Do not buy or assemble an "Emergency Kit"

I was browsing a very informative website lately and something really struck me. It read this :

Do not buy or assemble an "Emergency Kit" - carry the personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a day pack!"

Reading this was very liberating for me in a way that I always seem to struggle to "containerize" my stuff, and this advice really made sense to me. Everytime I go camping, fishing or on SAR assignments, I always carry some kind of backpack. So instead of focusing on micromanaging my gear ("Okay, this Photon goes in the FAK.. no, wait, i'll put it in my survival kit... or maybe tied to my OHT's keyring?"), i've tried seeing it in a more global way and it appears to be working well. Everytime I use one of my packs, I grab what I consider my essentials and throw everything in the pack.

A bonus is that I don't have excessive redundancy in gear. As an example, I used to have a small knife in my survival kit, and a small Victorinox Classic in my FAK. Now I basically ask myself "I need a tool to perform various cutting tasks" and I select my tool accordingly. If i'm going deep in the backcountry, i'll bring my Bahco saw along ("various cutting tasks").

I don't know if what i'm saying make sense to anybody, but if you're in my situation, you might enjoy this advice and want to give it a try!

1. Map
2. Compass (optionally supplemented with a GPS receiver)
3. Sunglasses and sunscreen
4. Extra food
5. And water
6. Extra clothes
7. Headlamp/flashlight
8. First aid kit
9. Fire starter
10. Knife

The ten essentials is a good list of basic equipment everyone should have. I agree that one shouldn't go into woods without at least this much. However, to say this is all you should take seems to be a mistake to me. Some people prefer to supplement this list with other items.

Such as bug repellent, a repair kit (there's nothing like getting your pants torn in the woods with no sewing kit), and signal devices like a whistle and mirror. Other people may have other items they prefer to label as survival gear, that don't fall onto this list.

Thanks for your post, hamilton. I don't really bring a sewing kit for small hikes but for longer periods, I believe it's a good item to have.

Originally, my post meant to start a discussion on the fact that for some people it might be better to not containerize too much and just bring items along in a backpack by refering to a simple checklist. What are your thoughts, people?

I keep a basic-loadout in my day-pack (PSK, FAK, etc.), and then select other stuff that I think I'm going to need specifically like raingear, extra food, etc. So I think that is somewhat in the middle. A basic load wich I add stuff to if I have to.

I like the idea of a pack system. Plus there's no good reason not to use a checklist. Makes sure you have everything. Everything is in the pack, I can grab it and go. Except...

For my primary survival gear, my ten essentials+ list, I prefer to have my gear strapped, tied, or bolted to me. If I take off my pack, set it down, or become separated from it somehow, I still have my most important kit on me.

I'm not likely to lose this kit unless it's torn violently from me. Whereas with bags I have a tendency to set the bag down, and move away from it.

Of course some gear doesn't lend itself to being bolted to me. Extra clothes (socks, gloves, hat), water, and food don't tend to lend themselves to this system. These items I place in a pack. Other items I usually throw in a pack or bag, instead of tying to myself, are the repair kit, first aid kit, map, and compass. These items could be attached to me depending on the situation though.

My knife, flashlight, and fire starter I prefer to always have on me. Of course, this is as much for convenience as safety. I like just being able to reach for these items and have them. I don't want to have to search for these items when I need them.

it seems to me that the "10" and a survival kit are two
different beasts..the Ten was devised so that hikers who
went a ridge too far had something to keep them warm and
safe untill they made their way back to the trail head.
the Ten never had any long term survival items,just tea
bags..candles..tube tent--so on..
on the other hand "real" survival kits were made for
those who's work --mostly flyers in the far north and
deep water sailors..took them to places where help was
not just in the next town and maybe on the way..
the kit we think of most is dervived from the gear a
B 52 pilot may of had in the 1950's-60..ration bars..
water bottles..saw--knife--flashers--first aid--fishing
gear..in short the stuff it took to get along for the
time it took..weeks??..untill help came..some of the
items that snuk into our kits are spin-offs from escape
and evasion kits that seem to have some "romance" to them.
"Rambo knives" and break-down guns to name a few..and then
the Hydra head of Survivalism rears its many heads and
we add enought gear to fill a car..a real "survival kit"
should not be a load but a box that gets pulled
out of the sinking boat or crushed aircraft --or jacket
pocket--that gives you the edge you need to survive--not
camp out in style..---anyway thats my take on what a "kit"
is V.S. a knapsack full of camping gear..

I also think "containerizing" is an important thing to do. A spot for everything and everything in it's spot. Having specific pouches, pockets, or ties for your items means you know where everything is when you need to use it. Grabbing an item is a 3 or 4 second action rather than the ordeal of rifling through your pack, clothes, and other items to find your flashlight or fire starter.

Now, this doesn't mean I advocate the altoids tin approach of cramming your entire survival kit into the tiniest space possible. This ruins the idea of convenience of use. Plus, since it is a hassle to repack your kit you are less likely to check or update the contents.

Also if you lose your altoids tin, you've lost you entire e-kit. There should be some redundancy in your items. But I feel these redundant items shouldn't be packed together. Firesteel on a carabiner attached to my belt, bic lighter in my pocket, matches in my pack. If I lose one, or even two, I have replacement items, in a different location. This is also the reason I carry two knives. I don't even even trust the stuff bolted to my clothes. I like knowing I have a backup.

Hamilton points out the flaws for people who have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or who are in a hurry.

I am in the first, and often the second, category. If it isn't chained to my person, I will forget it.

As I mentioned before, when my car caught fire, I left my purse and my paycheck lying on the front seat in my haste to put distance between me and the potential bomb. If I had had a loose PSK or EDC there, I would have left it, too.

But it's a nice idea if you can deal with it mentally, and make the effort to decide prior to each outing what to take, what to take it in, and have the time to do so.

I've driven to the vet for an appointment and had forgotten the dog. sigh

Sue

As long as you don't pull a "pantless Yo-duh" you are doing okay.

-Blast

My BoB goes everywhere with me. I load it IRT to the planned task or outing. My EDC and my PSK are with me at all times.

When I go camping, I load my ruck/backpack to go camping & to be my BoB. My EDC & PSK is on me.

On the boat, my ruck is loaded as a BoB for landing on a strange beach and finding my way home. My EDC is on me and a PSK is in my lifejacket.

I don't believe that 1 size fits all situations.

I am a member of my county's SAR unit. Since we are on call 24/7 and often have to deploy directly to a field command post, we are required to keep all of our equipment (from a change of uniform to extra batteries) in bins in our vehicles. In my vehicle I also keep a waistpack, a daypack and a larger field pack. Each pack contains the same basic package: food packet, water, personal FAK, flashlight/replacement batteries, heatsheet, whistle, sunscreen, insect repellent, knife. When I arrive in the field I decide which pack to take and then add to the basic package any additional items from my equipment bin that I anticipate needing (headlamp, rain jacket, waterproof gloves, additional food, whatever). If we're looking for a lost child or a dementia patient in a suburban setting, nobody (at least after their first search) wants to hump around a full field pack loaded with enough gear to work unsupported in the wilderness for three days. I guess the key is to be clear on what you are preparing for. A one-size-fits-all bag might not be the way to go.

Good approach. I have had an EDC backpack for years; the essentials are there in separate pockets in the back, but the bag's main compartment is virtually empty, leaving room for anything additional I may need to bring (clothing, more water, whatever).

The joys of a cold climate- if you forget your pants, you realize real fast that (a) you aren't dreaming, and (b) it is colder than the weather report said.

If you have items that always live in your pack, haven't you already placed them in a container?

Or maybe I'm not entirely sure what you mean when you say "containerize". Do you mean putting certain items in certain location, possibly in a container for the purposes of organization, as redundant gear or specialized emergency equipment? I put my back up gear in a container, that I can move from pack to pack, and I just leave it loaded at all times. A single item to grab is faster and easier than double checking against a checklist.

I keep my major categories "containerized". My FAK is self contained, etc. That way, if I don't need firestarter over and above bic lighters, I can remove that group from my pack. I try and do this by Doug's categories, but end up having some sub-categories.

I think you are on the right track, Bee.

Although I was intially put off by the staw-man argument at the beginning of the article: He reviews two clearly labeled "First Aid Kits" and comes to the shocking conclusion that "These commercial kits are actually Emergency Medical Kits" No kidding.

But the rest to the article is spot-on. When I step off the pavement for a day hike, I carry "gear", not a "kit". "Kit" implies something special, only to be broken out in an emergency.

The unwritten rule for a "kit" approach is that no item can be designed for its intended purpose and certain historical improvisations take on a whole life of their own.

For instance, if you can talk a casual hiker into putting a few garbage bags in his pocket because he already has them under the kitchen sink and they cost nothing, they might save his life someday. But now people go out of their way to buy bright orange bags online at a premium plus shipping and handling because everyone knows you need garbage bags in your survival kit. If you're going through that much trouble, just by a decent nylon poncho and be done with it.

I think you make a good point. I tend to put together the E&E type kit for fun, or for times when that sort of situation is a distinct possibility. Hence the reason I don't think of commercial air travel, carry-on survival kits as a joke. If you survive the crash, you have the possibilty of being stranded about as far from assistance as possible. This is especially true of the puddle jumper I've occassionally had to take from Denver to Laramie. For this example, I'd carry something based on the PSP, probably with wire saw, safety matches, EMT shears, paracord, water bottle and extra first aid supplies. Once I get through security it all goes in my pockets in anticipation of not being able to take my bag with me when I'm getting out of the plane.

On the other hand, when I go hiking, I don't bother with a "kit", though I usually carry approximately the same gear everytime, my ham radio, a freezer bag of bandages and gauze pads, extra clothing for foul weather (or the time I wandered into a bog and needed to change socks and pants), a butane stove, water and snacks; sometimes my pistol or hatchet or a blanket. All this on top of what's normally in my pockets. It's not a survival kit, if I'm peckish I eat the snacks or make hot chocolate, if I get bored I'll see if anyone's listening on the radio. What it does is keep me comfortable both for what I plan on doing and in the event of unplanned difficulties.

I think the concepts of the two are distinct all thought the intent certainly overlaps.

I love kits and 'containerize' everything. This lets me quickly pack heavy when needed or light when called for without missing anything. If I'm going for a hike or a ride on my motorcycle, I include my gear repair kit and I know I'll be covered in case my backpack strap breaks or I blow a jacket zipper.

I can manage the contents of the kits seperately and sometimes I build a checklist for each one so I can make sure they're stocked. A little planning and there's only overlap where I want there to be overlap (like the extra bandages and duct tape I carry in my pocket kit for example).

My fully loaded BOB (a water resistant german military surplus rucksack) is then neatly organized in small pouches (I use everything from pencil cases to waterproof Pelican cases) that are labeled and/or color coded so that I can get at what I need quickly. Be it first aid, gear repair, food/water preperation, fire starting, food gathering, etc.

I also use these kits when I'm camping or hiking. I don't like 'saving' them for an emergency since a lot of the stuff that's packed expires (like meds, or water purification tablets). One kit contains a Moleskine and a Fisher Space Pen which I use to make notes...often when something is missing from a kit that I hadn't thought of or when something doesn't work and needs to be re-kitted/re-packed so I'll remember when I get home and can improve the kits over time.

I just pack the kits I need into one of the larger pouches in my hiking pack...it adds a bit of extra weight but it's worth it to be organized. If packing light I'll use a hikers fanny pack or a Scott e-Vest which can then contain everything I need without mess or fuss. The other nice thing is that if I can go from scratch to a fully packed BOB in just minutes regardless of which bag I use...though I typically store it packed and ready to go.

I won't be redundant with the list of items I keep in my day pack (BOB), but I also use a ten essentials plus system. If you have health issues, it's even more important.
Jeff