Tier 1: Every Day Carry (EDC) Kit
Items you have on your person always. Fits in pockets and a small bag.
| Item | Recommended Spec | Why | |------|-----------------|-----| | Fixed-blade knife | 3-4 inch, full tang | Mora Companion ($15) is the standard budget choice | | Folding knife | Locking liner or lockback | Backup cutting; easier for fine tasks | | Fire starter | Ferrocerium rod + lighter | Rod works when lighter fuel runs out; carry both | | Compass | Baseplate Silva or Suunto | Not a button compass; must be accurate and readable | | Small flashlight | 200+ lumens, 1xAAA or 1xAA | Olight i1R2 or Streamlight Microstream | | Paracord (25 ft) | 550 type III | Wristband or key chain | | Small first aid | Bandaids, gauze, medical tape | Not a full kit; enough for minor injuries | | Whistle | Fox 40, pealess | Signaling tool; 3 blasts = international distress | | Cash | Small bills, $60-100 | Electronic payment infrastructure may fail | | Phone and backup battery | Anker 10,000 mAh powerbank | Communication and navigation backup |
Tier 2: 72-Hour Bug-Out Kit
Full pack for 3-day self-sufficiency. 20-35 lbs fully packed.
Water
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | Water (carried) | 2 liters minimum | Water is heavy; carry enough to start | | Water filter | Sawyer Squeeze or LifeStraw | Primary purification; Sawyer is more versatile | | Chemical treatment | Aquatabs or iodine tablets | Backup when filter is unavailable | | Metal water bottle | 1 liter stainless steel | Can boil water directly; doubles as cook pot |
Fire
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | Lighter (2x) | BIC standard | Cheap, reliable, waterproof case optional | | Ferrocerium rod | Large size (3/8 inch+ diameter) | Long lifespan; works wet | | Waterproof matches | UCO stormproof | Backup only | | Tinder | Cotton balls + petroleum jelly | Pre-made fire starters; 10-15 prepared |
Shelter
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | Emergency bivy | SOL Escape Bivy or similar | Full sleeping bag enclosure; not a cheap Mylar blanket | | Tarp | 8x10 foot silnylon | Shelter from precipitation; also ground cloth | | Paracord | 100 feet minimum | Shelter rigging | | Tent stakes | 6-8 aluminum | Tarp pitching |
Food
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | High-calorie food bars | Mainstay 3600 or Datrex | 3 days' calories in 2 lbs | | Freeze-dried meals (3) | Mountain House or similar | One hot meal per day is a morale multiplier | | Stove (ultralight) | MSR Pocket Rocket | Optional; cold food is survivable | | Fuel canister (1) | 100g isobutane | One canister = 4-6 meals | | Metal spork | Light My Fire titanium | Single eating tool |
Navigation
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | Compass | Baseplate with mirror | Signal mirror doubles as signaling device | | Maps | Topo maps of home area, waterproofed | Downloaded on phone as backup | | GPS device | Garmin inReach or similar | Satellite communication + navigation |
First Aid
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | Tourniquet | CAT Gen 7 or SOF-T Wide | Non-negotiable | | Pressure bandage | Israeli bandage | Wound packing and pressure | | QuikClot or Celox | Hemostatic gauze | Severe bleeding control | | Wound irrigation syringe | 20-35cc with 18ga tip | Cleaning wounds prevents infection | | Medical tape | Leukotape or Gorilla Tape | Blister prevention and wound closure | | Nitrile gloves | 2 pairs | Infection protection | | SAM splint | Folding version | Splinting broken limbs | | OTC medications | Ibuprofen, diphenhydramine, antidiarrheal, antacid | 72-hour supply |
Tools and Miscellaneous
| Item | Specification | Notes | |------|-------------|-------| | Fixed-blade knife | Ka-Bar or similar | Larger version for heavy camp tasks | | Multitool | Leatherman Wave | Pliers are critical; scissors are useful | | Headlamp | 300+ lumens with red mode | Black Diamond Spot or Petzl Actik | | Extra batteries | Per your device specifications | 3 sets minimum | | Duct tape | Half roll (wrap around water bottle) | Gear repair | | Plastic bags | Ziploc gallon size, 5 bags | Waterproofing, containers, improvised bags | | Emergency whistle | Fox 40 | Rescue signaling | | Emergency radio | Hand-crank/solar NOAA weather radio | Situational awareness | | Phone charger | For USB-compatible devices | Short-term only |
What Gets Left Out of Most Kits
Items commonly missing from "survival kits" that are critical in real situations:
Prescription medications: Three to seven day supply of any daily medications. No kit list covers this — only you know what you need.
Glasses or contacts: A backup pair of glasses if you wear them. Many people are functionally impaired without them.
Cash in small bills: $20 and $50 bills. Digital payment infrastructure is one of the first services disrupted.
Local knowledge: A printed list of contacts — family, neighbors, meeting points. Your phone's contact list is unavailable if the phone dies.
Legal and ID documents: Photocopies of passport, insurance, and identification. See documents-to-waterproof.mdx for the full list.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single most important item in a survival kit?
A quality fixed-blade knife, followed immediately by fire-starting capability. Everything else can be improvised with time and skill. A knife cannot be adequately improvised. Fire cannot always be made by friction in wet conditions. These two items are non-negotiable.
How heavy should a survival kit be?
EDC kit (daily carry, pocket/bag): under 2 lbs. 72-hour kit: 20-35 lbs including water (the most common failure is packing too heavy and then not carrying it). Extended kit: depends on transport method. A kit that stays in your car because it's too heavy to carry defeats the purpose.
Should I build my own kit or buy a pre-made kit?
Build your own. Pre-made kits are generally optimized for appearance in the package, not for functionality. The compass is toy quality. The knife is worthless. The emergency blanket tears on the first use. The money spent on a $50 pre-made kit builds a far better kit when spent on individual quality items.