3 Benefits of Survival Kits: Stand up to the Challenges of the Outback

Staying safe and prepared for the unknown in the wild involves having a survival kit. While all kits are meant to provide you with essential supplies, they are not all the same. There are kits made for surviving in the wilderness, for camping purposes and emergency earthquake kits. You also have boat survival kits, first aid kits, winter survival kits, 72-hour kits, survival kits for pets and more. No matter the type of survival kit, it should be light and compact and have adequate supplies. Here’s what that means when it comes to staying safe in the outback.

Benefits

While you can gather your own survival supplies, a ready-made kit will save you the time and money you’ll need when making the kit on your own. Ready-made kits have the most commonly used survival supplies Australia wide by experienced adventurers. These kits can give you a clearer image regarding what you need.

The cost of a ready-made survival kit is also going to be lower since you are not going to be buying items separately. This also makes things more convenient especially if you purchase yours online.

What Should I Have in a Survival Kit?

Emergency Blanket

In order to stay warm at night it’s best that your kit has an emergency blanket. This type of blanket is lightweight and compact whilst being very effective at reducing heat loss. These are ideal when camping or as part of a first aid kit.

Water Purification

Water purifiers are one of the most important survival supplies Australia explorers use. With a water purifier, you can easily make a potentially contaminated water safe to drink. Although you might be planning to bring a lot of water with you, it is still a good idea to get a water purifier as well.

Fire Starters

A set of matches, emergency tinder, a magnifying glass and flint or magnesium fire starter will ensure that you don’t run out of ways to start a fire. This way, you will have multiple backups in case you happen to lose your flint or get your matches wet.

The more options you can rely on the better. While you can get waterproof matches and a couple of lighters, it’s still not the best solution as they can both get used up way faster than a magnesium fire starter or a magnifying glass which does not limit the number of times you can use it.

Multi tool & Knife

A kit should should include a multi tool with several folding blades, scissors, pliers, tweezers and a screwdriver. You should always store your multi tool in an easy to reach pocket. Also, make sure you include a knife that has a full-tang and it can take a beating.

Illumination

A torch is important not only to help you see in the dark, but it can also serve well as a signalling device. In case you are lost or stuck somewhere, using the SOS mode on your torch can help people notice you. A 600 to 1000 lm (lumen) torch is ideal when camping and doing other outdoor activities such as hiking and hunting. For close up tasks in the tent, you can go with a headlight that uses between 10 and 20 lm.

Food

Your survival items should also include nutritious calorie-dense food that can last you for three days. This usually includes high-calorie energy bars, freeze-dried meals and ready to eat meals also known as MRE . If you are going to explore a lot during the day you should consider that you need to intake between 2,000 and 2,500 calories a day.

Navigation

A GPS device is a must when it comes to finding your way through a foresty area or when going back home. But in case your GPS runs out of juice, you need to have something else to rely on which is why you need a compass and a map. While it may take some time to figure out where you are and where you should be heading, at least you won’t have to worry about running out of power.

Medical Supplies

Although this isn’t a first aid kit we’re talking about, medical supplies should still be part of your survival gear. Things like bandages, antiseptic wipes, burn cream, pain relief pills and splint are a must. Individual medications should also be included on your part.