Survival kits

Ever since I earned my wilderness survival merit badge way back in my Boy Scout days I've been obsessed with survival techniques. If you spend time away from civilization it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of these concepts. Even if you aren't a hiker you can find yourself in a bad situation if involved in a car accident in the back country, caught in a blizzard, or even stuck at home without provisions during a hurricane or other disaster (case in point- New Orleans during Katrina). Remember two things-

1. The Scout motto- Be Prepared.

2. It's printed on the cover to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy- DON'T PANIC!

The first thing you have to do is realize that you are lost and accept it. In most situations you will be better served to set up a camp where you are as rescuers will find you faster this way. Don't panic, irrational decisions lead to deadly situations. Perhaps the best thing you can do is be prepared; make sure you have a survival kit.

Survival kits are available for every situation from a variety of dealers but are rarely useful. They are usually assembled from cheap products are often have a novelty feel to them. An example of this is the sardine survival can. Take a look through it's contents and you'll see a kit made from cheap equipment. You'll likely lose that one fishing hook it comes with, and if it does hook one the line it is attached to will probably break. A better option is to build your own kit. For ideas you can check this Field and Stream article. The benefit of putting together your own kit is you can specialize it to your needs for the environment you will be in. You can also put duplicate items in just in case of breaks or loss.

Your small survival kit isn't the only useful item you can have. While it's perfect for your pack you may want to put a kit in your car. This kit will be less limited in weight and volume. You should include a spade, hatchet, absorbent grains (for spills and for traction in case you hit mud or snow), bottled drinking water, extra engine fluids, a portable battery, first aid kit, flashlight, some non perishable foods and water ever else you think may come in useful. People used to stock flares, but many advise using reflective signals instead since they can be used indefinitely.

I feel the same way about first aid kits as I do the survival kit; it's better to make your own. Kits usually have cheap band aids and crappy gauze instead of decent medical supplies. Stock your own from good sterile products and plan ahead for what type of emergencies you may encounter.

An ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure as they say.