Survival Kit Bag - What Is It?

A survival kit bag is simply a collection of gear and supplies to get you through an emergency situation. The idea is to have it be small and portable so you can grab it and get away from the disaster, if getting away is indeed possible. The contents of the survival kit bag should satisfy your basic needs for at least a couple days.

The survival kit bag itself should be something easily carried and made of durable material. In other words, a plastic shopping bag is less than ideal. A backpack or duffel bag are the most common types of bags used.

Survival Kit Bag

Some people utilize rolling duffel bags or the type of carry on suitcases one often sees at airports. Personally, I don't recommend them as the wheels won't roll very well on uneven pavement, gravel, grass, or snow. They tend to be rather heavy if you are forced to carry them off the ground. A better idea is to use a backpack with an internal frame. These are designed to be carried for long periods of time and thus are more comfortable in the long run.

What should go into the survival kit bag? Well, keep in mind that weight is always a factor. The heavier the bag is, the harder it will be to carry long distances. Thus, avoid canned goods for starters. For food, consider things like granola bars, protein bars, crackers, pouched tuna, and/or peanut butter.

Water is a crucial need that should be fulfilled by the survival kit bag. Obviously though, water is heavy and difficult to transport on foot. Keep one or two water bottles filled in your kit so you have a start for rehydration. Then, add to your kit water purification tablets or a portable water filter. You might also consider adding a small pot so you can purify water through boiling as well.

A very handy item to have in your survival kit bag is a head lamp. These are small LED lights that are on an elastic strap you can place over your head. They are very lightweight and most last a fairly long time due to the low energy usage. The reason these are desired is you can illuminate what you need to see while retaining the use of both hands.

A good quality, well-stocked first aid kit is another essential for the survival kit bag.  While you don't necessarily need to plan on doing any major surgery in the field, you'll want things such as adhesive bandages, antibiotic ointment, burn cream, and pain relievers.

Don't forget personal hygiene items such as toilet paper and baby wipes. If you remove the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper, you can crush it flat to fit into a plastic bag.  Using leaves for this purpose is less than ideal.

While there are many commercially available survival kit bags, each of them must be customized after purchasing so it fulfills your individual needs.