ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GEAR TO ALWAYS HAVE IN YOUR PACK
The Mountaineers list of Ten Essentials to always have with you when you're in the 'back country' has been around for decades (since the 1930's) and has been revised in recent years.
When thinking about emergency or back up gear to bring into the outdoors with you consider some basic principles: Once you're 1 mile or more from the trail head you are in the 'back country' where help is not readily available. After “scene safety” (are you / your party in immediate danger where you are ? If the answer is yes or maybe then MOVE ! ) your priorities of care should be in the following descending order:
First Aid
Shelter
Water
Food
There's a general 'rule of threes' when it comes to survival:' 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 hours without shelter (this one is actually highly variable), 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Remember that a twisted ankle or a wrong turn on the trail could translate into you or other members of your party having to spend the night outside, potentially under adverse weather conditions.
Before I get into survival gear to carry let me give you the single best piece of advice for ensuring a safe and timely return to civilization - before you leave, tell someone where you're going and when you're expected back.
That said, this is my bare bones adaptation of the Ten Essentials list: Throw these items in your day pack and forget about them and you will ALWAYS be prepared to spend the night or several days ANYWHERE under ANY CONDITIONS:
1. Bivvy Bag
2. Small closed cell foam pad (cut to fit your pack)
3. Fire starter
4. Water filter
5. Mini flashlight
6. Signaling device(s)
SHELTER I recommend carrying this small, light-weight, windproof, waterproof, heat reflective, tear-resistant bivvy bag. Note that so-called light weight, single-use space blankets are essentially useless in bad weather conditions - unlike this mostly-sealed off bag that you can crawl into or huddle in. Alternatively, you can keep a heavy duty, 3 ml contractor garbage bag – which is super cheap, and pull it over you as a bivvy sack when the chips are down- however, it doesn’t work as well/ cover as much as the bivvy sack. That said, the garbage bag can also be used to make an improvised tarp, rain coat, ground cloth, latrine, rain water collector, solar still, and many other uses.
Place a cut-to-size square of foam pad against the back of your day pack
HACK Buy this closed cellfoam pad for $10 and cut squares out of it that fit against the inside back of your day pack / and your kids’ day pack. You will have something to insulate your butt or core from conduction on the ground/rock/snow if you have to spend the night, which is essential to preventing heat loss over even a short amount of time - the above bivvy bag won't cut it otherwise/by itself. HACK: You can also use it when taking breaks on hikes- sitting on the ground or a rock, and it doubles as a very efficient/effective fire-fan or part of a splint.
FIRE STARTER In addition to having several mini- bic lighters on hand (keep one inside a small pill bag to keep it dry) it's a good idea to also carry a light, cheap but super reliable box of windproof/waterproof matches. A little bit heavier and bulkier but 100% reliable is one of these ferro-rod strikers- it will start a fire under ANY circumstances as long as you know how to use it. Bear in mind that for any fire you’re making, you have to have GOOD TINDER. This can range from small / light items you can pack with you, to materials that you can find in the outdoors. Some good options for packing with you / take up almost no space or weight, water proof, and can be used with a lighter / matches AND a striker include the following Tinder Options:
Cotton balls impregnated with Vaseline make excellent water-proof tinder to have on hand- small, light, cheap.
So does hand sanitizer.
And so do these small fire-starter tablets
Or, make "feather sticks" with your knife that will light up even if the outside of the wood is wet.
Even better, find and use ‘fat wood’ for fire starter
Note: Some preppers advocate for making a fire kit - a single pouch where you keep all your fire-starting materials. I actually think that’s a really bad idea- if you lose the pouch you’re hosed. Better to keep redundant fire-starting tools in different places in your pack / pockets as opposed to all in one place.
The Life Straw in action
WATER FILTRATION You could just bring a small bottle of iodine tablets but these have limitations including not doing anything to filter out dirt, algae, or debris, so I recommend carrying this Life Straw in your pack as well and you will ALWAYS have a way to filter water. It’s only about $15, reusable, and can filter 1000 liters of contaminated water. You simply insert it into your water bottle or direct water source and drink through it like a straw. While it's considerably bigger than a bottle of tablets it's still super light weight. Alternatively this Swayer mini- filter gets rave reviews - smaller and more versatile - but I haven’t bought / tried using it yet.
FLASHLIGHT Small flashlight (see other blog entry) or tiny key chain LED flash light – good to have as back up.
SIGNAL Carrying a whistle (this one is super loud and 'pealess' means snow, ice, or dirt won't prevent functioning) is not a bad idea - the sound carries much farther than your voice and takes a lot less energy than shouting. Three short blasts is the international distress signal. Whatever you do make sure you don’t buy a metal whistle or you could have some bad outcomes in cold weather. Also a small signal mirror weighs nothing but could save the day if you end up really lost. Make sure you learn how to use it. Of course, starting a smokey signal fire in an area where fire’s aren’t allowed is a great way to attract help.
Total weight of these must have items: Less than 11 oz. Total cost: About $65.
HACK: You can fit the box of matches, key chain flashlight, signal mirror, fire tablets, mini-bic lighter (in pill bag) and whistle in the same bag that the SOL bivvy sack comes in, close it up, toss in the bottom of you pack and forget about it. Peace of mind for anytime you're in the woods.
EXTRA ITEMS
As discussed, if you carry the above items, you'll be prepared to spend several days or longer in the backcountry under adverse conditions if you get lost, injured, or caught up in bad weather, so they are the bare minimum. Other things I carry and use all the time include the following:
First Aid Kit - See my blog post about carrying items that fit in a small, quart size zip lock. At absolute minimum, carry some large gauze pads, duct tape, and an ace bandage. These will help you manage some immediate situations that arise from either life-threatening or potentially debilitating injuries.
Knife - see my blog post on knives - lightweight and invaluable for making tinder, kindling, shelter and numerous other vital tasks if you’re stuck outdoors for days.
Bandana - These have many uses and weigh nothing / take up no space.
Phone battery pack and cable (keep in a zip lock to protect against water). Alternatively, this 10000 AMH charger is only slightly heavier / bigger, but still small and can charge 3-4 i-phones and does it super fast.
Duct Tape - There's no way to over state how useful duct tape can be for a variety of uses and survival situations. I was once hiking with a friend who's boots were so old one of the soles began to detach - a few wraps of duct tape later and he was able to finish the hike. I keep about 10' wrapped around a pen/ pencil/ water bottle/ trekking pole or stick of lip balm so it's low profile and no weight. Of course the pen/ pencil/lip balm can be useful too.
550 Paracord - This nylon cord has many uses - back up shoe laces / snow show straps / emergency medicine uses / making shelter / strapping things to your pack, etc. I often will carry between 50' and 75’ which should cover all of the aforementioned uses, but it's still bulky so I will leave it home sometimes as well. Def keep some in my car.
EXTRA ITEMS FOR WINTER CARRY
This ultra light weight, compact, snow claw works great and has multiple other uses: Snow anchor, emergency splint, plate, sled, waterproof seat, etc. Made from high impact copolymer. It fits flat against the back of your day pack if you’re hiking in winter – great emergency item to carry into the back country. You can make a (relatively) quick snow shelter much easier with this if you're caught out in a storm or over night.
Having an extra pair of wool socks in your pack which is light-weight, takes up little space, and insulates even when wet can make a big difference / prevent frostbite if someone in your party loses a glove (put a sock on your hand) or inadvertently submerges their foot breaking through ice / slipping on a river crossing.
A (relatively) small Thermos with piping hot chocolate in it helps keep my kids motivated when we go show-shoeing, and can help ward off early stages of hypothermia if things for your party go south. If you go with a different one than the one I link to above, make sure it's no ordinary thermos ;-).