100+ Survival Gear Essentials
For Americans 
The Definitive Guide For 2021
By James Emry
Updated
A comprehensive list of survival gear for your bug out bag, hand selected for every price range and easy to buy online for you and your family.
- High Quality Gear: Intended for long-term survival.
- Varying Budgets: From families preparing with low income, to experts looking for the best survival gear money can buy.
- Easy Ordering Online: Delivered straight to your mailbox.
(No Time To Read? Buy Survival Gear here.)
Contents
(If you’re in a rush, all of the gear on this list is available directly from our shop page.)
Chapter 1
Bug Out Bags
Whether you call it a Bug Out Bag, Go-Bag, INCH Bag (for “I’m Not Coming Home” bag), Survival Kit or Emergency Preparedness Kit, this chapter covers a variety of bags used to carry survival gear by foot or by vehicle in the event of an emergency.
1. Bug Out Bags
The quintessential bug out bag is a heavy-duty backpack for carrying survival gear in an emergency scenario. Here’s 4 factors to consider:
- Don’t choose the typical 50 liter “3 Day Go Bag”—they’re just too small. Instead, consider a 70-100 liter pack, especially if you live in cold climates that require extra winter survival gear.
- A padded hip belt is crucial in keeping the majority of weight on your hips, not on your shoulders.
- Earth-tone or camouflage colored packs blend well into natural surroundings.
- A MOLLE backpack lets you customize with “MOLLE” pouches and gear, and also increase your pack’s capacity.
We’ve investigated many packs. There’s so many great options from brands like Kelty, Mystery Ranch, Eberlestock, Arc’teryx, Osprey, etc. Here’s our favorites:
ILBE Pack - Gen 2 Full Set
For a Budget-Friendly Bug Out Bag, the fully-featured 82 liter “Gen 2 ILBE Pack” from the US Marine Corps is hands-down our top pic.
Why? It was designed by Arc’teryx, it meets said B.O.B. criteria, and best of all—as a used military surplus backpack it’s extremely affordable. We’re so impressed with the ILBE Pack we gave it 4.7 Stars in our Best Bug Out Bag Guide.
Budget: Low Ideal As: Primary Bug Out Bag
Eberlestock Warhammer
For a Premium Hunting Bug Out Bag with impressive features, consider this tried-and-true combo: a 33-liter Eberlestock J51 Warhammer (with the new Intex-II frame instead of ALICE frame) combined with the 57 liter Super Spike Duffel plus the 5-liter FannyTop Pack for a total 95-liter capacity bug out bag.
We love the Warhammer’s barn-door-like compartments which completely open up the pack, enabling you to strap and carry large objects such as jerricans or elk quarters. Note this pack is for strong individuals only!
Budget: Big Ideal As: Bug Out Bag + Hunting Pack
2. Car Emergency Kit
If I already have a bug out bag, why would I need a car survival kit too?
Most of us spend the majority of our day at work—yet we keep our survival gear at home. So what if a disaster happens and getting home isn’t an option?
Some would consider leaving the main bug out bag in the car, but that’s an extremely valuable item that could then be stolen. That’s where a Car Emergency Kit comes into play as a smaller, interim bug out bag.
Here’s 4 factors to consider when choosing a bag for your Car Emergency Kit:
- A “1-3 day” sized backpack (20 to 50 liters) is a good manageable size for the car and still has room for some essentials.
- The kit doubles up as a great roadside emergency kit should the car break down and you need to travel by foot or wait for assistance.
- Earth-tone or camouflage colored packs blend well into natural surroundings.
- We suggest a backpack rather than sling or messenger bag because backpacks distribute weight evenly on the shoulders—that’s important if you’re going to be wearing the pack long term.
Here are some different sized bags to carry your Car Emergency Kit:
25 Liter Bags for Car Emergency Kit
For a Budget Car Emergency Kit, we like the 24.5-liter ILBE Assault Bag that comes bundled with the ILBE Pack mentioned above.
But you could also consider the 24-liter 5.11 Rush 12 Tactical Backpack or the 25-liter Direct Action Dragon Egg Tactical Backpack.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Your Car Emergency Kit
50 Liter Bags for Car Emergency Kit
If you prefer a larger pack for the car, consider the renowned 47-liter 5.11 Rush 72 Tactical Backpack or the 50-liter Condor 3 Day Assault Pack.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Your Car Emergency Kit
For more on the topic of car safety kits, here’s an article from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Car Safety (opens in new tab), and from the Government of Canada here’s an Emergency Car Kit Checklist (opens in new tab).
Chapter 2
EDC Survival Kits
EDC stands for Every Day Carry. EDC Survival Kits are compact and easily kept on your person in the form of a bracelet, necklace, belt or pouch, offering a lightweight redundancy to the bug out bag.
3. Pocket Survival Kit
A Pocket Survival Kit (PSK) is a small pouch containing a number of tiny survival essentials that comes in handy wherever the bug out bag is too hefty to go.
It can be worn on a belt while camping, hiking, hunting or fishing, thrown in the car glove box or stored in your travel suitcase.
It can also be kept in your bug out bags and survival kits as a redundancy.
ESEE Pocket Survival Kit Advanced
We’ve explored a variety of pouches and loaded them with survival gear ourselves (a lot of work!) but in the end we were most pleased with the ESEE Pocket Survival Kit Advanced.
It’s also much cheaper to buy the kit than to buy and ship all the items individually. (Check the link above for full list of contents.)
How Many PSK’s Do I Need? It all depends on your needs. We throw a PSK in every bug out bag, car emergency kit, EDC belt as well as work and travel bags.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC Belt
What’s Missing? Optimize your ESEE PSK by adding a small knife—we suggest the Spyderco Ladybug Pocket Knife, and small lights such as the Photon Freedom White & Red (red preserves night vision.) We also threw in a keychain ferro rod (not technically “missing” —we just wanted a bigger one!)
4. EDC BeltS
Just like a construction worker’s tool belt, the EDC belt gives you quick access to essential tools (such as knife, bearspray, PSK, etc). Here’s 2 factors to consider:
- Choose a rigid belt to carry EDC gear that won’t warp or bend and cause discomfort.
- Adjustable sizing is important for winter layering as well as slimming down due to lost weight during an extended survival scenario.
Condor Tactical Belt
For a Budget EDC Belt we like the one size fits all Condor Tactical Belt, because it’s cheap, well-made and it works.
(Note that these 2” thick belts may not fit your standard belt loops, but if it’s intended to carry gear it doesn’t necessarily need to.)
Budget: Low Ideal As: An EDC Survival Belt
5.11 Brokos Belt
For a Premium EDC Belt built to handle a much bigger load, plus customizable MOLLE attachment points, consider 5.11 Brokos Belt.
The Brokos is truly unique and versatile: you can expose MOLLE rows for MOLLE gear, as well as the inner belt for Non-MOLLE gear like leather knife sheaths, bear spray, etc.
(Note that this belt does require an inner belt, sold separately, such as the previous belt or a Cobra-style belt.)
Budget: Big Ideal As: An EDC Survival Belt
What goes on the EDC Belt? Anything that’s important to you, such as bushcraft knife, multi-tool, ferrocerium rod, Pocket Survival Kit, medical kit, hatchet, bear spray, etc.
5. EDC Neck Lanyard
We believe in redundancy when it comes to survival gear.
Should you lose your Bug Out Bag you would rely on your EDC Belt, but if that’s lost too then your EDC Neck Lanyard becomes your lifeline.
The lanyard offers a place to hang a few vital essentials on your body.
Noreast Whips Paracord Lanyard
Our top choice is the Noreast Whips Paracord Lanyard (choose 24” XL) mainly because of the high quality breakaway buckle—crucial to avoid mishaps like getting caught on a tree!
Couple the lanyard with a Nite Ize SlideLock Carabiner Size #2 which works as a locking attachment point for hanging your gear. (Included in the link above.)
Budget: Low Ideal As: EDC Neck Lanyard
What goes on the EDC Neck Lanyard? Just a few small survival essentials such as a pocket knife, whistle, fire steel, mini flashlight (red & white) etc.
6. Paracord Survival Bracelets
Paracord survival bracelets have become bit of a survival fashion accessory, but it actually serves a very important function. Here’s how:
Paracord Survival Tip
The Lifesaving Benefits of Paracord:
First we’ll cover some background regarding water and we’ll come back to paracord in a moment:
We can all agree that water is crucial for survival. It’s commonly understood that we can live 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water.
In the backcountry, unpurified water can make you very sick, and if you don’t have a modern purifier your last resort is to boil it. The EPA recommends boiling water for at least 1 minute to kill pathogenic bacteria, viruses and protozoa (3 minutes at high elevations).
But boiled water requires a fire, and what if you don’t have a lighter, or fire steel handy? As a last resort, you can always turn to the ancient art of the fire bow drill (as demonstrated by BlackScout Survival in this tutorial):
To make a fire bow drill all you need is a knife, the right woods, and some sturdy cordage such as paracord. With that you can start your fire, boil your water and go on to live another day!
And that’s why we love paracord in all it’s forms. Yes, it has many other functions, but providing safe drinkable water is perhaps the most important.
We use it anywhere we can: as an EDC Neck Lanyard, to replace our shoelaces, and in this next case: as a bracelet.
Friendly Swede Trilobite Paracord Survival Bracelet
For a Budget-Friendly Paracord Bracelet we like the simplicity of the Friendly Swede Trilobite Paracord Survival Bracelet.
It’s available in sm/md/xxl sizes and contains around 10 feet of paracord when unstrung.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag, Car Kit, EDC Belt
Two-In-One Paracord Survival Kit Bracelet
If you’re looking for a paracord bracelet that has a survival kit built into it, consider the beefier Paracord Survival Kit Bracelet which comes with 12-16 survival items like fishing gear, ferro rod, fire striker, tinder, safety pins, compass and more. (Also a great gift idea.)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag, Car Kit, EDC Belt
Chapter 3
Knives, Axes, Saws & Tools
Forbes calls the knife the “most important tool of all time” because knives “help feed us, shelter us, defend us and assure our survival. It’s the most reliable, useful and important tool in human history.”
7. Bushcraft Knifes
The Bushcraft Knife is typically worn on the belt and used for wilderness woodworking tasks such as fire-craft (notching for bow drills, making kindling, feather-sticking, light batoning), craftwork (carving spoons, making camp furniture, carving traps), food prep and in some cases skinning.
Mors Kochanski—world renowned wilderness instructor—defines the perfect knife as follows:
- Blade Length: about the width of your palm (4-6”)
- Blade Shape: a continuous blade curvature that follows to the blade tip is preferred because it cuts well and is easiest to sharpen
- Blade Thickness: thick enough to take abuse (we recommend 1/8″ or more)
- Tang: full-tang ensures the knife won’t break easily (so even if the handle breaks you can always fashion a new handle in the wild, unlike partial-tang)
- Handle Materials: should be tough enough to be hammered on
- Steel type: carbon steel is preferred as it holds an edge well, is easier to sharpen, and can be used as a striker for ferro rod fire starting
- Geometry: The overall knife design should be clean and simple—no unusual geometry or protrusions
- Blade Grind: Mor’s bushcraft knives typically feature the Scandinavian grind AKA “Scandi grind”—known for durability and ease of sharpening.
Morakniv Companion Knife
For a Half-Tang, Budget-Friendly Bushcraft Knife that’s made of high quality steel and great for practice, consider the Morakniv Companion Knife.
Mors Kochanski is known for being a huge fan of Mora Knives. The Companion is made of high carbon steel, featuring a 4.1” Scandi-grind blade, and it’s super affordable.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
Condor Bushlore Knife
For a Full-Tang Entry Level Bushcraft Knife with high-carbon 4.3” Scandi grind blade that won’t break the bank—consider the Condor Bushlore Knife.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
Spyderco Bushcraft Knife
For a Premium Bushcraft Knife with 4” Scandi grind, fully-tanged high carbon “O1” tool steel, consider the Spyderco Bushcraft Knife.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
Bark River Bushcrafter II Knife
For a Larger Premium Bushcraft Knife—consider the Bark River Knives Bushcrafter II with it’s 4.69 inch Scandi-Convex grind blade made of carbon “CPM 3V” super-steel.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
We suggest keeping a bushcraft knife or survival knife in your Bug Out Bag, Car Emergency Kit and EDC belt—carefully sheathed of course!
8. Survival Knifes
While the “Bushcraft Knife” tends to be a finer wilderness woodworking tool, the military-inspired “Survival Knife” tends to be a general all-purpose blade that takes more abuse and is better suited to chopping and hacking tasks.
Gerber StrongArm Survival Knife
For a Budget Survival Knife consider the tough as nails Gerber StrongArm.
Featuring full tang, 420 HC stainless steel, a 4.8” blade and a durable MOLLE sheath which offers a variety of different attachment styles.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
Fallkniven F1D Survival Knife
For a High-End Survival Knife consider the Fallkniven F1D with CoS Steel.
The F1 started its roots as the official survival knife of the Swedish Air Force and has remained a goto knife by survivalists today.
The knife construction is full tang and features 3.8” convex CoS steel blade that’s great for survival as well as bushcrafting.
The sharp 90° angle spine showers ferro sparks right out of the box.
The Thermorun handle remains grippy when wet, and warm in winter.
Includes a Zytel sheath that’s immune to the elements.
Check out this fun and comprehensive review by Micky & Maarten from Dutch Bushcraft Knives:
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
9. Large Survival Knifes
The Large Survival Knife is similar in size to a Machete and serves as a viable alternative to the axe or hatchet.
The large survival knife is hefty enough for delimbing, heavy-duty batoning and processing wood for fire, yet still functionally sharp enough for some finer cutting tasks and craft work.
Schrade SCHF45 Bowie Knife
For a Budget Large Survival Knife consider the super cheap full-tang Schrade SCHF45 Bowie Knife.
It’s 10.35” blade is made of titanium-coated 8Cr13MoV high carbon stainless steel.
It comes with a decent nylon-fiber belt sheath.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car
Esee Junglas Survival Knife
For a Premium Large Survival Knife (without the premium price tag) the Esee Junglas Knife is our absolute favorite go-to large survival knife and has served us well for years.
Gideons Tactical referred to this blade as the “Wilderness King” after a full year of use in a variety of conditions, and we couldn’t agree more.
The Junglas features a powder-coated, flat grind, 1095 carbon steel 10.38″ blade, with removable canvas Micarta handles, and a hammer pommel.
It comes with a premium MOLLE Kydex sheath that can be worn comfortably on your person or kept in your Bug Out Bag.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car
10. Multi-Tool
The multi-tool is essentially a swiss-army knife with pliers and screwdriver all-in-one.
Leatherman Charge TTI
- The knife blade on the Charge TTI is made from S30V steel, known for edge retention that’s superior to the 420HC of the Wave—a crucial factor in a survival scenario.
- The Charge TTI has all 17 tools of the Wave (including pliers, knives, saw, scissors, can & bottle opener, screwdriver and more) but also includes a gut hook and crimper—very useful tools for survival.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + EDC
11. Spear-Knife
Cold Steel Bowie Bushman
The Cold Steel Bowie Bushman is a specialty spear-knife combo with a hollow handle that can be fashioned to a long stick to create a spear in the wild.
In an emergency this could be a great tool for hunting small game or even fishing.
As well, as a standalone blade in hand it can be used for skinning and bushcraft tasks.
It comes with a quality plastic sheath with a small built-in ferro rod.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
12. Pocket Folding Knife
A pocket folding knife can be your total last resort knife for times when you lose access to your primary blades. Small as they are, they’re still very capable for a survival scenario.
Spyderco Ladybug
The Spyderco Ladybug is one of the finest EDC pocket knives we’ve ever seen.
We hang them on our EDC neck lanyards, on keychains and keep them in all our survival kits.
Budget: Med
Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + PSK + Belt + Lanyard
13. Knife Sharpening StoneS
A knife sharpening stone is essential for keeping your knife blades fully functional in the wild. There’s a saying “you’re only as good as your sharpest knife.”
When your blade dulls you can expect the time you spend cutting, carving and slicing to increase exponentially, and that can also lead to dangerous accidents.
Fallkniven DC4 Sharpening Stone
For a Pocket Sharpening Stone that’s extremely low maintenance (no oil or water required) we highly recommend the world-famous Fallkniven DC4 Diamond Ceramic Two Sided Sharpening Whetstone (roughly 1×4”).
Use the 800 grit diamond side to restore the knife’s profile, and the 14,000 grit ceramic side to polish razor sharp.
(Watch this video with bushcraft expert Ray Mears showing his preferred method of sharpening with the Fallkniven DC4)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit + EDC Belt
Fallkniven DC521 Large Stone
For Sharpening of Larger Knives we recommend the bigger (roughly 2×8”) Fallkniven DC521 Diamond Ceramic Two Sided Bench Stone.
The 25 micron diamond-side is roughly 800 grit equivalent, and the 7 micron ceramic side is about 6000 grit equivalent.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Naniwa Chosera Japanese Whetstones
For Professional Knife Sharpening at Home—to give your knives that hair-popping, razor sharp treatment—Maarten from Dutch Bushcraft Knives recommends at minimum a set of Naniwa Chosera Japanese Whetstones in 400, 1000, and 3000 grit.
Maarten says “It’s the most versatile combo and together with a strop you can really achieve a lot.”
Also, don’t forget a sharpening stone holder such as the rubberized Steelex D1091—very affordable.
(Note the Japanese stones are too big and heavy for a bug out bag so we recommend these for knife prep at home only.)
Here’s a video with Martin using his Chosera whetstones—we love his easy relaxed approach to sharpening:
(NOTE: We suggest skipping to 3min. and 48sec.)
Budget: Big Ideal For: Sharpening at home
14. Rust Protection & Lubrication
The knives and axes on this list contain carbon steel which means they’ll tend to rust if not properly cared for.
TUF-CLOTH
Prevent rust with a light application of dry film rust inhibitor such as Sentry Solutions TUF-CLOTH.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
15. Leather Strops & Compound
The Leather Strop serves several functions in the sharpening process:
- Removes the microscopic burr of the steel that comes after stone sharpening.
- Quick blade restoration: If your blade has lost its shaving-sharpness over time it’s very easy to restore with just a few passes over the stop.
- When coupled with a polishing compound the result is a much sharper blade than what stones can do alone.
Watch how the Maarten from Dutch Bushcraft Knives uses a leather strop:
(Start at 14 sec. if you want to skip the intro)
Here are some well priced high quality strops and compounds:
Flexx Pro Field II Strop - FLX02
For a Mid-Sized Field Strop that’s ideal for field-sharpening your EDC knives consider the Flex Strops – Pro Field II FLX02.
This double sided strop comes preloaded with 3000 grit (black) and 6000 grit (green) compounds.
The strop does not contain any rigid wood and is instead made of flexible leather, making it ideal for storing in a bug out bag.
It comes in at roughly just under 9”x2”x0.75” and weighs 12 oz.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Flexx Rudi's Paddle Strop - FLX04
For a Larger Strop for use at home consider the Flex Strops – Rudi’s Paddle FLX04.
This large double-sided strop at roughly 22″x3″x1″ inches is great for maintaining all sizes of blades including machetes and large survival knives. It features a wooden base with a handle lanyard.
We recommend storing it at home as it would take up too much room in a bug out bag.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Home Use
Woodstock 1-Pound Extra-Fine Stropping Compound
For an Inexpensive Stropping Compound to rejuvenate your strop consider the Woodstock Green 1-Pound Extra Fine Buffing Compound.
At 1 pound it’s so big you could break it into smaller bars for your bug out bags and kits.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
16. General Forest Axes
The General Forest Axe—also known as a “Three Quarter Axe” or “Hudson Bay Axe”—is a mid-sized general purpose axe intended for processing firewood for camp, limbing logs and other chopping tasks.
The heads are 2-3 pounds, and the handles are between 18-28” inches long. Essentially it should match your arm’s length, or the distance between your armpit to the palm of the hand.
For some individuals the 3/4 Axe is the ideal size and weight for strapping to a bug out bag, but others would find it too heavy. But at very least this axe can be kept in the car.
Husqvarna 19" Carpenter's Axe
For a Budget-Friendly Axe consider the Husqvarna Carpenter’s Axe, known in the wilderness community for its unusually hefty power due to it’s beefy head.
Some even favor this axe over premium axes because of this unique head.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag or Car Kit
Wetterlings 23" Hudson Bay Axe
For a High-End Axe, the Wetterlings Hudson Bay Axe is a beautiful, high quality axe made by a tried-and-true manufacturer that’s been around since 1880.
It features a 2 ½ lb sharpened Swedish carbon steel head, with 23″ hickory handle and includes a leather sheath.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag or Car Kit
Gränsfors Bruk 25" Scandinavian Forest Axe
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag or Car Kit
17. Felling Axes
A monster axe for monster trees—the Felling Axe is a necessity for downing large diameter trees which is usefull for serious shelter building and fire wood.
They’re known for their heavier 3 lb heads and larger 30” to 36” handles.
An axe of this size is clearly too hefty for a bugout bag and is therefore ideal for keeping in the car.
Hults Bruk Atran Felling Swedish Axe
Budget: Med Ideal For: Keeping in your Vehicle
Gränsfors Bruk American Felling Axe
Budget: Big Ideal For: Keeping in your Vehicle
18. Hatchet / Pocket Axe
The hatchet is essentially a small axe that’s well suited for hanging on your EDC belt or outside your bug out bag. It serves a similar function to the fixed blade survival knife with more features such as hammer, wood splitter and skinning tool.
Here’s two excellent options depending on your budget:
Husqvarna Hatchet
Gränsfors Bruk Wildlife Hatchet
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + EDC Belt
Want to hang your hatchet on your belt? Consider a Leather Axe/Hatchet Holster.
19. Axe Sharpening Stones
The axe sharpening stones tend to be rounded as opposed to the more rectangular knife stones, though you could use either in an emergency.
Lansky Puck Sharpener
For a Budget Sharpening Stone with dual 120 grit coarse side and 280 grit fine side consider the Lansky Puck Sharpener.
While its fine side is not a very high grit we still managed to sharpen our axe with it.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Gränsfors Bruk Ceramic Axe Stone
For a Premium Sharpening Stone, we like the Gränsfors Bruk Ceramic Axe Stone because it has a 180 grit coarse side with the 600 grit fine side combo, as well as a rubber grip casing—making it easier and safer to work with.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Naniwa Chosera Japanese Whetstones
For Professional Axe Sharpening at home—we’ve already mentioned the Naniwa Chosera Japanese Whetstones for that razor-sharp treatment on knives—and the same is also true for axes.
And again for a very affordable, high-quality rubberized stone holder consider the Steelex D1091.
(Remember—these are too big for a bug out bag and are recommended for home use only.)
This short clip shows how Ray Maers uses his Japanese whetstones to sharpen his axes:
Budget: Big Ideal For: Sharpening at home
20. Folding Saws
A folding saw is an excellent wood-cutting tool for the survivalist’s arsenal due to its small size, light weight, and aggressive cutting ability.
If you’ve never used a pocket folding saw you’d be surprised how quickly they’ll zip through branches and small trees—which is important for firewood, bushcraft and shelter building tasks.
Here are two of our favorite folding saws, each has their advantages:
Bahco Laplander
For a Budget Folding Saw the Swedish Bahco Laplander is known amongst bushcrafters as the benchmark folding saw due to its robust durability and applications in wood-cutting, bone-cutting (good for hunters) and plastic-cutting.
We’ve tried several other brands and generally nothing was quite as light and strong as the Laplander (except for the Silky we’ll mention next).
Due to their affordability and high quality we keep one in every pack—Bug Out Bag, Car Emergency Kit, (optional for EDC Belt) and also for general camping use.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + Belt
Silky Super Accel 210 - Large Teeth Version
For a Premium Saw that cuts wood twice as fast, we highly recommend the Japanese Silky Super Accel 210 – Large Teeth Version.
The blade is longer, more flexible and with much more aggressive wood-cutting teeth than the Laplander.
Here’s a great video review from Feral Bushcraft explaining why he’s chosen the Silky Super Accel over the competition:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + Belt
21. Large Hand Saws
While pocket folding saws will cut through branches and small trees, the larger Silky hand saws are excellent for larger trees. They’re even faster than axes.
Silky SUGOI 420 + Extra Large Teeth
For a Large Hand Saw that can be strapped to your bug out bag, consider the Silky SUGOI 420 with Extra Large Teeth.
It’s 16.5” curved blade is an excellent design in the way it “hugs” onto the tree while cutting with minimal effort. We’ve never seen anything like it.
Comes with a large plastic sheath with belt clip.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Silky Katanaboy
For the Ultimate Extra-Large Folding Saw we can highly recommend the Silky Katanaboy.
With a massive 19.8” blade that’s capable of cutting 10” logs, this is the biggest folding saw on the market.
We wouldn’t recommend it for a Bug Out Bag but this is great for keeping in your vehicle.
Here’s another great video from the Dutch Bushcraft Knives reviewing this amazing saw:
(Start at 30 sec. to skip straight to the review)
Budget: Big Ideal For: Keeping in your Vehicle
22. Large 36-Inch Bow Saw
Take advantage of your vehicle to store large survival items you wouldn’t necessarily keep in your bug out bag such as the 36-inch bow saws.
36" Bow Saw + Spare Blades
We believe every vehicle should be fitted with a cheap 36” bow saw and spare blades.
The bow saw is a good investment for processing wood in the event of a winter power outage as well as roadside emergencies.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Keeping in your Vehicle
23. Glass Breaker & Seat Belt Cutter
Resqme Glass Breaker
The Resqme is a tiny glass breaker and seatbelt cutter that can help you escape a vehicle in the event of a serious accident.
The glass breaker will shatter vehicle side windows, but not front windows. Simply push into a window corner and in a moment the glass will shatter.
In a vehicle accident you might not be in reach of your Car Emergency Kit, so don’t forget to keep an extra Resqme in your vehicle’s glove box and/or center console for immediate access at all times.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Your Car Emergency Kit
24. Aluminum Snow Shovels
Another useful item to keep next to your winter roadside emergency kit.
AAA Lifeline Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel
For a Budget Aluminium Snow Shovel with rave reviews consider the AAA Lifeline Aluminum Sport Utility Shovel.
Voile T Wood Shovel
For a Premium Aluminium Snow Shovel with a 10 inch saw built into the handle consider the Voile T Wood Shovel.
The 10” saw attaches to the long handle for extra leverage and can be used to cut snow, ice and wood. It neatly stows into the neck of the handle when not in use.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Keeping in your vehicle
25. Bear Spray
For any trip to the woods where bears inhabit, bear spray is hands down the most effective bear deterrent.
According to statistical evidence published in the “Journal of Wildlife Management” bear spray is known to have “a better success rate under a variety of situations … than firearms.”
7.9 oz. Frontiersman Bear Spray with Hip Holster
We like the 7.9 oz. Frontiersman Bear Spray with Hip Holster for easy access from the hip.
This bear spray is maximum strength with a 30-foot range.
Frontiersman products are certified by the EPA and Health Canada.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + EDC Belt (avoid hot sunny days in the vehicle!)
Bear Safety
TIP 1. Learn To Use Bear Spray Effectively:
When using bear spray, pay attention to the wind and it’s direction. The bear must come within the spray range to be effective, so don’t spray prematurely.
There’s lots of videos on how to properly use bear spray:
TIP 2. Beware: Bear Spray Can Freeze!
Bear spray won’t function properly in freezing temperatures, so keep it warm by wearing close to the body, under the jacket—less accessible we know, but at least it won’t freeze!
Chapter 4
Clothing
From clothing essentials and hiking footwear to extreme cold survival gear—this chapter has you covered!
26. Rain Gear
We’ve found there are 2 great options for rain gear—each has their advantages:
- The full coverage that comes with your standard “rain jacket & rain pants combo” vs
- The dual-purpose versatility that comes with the “rain poncho-tarp”
We generally recommend rain jacket and pants for a bug out bag as they provide full body rain protection, not just from rain and snow but also as a wind block. (Wind alone can suck the heat right out of you, leaving you vulnerable to cold injury.)
And we save the lighter smaller poncho-tarp for the throwing into the car kit since it’s so convenient and inexpensive.
Important Note On Sizing: We suggest large sizing that can be worn over your winter layered clothing, not your usual sizing. You never know when you’ll get caught in a cold, wet survival scenario that requires both waterproofing and insulating layers.
Marmot Precip Jacket & Pants
For Budget Rain Jacket & Pants the Marmot Precip Jacket & Pants have been around for years and are still known for their excellent value at an insanely affordable price point.
This jacket won the award repeatedly for “Best Buy” on OutdoorGearLab, where they said “Top notch hood and cuff closures, along with superior breathability for its price range and solid ventilation features are what set it apart from the similar…” They also said said it “…delivers the most bang for your buck”.
It features an extremely lightweight and compressible design, as seen in this video by Go Outdoors:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
Arc'teryx Beta SL Jacket & Pants
For Premium Rain Jacket & Pants with excellent durability, light weight and packability, consider the Arc’teryx Beta SL Jacket & Pants.
Made with GORE-TEX Paclite shell with tough 300 denier nylon, with high pockets so they’re not obstructed by the hipbelt of your bug out bag.
This jacket currently holds the OutdoorGearLab “Editors’ Choice” Award, stating “It scored the highest… in all of our comparison categories and offered exceptionally versatility. It had the best in review mobility, featured a fantastic hood design, and provided exceptional storm worthiness at a below-average weight, all while maintaining a high-level of durability.”
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
Mil-Tec Rain Poncho / Tarp
For an Affordable Rain Poncho-Tarp, that’s even cheaper than the budget rain jacket, and also doubles up as an emergency shelter, consider the Mil-Tec Waterproof Ripstop Nylon Rain Poncho / Tarp.
It folds into a small package that’s ideal for a Car Emergency Kit, work bag or travel bag.
27. Shirt
If you could only choose one shirt, here are 4 factors to consider:
- Long sleeved and loose fitting—so it breathes well, provides shade from sun, and leaves room for some under layers in colder temperatures.
- Made of robust materials and reinforced seams.
- A collar is ideal—not only does it provide protection from the elements, but it sends a trust signal. People are more respecting and feel safer when they meet a stranger with a collar.
- Button pockets are great for storage.
5.11 TacLite Pro Long Sleeve Shirt
For a shirt that meets all the above criteria, consider the 5.11 TacLite Pro Long Sleeve Shirt (available in men’s & women’s cuts).
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
28. Pants
Here’s 4 important factors when choosing a survival pant:
- Full length, loose fitting pants—again, so they breathe well, provide shade from sun, as well as leaving room for some under layers in colder temperatures.
- Again, made of robust materials and reinforced seams.
- Reinforced knees—so they’ll last longer.
- Cargo style pockets—so you can carry extra gear.
- Optional: Adjustable waist size—in case you lose weight and don’t have a belt.
5.11 TacLite Pro Pants
For Budget Pants that meet the above criteria consider the 5.11 TacLite Pro Pants (available in men’s & women’s cuts).
Big Bill 18 Oz. Merino Wool Cargo Pant
For Budget Wool Pants with—dare we say—premium materials and design, massive cargo pockets, at an insanely affordable pricepoint, consider the Big Bill 18 Oz. Merino Wool Cargo Pant. Hand’s down our top pic for a survival pant.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Fjallraven Vidda Pro Pant
For a High-end Bush Pant the Fjallraven Vidda Pro Pant is an excellent option.
We love all the pockets, the heavy duty “G-1000” fabric, as well as the double-reinforced rear & knees.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Filson Mackinaw Wool Field Pant
For a Premium 100% Wool Hunting Pant the Filson Mackinaw Field Pant is simply as good as it gets.
Wool naturally self-regulates temperatures and humidity. It also stays warm when wet.
Wool won’t catch fire as easily as synthetic fabrics, and sparks that land on it tend to just go out.
Wool doesn’t retain odors (unlike synthetics that can begin to smell within hours).
Wool has properties that make it self-cleaning when left in the sun, and therefore doesn’t need to be washed as often.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
29. Sun Hat
Sunburn can occur in less than 15 minutes, so we suggest you keep a lightweight, wide-brim sun hat in your Bug Out Bag and Car Emergency Kit.
We don’t recommend baseball caps as they don’t provide enough face and neck coverage.
Columbia Bora Bora II Booney Sun Hat
For a Budget Sun Hat we like the lightweight, 100% nylon Columbia Bora Bora II Booney Sun Hat with mesh vent panel and adjustable chin strap, rated at UPF 50 sun protection.
This hat is well-reviewed on Amazon with over 1,400 reviews averaging 4.6/5 stars on Amazon.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
30. Cotton Scarf
Shemagh
A large, pure cotton bandana or “Shemagh” is traditionally used in arid regions to provide shade from sun and protection from sand, but you’ll be amazed at the number of survival applications for this simple scarf: you can make char cloth, an arm splint, a filter for debris in water, a camo cover, and much more.
Here’s 10 reasons to carry a shemagh from the RevHiker channel on Youtube:
Safety Warning: Try to choose a solid color like the one pictured left rather than one of the checkered patterns which can be associated with trouble!
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
31. Bug Head-Net
Excellent for use in insect infested areas, it will keep off the mosquitoes & other critters so you can sleep or navigate the bush without losing your sanity.
Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat
For an Affordable Bug Head-Net the Outdoor Research Bug Bucket Hat is excellent and comes attached to a lightweight sun hat.
(The hat portion is soft and thin-brimmed so we recommend it in addition to your sun hat, not as a replacement.)
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
32. Work Gloves
To protect the hands during laborious outdoor activities, a pair of heavy-duty work gloves is a must have item.
Husqvarna Xtreme Duty Work Glove
We like the original Husqvarna Xtreme Duty Work Glove: affordable, well made—much tougher than your everyday garden glove and also lighter.
We keep two pairs in the Bug Out Bag, and one pair in the Car Emergency Kit.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
33. Knee Pads
Knee protection is especially important when wearing a heavy pack. But also for a survival situation where you’ll be working on the ground starting fires, building shelters, collecting plants, etc.
Pro-Tec Street Knee Pads
For a Budget Knee Pad, consider the heavy duty, low-profile Pro-Tec Street Knee Pads.
Pro-Tec has a reputation for making excellent protective gear for sports and military for many years.
Arc'teryx Knee Caps
For a Premium Light-Weight Knee Pad, we absolutely love the Arc’teryx Knee Caps.
They’re comfortably flexible, incredibly lightweight at only 7.9 oz and have a have slim profile which makes for easy packing.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
34. Leather Boots
Taking good care of your feet is vital which is why choosing footwear for a survival scenario is serious business. There’s so much consider such as build quality, longevity, repairability, water-proofness, breathability, ankle support for heavy packs, 4-season capability, etc…
Sounds expensive right? It doesn’t need to be! But first let’s cover some essential footwear criteria:
Leather Footwear Tip
Choose Leather Footwear, Not Synthetic!
It’s unfortunate that today’s footwear industry is flooded with man-made plastics, faux leathers and engineered moisture-wicking materials that are intended for short-term luxuries and fashion, and were never designed for long-term daily wear.
Here are some tips for choosing the ideal footwear for a longterm survival scenario:
1. Avoid Seams & Synthetics
Modern footwear uses complex designs with excessive seams and synthetic materials. The more seams the more prone they are to damage, and what’s worse is they’re especially difficult to repair with as they don’t provide much substance for sewing.
2. Look For Traditional Leather Boot Designs
Try to choose full leather footwear, inside and out, with just enough seams in all the right places. These kinds of boots have the potential to last much longer. Even when they take damage they’re much easier to repair by sewing and gluing means.
Footwear Sizing Tip
Go Up 2 Sizes!
We recommend buying boots at a full 2 sizes bigger than normal to accommodate two pairs of heavy wool socks. Yes, you heard us right, 2 sizes bigger! This serves two functions:
- Prevents Blisters: The two socks divert boot friction away from your skin. The wool layers wick moisture outward, keeping your feet dry—a major factor in preventing blisters.
- Winterize your Boots: You can wear heavy wool socks and felt liners in colder seasons, and reduce as needed in warmer seasons—achieving a true 3-4 season boot (depending on your tolerance).
With that out of the way lets explore some excellent footwear for survival:
Canadian Army MK3 Combat Boots
Budget: Low
Filson Uplander Hunting Boot
For a Premium Leather Hunting Boot, consider the time-tested, oil-tanned full-grain cowhide leather Filson Uplander Hunting Boot.
The genius is in it’s simple design with fewer components, meaning there’s less to go wrong and less to repair.
(Again, consider larger sizing as mentioned above. We know we’re repeating ourselves but we can’t stress this enough.)
Budget: Big
Now couple your boots with a pair of gaiters and you have the benefits of a long-boot without all the extra weight:
34. Leg Gaiters
Leg Gaiters will turn your hiking boots into a long boot that protects your pants from long brush in dense forests, helps prevent bites from ticks, and keeps out the snow in the winter with minimal added weight.
Black Crystal Leg Gaiters
For a Budget Leg Gaiter consider the Black Crystal Leg Gaiters which come with all the essentials including:
- 3 layer waterpoof breathable upper and tough 1000D CORDURA waterproof nylon fabric lower
- Metal hook that fastens onto the bottom of your laces
- Tough reinforced instep straps
Rab Latok Alpine Gaiters
For a Premium Leg Gaiter, Outdoor Gear Lab stated that the Rab Latok Alpine Gaiters are “by far superior to every other model we tested and well deserving of our Editors’ Choice award.”
They feature everything from the previous pair but they’re made with high-performance materials.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
36. Winter Base Layers
From mountaineering on cold mountain peaks, to static military operations in frigid winters—survival in the extreme cold is largely dependent on the on this tried-and-true layering system:
The US Military’s extremely affordable winter layering system was made to do just that. It’s called the “Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System” or “ECWCS”. (Find out more in our ECWCS Level 7 Review).
Let’s begin with the Base Layers: lightweight warming layers worn next-to-skin, providing the first level of moisture-wicking from skin outwards.
Gen III ECWCS Level 1 - Base Layers
Woolpower Technical Lite Shirt & Long-Johns
For Premium Merino Wool Base Layers with excellent body temperature regulating properties consider the Woolpower Technical Lite Long Sleeve Shirt & Long Johns.
Again, while synthetic next-to-skin layers can start to smell within hours of wear, the natural merino wool can last days without any smell.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Now that we’ve covered base layers lets explore mid-layers:
37. Winter Mid-Layers
The mid-layer is worn over the base layer, intended to provide thick insulating air pockets that aid in the moisture-wicking process and provide significant warmth.
We’ve discovered first-hand that the secret to warmth in coldest of temperatures is to trap body heat in pockets of air—that’s why fuzzy materials like wool and fleece are so effective in combating the cold and moisture management.
Gen III ECWCS Level 2 & 3 - Mid-Layers
For Budget Synthetic Mid-Layers consider the GEN III ECWCS LEVEL 2 Mid-Weight Shirt and Drawers combined with the GEN III ECWCS LEVEL 3 High Loft Fleece Jacket.
(While the ECWCS are definitely the most affordable bang for your buck, we do recommend the premium Woolpower tops and bottoms for those that can afford it as no synthetic garment can compete with real merino wool garments.)
Woolpower "Ullfrotté" Mid-Layers
The amazing Woolpower “Ullfrotté” wool blend material was developed with the Swedish Military in the 1970’s, and is still one of the top wool garment producers today.
While merino wool is an excellent temperature regulator on it’s own, it doesn’t naturally have great wear resistance. That’s why Woolpower “Ullfrotté” uses one-third synthetic materials to strengthen the wool and provide an ideal blend.
We’re very happy with our Woolpower garments for several reasons:
- Woolpower wool is stretchy, so it always wears comfortably and layers well too.
- It’s not itchy at all, in fact its soft and cozy to the touch.
- The wool uses a very loose terry-loop weave which helps trap warm air to provide massive insulation and wicking.
- It’s extremely well made. When you put it on it you can just feel the quality workmanship.
For Premium Merino Wool Mid-Layer Tops consider layering both the 400 & 600 Gram Woolpower Long Sleeve Shirts.
For Premium Merino Wool Mid-Layer Bottoms consider layering both the 200 & 400 Gram Woolpower Long Johns. (The men’s come with fly and women’s without fly, but are otherwise virtually the same.)
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Now that we’ve covered mid-layers lets look at the insulative outer layers:
38. Winter Parka & Trousers
These high-loft compressible parka and pants are the ideal insulative outer layers for a bug out bag because they provide crazy warmth with minimal weight and packing size.
We’ve found that even smaller individuals who find they get cold easily loved wearing these.
Gen III ECWCS Level 7 - Parka & Trousers
For an excellent set of Budget Winter Parka & Trousers, look no further than the ECWCS Level 7 Parka and Trousers.
We’re huge fans of this system and we wrote all about it in our ECWCS Level 7 Review.
Alternatively if you find you’re someone who really needs that extra length and warmth in the jacket, consider the longer Halys Sekri PCU Level 7 Parka (Type 2 Long Version).
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Winter Car Kit
39. Wool Socks
Want to know the secret behind blister-free hiking boots?
By following the wool sock layering principle you can prevent the clammy feet and friction that leads to blisters. Here are the 3 vital components:
- Light Liner Sock: Backpacking boots should always be worn with a next-to-skin merino-wool liner sock to move the moisture outwards, keeping your feet dry. This component is key in the whole system working properly.
- Mid-Layer Sock: We couple the wool liner sock with a thicker sock (such as a 600 gram merino wool sock) to prevent any boot friction with your feet and to continue the moisture wicking outwards.
- Heavy-Layer Sock: For extreme cold add a thick sock (such as an 800 gram merino wool sock) for extra warmth, or if it’s really cold wear 2 thick pairs and drop the mid-layer.
As you can see the sock plays such an important role with hiking footwear, so we recommend getting at least 2 pairs of each thickness to double their life-span.
(Of course none of this will be possible without having boots a couple sizes larger than normal to accommodate all these socks… Sorry, we just had to say it again!)
SmartWool Socks
The SmartWool Hiking Socks are excellent quality and very affordable:
- For Liner Socks we recommend the SmartWool Hike Ultra Light Crew Socks
- For Mid Layer Socks we recommend the SmartWool Hike Medium Crew Socks
- For Heavy-Weight Socks we recommend the SmartWool Trekking & Mountaineering Heavy Crew Socks
(The link at above contains all of these socks.)
We’re happy to say these have lasted us years and they’re still going strong, showing only minor wear-and-tear. They’re so comfortable we even wear them in the house on cold winter days.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Woolpower Ullfrotté Socks
And for the cream of the crop: the Woolpower Ullfrotté Socks have done it again with their “Original Ullfrotté” materials that provide an amazingly insulative and flexible sock.
- For Liner Socks we recommend the Woolpower Classic LITE Socks
- For Mid Layer Socks we recommend the Woolpower 600 Gram Socks
- For Heavy-Weight Socks we recommend the Woolpower 800 Gram Socks
(The link above contains all these socks.)
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
40. Winter Moccasins / Mukluks
If you’ve only ever worn heavy stomping winter boots you’re in for a treat! We’ll explain what makes winter Mukluks are like no other:
Lure of the North Winter Moccasins
The Lure of the North Winter Moccasins (mukluks) are extremely light-weight, soft and flexible boots that make walking on snow feel heavenly…
Your feet are completely free to experience all the subtle nuances of the ground as you walk, just as the indigenous did for thousands of years. Once we tried them we couldn’t go back.
They’re made of natural breathable materials so you don’t sweat, and they fold up easy for storage in your bug out bag.
And Lure of North isn’t just a footwear company, they’re a highly experienced, family business that specialize in traditional winter travel courses, crafts and skills from their wilderness base camp located in Canada. “Our desire for good quality winter clothing and equipment has led us to now produce much of this [gear] ourselves.” Check them out if you want to attend a course!
Note that these mukluks are only intended to be worn in freezing temperatures when there is no slush or moisture.
And as always, be sure to choose 1 to 1.5 sizes larger than normal shoe size to accommodate 2 pairs of heavy wool socks (we promise that’s the last time we’ll remind you!).
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly alternative, we’ve heard the Wellco N-1B Extreme Cold Weather Mukluks are good but haven’t tried them ourselves yet.
That said, we do still recommend the army boot and wool sock combo as a primary all-around survival boot—worth exploring.
41. Winter Gloves / Mittens
When camping in the dead of winter it’s always surprising how debilitating the extreme cold can be. Everything you do gets sloooowed right down, easily 2-3 or more times slower.
You’ll no doubt want the most warmth you can get out of a mitten, but if you’re busy around camp with chores or food prep you’ll also want the finger dexterity that comes from gloves. Here’s a perfect solution to achieve both:
U.S. Air Force N-4B - Extreme Cold Weather Mitten
For a Budget Mitten we’re very pleased with the U.S. Air Force N-4B – Extreme Cold Weather Mitten with 100% wool liners. They run large so they have room for an inner glove (not included).
Similar to the layering philosophies already mentioned, the military has done it again with a bullet-proof, flexible layering mitten system for cold weather survival. It goes like this:
- An Inner Glove (not included) is worn as the base layer—this glove makes your fingers available for fine detail work where mittens are too clunky.
- A Large Outer Mitten is worn on top of that glove for increased warmth. The outer glove is actually made up of 2 parts: a 100% wool liner, and an outer shell made of leather (on the hand) and nylon (on the arm). The outer layer is so large (like a massive gauntlet) that it rolls over your jacket sleeves, sealing off any heat loss and preventing snow from entering.
When you need the dexterity of your individual fingers just throw the mittens off, hang them over your shoulder (tethered by cord so they stay close by) to reveal the inner gloves and continue working without ever exposing your bare fingers to the cold. Amazing how much thought goes into it.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Lure of the North Buckskin Mittens
For a Premium Mitten consider the handcrafted Lure of the North Buckskin Outer Mitten.
The mittens are made to be paired with the Lure of the North Wool Inner Mitten Liners (sold separately but included in the link above.)
These offer a similar system to the military approach mentioned above, but not sized to be worn with additional glove base layers.
(If you do still want to achieve that layered effect make sure to scale up the sizing appropriately.)
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
42. Winter Fur Trapper Hats
In the blistering cold, no hat is as effective as the fur-lined trapper hats that fully wrap around the sides of your face and under your chin. We absolutely love them!
Accept No Substitutes! Advances with synthetic materials and faux furs have been made for warmth, but they’re still not nearly as warm or as breathable as real fur. All the hats we suggest here are lined with real rabbit fur.
(For extra neck coverage add a balaclava or neck gaiter.)
Original Mad Bomber Hat
For a Budget Trapper Hat consider the Original Mad Bomber Hat.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
100% Leather Aviator Hat
For a Premium Trapper Hat we love the 100% Leather Aviator Hats (from Mad Bomber, Crown Cap & Zavelio).
They feature beautiful classic designs that are extremely warm and functional.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
43. Snow Goggles
In the event of an emergency in the extreme cold it’s important to have Snow Goggles to protect your eyes from snow blindness, snowfall and harsh winds.
Bolle Mojo Snow Goggles
For Budget Snow Goggles consider the Bolle Mojo Snow Goggles.
They’re extremely well reviewed, featuring a classic design at an affordable price point.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles PRO
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
44. Climbing Helmet
On rough terrain with a fully loaded bug out bag it’s easy to lose balance and hit your head. That’s where a lightweight climbing helmet comes in handy.
“What about my bicycle helmet” you ask? While bike helmets are made to absorb and crumple from a SINGLE IMPACT, the rock climbing helmet is made to deflect MULTIPLE IMPACTS.
Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet
For a Budget Climbing Helmet consider the time-tested, ultralight, super robust Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet.
Here’s a short video from a Whittaker Mountaineering Guide on why she chooses the Black Diamond Half Dome:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Chapter 5
Sleep & Shelter
4 Season Sleep Systems, Tarps & Wool Blankets
45. Military Sleep Systems
US Military Sleep System (MSS)
The US Military Sleep System is an excellent extreme cold weather sleep system that has become our all time favorite survival sleeping bag.
Available new or used depending on your budget, though we’ve had no issue buying used and can highly recommend them.
The sleep system includes:
- 2 x Sleeping Bags (of light and medium weight) which combine to become heavy fill.
- 1 x Camouflaged Gortex Bivvy which acts as a vapor barrier against the rain and snow to keep you dry. This amazing seam-sealed bivvy can stand alone as a waterproof shelter and as a last resort—stuffed with foliage to insulate against the cold in a survival emergency.
- 1 x Compression Stuff Sack to cinch the bag down small while carrying in your bug out bag.
When All Three Layers Combine with insulative winter clothing (such as ECWCS), they are said to provide an overall temperature rating of -50º F (-50º C).
The US Sleep System uses synthetic-fill which stays warm when wet—a requirement for a survival scenario where you can’t always guarantee a dry sleep.
(We don’t recommend down-fill bags because they provide no insulation once wet and is difficult to dry.)
Watch as James Yeager, MFCEO of the Tactical Response training company does an excellent, no-nonsense video review on the MSS (mature language warning):
(Note he reviews the newer system which, with the exception color, the bags are completely identical.)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
46. Sleeping Bag Liner
Is your sleeping bag still not warm enough?
Sea to Summit Reactor Extreme Thermolite Liner
For smaller, colder individuals where added warmth is needed, we’ve had good experience with the Sea to Summit Reactor Extreme Thermolite Liner.
It adds 25º F (14º C) warmth to your sleeping bag, but packs small and lightweight. (We just keep ours rolled up with our sleeping bag and don’t notice it.)
It also acts as a “sheet” to keep your sleeping bag clean – always a plus!
Unfortunately this is an expensive item and we haven’t found any budget-friendly alternatives, but it does it’s job well and we’re still happy we have them.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
47. Tarps
A lightweight personal tarp is ideal for setting up a quick shelter on the go. And we’re not talking about those low quality industrial tarps you get at your local hardware store…
Aqua Quest “Guide” Sil Tarps
For a Tarp to store in your Bug Out Bag we recommend the ultra light Aqua Quest “Guide” Sil Tarps in large 10×13’ (for couples) or medium 7×10’ (for individuals).
Both are excellent quality, light-weight and compressible.
Ben from the Living Survival Youtube channel does a very informative review on this tarp and adds it to his “Bens Best” collection, which he states “simply stands out above the rest”:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Aqua Quest “Defender” 70D Tarps
For a Tarp to store in the Vehicle we recommend a heavy-duty tarp since weight isn’t an issue. The tough build quality of the Aqua Quest 10×13’ “Defender” Large 70D Tarp is outstanding.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Keeping in a vehicle
Mil-Tec Poncho Tarp
For a Dual Purpose Wearable Tarp, consider the Mil-Tec Waterproof Ripstop Nylon Poncho Tarp that we mentioned previously under #26. Rain Gear.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
48. Wool Blanket
It’s always good to have a wool blanket in the car in case of break down on a cold day.
80% Wool Blanket
Not all wool blankets are created equal, there’s a lot of knock-offs on the internet. As a rule, we don’t settle for less than an 80% Wool Blend Blanket.
Wool fiber is naturally fire retardant.
A wool blanket can used as a makeshift cloak in an emergency as demonstrated in this video from Forrester Bushcraft:
(In the video he uses rocks and string but it’s a lot easier with a cloak pin.)
Budget: Low Ideal For: Your Vehicle (but much too bulky for a Bug Out Bag)
Chapter 6
Food Gathering
The resources you need to forage, procure, and prepare your food in a long-term survival scenario.
49. Cooking Pot
The cook pot is a staple survival item for any outdoor enthusiast. It’s a means to purify water through boiling, melt snow for drinking, steep teas and heat food.
We attended a workshop where Mors Kochanski spoke highly of the value of the survival pot. Mors believes that over time, with the right skills and experience, we may learn to live in the wilderness with not much more than a pot and some survival essentials stuffed inside. This is congruent with Mors Kochanski’s “The More You Know, The Less You Carry” philosophy to survival.
Four Dog 1.8 Liter “Mors” Camp Pot
For a Budget Cook Pot we’re big fans of the super-robust, USA-made, time-tested Four Dog 1.8 Liter “Mors” Camp Pot with Lid—which Mors Kochanski believes is the ideal size and expects will last a lifetime.
It’s total weight is 11 oz.
Watch a clip where Mors speaks about his pot along with his 2 kilo survival kit:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Snow Peak Trek 1400 Titanium Cookset
For a Healthy Cook Pot the Snow Peak Trek 1400 Titanium Cookset is excellent option.
Made of pure Grade A Titanium in Japan. Titanium doesn’t leach into food like other metals when scratched.
The cookset includes a 47 oz. (1.4 liter) titanium pot, a titanium lid that doubles up as a small frying pan, and a nylon mesh storage sack—coming in at only 7.4 oz.in total weight. We absolutely love ours!
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
50. Cooking Stove
The fold-up cook stoves produce a concentrated heat source for cooking and boiling that can actually be stronger and steadier than freestanding fires, while requiring far less wood.
Emberlit Fold Up Stoves
For a Budget Fold-Up Cook Stove we recommend the original Emberlit Stainless Steel Stove.
Weighing in at only 11.3 oz.—Emberlit puts it best: “When you compare that to a full canister of fuel and burner, the difference in weight is astounding!”
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
For a Premium Light-Weight Cook Stove we recommend the Emberlit-UL Titanium Stove.
Weighing in at less than 7 oz. means it’s about 40% less weight than the original stainless steel version!
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
51. Brass Snare Wire
Strong, malleable wire for snaring small game such as rabbits, and also comes in handy for fixing gear.
24 Gauge Brass Snare Wire
The 24 Gauge Brass Wire is sold in 100 foot bundles that are easy to dispense.
Considering the value of trapping small game we suggest getting as many as you can in your Bug Out Bag & Car Emergency Kit. (We put 8 rolls in each of our bags.)
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
52. Snares
Thompson SK1 Survival Snare Kit - 4 Traps
For a Reusable Small Game Snare with high quality components, we like the Thompson SK1 Survival Snare 4 Pack.
Comes with two 1/16” snares and two 1/32” snares for rabbit, squirrel, weasel, birds, etc.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
53. Survival Fishing Kit
Best Glide Survival Fishing Kit
The Best Glide Survival Fishing Kit Tin contains all sorts of hooks, leaders, bobber, lines, jigs, flies, bait, etc… packaged in a water-resistant taped reusable tin.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
54. Automatic Fishing Reel
Mechanical Fisher's Yo-Yo Fishing Reels
Also referred to as a Yo-Yo Fishing Reel—just set the hook and bait in the water and walk away.
When it snags a fish it automatically pulls the fish up and holds it there until you come back.
At just a few bucks each the 12 pack is most economical and makes them easy to share among your Bug Out Bags and Car Emergency Kit.
IMPORTANT: Get the “flat trigger” model (which we’ve linked to), not the “wire trigger” as the flat trigger is much more robust. And always check local laws before using.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
55. Fishing Gill Net
The gill net is an amazing tool because it has the potential to catch multiple fish repeatedly with minimal effort.
Just setup the gill net in an area that fish frequent and check the catch several times a day.
Best Glide Adventurer Survival Gill Net
For a Budget Fishing Gill Net consider the Best Glide Adventurer Survival Gill Net.
The gill net measures 12′ x 4′ with a 1.5″ mesh. Made of high quality materials, packs small and reusable if well maintained.
(Check local laws before using.)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
56. Rimfire Rifle
The small calibre .22 LR take-down rifle is great for hunting small game.
It’s one of the most common calibers to find, it’s lightweight, and it’s much quieter when compared to the larger game calibres.
Note that you’ll need your license to buy and use any firearm, and always check local laws before hunting.
Henry AR-7 US Survival .22 LR Rifle
For a Budget Semi-Auto Rifle we can highly recommend the Henry AR-7 US Survival Rimfire Rifle.
The barrel, action and two eight-round magazines fold down incredibly compact into it’s own rifle stock (perfect for a backpack).
It weighs only 3.5 lbs and even floats in water!
Henry Rifles have established an excellent reputation that have been around since the 1800’s.
If you didn’t know, a semi-auto utilizes pre-loaded “magazines” that allow firing in rapid succession without needing to stop to reload between each shot.
Check out hickok45’s review on this rifle on YouTube:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Chiappa Little Badger .22 LR
For a Budget Single-Shot Rifle with a simplistic rock-solid design, the .22 LR Chiappa Little Badger is another favourite amongst survivalists.
The single-shot rifle means you have to stop and reload between each shot, but you can expect this rifle to last a lot longer than a semi-auto due to less moving parts and simpler design.
At 2.9 lbs it’s even lighter than the Henry, and it too folds down making it ideal for a backpack.
Check out the features in this video from Kentucky Gun Co:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Firearm Maintenance
Always Clean and Oil Your Rifle for Longevity
- For quick and easy barrel cleaning we recommend Hoppe’s Boresnake 22 Rifle Bore Cleaner.
- For a more thorough cleaning system consider the “Otis Tactical Cleaning System” which not only cleans a .22 but also everything from .17 to .50 caliber.
- We got both— the Boresnake fits nicely inside the Otis pouch.
Budget: Varies Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
57. Compact Folding Bow
While a rifle may eventually run out of ammo, the bow’s arrows are reusable, and in an emergency you could even fashion your own arrows in a pinch. A bow is also quieter than the .22 rifle.
We’ve explored many of the popular survival bows on the market, but one clearly stood out from the rest:
SAS Tactical Survival Bow
For a Tough-As-Nails Survival Bow weighing only 2.2 lbs consider the SAS Tactical Survival Bow.
We’re pleased to see this bow was specifically made for long-term survival by it’s maker, and is well reviewed by survivalists as such.
As a bonus, the hollow body riser of the bow was made with just enough room to store and protect 3 Full SAS Take-Down Arrows.
Watch this in-depth video by TWANGnBANG to learn more:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
58. Slingshot
The modern survival slingshot is no toy—it has evolved as a means for small game hunting without nearly as much bulk or weight as a rifle or bow. And by using small stones or pebbles you always have a newable ammo source. Some can even handle arrows.
FlippinOut Scout Slingshot
For an Affordable Slingshot consider the FlippinOut Scout Slingshot.
At a mere 4.6 oz. in weight you get super lightweight firepower.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Chief AJ Elite Slingbow
For a Premium Slingbow that even fires arrows consider the 1lb Chief AJ Elite Slingbow.
It was unanimously voted the top sling bow by all 3 contestants on the “Ultimate Survival Tips” 5 part series entitled “Sling Bow Wars” on YouTube.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
59. Food Collecting Pouch
A rifle magazine dump pouch can be repurposed as a means to collect berries, plants, mushrooms, tinder, etc while on the go.
Just hang the dump pouch from your belt or pack to prevent your food from otherwise getting crushed in your pockets, AND free your hands for other tasks.
We’re sure there are many other functional uses for this heavy-duty belt-mounted bag.
Maxpedition Rollypoly Folding Pouch
We like the Maxpedition MM Rollypoly Folding Pouch because it’s made of tough 1000-Denier light-weight ballistic nylon, it easily closes with the adjustable drawstrings and velcro flap cover, and it can be attached via MOLLE attachment system or belt loops on your EDC Belt.
Budget: Med Ideal For: EDC Belt
Chapter 7
Water
Water is life. It strengthens muscle tissue, it flushes out bacteria and waste, it circulates nutrients that feed the body, it helps build new cells and studies show it even helps prevent cancer.
60. Water Canteens
A steel water bottle or military canteen is a great option for both storage and boiling water over fire.
The traditional water bottle is the simpler more affordable option, whereas the military canteen is more comprehensive, including: 1qt. (32 oz) steel water canteen, a steel cup with butterfly handles, optionally includes a lid, and optionally includes a MOLLE cover that can be hung on a MOLLE belt or backpack.
Bamboo Klean Kanteen Reflect
For a Classic Stainless Steel Water Bottle, we like the simple solid design of the 27 oz. capacity Bamboo Klean Kanteen Reflect which comes with a stainless steel bamboo cap.
It has no paint or plastic, just high quality food grade stainless steel, bamboo on the lid and a silicone seal.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
G.A.K Military Canteen
For a Budget Military Water Canteen Kit made of stainless steel, consider the 32 oz. capacity G.A.K Military Canteen which comes with the matching cup and surplus canteen cover.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Keith (Heavy Cover) Titanium Canteen Mess Kit
For a Premium Military Water Canteen Kit made of titanium consider the 37 oz. capacity Keith (Heavy Cover) Titanium Canteen Mess Kit.
Titanium is superior to stainless steel because it’s lighter and stronger, and also healthier for cooking.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Center Line Systems Mother Canteen Carrier
For a Premium Canteen Carrier Kit consider the heavy duty Center Line Systems Mother Canteen Carrier.
It comes with an adjustable shoulder strap, molle attachment points, and 3 compartments with space to store all kinds of survival gear goodies along with your water canteen.
(Note this is only the carrier, and does not come with a canteen.)
Watch Black Scout Survival review his “Mother Canteen Carrier” carrier coupled with the “Heavy Cover (Keith) Canteen Kit” (mentioned above):
(Note that this carrier is fully compatible with both previous canteens mentioned on this list, and not just the Keith Heavy Cover Canteens.)
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
61. Water Filters
If you drink contaminated water it can lead to severe illness or even death, so we take our water filters very seriously.
Here’s two excellent filters that we think are some of the best money can buy:
Sawyer Mini Water Filter
For a Budget Personal Water Filter: We heavily researched the two top contenders and nothing compares with the versatility, pocketable size, 100,000 gallon rating, and 0.1 micron filter pores of the Sawyer Mini Water Filter. It is hands down the best, most affordable pocket filter on the market.
The mini has another trick up it’s sleeve: it’s made to fit the mouth of your standard plastic bottle, so you can just fill the bottle and then screw on the filter. That means you don’t have to put your face in a pond and drink like a straw—as is the case with most other personal water filters. Now that’s multi-purpose survival gear.
Truly a life-saver in your pocket. Worth keeping in every bug out bag, EDC belt, Car Kit and even your Travel Bags.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + EDC Belt + Car Kit
Katadyn Pocket Water Filter
For a Premium Family Water Filter look no further than the Katadyn Pocket Water Filter.
It filters water incredibly fast at 1 liter per minute and features a heavy duty metal outer construction.
It’s also the only filter that comes with a 20 year warranty.
This is simply the highest quality, most robust survival water filter we’ve seen.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
62. Water Purification Tablets
There are essentially 3 common varieties of water purification tablets: Chlorine, Iodine, and our favorite Chlorine Dioxide tablets.
Chlorine Dioxide Water Purifier Tablets
While Chlorine & Iodine are cheaper and typically expire in less than 5 years only Chlorine Dioxide is able to last longer (if properly stored dry, airtight and away from heat).
Chlorine Dioxide is also the only tab that kills the waterborne microorganism Cryptosporidium—the leading cause of diarrheal disease from untreated water in the US.
It also effectively kills bacteria, viruses, most protozoa and Giardia.
It leaves a slightly unpleasant taste but is much better tasting than Iodine, no big deal.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + EDC Belt + Car Kit
63. Hydration Bladder
If you’ve ever gone backpacking you know how disruptive little things can be like stopping to unload your water bottle just to take a sip. That’s where the hydration bladder gives backpackers a convenient hands free drink on the go.
Water is heavy, hydration bladders let you keep the water close to your back for better weight distribution.
Once the bladder is empty it’ll compress down—taking up less space, unlike bottles that always occupy the same amount of space full or empty.
Source Hydration Bladders
For One Of The Best Water Bladders On The Market, we recommend the 2 & 3 litre military-grade Source Hydration Bladders. They’re widely used in the military as well as by civilians, which means they’re compatible with many packs and carriers.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
USMC ILBE Hydration Carrier
Need To Carry That Water Bladder Solo?
For a Budget 3 Litre Water Carrier that lets you wear your hydration bladder independently, we like the USMC ILBE Hydration Carrier which comes with shoulder straps as well as clips that can attach to MOLLE packs.
Note this isn’t by itself a water bladder, it’s a shoulder mounted CARRIER for a 3L Source water bladder. So get both if you need.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Chapter 8
Fire Starting
Fire warms our bodies in the cold and lifts our spirits in times of adversity. It purifies water, it cooks our food, it aids in producing valuable tools.
We cannot stress enough the importance of fire starting redundancy in your kits.
64. Ferro Rods
A “Ferrocerium Rod”, also called a “Fire Steel” is our favorite fire-starting tool to have in a survival situation. Here’s why:
- Ferro rods have no complex moving parts unlike lighters that can break down or get crushed and leak.
- Ferro rods are unaffected by exposure to water, unlike matches.
- They’re reliable in varying temperatures. Have you tried using a lighter when you’re hands are cold or wet? Not fun…
- They only require a 90 degree sharp edged surface—like the back of some knives—to consistently shower sparks.
Large 5"-6" Ferro Rod
For a Budget Ferro Rod we recommend Extra Large 5″ or 6″ Ferro Rods with no extras. The large, simple design is what makes them so effective.
We see a lot of ferro rods get covered up with fancy handles and contraptions, but all that does is take away valuable striking surface and add unwanted bulk.
We like to have several of these for the Bug Out Bag and Car Emergency Kits.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Mini Keychain Ferro Rods
For Small Keychain-Sized Ferro Rods, consider Mini Keychain Ferro Rods for all your smaller EDC survival kits.
Budget: Low Ideal For: EDC Neck Lanyard + EDC Belt + Pocket Survival Kits
65. Flint and Steel
“Flint and Steel” fire starting is achieved by striking a hard rock against a piece of high carbon steel. When struck in just the right way they create fine sparks that can be used to ignite combustible tinders such as char cloth.
Why do I need this if I already have a Ferro Rod?
The Ferro Rod makes fire starting quick and easy but it won’t last forever, where as the traditional Flint and Steel can last a life time.
- The “steel” is much harder and longer lasting than the softness of a ferro steel.
- The “flint” is easily replaceable: a chip off a rock can work as long as it’s hard enough to produce sparks.
Flint & Steel Deluxe Kit with Tin
For A High Quality Flint and Steel Kit, we like the Flint & Steel Deluxe Kit with Tin, which includes:
- A large metal tin (to hold all the items but more importantly to make more char-cloth)
- A large carbon steel striker
- A real natural English flint rock
- Char-cloth material (a super sensitive tinder source)
- Assorted tinders (jute twine, etc.)
(UPDATE: We’re sad to say that kit pictured and mentioned seems to have discontinued, but we’ve found several great alternatives in the link above.)
Starting fire with flint & steel isn’t easy at first. Here’s a video from David Canterbury showing how it’s done:
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
66. Tinder Quick Tabs
The Tinder-Quick Tabs are an excellent waterproof tinder—used by the military for years.
They come compressed and look deceptively small in hand, but just a couple of sparks on the frayed end of a single tab can burn for minutes.
A great companion item for your ferro rods.
Tinder Quick Tabs
We recommend getting a few of the Tinder Quick Tabs 12 Packs to divide up amongst your Bug Out Bag, Car Emergency Kit, EDC Belt and Pocket Survival Kit.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car + Belt + PSK
67. Char Cloth Tin
Steel Hinged Tin
Char Cloth is typically a cotton-based tinder that’s extremely combustible, moreso than anything you would find in nature. Char cloth is well suited to catching finer sparks from flint and steel due to having undergone the process of “pyrolysis.”
A Char Cloth Tin is just a closeable steel hinged tin like an Altoids Mints tin. The tin is used to make char cloth over fire using cotton fabrics such as old jeans or rags. The tin also doubles up as a space to store small survival gear items such as flint & Steel.
(If you already purchased the “Flint & Steel Deluxe Kit with Tin” you likely won’t need this tin though.)
While you can buy premade char cloth (linked above) even more valuable is knowing how to make your own in the wild.
AlfieAesthetics does a really nice short 2 min. video on how to make char cloth:
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
68. Fire Pistons
The age old fire piston has been used since the 1800’s. It essentially creates fire by compressing air in a small chamber to ignite char cloth and other tinder into a burning ember. It’s incredibly efficient and requires only a tiny peice of char-cloth.
"Campfirepiston" Hickory Fire Piston
For a Budget Fire Piston consider the U.S.A-Made “Campfirepiston” Hickory Fire Piston.
It features a very classic and effective design.
Comes with a bag of char-cloth.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Numyth Vulcan Fire Piston v2
For a Premium Fire Piston the hard-anodized aluminum Numyth Vulcan Fire Piston V2 is an excellent choice.
Comes with a small storage slot for keeping char cloth.
Here’s a video walkthrough from the maker himself at Going Gear:
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
69. Magnifying Glass / Fresnel Lens
A magnifying glass is great for inspecting slivers, cuts and bites but can also be used as a fire starter by magnifying the sun’s light.
Fresnel Lens
For a Budget Plastic Fresnel Lens, consider the credit card-sized Fresnel Lens 4-Pack.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
SE Folding Pocket Magnifier
For a Budget Glass Magnifier consider the SE Folding Pocket Magnifier.
Featuring a swivel design with thick glass and a hard plastic protective sleeve.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
70. Beeswax Candle
Beeswax is said to burn longer and hotter than paraffin wax, and is completely non-toxic.
Both the pleasant aroma and the candle’s flame are known to boost morale and reduce stress in an emergency.
Beeswax is also edible (but don’t expect it to taste like honey!)
UCO Beeswax Candles
For Affordable Beeswax Candles we like the UCO Beeswax Tea Lights & Large Candles.
A single tea light burns 3-4 hours, and the large candles burn 12+ hours.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Fire Survival Tip
Make Fire with Everyday Objects!
Grant Thompson – “The King of Random” shows us how to start fire with a sandwich bag:
Did you know you can make fire from a chocolate bar and a soda can? Here’s how it’s done:
Chapter 9
Cordage
Cordage has hundreds of survival applications. To name a few: creating tools, building shelters, trapping, stitching repairs, and starting fires with the bow drill technique we mentioned earlier.
71. Paracord
The legendary 550 Paracord cordage was used since WWII for parachute suspension lines. It is the quintessential cordage used by the modern survivalist.
With a breaking strength of 550 lbs this ultra-tough cordage is well suited to shelter building and other load-bearing tasks.
Every foot of Paracord contains 7 feet of inner strands which can be used for lighter tasks such as clothing repairs or trapping.
550 Paracord
Watch out for Paracord knock-offs on the market. The 550 Paracord Type III 7 Strand from Paracord Planet is 100% authentic.
It comes in a variety of colors and lengths. We generally recommend a few hundred feet per bug out bag.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
TITAN SurvivorCord
For Premium Paracord with an additional strand of waxed jute (fire starter), a fishing line, and a conductive copper wire, consider TITAN SurvivorCord.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
72. Bankline
Bankline, also referred to as Tarred Twisted Nylon Twine, has a 100lb breaking strength and offers a thinner alternative when paracord isn’t needed.
The black “tarring” makes bankline much grippier than paracord so it’s excellent for bow drills and holding small knots.
Bank Line (Tarred Twisted Nylon Twine)
For a Spool of Bank Line that’s just the right size for a bug out bag, we like the 395ft Bank Line Spools from Catahoula.
Chapter 10
Lights
When choosing a survival flashlight keep in mind batteries will be hard to come by in a survival scenario, so it’s important to choose a flashlight that’ll run on the world’s most common battery—the AA battery.
That may mean lowering your standard if you’re used to high lumen output, but it’s better to have sustainable light than no light at all.
73. AA Headlamp / Small Flashlight
Headlamps are great for keeping your hands free during night activities such as map reading, navigating and cooking.
Zebralight H52 - AA Headlamp
The Zebralight H52 is compact, lightweight, and runs on a single AA battery.
At its lowest setting it can last up to 3 months on a single charge.
Easily detaches from the headband to carry the flashlight in hand.
For more info and specs, we wrote a full Zebralight H52 Review where we explain why we think it’s the best survival headlamp and gave an overall score of 4.7 Stars.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit + EDC Belt
74. AA Flashlight
For AA flashlights with a bit more punch—consider these excellent offerings from ThruNite and Fenix:
ThruNite Archer 2A V3 Flashlight
For an Extremely Budget-Friendly AAx2 Flashlight we recommend the ThruNite Archer 2A V3 with 500 lumens. (Runs on two AA batteries.)
Fenix LD41 Flashlight
For Larger AAx4 Flashlight consider the Fenix LD41 with 960 Lumens. (Runs on four AA batteries.)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
75. Keychain Light
Photon Freedom Keychain Micro-Lights
We find these tiny Photon Freedom Keychain Micro-Lights absolutely indispensable for all your kits, keychains and lanyards.
White beams are best when max brightness is needed.
Red beams are best when you want to maintain night vision.
We suggest getting several sets of both for all your kits.
Stock up on Batteries: We also suggest getting extra pairs of cr2016 batteries (for the white Photon Freedom) and extra cr2032 batteries (for the red Photon light) and storing these in your Pocket Survival Kits.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + PSK + Car + Lanyard
Chapter 11
Solar
By combining a solar panel, power bank, and battery charger you have a semi-sustainable power source for your smart phones, flashlights and batteries.
76. Solar Charger & Power Bank
The solar charger is made of foldable solar panels that can be hung on a tree or backpack on the go to collect and convert sun light into power for your devices.
Always couple the charger with a good power bank that can handle intermittent charging so you can save up that power for when you need it.
Never connect the charger directly to a device that can’t handle intermittent charging (hence the power bank).
A solar charger is a great option for trips in the outdoors as well as for vehicle breakdown where you may need to extend your phone’s battery life.
Anker 21W USB Solar Charger & 10,000mAh Power Bank
For a Budget Solar Charger consider the Anker PowerPort 21W USB Solar Charger. At only 14.7 oz it’s a good balance of power, weight, and doesn’t occupy as much space as other solar chargers.
And don’t forget to add a power bank to safely handle those intermittent charge cycles during cloudy days:
For a Budget USB Power Bank consider the Anker PowerCore 10,000mAh Power Bank to accompany your solar charger. It’s pocket-sized, weighs just under 7oz, and has enough power to fully charge an iPhone 7 around 3.6 times.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Emergency Kit
77. Rechargeable AA Batteries
As mentioned previously the AA battery is the world’s most common battery type. Other specialty battery’s like cr123’s won’t be easy to find when the SHTF, so we always look for devices that operate on the tried-and-true AA battery.
Panasonic Eneloop AA Rechargeable Batteries
For an Excellent Survival AA Battery, the Panasonic Eneloop AA Rechargeable Batteries are can be charged up to 2100 times.
They retain 90% of their charge after a year, and 70% after 5 years.
Unlike most batteries, Eneloops keep functioning at cold temperatures down to -4°F (–20°C).
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
78. USB AA Battery Charger
SunJack USB Battery Charger
We’ve looked everywhere for a USB Battery charger that can both charge individual AA batteries one at a time, as well as multiple AA batteries at different capacities with independent charging sensors to prevent damage from overcharging…
The Budget Friendly SunJack USB Battery Charger does just that for your AA and AAA Ni-Mh and Ni-Cd Batteries.
SunJack is a well-established manufacturer of Solar Chargers with a great reputation we’ve come to trust.
Chapter 12
Navigation
In this chapter we cover the essential tools to plan, scout, and navigate to your destination effectively. Understanding how they work will not only help you get where you’re going but also minimize your energy expenditure.
79. Compass
The compass is vital for traversing large distances. The “Live Science” website states that “When lost in the desert or thick forest terrains devoid of landmarks people tend to walk in circles.
Blindfolded people show the same tendency; lacking external reference points, they curve around in loops as tight as 66 feet (20 meters) in diameter, all the while believing they are walking in straight lines…”
Suunto A-10 NH Compass
For a Budget-Friendly Compass that’s reliable and accurate consider the Suunto A-10 NH Compass.
The clear base plate and scales make it easy to use on maps, and at only 1.06 oz (30 g) it’s very lightweight.
We personally chose to get this one for our vehicle, and the more expensive one below for our Bug Out Bag.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit + EDC Belt
Suunto MC-2G Compass with Cover
For a Premium Compass consider the Suunto MC-2G Compass with Cover.
The MC-2G has received glowing reviews from the likes of experienced hikers and members of the military who say they’d trust their life to it after years of use. Here are some of the features:
- The global needle swings very smoothly which makes it really easy to navigate while hiking without needing to focus too much on maintaining the base level.
- The declination is very well designed: easy adjustments with the included micro screw driver (on the lanyard) locks it in place solid.
- It makes altitude measurements which are great for checking the height of trees and mountains
- The inclinometer is especially useful for preventing your vehicle tipping on steep angles, and also for navigating dangerous slope angles in avalanche territory.
- It glows in the dark. Just give it a shot of your flashlight to charge up.
- Excellent durability and quality design.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit + EDC Belt
Suunto M-9 Wrist Compass
Compass redundancy is important—that way if one fails you won’t get lost.
In addition to the larger primary compass we always keep a wrist compass such as the Suunto M-9 Wrist Compass and some button compasses in our kits.
Budget: Med Ideal For: EDC
Compass Survival Tip
The instructions included with these compasses likely won’t provide the skills and confidence you’ll need in the event of an emergency.
We highly recommend watching compass tutorials or getting professional training at your local camping shop.
80. Monocular
The monocular is a hand-held optic—smaller and lighter than a bulky pair of binoculars—great for providing aid in trail finding and hunting applications.
Minox Minoscope 8x25mm
For a Premium Monocular that’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand consider the Minox Minoscope 8x25mm.
It features an 8x magnification and 25mm objective lens. It produces a nice bright image.
At a mere 5.4 oz it’s light enough to strap to your EDC Belt and hardly notice it’s there.
The build quality is outstanding—fully sealed construction, completely dust proof, fog proof and waterproof up to a depth of 5 meters.
Budget: Big Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
(We haven’t yet found a budget-friendly option that we’re confident to recommend. If you’d like to suggest one let us know in the comments.)
81. Space Pen
Fisher 400B Bullet Space Pen
The original Fisher 400B Bullet Space Pen has been around since Nasa first went to the moon.
It’s the ideal survival writing utensil—it writes upside down, on wet paper, in water, on greasy surfaces, and even in freezing temperatures where normal ink won’t go.
Writing is essential for recording valuable info such as map coordinates, messages, or diagrams.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
82. Waterproof Notebook
3x5” Rite in the Rain Pocket Notebook
The Rite in the Rain Pocket Notebook is the perfect companion to the Space Pen that won’t get soggy when wet, even in a constant downpour.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag & Car Kit
Chapter 13
Signalling & Communication
This chapter covers the tools to signal for help, to carry messages and for tuning in to local news and weather.
83. Whistle
Storm Whistle
The amazing Storm Whistle works when wet (unlike traditional pealess whistles), and is loud enough to be heard through walls and water.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit + Lanyard
84. Signal Mirror
UST Star Flash Signal Mirror
A signal mirror is used to signal potential rescuers far off in the distance by reflecting the sun’s light.
The UST StarFlash has a central opening to make aiming easier, and it’s made of materials that float in water.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
85. Crank Radio
Eton FRx2 Crank Radio
Tune into local news and weather on the radio during a power outage without the use of batteries by simply cranking a lever.
The Eton FRx2 Crank Radio is an AM/FM radio that includes a built in flashlight, a self-charging solar panel, a USB port to help charge a smart phone, and comes with a DC outlet.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
86. Smart Phone
Your smart phone is an easily overlooked multipurpose survival item. It can used to provide:
- Maps
- Compass
- Survival Ebooks & Apps
- Camera (to take photos of important landmarks, maps, or coordinates)
- Location sharing
- Emergency phone calls / text messages
Check out our list of Survival Books for ideas on Ebooks for your smart phone.
Chapter 14
Medical / First Aid
It’s easy to get injured in the wilderness—even more so with hunger and fatigue in an already stressful survival scenario.
Without access to a doctor it’s up to us to develop the first aid skills and knowledge needed to care for ourselves and others.
87. Medical Kits
AMK Sportsman Bighorn Medical Kit
For a Medium-Sized Hunting First-Aid Kit consider the Adventure Medical Kits – Sportsman Bighorn as your primary medical kit for your bug out bag. (Check the link for full contents).
Designed to treat most wilderness injuries for up to 7 people, yet not too big for your pack.
This hunter’s first aid kit will even address gunshot wounds—a survival consideration even if you don’t handle firearms yourself.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
AMK Ultralight Watertight Medi-Kit .9
For a Small-Sized First Aid Kit consider the Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight and Watertight Medical Kit .9 for your Car Emergency Kit. (Check the link for full contents.)
This kit hits the sweet spot in terms of size and functionality for the vehicle while Providing treatment for up to 4 people.
(Larger families should consider the previously mentioned “BigHorn” kit).
Budget: Low Ideal For: Car Emergency Kit
AMK Ultralight Watertight Medi-Kit .3
For a Pocket-Sized First Aid Kit consider the Adventure Medical Kits .3 Ultralight & Watertight Medical Kit.
With just a handful of essentials to treat yourself it is ideal in your EDC Belt, work briefcase, school bag, purse and travel bag.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Car Emergency Kit
88. Emergency Mylar Space Blanket
Originally intended as a small but effective measure to combat hypothermia.
Mors Kochanski popularized the use of the Mylar Blanket in his original “Super Shelter” design. In it, he uses Mylar to line the walls and ceiling—reflecting body heat back toward the occupant.
Mors states that a super shelter small enough, or containing enough people, can be heated with human body heat alone by this means.
SOL Emergency Blanket
For A Budget Mylar Space Blanket, the SOL Emergency Blanket is an upgraded version of the original mylar blanket.
The one down side of the original Mylar blankets was how easily they tore, but SOL uses tear-resistant vacuum-metalized polyethylene which still reflects 90% body heat.
Blaze orange on the outer side helps you stand out in an emergency.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
SOL Emergency Bivvy
For A Premium Mylar Space Blanket, the SOL Emergency Bivvy takes the Mylar Blanket to a whole new level.
It features everything from said SOL Blanket, but adds a closed-style “sleeping-bag” seam-sealed design—offering full body protection from wind, rain and snow.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Here’s a touching review from a buyer on Amazon who was involved in a broken-leg incident with the SOL Bivvy:
Mylar Survival Tip
Mylar Blankets Can Be Dangerous:
Happypreppers.com perfectly describe one of the biggest downfalls with Mylar Blankets and how to avoid them:
“The condensation and moisture can stay trapped inside the mylar and cause you to chill, and for this reason you should add a layer in between you and the stuff. This can be dry leaves if you have nothing else! Never cover your entire body and face. Your breath [and sweat] will cause condensation and you could freeze to death!”
In other words take precautions to stay dry. Warm up your body and dry your clothes around a fire if needed so you can get back into some clothing or shelter as soon as possible.
(And remember materials like wool stay warm when wet, so only get undressed if it’s your last resort.)
89. Protective Skin Cream
Bag Balm Tin, 4 oz.
For a Protective Skin Cream consider Bag Balm.
It was traditionally used by dairy farmers to protect and moisturize severely dry skin from becoming chapped from hard work and harsh weather—since 1899.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
90. Clotting Agent
Quick Clot
For a Homeostatic Agent that stops bleeding fast consider Quick Clot.
(Doesn’t have any burning side-effects.)
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
91. Israeli Bandage
Israeli Battle Dressing (IBD)
The Israeli Battle Dressing (IBD) is great for bandaging and stopping blood flow from traumatic hemorrhage wounds.
Packs light and small yet unwraps 6 inch wide by nearly 6 feet long—that’s long enough for bandaging nearly any part of the body.
Invented by Israeli Army and adopted by militaries around the world.
We recommend a few for the bug out bag and one for the car.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
92. Anti-Diarrheal Pills
Imodium
Getting sick with diarrhea or stomach pain in the wild is no fun… Even worse, diarrheal dehydration can prove deadly.
We recommend anti-diarrheal pills like Imodium to help with diarrhea, gas, cramping, pressure, and bloating.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
Chapter 15
Hygiene
Hygiene is an important long-term survival factor that is often overlooked. Without proper hygiene we’re prone to all sorts of diseases.
Note that these hygiene products won’t last forever—they’re intended as a buffer until you establish natural means in the wilderness.
That’s why it’s so important to learn to make your own hygienic items such as natural soap from tallow and lye.
93. Toothbrush
Dr Collins Perio Toothbrushes
For a Long Lasting Toothbrush consider Dr Collins Perio Toothbrushes.
The monofiliament bristles clean deeper than normal tooth brushes, and they’re longer lasting (est. 2 years).
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag + Car Kit
94. Microfiber Towel
Large Packtowl
For an incredibly absorbent, lightweight, microfiber towel consider the Large Packtowl.
It comes in a variety of sizes, but we we like the “Large” because it’s a good balance of size, weight, and surface area—roughly half the size of a normal towel but much thinner and lighter.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
95. Soap
Sierra Campsuds
For an all-purpose, biodegradable, highly-concentrated liquid soap consider Sierra Campsuds.
It’s aggressive enough for cleaning dishes but soft enough for hair, face and body.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Survival Tip
DIY Soap
Here’s a great DIY soap tutorial by Dave Canterbury on his Wilderness Outfitters Youtube Channel: (tutorial begins at 54 sec.)
96. Female Urination Device
Go Girl
The “Go Girl” is a medical grade silicone device that allows women to hygienically and discreetly urinate while standing.
With the Go Girl there’s no need to look for a bush to crouch behind just to get privacy.
These have been around for years and have become quite popular in the camping scene.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
97. Menstrual Cup
Diva Cup
Say goodbye to tampons with the award winning Diva Cup—a reusable medical-grade silicone cup that provides 12 hours of leak-free protection.
Doesn’t contain latex, pvc, or other harmful plastics, nor any colors or dyes.
It proved excellent in our testing. As well, Amazon has over 4,600 happy customers with a 4.3/5 star rating.
(Choose the right size for you.)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Chapter 16
Repairs
Maintain and repair your clothing, footwear and gear on the go with these helpful repair kits and tools:
98. Sewing Repair Kit
Best Glide Sewing & Repair Kit
The Best Glide Sewing & Repair Kit includes:
- high grade kevlar thread with 50 lb tensile strength
- MilSpec and military approved utility cord
- various needles
- heavy straight pins
- assorted buttons
- safety pins
- heavy duty nylon thread
- needle threader
- metal thimble
- cable ties
- and more (check link for full contents)
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
99. Spare Buckle Set for Bug Out Bag
Your pack manufacturer should sell replacement buckles in the event that you break your vital load-bearing buckles.
Namely, the large main bip belt buckle, as well as the medium and small sized buckles typically used forfor compression straps and closures.
ITW Nexus 16 pc ILBE Pack Spare Buckle Set
For Spare Buckles to the ILBE Pack consider the ITW Nexus 16 pc ILBE Pack Buckle Replacement Kit.
ITW Nexus has been in the business for over 25 years designing 100% U.S. Berry compliant buckles for military, law enforcement and civilians alike.
While this kit is intended for the ILBE, all the buckle sizes are quite standard so they may work for non ILBE packs too—check sizing to be sure.
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Eberlestock Spare Buckle Set
For Spare Buckles to the Eberlestock Packs consider the official Eberlestock Spare Buckle Set. (These are the “Stealth” model buckles.)
Budget: Med Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
100. Stitching Awl
Speedy Stitcher Awl
The Stewart Speedy Stitcher Awl is a handheld tool used to stitch and repair heavy duty materials like canvas and webbing (often found on packs and shelters) as well as thick leather (perfect for army boots).
It comes with high-tensile waxed thread and diamond point needles that sew a perfect lock stitch like a sewing machine.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
101. Super Glue
Gorilla Super Glue Gel
Super Glue is known for it’s powerful, quick drying bond to most surfaces (including skin cuts in an emergency).
But unlike traditional super glues that are thin and runny, the thicker Gorilla Super Glue Gel makes gluing jobs much easier.
Bonds leather, metals, wood, plastics, ceramic, rubber, paper, and more.
Note: The bottles containing the glue come just over half-full, so we buy a second one to top up the first one.
Budget: Low Ideal For: Bug Out Bag
Chapter 17
Books
If you’ve come this far you’ll know how often we’ve mentioned how survival gear alone won’t ensure your survival.
Survival requires a knowledge base as well as a measure of first-hand experience that we earn from study and practice.
Books are a great way to stand on the shoulders of those before us.
102. Survival Books
Here’s some of our top recommended books in the areas of general survival, bushcraft, wilderness living, foraging (in US, Canada & UK) as well as medical related.
(Click the title under any book for more info and where to buy.)
What Now?
We hope you liked this survival gear list! If you did, share this with your friends and let us know in comments!
If you’d like to get shopping you can head straight to our shop page where you can buy any item from this list, easily categorized by topic.
And if you’re all set, don’t make the mistake of leaving all your gear in a closet without a clue how to use it… Don’t actually wait for the s**t to hit the fan…
Develop Survival Skills and Knowledge
- Learn what it takes to thrive in YOUR environment
- Join programs, classes and trips with experts and like-minded friends and family
- Study readily available information on youtube, books and apps
- Get hands on with primitive fire-making techniques such as bow-drills and the flint and steel method
- Practice your survival shelter building in warm as well as cold seasons
- Learn the mindset of the proactive survivor
- Study your local edible plants and discover nature’s grocery store
Take It To The Next Level!
Load up your bug out bag and go for a hike in a controlled, safe setting with friends and family. Put your skills and gear to the test—that’s the only way to really learn and improve.
And most importantly have fun—you’ll learn much quicker that way!
