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,...
- [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...
- BUILT TO LAST, READY WHEN YOU NEED IT - Packed in a sturdy, watertight pail, this emergency food kit is made for long-term storage. Even if you're planning ahead or facing the unexpected, it’s easy...
- REAL MEALS THAT ACTUALLY TASTE GOOD - Forget bland survival food this kit brings comfort to the table. From cheesy rice and hearty soups to pancakes and oatmeal, every meal is warm, filling and full...
- JUST ADD WATER AND COOK - Meal prep gets easier with our dehydrated food. All it takes is water and a little heat to whip up these ready-to-cook dishes. No complicated instructions or extra...
- STAY ORGANIZED WITH A 30-DAY MEAL PLANNER - Forget the guesswork. The included meal planner helps you stay on track, so you know exactly what to eat and when. Makes survival situations or outdoor...
- DESIGNED FOR VERSATILITY - From power outages to hiking trips, this survival kit is built for flexibility. It’s a go-to solution for home emergencies, car trunks, bug-out bags or any grab-and-go...
- COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY - Augason Farms all-in-one 4-gallon meal prep containers provide 92 satisfying servings with a total of 21,170 calories and 557 grams of protein to support daily...
- 11 COMPLETE MEAL VARIETIES - Enjoy a comforting selection of 11 great-tasting meals with our camping essentials, including Italiano Marinara Pasta, Creamy Stroganoff, Hearty Vegetable Soup, Mac &...
- LONG-LASTING SHELF LIFE - Each meal is packaged to retain freshness and flavor with shelf lives ranging from 10 to 25 years*. This makes our survival kit ideal for emergency kits, preparedness...
- CONVENIENT STORAGE AND PORTABILITY - This compact, space-saving food storage pail is made for grab-and-go convenience and safe storage. Its secure lid and watertight seal protect contents from...
- QUICK AND EASY MEAL PREPARATION - Each meal is simple to prepare with our meal prep pail—no cooking experience needed. Just add water, stir, and enjoy a hot, comforting dish in minutes. Perfect for...
- 【NOAA Weather Alert Radio Keeps You Prepared Ahead】Our NOAA Weather Radio is certified by National Weather Service. Choose WB band and one of the 7 preset weather band to tune into your local...
- 【AM FM Shortwave Radio with Earphone Jack-Best Listening Experience】Easy to tune into your favorite broadcast, AM Radio(520-1710 Khz); FM Band(88-108MHz); SW Radio(7-19.00 MHZ). The crank radio...
- 【5 Power Sources-Long Runtime】This 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 is ready and save your life in emergency. Built-in 5000 rechargeable battery, the...
- 【All-in-One Portable Radio with LED Flashlight/Reading Lamp】Our 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 is also designed for outdoor survival- provides 2 light sources.The side...
- 【Versatile for Emergency】Built in USB output port, this 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 can charge more than one cellphone for important calls or...
- 【25 in 1 Survival Kit】This is a 25-in-1 professional emergency survival equipment kit. Included: waterproof box, tungsten fountain pen, compass, flashlight, water bottle clip, multifunctional...
- 【High-quality Emergency Equipment Set】All tactical gear is made with high-quality, long-lasting materials that will stand up to the elements. Keep surviving with failure-free emergency supplies...
- 【Wide Application Range】This survival kit is great for tactical doctors, military personnel, police, firefighters, first aid personnel, hikers, campers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, etc. It is an...
- 【Valentines Day Gifts】 Our high - quality comprehensive emergency survival first - aid equipment is an ideal valentines day gift for men, husbands, fathers, families, and friends. It's not just an...
- 【After-sales Guarantee】We are committed to selling high-quality wilderness survival kits, so if you have questions or comments about our products, please feel free to contact us.
- Durable, weather-resistant backpack
- Long term shelf life food & water supply for 2 people
- Versatile 107 piece first aid kit
- Emergency lighting & tools
- Warmth & shelter
- Emergency Protection: Highly reflective Mylar fabric traps heat and provides warmth in cold or emergency situations
- Space-Saving Design: Compact and lightweight, perfect for packing in backpacks, bug-out bags, or car emergency kits
- Durable & Versatile: Made of heavyweight Polyester, suitable for camping, hiking, fishing, and survival uses
- Easy to Use & Clean: Machine washable for convenient care and maintenance
- Ideal for Adults: Designed for unisex use, with a size of 84 inches x 55 inches to fit most adults
- 【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...
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.