Emergency Kits

By: Eileen Russell

Introduction:What are “Kits” used for?

Why do you need a Survival Kit?

Survival training teaches us that your brain is your most important survival tool, and it is your experience, know-how and good judgement that will

get you through most survival situations

However, when you travel, whether it be out in the woods, the water, the desert or for a simple trip

shopping, a survival kit is your insurance policy, it is there to help you should something go wrong

You will have the basics to survive. A survival kit, no matter how small, helps you “stack the deck” in your favor, and in a survival situation, you will need all the help you

can get!

Types of Kits:• Premade Kits• Expensive• Basic Needs• Not Personalized

• Personalized Survival Kits• Yes, KITS plural – You will need more

than one kit!• Cost Effective• Beyond the Basics Needs• Personalized to YOUR Needs

Situations Where Kits have been used:• Ruby Stories

• Hiking• Shopping• Airplane• Boat Ride• ATV• Other Situations? (Discussion)

Have You driven in your car without a basic survival kit?• Do you have?• Spare Tire?• Jack and Lug Wrench?

• This is a BASIC Kit! A kit not complete…but a start. • You not only need these essential items but you need to have the basic equipment to help you survive.

Survival Kits:• A Survival Kit should be with you at ALL times!• Some items can be carried on your person

• A small Kit can also be carried in your pocket or on your belt

• The combination of equipment and skill that you have on you when a survival situation occurs is all you will have.

• A Survival Kit will do no good if you don’t have it!• Having a Survival Kit with you is important, but

more important is to know how to use the items in your kit!

• Practice with your Kits prior to needing them.• A survival situation is no time to learn how to

use an item you have in your kit.

• Example, man on walk falls off of cliff…

This Class:• This class is about making survival kits – it is not a

survival instruction class.• For this reason, you should practice starting

fires, navigation, signaling, making shelters, water purification, knife & tool usage, and other skills BEFORE a survival situation occurs.

• This class will teach you the fundamentals of making a survival kit that will help you in any survival situation.

• You will learn there are many sizes and types of Kits.

• After this class, you will have knowledge on how to survive with the kit you rebuild.

• Always remember to keep your personal Kit close at hand because only then can it become the PERFECT Survival Kit.

Types of Kits:

• Every Day Carry Kit- EDC• Bug Out Bags - BOB• 72 Hr Kit -3 Days of Emergency Supplies

Emergency Kits go beyond these..

Survival Kit Breakdowns:Personal and Vehicle Kits

1. Personal Kits• The foundation for Basic Survival. Your first

line of defense. “Always carry it with you!”

• Traveling, Hiking, Snow Skiing, Horseback Riding, Camping, Hunting, Shopping, etc…

2. Vehicle Kits• Aircraft, ATV, Boat, Automobile, Snowmobile,

Truck, Horseback Riding

Commercial Kits vs.

Self Made Kits

Commercial Survival Kits• Many types of commercial kits sold• Ranges in prices from $5 to hundreds of dollars• Some of these kits are well made and provide basics• Some are sufficient and some are lacking in serious

survival components• Although many of the commercial kits provide basics, the quality

of the components MUST fit the selling price of the kit. (*The components are not chosen on the quality of the item but on the price of the item.

• Space/Survival Blankets

*If you choose a Commercial Survival Kit , be sure you become familiar with is BEFORE an emergency occurs!

Self-Made Survival Kits• Highest Quality Components

• I recommend that you spend as much as you can afford on the basic survival items needed for your kit. • After all, your life might depend on this kit for

your survival. Therefore, this is no place to be frugal

• Your Kit should be designed on an item by item basis.• You will be familiar with each component• You will have flexibility in choosing the

container/backpack• This offers you extra space for items you

desire to add

• You Will Be Familiar with Each Component

Making your own personal kit is EASY and you can customize it to your personal needs!

Container Examples:Commercial Containers Self-Made Containers

Backpack Examples – Don’t be a target!Commercial Survival Kit Backpack Self Made Kit Backpacks

Kit sizes:Personal Survival Kits can be broken down further into various sizes. *The size of your kit will depend on what you are doing and what you are willing to carry

• Mini• Every Day Carry, BOB Kits, Bug Out Bags

• Small/Medium Kits• Can be carried in a backpack/fanny pack

• Large Kits• Carried in a vehicle, boat, plane, etc…

• Combination of Kits• Sometimes a combination of kits are desired such as a

min-kit in your pocket or a single keychain.

The Basics:

When putting your Kits together, keep the basics in mind

Identify Specific Functions for Survival1. Build a fire using more than one technique2. Signal for help using more than one technique3. Gather & purify drinking water and gather food4. Navigate back to civilization5. Construct a shelter in various environments6. Carry out basic first aid

Combination Kits/Redundancy:

Sometimes a combination of kits are desired such as a mini-kit in your pocket or a simple key chain.

Keep in mind that multi-purpose and redundancy is very acceptable.

Start building your kit:1 – Plan it –

• What do you want your kit to be?• EDC, BOB, 72 hr, etc…• Mini, Small, Medium or Large

2 – Pick it – • Find the appropriate functional components for your

size of kit 3 – Pay for it –

• Determine a budget

4 – Pack it– • You must pack your kit

• Correct container• Correct sized items

Selecting Kit Components:

1 – Fire and Light2 – Signaling3 - Navigation4 - Food Collection & Water 5 - Shelter & Personal Protection6 – Medical7 – Knives and Tools8 – Multi-Purpose Items

When assembling your survival Kit, you should choose at least one component from each of the basics headings.

These are the BASICS of Survival

Keep in mind each one of the following categories could be a complete survival class by themselves. Not everything I know will be covered here. I am just giving you ideas – you have to learn the skills! :

Component #1 - Fire and Light:• Your FIRST multi-tool!• One of the most important skills in any survival

situation is the ability to start a fire• Provides us with:

• Warmth• Light• Signal for help• Water Purification• Cook Food• Make Tools• Dry Wet Clothing/Tools• Morale Booster

Component #1 - Fire and Light:• You should choose two or more methods for making

fire in your Kit!• Matches

• Large, small, wind resistant, water resistant, box matches, wooden matches, flint/steel, disposable lighters, flint w/strikes, magnesium fire starters, tinder candles, lenses, magnifying glass, broken glass, flashlights, light sticks, bow bearing/socket just to name a few.

Continued…

Component #2- Signaling:

• You need to call for help!• Fire is a great signaling device• Other signaling options:

• Signal Mirrors• Whistles (Small flat, no pea whistles)• Smoke Signals• Flares – Backpackers• Dye Markers• Emergency Strobes

Component #3- Navigation:• Getting lost could be deadly!• The ability to navigate back home in a survival situation is

extremely important• Any good survival school will thoroughly cover navigation, and they

would cover…

• Compasses• Button Compass• Watch • Pedometer• Orienteering Compass

• Maps• GPS• Pace Beads• Landmarks • Magnetized Needle

Component #4- Food and Water• Water – water is a necessity!• Without carrying anything in your kit, water can be

purified by boiling• A must-have is a container that can be used to boil

water

• Purification• Water Filters• Water Containers• Snares/Snare Wires• Cup or Small Pot

• Food – is important but not as essential as water• A person can go 30 days without food• Snares/Snare Wires• Emergency Food• Emergency Rations – Bars• Small Stoves• Fishing Kit

Component #5 – Shelter & Protection• Extremely Important!

• Hyperthermia – heat that raises your core temperature above 98.6 degrees

• Hypothermia – Cold that causes your temperature to drop below 98.6 degrees• Both conditions cause your mental and physical

abilities to drop rapidly• Your chances of making a fire, signaling,

navigating, etc…are drastically reduced!• If your body enters either of these conditions your

mental and physical abilities drop rapidly and so will your bodily functions.

• Your chances of making a fire, signaling, navigating, etc…are DRASTICALLY reduced!

• The same is true of severe sunburn, swollen insect bite or toothache!

Component #6 – Personal Protection• Clothes you are wearing:

• Survival Blankets• Poncho or Rain Gear• Tarps• Tube Tents• Tents• Parachute Cords• Head Nets• Hats• Sunglasses• Sunscreen• Lip Balm• Bug Repellent• Extra Clothes

Component #7 – Medical• An emergency is NOT the time to figure out first-aid or

medical care• Red Cross Wilderness First Aid Class

• Useful medical components to carry in your emergency kits • Items to clean a wound or manage infection• Wound Management• Medications• Misc. Item

• Packaging a Medical Kit• Having a separate marked container for first-aid

supplies can make a difference when you need it!

• Mini to Small Kits, Med to Large Kits, Commercial Kits – First Responders Kit

Component #7 – Medical

Component #8 – Knives and Tools• If you could choose one item for

survival, it should be a knife!• A GOOD knife can be used to make almost anything

else you need for survival

• What is a good knife?• Personal preference• Make of high-carbon steel or hardened stainless steel• I suggest a Drop Point or Clip-Point• Reputable Manufacturer – Do your research!

• Becker, Browning, Buck, Cammulus, Cold Steel, Columbia River, Gerber, Ka-bar, Kershaw, Schracle, Timberline

Component #8- Knives and Tools:• Should I choose a “fixed blade” or a “folder blade”?

• Personal preference• Folding

• Choose one that will lock into it’s open position

• Sometimes one of each in kit• SOLID vs BREAKING POINTS• Don’t wait for an emergency to find out that your

knife is a piece of junk! • Razor Blades, Multi-Function Knives, Specialty

Knives Folding Knives, Fixed Blade, Large Fixed Blade, Multi- Purpose Tools• Hacksaw Blades

• Wire Survival Saws, Pocket Chain Saws, Small Folding Saw, Large Folding Saw, Small Folding Trowel

• Large and Small Shovels

Continued…

Break

Component 9 – Multi-Purpose Tools• Aluminum Foil

• Snare Wire• Duct Tape• Large Garbage Bags• Bandannas• Surgical Tubing• Clear Plastic Tubing• Zip Lock Bags• Dental Floss• Sewing Thread• Surgical Needles• Glue Sticks• Safety Pins• Flexible Cable Ties

Miscellaneous Components• Extra Prescription Glasses• Thermometer• Survival Manual• Knife Sharpener• Pencil/Paper• Toilet Paper• Cell Phone• Seasonal and Environmental Specific Items

Making Mini-Kits• Aluminum Foil • Cigar-Case • Altoids Tin • Walking Stick• Knife Sharpen• Rifle• Belt Pouch• Camera Case

F.R.E.E Survival Kits• From Recyclable Everyday Expendables

Thank you!