Always be prepared. When you go venturing into the great outdoors, there’s no telling what might happen. If you’re on a camping trip say, and have gone on a long hike in unfamiliar territory, you could find yourself lost or stranded. And having the best possible survival kit can make all the difference in how that turns out for you.
We’re going to level with you – choosing a really good survival kit can be tricky and there’s a lot to think about and consider. But we’re here to make this decision easier for you. Coming up shortly we’ve got some reviews on our handpicked Top 5 survival kits, and after that there’s a handy buying guide where we’ve tried to include all the most important factors to consider.
Best Survival Kit – Reviews
- [250 in 1 Survival Kit]: Having an emergency kit is an important step to prepare and protect your and household for some unforeseen events. This emergency survival kit is specifically designed and...
- [Basic First Aid Kit]: Designed to stow conspicuously, the included first aid supplies are packed in a extra bright red bag. It includes essential items such as tweezers, scissors and pins, would pad,...
- [Portable Molle System Compatible Bag]: The 2022 upgraded emt bag was made of military grade water-resistant 1000D nylon with a size of 8” x 6.5” x 6''. You can attach it to other molle compatible...
- [2022 Upgraded Version]: Nobody can count on friendly weather during an emergency. This kit can help you to deal with the worst. It is the most multifultional survival kit in the market, contains...
- [Must Have Survival Gear]: All of the items have been tested to ensure they can withstand even the toughest emergencies and conditions, such as outdoor adventure, hunting, camping, hiking, travel,...
- Comprehensive Survival Gear&First Aid Kit:This kits provides the most popular survival necessities,such as Multifunctional Hatchet, 4 in 1 Folding Shovel,3-Mode Tactical Flashlight, Multifunctional...
- Multifunctional Tactical Tools&Molle System Compatible: Most of the survival kit has the multiple uses, which can meet your different needs. MOLLE system attachment straps on the back + adjustable...
- Compact Bag Design&Portable :Easy to carry, small and lightweight, can hold all the essential emergency supplies and survival tools (222pcs can be refilled when needed). The survival kit has just the...
- High Quality&Wide Uses:Made of durable and premium quality material.This Survival Kit is great for firefighters, first aid personnel, hikers, campers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, etc. It is ideal for...
- Best Gifts for Men& Women:A must-have survival first aid kit on your way to go any outdoor activity.Practical Survival Kits will be a perfect gift choices for Birthday,Father’s Day,housewarming,etc.
- Pail color shown is subject to change
- Emergency food supply averages over 1,200 calories per day
- 200 tasty servings for up to 30 days of hearty food
- Convenient 30-Day Meal Planner included
- Easy to prepare survival food, just add water and cook
- 【Christmas gift ideas】 High-quality comprehensive emergency survival first aid equipment, best gifts for men, father, family, friends. You can enjoy a more relaxed and safe adventure with our...
- 【A Must Have Survival First Aid Kit】LUXMOM survival kit is unique in that it was specifically designed by survival experts. The comprehensive survival kit not only includes 21pcs multipurpose...
- 【Wide application range】This survival kit is great for firefighters, first aid personnel, hikers, campers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, etc. It is idea for car, ship, bicycles, motorcycles,...
- 【Practical Survival Gears & First Aid Kit】LUXMOM emergency kit contains the most popular survival accessories: Hatchet, 3-mode flashlight, Multifunctional Card, Survival Bracelet, Dual-tube...
- 【Compact Lightweight & Durable】All items are neatly arranged in a 600D nylon bag measuring 9 inches x 6 inches x 5 inches. Easy to carry, small and lightweight, can hold all the 142pcs emergency...
- [Preparedness for the Unknown]: While no one can predict when or how severe a disaster or accident will be, our 262pcs survival kit ensures your family’s safety during the critical first 72 hours....
- [Comprehensive First Aid Kit]: The included first aid supplies are stored in a bright red pouch, containing tweezers, scissors and pins, non-woven pad, triangular bandage, tournquet, cotton swabs,...
- [Safety Companion for Journey]: Our emergency kit includes many survival gear and supplies to ensure access to food, water, warmth, and light in a crisis. The fishing kit and multi-usage spoon help...
- [Essential Survival Gear]: Additionally, this survival kit includes a detachable multifunctional axe with hammer and a 2-in-1 shovel with pick, made of sturdy cabon steel. Combined with wire saw,...
- [Convenient Packaging]: The survival gear and supplies are packed in a crossbody bag, making it easy to carry and access in emergencies. The bag features multiple compartments and molle compatible...
- Gifts for Men: For those who love the outdoors, this is sure to be a unique gift for fathers, husbands, boyfriends, scouts, cool gadgets, and Christmas stocking stuffers for birthdays, Valentine's...
- 19-in-1 Survival Kit: This all-in-one survival kit contains everything any survivalist or outdoor enthusiast needs. 19-in-1 includes a 5-in-1 parachute cord bracelet, built-in compass, whistle,...
- Easy-Carry & Lightweight: The box measures 8.2 x 5.1 x 2.7 inches, weighs only 1.8 pounds, and has a foam interior that is both waterproof and shockproof. Easy to carry and fits in any car, hiking...
- Safe & Practical: This camping accessory is the perfect companion to be prepared for any emergency. It also helps you stay safe and secure while hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, backpacking, or...
- Friendly Service: This survival kit will better reflect your love for your father/husband/boyfriend. If it doesn't meet your expectations or you have any questions, please contact us, and we will...
- 【Disaster Emergency Preparedness Kit】No one can predict when a disaster or accident will be, A comprehensive and professional survival kit is a must have for every family. Our 171pcs survival...
- 【Survival Gear and Supplies Kit】This survival kit includes a multifunctional axe with hammer and a detachable shovel with pick, both made of sturdy steel. Combined with wire saw, emergency tent...
- 【Essential Mini First Aid Kit】: The emergency survival kit contains 120pcs essential first aid supplies, like tweezers, scissors and pins, non-woven pad, triangular bandage, tournquet, cotton...
- 【Compatible and Portable】 The military grade MOLLE medical pouch is made of 1000D nylon, which is lightweight and waterproof. Inside the bag, there are three large compartments and several straps,...
- 【Thoughtful Gift Ideas】The 171pcs survival first aid kit is suitable for any outdoor activities, and is suitable for men women kids. With its wide range of applications and practicality, the...
- 【15 in1 Professional Survival Kit】The survival kit contains 15 must have survival gear and equipment: tactical pen, flint stone & scraper, wire saw, flashlight, multifunctional card, bottle...
- 【Convenient Emergency Kit】The emergency kit contains everything you need when there is any emergency situation occurs like natural disaster or wilderness adventure. And all the camping accessories...
- 【High-quality survival tool kit】All tactical gears are made with high-quality, sturdy, durable materials that can be used for a long time in harsh environments. allowing you to enjoy the adventure...
- 【Great Gift Ideas】You would find this survival kit pretty cool as a gift for men or teen boy who interested in adventure, hiking, camping, wilderness survival. The survival gear and equipment can...
- 【After-sale Guarantee】We are committed to selling high quality wilderness survival kit. Your satisfaction is our top Priority!! If the 15 in 1 survival kit doesn’t live up your expectations, or...
- 238 in 1 Survival Kit]: Taimasi emergency survival kit is unique in that it was specifically designed and curated by survival experts. The comprehensive survival system not only includes 22pcs...
- [Practical Survival Gears For Any Emergency]: Providing many popular survival tools and essentials to survive in the wilderness or disasters. An knife and steel wire saw for cutting wood or bone; 4 in...
- [Basic First Aid Kit]: Comes with a first aid kit with bright red bag which includes essential items such as tweezers, scissors and pins, bandages, would pad, bandage triangulaire, cotton buds etc....
- [Lightweight & Convenient]: To keep your kit small and lightweight enough so you can carry it at all times, all the items comes in a camo bag with a size of 8” x 6.5” x 6”. It is made of 600D...
- [Must Have Survival Gear]: Having an emergency kit can get you well-prepared in advance to emergencies during outdoor adventure, hunting, camping, hiking, travel, natural disasters such as earthquake,...
Best Survival Kit – Buyers Guide
Your starting point in deciding what kit to get should be based on what you can anticipate needing. You will need to determine what sort of uses you might have for it and take your decision from there, as this will inform what items you’ll need in the kit, and ultimately then which kit best suits your needs.
When you’re lost or in danger there are some things that become more important than others. You need food, water, shelter from the elements, ways of identifying where you are, and ways of alerting people to your whereabouts. Or if you’re hurt you will be in need of some first aid. If it’s dark, you’ll need a flashlight.
And on that note, let’s move onto our next section.
Items you may want to see included
One of the more central decisions to make is whether you want food and drink included in your survival kit.
When it comes to water, which is hands down an essential, a bottle of water, or several bottles, can at times be heavy to carry around, especially if you have a lot of other gear to carry. To that end you may wish your kit to include a water filtration system or purification tablets.
You may want to get a campfire going, whether to cook food or simply keep warm. Or you could perhaps have an emergency blanket to keep warm.
Or to protect yourself from the weather, you may make good use from an emergency tent, a fold-up emergency blanket, or ponchos.
In terms of first aid items, you might want to consider sterile gauze wound dressings, something to keep the dressings or bandages in place and antiseptic wipes to clean up any wounds.
With regards to alerting others to your presence and whereabouts for a rescue mission, your options include a good old fashioned whistle, or to be more visible, a flashlight would work well, or even a glow stick.
Many outdoor survival kits can also feature a compass, which can be super handy for hiking trips where there’s no GPS gadgets at hand.
Size and Weight
Ultimately the size of your survival depends on what types of emergencies you intend to prepare for.
If your survival kit is intended primarily for outdoor use, then you may also be concerned about the kit’s size and weight. You might want to fit into a backpack and/or carry it long distances on foot. Fortunately many survival kits are put together with this in mind, including several in our Top 5 picks.
If your emergency involves waiting out some sort of danger, while you shelter in an enclosed space, then again the size of your kit can also become a factor to consider, say if you were laying low in a camping tent not knowing if there are potentially dangerous animals in the surrounding area.
It goes without saying, the more people you have with you, the more items you may need in terms of food, water and shelter. But on the other hand, you also have more carrying power for any items you want to take or include. You could have one person carry the food and water and another carrying a first aid kit and an emergency tent.
Cost
Survival kits can vary quite considerably in their price point, but it’s important to note that cheaper doesn’t always mean better. Instead what you should focus on is ensuring that you have every item that you may need. In fact once you’ve found your ideal survival kit, you may also see fit to pay for one or two more things besides. Which brings us onto our next section.
Additional Items you may need that aren’t typically found in a survival kit
Certain modern items can come in very handy when you find yourself stranded outdoors, and you definitely won’t get them all in a standard survival kit.
To alert others to your emergency, a cell phone with a good signal can be a godsend. Similarly, to ascertain exactly where you are, a really good item would be one that features GPS tracking. It doesn’t need to be anything bulky, you can get some great watches that feature GPS tracking, often with other handy features for hikers. You may also be interested in a water filtration bottle.
When it comes to using modern gadgets outdoors, you may also want to think about whether they need a portable power supply, such as batteries. Or solar powered gadgets could be another alternative.
For hikers, we would also recommend taking a fold-up map of the area if possible, particularly if there are no GPS gadgets at hand.