A survival kit is a package of basic tools and supplies prepared in advance as an aid to survival in an emergency. Military aircraft, lifeboats, and spacecraft are equipped with survival kits.
Survival kits, in a variety of sizes, contain supplies and tools to provide a person with basic shelter against the elements, help them keep warm, meet their health and first aid needs, provide food and water, signal to rescuers, and assist them in finding their way back to help. Supplies in a survival kit normally contain a knife (often a Swiss army knife or a multi-tool), matches, tinder, first aid kit, bandana, fish hooks, sewing kit, and a flashlight.
PERSONAL SURVIVAL KIT (PSK) LEVEL 3
CONTENTS
Shelter or warmth
A variety of materials are recommended for emergency shelter, and vary between geographic regions. Options often included in survival kits may consist of:
- Reflective "aluminized" (Mylar coated) space blanket or survival blanket to retain body heat (and signal)
- Lightweight poncho for protection against wind and rain
- "Tube tent" or bivvy bag
- Tarp with grommets or tie-tapes (best if nylon or polyester)
- Large plastic trash bag as poncho or expedient shelter roof
- Ferrocerium rod (AKA "Metal match", "Hot Spark", "Firesteel", "Magnesium fire starter") and fire striker for fire-starting, Fire piston or Solar Spark Lighter
- Waterproof matches or cigarette lighter
- Cotton balls or pads smeared with petroleum jelly for fire starting (can be carried in 35 mm container or heat-sealed inside large diameter plastic straw)
- Catalytic heater and bottled gas fuel
- Canteen full of water, and a filter if needed
FIRST AID KIT (REFER FAK)
First aid kits will often include a combination of the following, below is just a basic Level 1 FAK :-
Bandages
Band-aids
Sterile combine dressing, and gauze pads
Adhesive tape, and gauze tape
Medical tweezers
Surgical razor or scalpel
Disinfectant pads
Latex gloves (rubber if allergic to latex, to protect first aider against infection)
A 30 day supply of personal prescription medication
Antibiotic cream
Epinephrine and antihistamines for allergic reactions, primarily to insect stings
Rubbing alcohol
Suture kit or sterile disposable surgical stapler
Oxytetracycline tablets (for diarrhea or infection)
Aspirin
Extra pair of prescription eyeglasses or contacts
Salt is an essential mineral for health. Salt containing potassium chloride, sold widely as low sodium salt, can be used to prevent dehydration from diarrhea and can save most cholera deaths. (See Oral rehydration therapy)
Multivitamin and mineral supplements. Zinc supplements are useful in treating diarrheal intestinal tract infections, especially in children.
Sunscreen (where appropriate, above 30 SPF)
100% UV protective sunglasses ("UV 400") (protects eyes from harmful UV radiation. Polarized glasses are not necessarily UV protective, but aid with glare only)
FOOD / WATER
Most survival kits involve sustenance for short periods of time, to be used and replenished before contents spoil.
Water in sealed containers for dry areas, or water purification tablets or household bleach in areas where water is available but may be contaminated.
Heavy duty aluminum foil to create a distillation tube to remove salt from salt water during boiling/condensation. Must have another receptacle to collect condensate.
Canned food, Ready-to-eat meals (MRE), or high-energy foods such as chocolate or emergency food bars.
Fishing line and gear (fish hooks, lures, and split shot leads)
Snare wire
Gill-netting (for emergency fishing)
Signaling, navigation and reference
A U.S. Marine signalling an aircraft with a signal mirror.
Since the primary goal of a survival kit for lost or injured persons is rescue, this part of the kit may be considered the most essential.
Key elements for rescue include:
Whistle.
Signal mirror.
High power LED light (able to have batteries replaced, and carry an extra battery), white lens, with signaling capabilities. Strobe versions are available for some lights. Use lithium cells only, due to superior shelf life.
Flare: three fires in a triangle is the international distress signal
Laser pointer with lithium batteries, for superior signaling range. Laser pointers have resulted in at least one rescue: during the night in August 2010 two men and a boy were rescued from marshland after their red laser pen was spotted by rescue teams.
Surveyor's tape - orange or chartreuse for marking location for rescuers
Pen/pencil and paper for leaving notes to rescuers about direction of travel
Compass or analog watch
Trail maps/charts (if location is known in advance)
Survival manual for technique reference
Multipurpose tools or materials
Survival kit tools emphasize portability and versatility.
Tools recommended for many types of survival kit include:
Bow saws about 24 inches in length are light weight and fast cutting.
A small Snow Peak portable stove running on MSR gas and the stove's carrying case
Fixed-blade knife, or multitool such as a Swiss Army knife.
Can opener
Heavy-duty needle and thread for repairing clothing and equipment
Red or orange plastic bag(s) or trash bags
Sturdy cord or "550" parachute cord for setting up a tarpaulin and snaring small animals
Hatchet with sheath for cold conditions, or machete for tropical conditions (shelter and fire)
Camp stove or some type of gas burner and fuel such as bottled propane or Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
Candles for light, signaling, fire-starting
Metal billycan or "water bottle" for water storage, boiling, purification, cooking
Compact saw such as Japanese style backsaw with coarse teeth (folding models available). Bow saws can quickly cut larger diameter limbs and small to medium thick trees, and Folding saws can be small enough to fit into a kit, but big enough to cut small to medium diameter limbs, and possibly smaller trees.
Solar charger
Survival kits for military aviators are often modified according to the environment of operations:
In desert areas, survival kits may have more water and sunscreen, and have additional items such as shade hats, a compass, a whistle, medical equipment, tinder, matches, and sun glasses.
In tropical areas, a survival kit may have mosquito head netting, additional insect repellent, anti-fungal cream, a machete, water purification tablets, foot powder, matches, a flint strike, a compass, a wire saw, a space blanket, medical equipment (gauze pads, elastic gauze bandage, antiseptic creams, anti-malaria tablets, anti-infection tablets, bandages, etc.), salt tablets, a fishing kit, snare wire, extra socks, a candle, a signal mirror, flares, a sewing kit, safety pins, tinder, tape, a whistle, and rations.
In arctic or alpine areas, survival kits may have additional cold weather clothing (winter hats and gloves), sleeping bags, chemical "hand warmer" packets, sun glasses/snow goggles, snowshoes, a collapsible shovel, a snare wire for small animals, a frying pan, a camp stove, camp stove fuel, a space blanket, matches, a whistle, a compass, tinder, medical equipment, a flint strike, a wire saw, extra socks and a tent designed for arctic use.
For personnel who are flying over large bodies of water, a survival kit may have additional items such as flotation vests, fishing nets, fishing equipment, fluorescent sea marking dye, a flare launching gun and cartridges (and perhaps a revolver and tracer ammunition), a survival radio (e.g., an AN/PRC-90), a distress marker light, a Sea Water Still[3] for desalt seawater, a raft repair kit, a paddle, a bailer and sponge, sunscreen, medical equipment, a whistle, a compass, and a sun shade hat.
The US Army uses several basic survival kits, mainly for aviators, which are stored in canvas carrying bags. Aviators in planes with ejection seats have survival kits in the seat pan and the survival vest (SRU-21P) worn by US helicopter crews also contains some basic survival items.
MINI SURVIVAL KITS
"Mini survival kits" or "Altoids tin" survival kits are small kits that contain a few basic survival tools. These kits often include a small compass, waterproof matches, a fishing hook and fishing line, a large plastic garbage bag, a small vial of bleach, a small candle, a jigsaw blade, an Exacto knife blade, and a safety pin.
Fire making kit contained in tin
Natural disasters
A list of in-home emergency kit items focuses on the basics of survival: fresh water, food, clean air and materials to maintain body warmth.
The recommended basic emergency kit items include:
Water, at least one gallon of water per person for each day for drinking & sanitation (should be rotated every 3 months)
Food, non-perishable food for at least three days which is not required to be cooked or refrigerated
Emergency food bars, preferably products with 2,400 or 3,600 calories and contain no coconut or tropical oils to which many people may have an allergic reaction, in addition to non-perishable food which does not require cooking or refrigeration
Battery- or hand-powered radio with the Weather band
LED type flashlight (battery- or hand-powered)
Extra batteries for anything needing them, lithium type is preferred for shelf life
First aid kit
Copies of any medical prescriptions
Whistle to signal
Dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off water valves
Can opener for canned food
Local maps
Spare keys for household & motor vehicles
Sturdy, comfortable shoes & lightweight raingear
Contact & meeting place information for the household
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