March 15, 2017, by Amir Khan – The best survival kits are not cheap, feel-good products. They are real and solve a real problem. They provide preparedness in the lightest footprint possible. That’s where Army survival kits come in. And it’s where Army survival kits by Rangers are especially important.
SMA AND SOS KITS:
Two examples of his ranger kits are the DIY neck, belt, shoulder SOS kit and the SMA kit for soldiers. Both kits are meant to be small and close to your body or attached to your belt. That’s because you may have to ditch or drop your larger gear. If you do, then you still have your survival kit on you.
If it weighs more than a pound:
As a matter of fact, his philosophy on personal emergency kits is this. “If it weighs more than 1 pound, not including the knife, it’s a camping kit – NOT a survival kit!” Every one of his SOS kits weighs less than a pound. And on his Wilderness Survival Store page, he gives you a closer look at the details of each kit.
In the end, an army kit isn’t about some plastic wrapped product that you can find at any online store or even putting the most expensive gear in a cool container. It contains all the necessary items that in a survival situation will be most worthy for you.
Self-Reliance:
A great and effective disaster kit is really about self-reliance and figuring out what works best for you personally. That’s what special op’s guys do. Their gear is unique to them and helps them operate in the most efficient manner.
Your first consideration for building a Survival Kit is what types of events you are planning for. You will most likely tailor your kit to match your specific needs and goals. I will be covering only the fundamental aspects of what you need for most events. This won’t cover every event, and you can’t factor in every possible scenario. However, if you have an emergency kit or basic survival kit in a position you will already be better prepared than most people when a catastrophe takes place.
Storage:
You need some sort of bag to hold all your survival items in, otherwise, you don’t have a survival kit, and you have a pile of stuff. Having a stack of things won’t work if you have to vacate hastily in an emergency situation. Having everything in a GOOD (Get out Of Dodge) Bag is a much better idea when you need to relocate in short order. Do you need the absolute best survivalist backpack or will that smelly old duffel bag work for your survival kit storage? Having a proper backpack will provide advantages like ease of moving if you find yourself traveling around by foot but waiting around to put your kit together until you acquire the best backpack is not a smart idea.
Food:
There are many types of backpack meals and high-calorie energy bars you can keep in your survival kit. Any food you pack should have a long shelf life so that you don’t have to rotate your survival kit food stock every other week. Backpack meals are usually organic freeze dried food and only require boiling water to enjoy. MRE’s or “Meals Ready to Eat” are an all in one meal contained in individual packages. This will come down to personal preference. Don’t forget some utensils. You can splurge on a camping Spork for 7 dollars, or your local dollar store should have utensils that will do the trick. You might consider covering each utensil in something to prevent them from clanging together. This will help ensure you don’t rouse Sasquatch if you find yourself walking past his den.
First Aid Kit:
You can buy many different kinds of first aid kits. You probably don’t need the deluxe home surgeon first aid kit. A basic first aid kit should do the trick. Of course, you can put together your own if you have a good grasp on first aid. If you don’t have first aid knowledge then I recommend you pack a book on basic first aid in your survival kit along with the actual first aid kit. Having all the tools without knowing how to use them would be bad. Remember, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Look for something small like an army first aid field manual. The Time-Life First Aid series might look great on your bookshelf but is too bulky for your emergency kit bag.
Clothing:
You should pack enough clothes to get you through a few accidents like falling into a river or sliding down a muddy embankment. You may not be a klutz but stuff happens. You might find yourself walking a whole lot more than you want to, so your survival kit should have a comfortable but durable pair of boots. A few pairs of wool socks and long underwear will go a long way in keeping you warm. You should also pack a pair of comfortable pants. Your skinny jeans are not comfortable regardless of how fantastic you think you look in them and zubaz went out of style years ago. You don’t need to be decked out in full “deer hunter” gear but something comfortable and somewhat tough is a must. You should pack a two or three long sleeve shirts. Remember a long sleeve shirt can double as a short sleeve shirt simply by rolling up the sleeves.
Shelter:
You should have some sort of shelter materials in your emergency kit. The 5 person tent with the extra room probably isn’t sensible. You can go with a small 1 person tent, or a tarp and some sturdy cord or parachute cord. If your survival bag still has a good deal of room you can add a bedroll or “space blanket”. If you choose a tarp, make sure the tarp is nylon or polyester and has reinforced grommet holes to make it less complicated to build a shelter with.
About the Author: Amir Khan is a Managment and IT Professional who managed to gather graduate qualifications in Marketing Management along with certifications in Economics while pursuing different enjoyable careers options like being a business administrator of a manufacturing business, IT personnel, academic writer, student counselor and full-time blog writer of various authoritative blogs around among other things! For more updates follow him on Twitter.