Every person should have a basic survival kit in their home, car, and office. This is true whether you live in a city or rural area, although it will vary depending on your location. The exact contents of your kit will depend on your situation. However, some items are universally useful no matter where you live or what type of emergency arises.
Shelter
A shelter of any type is a highly essential piece of survival equipment. It provides protection from the elements, a place to rest and store your equipment, cook and eat, sleep, and change clothes. It’s best to have several shelters available in different locations so you can choose the one that best matches your needs at any given time or location.
Water Collection and Purification
Water is the most important element to consider in a survival situation, as you’ll be unable to sustain life for long and will likely die within just three days without it. If you can find an unpolluted source of water, great.
You can collect this by digging a hole near the source or filtering it through some kind of material (e.g., sand) before collecting it in containers or bags (also known as “water bladders”). However, if there isn’t any clean water nearby then you’re going to have to make do with whatever dirty stuff is available — which means purifying it first.
Signaling and Communication
Signaling is a way to get the attention of rescuers, which can be done with light, sound, or radio waves and can include smoke signals, flares, mirrors, whistles, and flags. A signal mirror should be part of every survival kit to use to signal for help or as a directional beacon if you’re lost at sea or in the woods.
Mirror signaling works because most aircraft have nose-mounted cameras that automatically turn toward anything reflecting sunlight into their lenses–a phenomenon known as “mirror glare.”
Navigation
Navigation is the process of navigating, which can be divided into two categories: land navigation and water navigation. Land navigation as survival equipment involves the use of a map and compass to find your way, while water navigation involves using landmarks such as waves, wind direction, etc., to navigate your boat.
Food Procurement, Storage and Preparation
Finally, when you’re in the wilderness, food is one of your most important resources. You need it to keep yourself alive and healthy. The best way to make sure that your body has all the nutrients it needs is by eating a balanced diet consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.