Jeanette:

I'm strictly urban, and don't carry a wilderness PSK on me at all. The farthest off-road I go is the grass and paths in the parks. My "Survival" items are:

Cell Phone
Hidden cash cache
AMK Mini-FAK with extra bandaids
Hand Sanitizer and Antiseptic Wipes
Small Camp Mirror (for self-examination and signaling)
Lights (I could also use my cell phone or PDA if it really came down to it.)
Pocket Knife
Multitool
Space Blanket
Large Garbage Bag
Coghlan's combo Whistle/Thermometer/Compass/Magnifier
Duct Tape*, Orange Tape*, and Paracord
Bic Lighter and Spark-Lite & Tinder (I don't smoke)

*Make your own flat packs by folding it around a business card (lengthwise).


This is carried in my EDC shoulder bag. I also have a FAK, water, and a GHB in my car, with an AMK PSK, food, and more weather items, but if I were stranded outdoors overnight, even in one of the local canyons or gullies, I think I'd be okay with the above. Not happy, and maybe even not completely comfortable, but okay. My thinking is covered in more detail here.