Every time I see a well thought out survival kit, I print it out and keep a copy of it. Last night I was reading through several kits and got to thinking.

Why do we worry so much about making our kits so small and lightweight. Think of what it will take to be warm and dry on a wet rainy night. In my imagination, a survival situation will be wet with wet grass, wet ground, and wet leaves. Even if you get a fire going you will not have a dry place to sit or sleep and anything you would try to make a shelter from is also wet. Adding 4 pounds of shelter and warmth would make survival so much easier. With a decent pack, I don't notice the weight that much. 4 pounds would give you a warm dry place to sleep and a light sleeping bag or blanket. There are lots of ways to get there; a poncho and liner, a tube tent and sleeping bag, a bivy and sleeping bag, etc. will all make for a comfortable night out.

I always wear a day pack when I hike. A compact sleeping bag and a little shelter are very manageable in addition to a few survival tools, water and gear. All this together shouldn't weigh over 10 pounds unless I have to carry a lot of water.

David Enoch