With the growing popularity of Survival TV Series, there has been a huge increase in interest of survival skills, gear, and tools. The interest level can be simply following an outdoor blog or right up to a 6-month professional course, pending the person’s ambition and enthusiasm. Ultimately, outside of practising and putting these skills to the test, we hope to never have to use them. Understanding that these abilities are for the worst of scenarios but knowing them also to build confidence when in the great outdoors. It must be recognized that even with these abilities, some of the best trained people could not perform effectively without the proper gear and tools. It’s fine to pack in a load of gear that has survival applications and put it all to use, but what if you’re a hunter or hiker that isn’t going into the backcountry for survival, and rather a day or two-day trip. Would it not be wise to ensure you are equipped with some basic necessities that could be the difference between life or death if something were to go awry? In this article, we will review some basic survival equipment for the backcountry so you can ensure you are equipped, confident, and prepared on your next hunting, hiking, or outdoor expedition.

FIRE STARTER
Fire provides warmth, a critical need for the body to survive. Not only does it offer a physical impact for the body, but it can also cook food and provide a sense of companionship and safety whilst all alone in the bush. Fire starting tools come in many different fashions, from flints, kerosene, special fire starter synthetics, ferro fire rods, waterproof matches, to a simple lighter. Whatever one you choose, if you have the understanding and confidence to use it, you will be able to provide fire for your survival needs.

WATER OR WATER PURIFIER
Not many of us could pack more than two days of water on our backs. We need to find clean drinking water while in the backcountry and especially in a survival situation. That could be as simple as boiling water over fire or a modern pocket-sized filtration system like a LifeStraw or SteriPen. The ladder options will be a quicker and more convenient option to drink water directly out of a stream, pond, or slough, regardless of whether it is running water or stagnant. The market presents many different options to purify water but ensuring you have something is very important.

KNIFE/AXE
These can offer you protection in some cases, but more importantly they can assist with building other tools, shelters, animal harvesting/processing, obtaining firewood etc. Most hunters won’t leave home without a good knife but a small hatchet added to the pack is that one additional item that may make a big difference when you need it most.

CORDAGE/ROPE
Building shelter is a key element and takes some skill and knowledge to learn. What comes with building a shelter, typically, is the ability to bind things together so you can create stable walls and roofing. Paracord and rope are very useful for these situations, however, if you are stuck without it, natural cordage like bark strands, roots, foliage, plants, etc. are suitable alternatives. Although the physical strength is reduced, some paracord/rope is made up of multiple strands that can be separated to increase the amount of cord you will have for multiple applications. The low cost and weight of cordage is well worth the investment to have with you.

FIRST AID/TRAUMA KIT
Every outdoor enthusiast should carry a first aid kit. It may seem unnecessary, until the moment you need it, when it could be the difference between life and death. Besides its life-saving potential, a well-equipped first aid kit contains multipurpose items like sewing needles, thread, and gauze (fire starter). There are countless options available on the market, ranging from affordable basic kits to high-end Field Military gear. No matter which type you choose, make sure to always have a first aid kit with you, as it can save your life.

COOKING BASIN
Great, we have water and fire but can’t boil water… A metal pot, pan, or cup is another item that doesn’t get consideration until you need it. This could be as simple as a tin can, but really anything metal that holds liquid is something that you can use to put over the fire to boil water or cook food. A really useful alternative is having something like a Jetboil®, that provides both a heat source and a place to hold your food/water. It doesn’t have to be big and take up a lot of pack space but this is something that clearly serves as being very valuable.

FOOD
There are multiple ways to obtain food in the backcountry, some requiring more skill than others like hunting, trapping, or foraging. When it comes to the contents of a survival kit and not having to resort to harvesting your own food, packing extra food is always encouraged. You never know how long you may be stuck in an emergency and when your body is burning calories it is also requiring them. Freeze dried meals or MRE’s are lightweight, basic sustenance units that one can take with them in their pack to ensure they have the proper nutrition to keep them going in survival situations.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS
You will note with the above items that we have resolved the following critical needs – water, food, shelter and protection. Further to these basic needs, below is a list of other items one should consider including in their survival kit that are be easy to pack and can help make your survival needs more efficient, easier and safer:

• Multi-tools
• Compass/maps
• Handheld satellite systems (Garmin In-Reach)
• Emergency whistle
• Space blanket
• Flashlight
• Mirror
• Magnifying glass
• Shovel
• Extra clothes

This is by no means a complete list as there are many other items that one can consider as being a lifesaving tool in a survival situation. Everyone has their preferences and there are many additional survival tools available on the market, especially now. A good rule of thumb is to overpack and bring it home versus being unprepared and wishing you had brought something you needed. It is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. A good survival kit will provide you with extra confidence in the backcountry and most importantly, be there for you when you need it most.

This information has been brought to you in thanks from Korth Group Ltd. – Outdoor Education.

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