I'm often going outdoors with others, and they might be missing a few basics that could save their lives. In this post, I talk about a hand-out survival kit that I can easily give to anybody coming along with me. I'll discuss why people are without these items, the criteria for the kit, usage, the content of the kit and how this kit has worked out in the field.
This is intended for walks of a few hours as a member of a group. Something suitable for kids and the elderly.
But, before I do that, first an apology: In my last article, about my light belt setup, I said I'd do articles on my medium and heavy webbing. I've injured my knee, so I haven't been out enough to test my new medium belt configuration.
It is handy to have a hand out survival kit because people are often missing a few basics. They might not have realised a nature walk was an option, or they just don't own this kind of equipment in the first place. Often I'll have an international visitor, or we have children staying over. No big deal: I got you, bro.
The kit should be light, easy to carry, cheap, suited for the climate and easy to train somebody how to use the items. The kits can either go into a bag, a pocket or, sometimes I have a pouch handy that'll hang around the neck or shoulders. I choose pouches that will also carry the person's mobile phone too. Cheap is important because I'm not necessarily guaranteed to get the kit back. People tend to souvenir the kits for some reason!
I am in a sub-tropical temperate zone. Wind and rain make hypothermia a real killer. People will usually think to bring sufficient clothing (or ask to borrow something), but their rain gear is usually not entirely waterproof. For this reason, wind breaking and waterproofing are the main criteria for the kit.
People should know what to do with the items in the kit. Either the item should be immediately familiar to the person, or they must be trained. I don't want to over dramatise the risks, so my kit keeps training to under a minute: perfect for the attention spans of seven-year-olds.
The kit carrier is not going to be missed for long because we're in a group. So, the kit does not include any long-term survival items. The focus is on getting the person through a few hours. The kit also includes a means to attract attention.
(Image: Author's own)
- disposable rain poncho (dollar store)
- mylar survival blanket
- whistle
What! That's not many items. But think about the intended usage: nature walks of a few hours duration. Water and wind breaking is the top priority, and most rain clothing your average person owns is not waterproof for that long. I'm also carrying a much more extensive survival and first aid kit that can take care of lighting a fire and erecting a shelter. I also carry a PLB to summon help if it gets dicey.
The mylar blanket in combination with the poncho retains a lot of heat. A person will perspire under the mylar and plastic, but we've brought them a few warm hours to get them into a better situation. The whistle is for attracting attention. Shouting will wear out your vocal cords quickly, and the whistle noise travels further. Three blasts on a whistle, followed by a pause, and repeat. Rescuers will sound a whistle to let you know they are coming. Sound travels in strange ways, so I tell people to keep blowing three blasts of the whistle until the rescuers see them.
What isn't in the kit is water and food. There's a ton of plastic bottles around my home, and so I can give somebody a water bottle if they need it. The length of time the person is likely to be lost for and the climate is such that dehydration or malnutrition are unlikely to occur.
Still not enough items? I'm not about to trust fire lighting kit and a knife to a person not trained in how to use them. Cordage is dead weight without knowledge of use.
What don't I carry: I can do more with garbage bags instead of the disposable poncho, and I carry a military style poncho anyway. I hand out disposable rain ponchos to others because it's much easier to realise they can cover themselves from the rain if they have an item that says: Poncho.
How has the kit performed in the field? Thankfully I've had no emergencies where anything more than the rain poncho was needed. I used the whistle a few times to signal. Most notably when out with a teen nephew who wanted to explore while I took a rest stop. I've had no major complaints from people carrying the kit about weight or inconvenience.
So, that's my three item hand-out survival kit. Please remember that the design of these kits is very situational and suits my activity, skills, climate and terrain. Your mileage may vary and so should your kit. I include my reasoning because the thought process is more important than giving a list of items to copy without considering your own circumstances. Steem on.