The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide: The Ultimate Guide for Short-Term Survival (3 page)

• ❒ Name:
  
• ❒ Address:
  
• ❒ Emergency phone number:
  
• ❒ Coordinates of destination:
  
• ❒ Further description of destination:
  
• ❒ Purpose of trip:
  
• ❒ Mode of transportation:
  
• ❒ Departure date and time:
  
• ❒ Return date and time:
  
• ❒ Name of others with you:
  

If you are departing from a vehicle, be sure to park the vehicle in an area where it can be found easily. Leave a slip of paper in a clear plastic bag with your name, emergency phone number, date and time of departure, description of destination and expected return date and time. Place this bag under the windshield wiper of the vehicle. This will probably be the starting point of the search when the person you left your trip plan with notifies the authorities you are missing. Also, this serves as a backup in case something happens to the person you left responsible to monitor your trip plan.

Taking these precautions are as important as packing a survival kit. If a responsible person doesn’t know you are overdue from your scheduled return, regardless of how short the trip, then no one will know to start looking for you. People have been lost for days before anyone realized there was a problem. In these cases survival ceased to be a short-term emergency and became a long-term nightmare, often with a disastrous ending.

• ❒ Tube tent
  
• ❒ Strike-anywhere kitchen matches in waterproof match safe
  
• ❒ Flashlight
  
• ❒ Fire starters
  
• ❒ Signal mirror
  
• ❒ Police whistle
  
• ❒ MPI Emergency Space bag
  
• ❒ Parachute cord - 50’
  
• ❒ Aluminum foil - 36” x 36”
  
• ❒ Insect repellent
  
• ❒ Water purification tablets
  
• ❒ Pocket Survival Guide
  
• ❒ First Aid Kit
  

SHELTER —
The first item necessary for a survival camp is shelter. You can read all you want about a lean-to, brush shelters, etc., but few shelters are quicker to erect and give as much protection as a plastic tube tent. You simply tie a strong cord between two trees, stretch the tube to its full 8-foot length and crawl in out of the weather. I use the Coghlan’s Tube Tent. It is compact, weighs 18 ounces and is a bright orange color, serving as a signal that can be easily seen from the air. Not only have I used a tube tent in a survival situation, I have used one on several occasions for protection from a sudden rain or hail storm when I didn’t have a rain suit or other protection.

SLEEP WARM —
To stay warm in your tube tent, you will want one of the 36” × 84” MPI Emergency Space bags. This bag, which folds up to 1½” × 3” and weighs only 4 ounces, will reflect and retain 90 percent of radiated body heat. You will need to be careful using one of these bags when you are wearing boots with aggressive soles as they can cause the blanket to tear. But, with a little caution when getting into the bag, it will keep you warm all night. When on guided hunts I carry an extra bag; I want my guide to be rested in order to get me out safely the next day. Also, an extra bag, while weighing little and taking up little space in my survival kit, gives me a backup if I should tear the first one.

MATCHES —
To build a fire you will need fresh strike-anywhere kitchen matches in a waterproof match safe. I use the full-size wooden matches because they are easy to ignite and burn longer than small book or box matches. I keep them in a weathertight safety orange plastic match safe. Replace them often as matches have a short shelf life.

FIRE STARTERS —
Since starting a fire can be difficult, especially in windy or damp conditions, a package of fire starters is a must. Campmor’s has a 4-ounce package of 20 Fire Lighters, each of which burn seven minutes. These can be used for boiling water as easily as starting a campfire.

SIGNAL MIRROR —
Two methods of signaling, beyond a cell phone or two-way radio, should be carried. I suggest a signal mirror, such as Star Flash, and a high-quality whistle, such as a Fox 40 whistle. The signal mirror is easy to use and can be seen more than 60 miles away.

WHISTLE —
The whistle requires very little energy to use, can be heard much farther than the human voice and lasts much longer. Get a whistle that has a contrasting color, such as yellow or bright orange, and a lanyard so that it may be worn around the neck for fast use when in a survival situation.

INSECT REPELLENT —
For protection against mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers and other biting insects, I carry a small packet of insect repellent. During warm weather it is worth its weight in gold, especially at night when mosquitoes are flying.

FLASHLIGHT —
I include a small flashlight in my kit. I like the ones that use lithium batteries due to their 10-year shelf life. The flashlight can be used for signaling and is a must for doing camp chores in the dark. Select a quality compact flashlight such as the Streamlight Twin-Task or Sure-Fire E2 Executive.

ALUMINUM FOIL —
One of the most versatile items I carry in my survival kit is a 36” × 36” piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded up to about 3” × 3”. It can be used to make a vessel for boiling water or cooking food, to make a reflector for a fire and as a signal mirror.

WATER PURIFICATION TABLETS —
While food need not be a concern for the 72-hour survival ordeal, water will be necessary. Since safe drinking water has become scarce even in the most remote wilderness areas, it is a good idea to take along a small bottle of Potable Aqua tablets to treat drinking water. Be sure to follow instructions carefully.

GALLON-SIZE RESEALABLE PLASTIC BAG —
Pack your survival kit in a one-gallon resealable bag, such as Ziplock. It can be used to hold water while treating with water purification tablets.

PARACHUTE CORD —
Carry a 50-foot length of parachute cord. You will find it serves many purposes, especially when improvising a shelter. If small, strong string is needed, the parachute cord can be cut open and the many small strings, which make up the core of the cord, can be used separately to repair clothing, close an end of the tube tent, etc.

POCKET SURVIVAL GUIDE —
Don’t forget to place a copy of this book in the kit. It can be an invaluable resource to refer to when caught in an unexpected situation. This survival kit will fit into a coat pocket or daypack and cost from $40 to $100, depending upon the cost of the flashlight. It is not sufficient to purchase all these items and put them in your daypack, tackle box or hunting coat pocket to be there when you need them. Like any specialized outdoor gear, you need to give them a field test. Actually use them overnight, so you are familiar with them when you need them most.

OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS —
If you require special medications, such as injections to counteract stinging insects, then by all means include this in your gear. Some people include a Power Bar in their survival kit. I always carry bottled water in my daypack on outings. Don’t load yourself down with unnecessary items, but include those which you deem necessary for your safety.

When you use items from your survival kit, make it a high priority to replace them ASAP.