We receive a ton of suggestions from our readers; but one of the most popular emails we receive is from readers who want to share what’s in their bug out bag or survival kit.
We would like to thank everyone for their suggestions and have compiled a list of the top 101 pieces of Survival gear our readers carry with them. Some of these items are great for Bug Out Bags and wilderness survival, while others might be better suited for an urban survival situation.
This is a list of what our readers find most important to them and is in no way a list of what we think you should or shouldn’t carry. Everyone’s needs are unique and will change depending on a number of factors. The list of survival gear is presented so you can see what others carry, and to give you some ideas if you’re just getting started in preparedness.
Survival Gear List: 101 Top Suggestions from our readers.
- Cell Phone
- Water Bottles
- Flashlights
- MultiTool
- Pocket Knife
- Knife (we recommend the SOG Knives – The Seal Pup Elite Knife)
- Emergency Food or MRE’S
- First Aid Kit
- Compass
- Personal locator beacon (PLB)
- Hiking Backpack
- Sleeping Bag
- Canteens
- Sewing Kit
- Maps
- Duct Tape
- Plastic Tubing
- Lighter
- Space blanket
- Plastic Freezer Bags
- Crowbar
- Fire steel
- Waterproof Matches
- Emergency Candles
- Hiking Tarp
- Water Storage
- Water Filter
- Camp Axe
- Shovel
- Flares
- Signal Mirror
- 4 Season Tent
- Ham Radio
- C.B. Radio
- Bivy sack
- Whistle
- Good Hiking Boots
- Thermos for Cooking
- Chlorine Bleach
- Water-purification tablets
- 550 Paracord
- Hiking Hammock
- Tinder (for fire starting)
- Machete
- Plastic painters tarp
- Salt
- Mylar blanket
- L.E.D. HeadLamps
- Fishing line
- Dental floss
- Extra Socks
- Gloves
- Rain suit or poncho,
- Wide Brim Hat
- Ultimate Survival Kit
- Bandanas
- Bible
- Playing Cards
- Fire Extinguisher
- AM / Weather Radio
- Riffle
- Ammo
- B.B. / Pellet Gun
- Slingshot
- Snare Wire
- Multi-Vitamins
- GPS Device
- Portable Camping Stove
- Propane
- Batteries
- Solar Chargers and battery power banks
- Fishing Pole
- Magnesium Fire Starter
- A Survival Tablet
- Saw
- Plastic Trash Bags
- Binoculars
- Shortwave Radio
- Eating and Cooking Utensils
- Scissors
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Jumper Cables
- Cable Ties
- Oil (for your vehicle, can also be used to start a fire or create smoke for a signal fire)
- Tool Kit
- Tire Repair Kit
- Hard Candy ( can give you a boost of energy and a boost to your morale)
- Emergency Credit Card
- Personal Identification Papers
- Family Photos (morale Booster)
- Dust Mask
- Lantern
- Money (Putting a $20 or a $50 in you kit might come in useful someday)
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Pepper or Bear Spray
- Can Opener
- Chemical hand warmer packets
- Energy Bars
- Survival Books
- YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Survival Gear List at Amazon
There’s a lot of replies to read through so I don’t know if this has been said already, but for women planning to bug out and needing menstrual products, planning on packing enough sanitary pads and/or tampons for even a year is going to take up a LOT of space. Good alternatives for anyone looking are menstrual cups (like the diva cup) that can last 10yrs+, or fabric pads that can be washed in cold water and reused. Hardly takes up any space in a pack, especially compared to disposables.
Good list, but seeing lots of overlap.
IMHO your bugout bag should be light and efficient.
MREs for example are way heavy, go with dehydrated food so you’re not carrying around the extra water
Either way you’re carrying the water…either as water content in the meal or water separately for reconstitution. For a true “survival” situation (major earthquake or fire), I like to go with high calorie bars. Yeah, they taste like sh**, but they’re light and compact.
We always pared our MREs down before missions. All the packaging (other than the actual foil containers) was thrown out. All the sporks were thrown out except one (or two if you’re one of those that like to lose things). Things like bread packets/crackers, candy, desserts and fancy beverage mixes were usually left behind. 3 to 4 day of meals would easily fit in our cargo pockets (until I made everyone carry their own IV and admin set in the right pocket).
For the folks who wear glasses, keep an old pair you have in your kit with cleaning cloth.
Get off your ass and go out there in the real world and try it. If you have to ask what you need to survive, you will not. Training is key. The military don’t send soldiers that are not trained. Why should this be any different? Schools train children how to survive in case of a fire or earthquake. Without it, the children would probably…well you get my point. Train like your life depends on it. because it will. You will discover what is needed and what is not. We all learn from our mistakes.
6 and 1 should switch because I have been in a survival situation and a good knife is the most inportent
6 and 1 should switch because I have been in a survival situation and a good knife is the most inportent if you can
You are right me and my dad have had to go camping and we got lost for 2 months and we had to survive in the wild we brought a sheddy knife and a bible and a survival kit/bag to survive so people who don’t believe in god, your dum.
darn right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Calling bullshit on that. Lost for 2 months?
And it’s bad form to insult the intelligence of others when you can’t even spell. It’s “dumb” not “dum.”
#57 Bible should strictly be used as fire starter, or toilet paper. If you cant survive by yourself without having to rely on such a book, You’re as good as dead. Take it from our ancestors, they didn’t have a book full of fairy tales nor did they need 98% of the gear listed.
So I saw fishing line and fishing rod but no fishing hooks. Good luck lol.
Nice list but if you are stuck in the woods without a car some of these things would be way to much to carry around. Keep It light and simple. Common sense is the best thing to use in this kind of situation. Reading survival manuals and survival training is the best bet.
with #101 i can survive without the rest. :)
Well…I’m wiccan…and while I agree that you can find solace in your god and you can bring a bible of you so choose to you shouldn’t be hating on that person because they asked why someone would nor does it make them stupid for doing so. And no one should be saying that because I’d I recall the bible says all sins are equal….so maybe that person isn’t Christian….will your really degrade and discriminate against them because they sin differently than you do?
Also about the founding on Christianity: 1.) The constitution does not say the united states is a Christian nation
2.) The founders political beliefs would not have allowed them to support the Christian nation idea
3.) The key founders were not conservative Christians and would have likely not supported and officially Christian nation
4.) Shortly after the constitution was ratified conservative ministers attacked it because it lacked references to Christianity
5.) During the post civil war a band of politically powerful pastors tried to amend the
If I recall*
The US constitution by adding references of Jesus christ and Christianity into it.
.so yeah…not a Christian country…
The hole Bible comment thing….WAY WAY to much guy. To each his own I say but look at the back and forth you said i said bs….. This is a perfect example of why we need to make a list to begin with. Lets just keep sight working as is was ment to and as to why a Bible on the list…some want one some dont … Dont ask why just use or dont use the idea…sure there is someone out there who doesnt where underware and wondering why it would be part of a list. As I said to each his/her own.
This is great but a little detailed.
Baby wipes! Awesome for cleaning up in low water situations (or very cold conditions) and can double as TP. 20 years with the Corps and this was in my pack every time.
Hey man, if u guys have eva been in a prison, or been isolated then you’ll know you need something to read. Like a bible or a quran. Not one novel will be enough. So i guess dats why the guy added a Bible. U nid an escape and the bible could be one.
I think that if you only bring the basic survival stuff which I have mentioned, you will too busy to need an escape. I lived for one month with just my knowledge of survival and my buck knife and sharpener and I was so busy everyday that I did not need anything else to do because when it comes down to survival, it takes a lot more time than you would expect.
I say that all you need to survive in the wild is this, a good sharp knife and sharpener, something to cut wood, some 550 cord, knowledge on how to use these for all types of traps, fire starting, and shelter building, and an extra set of clothes for when you get soaked and want to just feel dry. With just these things, you can live indefinitely in the wild. I consider everything else to just be luxury items.
Hello, my sons and I are looking for hiking and camping food donation, we went to a kips camp last aug. 22nd and it was ok and all, but they was not very well planned on and what for us to bring, like food, water, gear. So we are looking for some starter samples so when we go again in Nov. we would be better planned for the trip. So if you could help with some gear as well like, pack packs, sawyer, hydro packs and anything you could help with.
So we hope you can help us out, cause when I was in the Army I was told by other fathers that you guys had some good food and gear. There are 3 of us.
Thanks again Shawn and son’s
I honestly would just carry a New Testament :)
U poor fool
I’d rather have a Bible than sunglasses or a cell phone. Just knowledge. Earth was ending, I’d want some mag, fire starters. Flares
Lot’s of flares. Book of edible vegitation
.tarp..water tablets lots of. Them..n containers
I understand wanting a bible. But my cell phone has 32 bit memory card. Lots of apps that I can use with out getting on the network. Compass.I can put documant, pictures, and yes even the bible on my cell phone. I can have pictures of edible plants, videos of how to do things. All on my compact little phone. Instead of carrying lots of books and phamlets I will use my phone. They also make solar chargers form them now.
You can take pictures and zoom in on them. See where you have been.
I can use my phone to make lists and us the pencil to draw things like maps or blueprints.
I can even share information on these files with people and i only have to press 3 buttons. Which is way easier then doing it manually.
I realize a phone can’t cut down a tree or start a fire. But for the size and weight of it. It is a great tool to have.
Just so you know, the compass and GPS functions on you cell use the network. I would rather rely on woodcraft and basic survival skills than a piece of equipment that can be knocked out by impact, emp pulse or a dunk in the lake. And yes I know about Otter cases. Broke two of them already.
I am of course proceeding from the premise that I don’t want to be found unless I want to be found and I may no be able to rely on a source of electricity. The earth’s magnetic field and knowledge of geology and resources are in-exhaustible resources