I am currently starting to put togeter a larger survival kit to go in a backpack when hiking/ travelling. This are my initial ideas for what it should contain.

No. Signals Group
1 Whistle
1 Signal Mirror

Emergency Devices Group
1 Mora Training knife?
1 Sharpening Stone?
1 Flint and Striker
? Tinder
25 Wind/waterproof matches
1 Wire
1 Wire Saw
1 Compass
1 Fishing Kit
1 Esbit Pocket Stove, 6 Fuel Tabs
1 Torch
2 Scalpel Blades

Shelter & Personal Protection Group
1 Space Blanket
1 Lip Salve
1 Goggles?
1 Pair of Gloves

Medical Group
1 Bandage
? Plasters
? Paracetemal

Water and Food Group
? Tea
? Sugar
50 Water Purification tablets
1 Water Purification Device
1 Water Container
1 Spoon

Miscellaneous/ multi purpose Group
1 Tape
? Parachute Cord
? Candle
1 Survival Booklet
1 Container
? Paper
1 Pen
1 Tweezers
1 Sewing Kit
? Duct Tape

Please post any ideas, changes and additions.
thanks

Plate/cup for water or food preparation and acctual food?

Matt

ah yes, i forgot to add something to cook in. The container that holds it may possibly be a mess tin/ cooking pot. I dont want the kit to get to big but i might put a bit of food in, at least seasonings

Some stuff I'd consider adding to a larger kit...

-Butterfly bandages or Steri-strips for larger wounds
-Trauma bandage or panty liners or gauze or handkerchief to control bleeding
-bottle of povidone iodine or a bunch of swabs
-alcohol swabs for general cleaning and tinder
-toothpick
-fresnel lens
-antidiarrhretic
-antihistamine
-decongestant
-nylon cord in addition to or in place of paracord
-plastic, nylon, or silnylon poncho in addition to or in place of space blanket
-butane lighter for redundancy and convenience
-consider using mirror-type compass in place of small compass and signal mirror
-set a limit on how many days the kit should support you, and include water tabs and meds only enough for that time
-if by water purification device you mean a filter, you might consider using a second chemical method like Aqua Mira or sublimated iodine crystals (smaller, less likely to fail)
-I like the Esbit stove (also purifies water by boiling) but you will need a metal pot. Maybe your kit container? Look at the MSR Stowaway pots. The handle latches the lid shut.
-take a sharpening stone you know you can use. I need a round stone, and a ceramic rod or diamond rod works well for me. Also the Spyderco ceramic files provide both round and flat and grooved surfaces.
-unwaxed, plain dental floss for hygeine and strong thread

Hope that helps some...

Bear

Ditch,

I think you need to define what you want to survive with this kit.

IE: give us some parameters to work with.

How heavy?
What volume?
How long will you need it?
What you want to accomplish with it?

Mike

the stuff the other guys said plus add some aluminium foil, maybe sunscreen, insect repeliant ( if there are a lot to bugs ).
you could replace the spoon with a Spork ( spoon fork combo )
and you could throw in a garbage/survival bag in it ( they make mylar version 2 )

Pete,
I'd throw in a Sam splint and a couple of triangular bandages and some cyalumes. How are you going to carry this kit? I'd suggest fitting as much as possible in a set of mess tins, although you may be pushing it size wise. Then placing it in a small frameless daysack or bumbag sort of thing and keep it at the top of your main pack. An alternative would be something like a PLCE waterbottle pouch slipped onto the waist belt of your rucksac.

My tuppence worth.

Johno

What you've got here so far is a travel kit. What I call an On-The-Way kit (OTW) - a kit that will help you get from the place where the danger is to a predetermined "Safe" place that is no more than three-days hike from you when you start out. OTOH, if you don't have a "safe" destination or don't have a reasonable chance of predicting how long it will take you to get there then you need to prepare for a over-the-road scenario (OTR) rather than an on-the-way scenario. In an OTR scenario you essentially need to be self-contained indefinately. In an OTW scenario you are traveling light in the expectation that you will be able to re-stock at least if not dig in long term when you get to destination and that destination will be reached quickly. If you can reasonably expect to reach destination within three days then all the food you should bother with is some high protien food bars and a water filter or iodine tablets. Dispense with all food prep equip. dispense with all but defensive weapons. Travel light, discreetly and fast. If you have any reason to doubt that you will reach "safe" haven within three days you are in the OTR scenario. In this scenario you need even more discretion but can travel somewhat heavier and slower. (after all you haven't really got anyplace to go - You are only fleeing. <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />) In this situation you need to pack food gathering and preparation supplies as well as water treatment supplies. As far as First aid supplies go, in the OTR situation you will need treatment supplies and in the OTW scenario you only need stabilization and evac supplies. As far as shelter goes, in the OTR situation you need to be able to setup a camp and defend it. In the OTW scenario you might simply stay moving day and night till you reach destination and crash. Think carefully whether you can depend upon the ability to reach destination quickly. The chances of this can be greatly increased if you can position supply that can be accessed along a longer route or in multiple possible destinations in alternative directions. For example if you can stash some supplies at your aunt's house and some at your in-laws on the opposite side of town. Or if you can leave some in a locker at a depot or a self storage unit on the out-skirts of town in the direction of your country home etc. I wouldn't recommend geo-caching except in an extreme situation. stowing the geo-cache is hard enough on public lands but liberating it when all the country-side is in a panic is likely to be even more difficult. geo-caching is probably only good in making your country-side hunting hut capable of becoming much more than it seems.

I agree with Mike - what you put in your survival kit depends on what you expect you'll need it for.

What are you worried about? The "OhmigodtheydroppedtheBomb" scenario, or a "Gee, that's funny - I could have sworn the carpark was just over this ridge" scenario?

If you're backpacking, then everything you carry is, en effet, part of your survival kit. Why do you need a specific kit in your rucksack? If you want a smaller kit that you can clip onto your belt for short side trips (just in case the weather turns nasty and you can't find your way back), that's one thing. If you want a kit that you'll still have with you when you fall into the river and jettison your main pack, then you obviously don't want the SK to be in that pack.

Remember, you have to carry all this stuff. Any unnecessary "junk" you stick in there is dead weight. Sure, a SAM splint (as one poster suggested) would be nice to have, but how necessary is it? I'd prefer to take the equivalent weight in protein bars and jury-rig a splint from tree-branches or a packframe, if necessary.

fair comment about the splint, I dont know why but I just like them. Must be a fetish thing, plus of course I can get them for free.

Johno