you're on the Appalachian Trail, you may not find much use for it, but if you're leisure camping, this can allow you to get weather updates and possibly allow you to avoid weather hazards.

Optional Things

A few optional items may include a few fishing hooks and a small spool of fishing line. If you don't have one with you already, your kit would be a good place to put a small knife. A good knife can save you in many situations, but, like I said, most campers will have a good knife side-kick. But it's better to be over-equipped than without, so a small alternative would go well here. A few small taper candles or glow sticks could be good too, just in case. It's always good to have an alternative light source other than the flashlight.

I would also recommend putting a small book in your survival kit. Nothing specifically, but something you'll enjoy reading. Boredom can be a morale killer.

What you put in your survival kit is up to you, but I would at the very minimum, include waterproof matches and first-aid supplies. It's also good practice to try and keep your survival kit separate from your other gear, as this is supposed to be an alternative to help you when you're in need, not be your main source of supplies.

A well packed survival kit can be a life saver, and the lack thereof can mean trouble. Like I said before, it's better to be over-prepared than under. Test your kit before you actually take it out into the forest! Pack it up and drop it in a full bathtub. Does it float? If it doesn't, you may need a different container, or you may need to take out a few optionals. Does it leak? If so, scrap it for a new one. The main rule here is to be prepared for the worst. If you're relying on a survival kit, by the nature of the name itself, you know you're just a step away from being in trouble, so always be careful and responsible when you're out in the woods. Most importantly, enjoy getting out of your house and into nature!