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This isn’t a detailed post, but should provide you with the information and knowledge that you need to start developing your own ideas, as well as a survival situation plan of action.

Being Prepared

Sure, I have faith in God for His provision and protection, but He also gave me common sense and the tools I need to turn my faith into works (James 2:20). To trust in God for something that you aren’t willing to put effort towards is useless.

My Survival Bag

I personally have several survival bags, first-aid kits, self-defense items, etc. My hopes are that they will never need to be used, but I believe that preparation and knowledge are essential in these times, especially when there is a family to protect. Today I’ll be discussing my emergency survival bag, or  simply put, my “go bag.”

Below are a few items that are necessary in an emergency survival bag. One of the main items that this photo does not include is my first-aid kit.

A Few Of My Necessary Emergency/Survival Bag Items

Essential Survival Items List: Essentials

At the end of the day, a knowledgeable person can easily survive in the wilderness with these items alone.
Survival Knife
Small Hatchet
Multi-Tool
Fire Starter or Other Fire-Starting Equipment (flint, waterproof matches, wind-proof lighter, etc.)

Important Survival Items: Beneficial

Waterproof Map of Region
First-Aid Kit
Snake-Bite Kit
Meal Ready To Eat (MRE) or Dried Food
Flashlight
Batteries
Radio & Walkie Talkies
550 Survival Cord or Rope
Water Source
Water Container
Water Purification Tablets, or System
Poncho
Small Survival Kit With Fishing Gear, Signal Mirror, Space Blanket, etc
Pistol & Ammo
Rifle & Ammo

A Good Survival Knife

There are a few main items that are unarguably the most important. The first being a good, solid, fixed-blade knife. Now, when we think “survival knife,” Rambo is probably the first thing that comes to mind. We all remember his green-handled, razor sharp knife that toted around a full tool box in the handle that included a compass and hammer butt screw on cap. Unfortunately, a knife built like that is a poor performer when used as a real tool. It uses a short rat tang that screws into the top of the handle. Not ideal for prying, batoning wood, or heavy duty use.

Rambo First Blood

The first quality of a good survival knife is that it be full-tang. Full-tang means that the blade and handle are a solid one-piece of steel, from the tip of the blade to the bottom of the handle. This will typically have some type of covering of the handle. This type of design provides more strength, allows for prying and hammering, and generally can be used with less caution. Rat-tail tang and screw-top are mainly for show. They connect to the handle using screws, welding or rivets. The more moving parts, the easier it tends to break. The same can be said with just about anything.

One of my favorite survival knives that I own is my Gerber ASEK LMFII. It is superior in strength, overall quality, and practicality. It also welds a wide range of uses, and has been tested by several private industries to determine its value. The Gerber ASEK is a full-tang knife. Former military man, Jeff Freeman led the charge to engineer this fearless 10″ survival knife.

Gerber ASEK Survival Knife

This knife is as adaptable as the personnel who carry it. Use it to cut through the skin of a fuselage. Or sever a seat belt. Or egress through the Plexiglas of a chopper. Plus, the LMF II does a slick job cutting firewood and building shelter.

The over-molded handle successfully limits blistering. There is complete separation between the tang and butt cap, so the knife absorbs the shocks from hammering and prevents the shocks of electricity. Smartly situated grooves and lashing holes let the LMF II convert to a spear. The low-profile sheath facilitates movement, limits noise, works for parachuting, and attaches to a belt or Molle vest. The patented, integrated sharpener means edge retention in the field.

One of its insufficiencies is that it has a short blade, which makes it more difficult to baton wood. Batoning wood is the process of splitting wood by hamming the blade into a log using another log as the hammer.

Batoning Wood With Knife

Meals Ready To Eat (MRE)

Now, if you have access to Meals Ready To Eat, it can never hurt to have a few on stand-by. They not only offer a full 2,000 calorie meal in every package, but they also provide matches, cleaning towel,  utensils, and more. One of the key essentials in the new MRE, especially in cold weather, is the chemical heater. This can be activated and placed inside of clothing to help keep your core warm.

Meal Ready To Eat (MRE)

What About Guns?

If you are a responsible, law-abiding citizen who has taken the time to learn the safety and proper uses of a firearm, then you have the responsibility to own one. In a survival situation, there are several uses for a gun. The first one being morale and peace of mind. Carrying a gun can really give you the morale you might need to keep going. A gun also provides you with protection from big-game wildlife… which may lead to an opportunity for a nice meal

Of course, a gun is no good without the ammo. Have that ready as well.

The downside to carrying a firearms is that the weight of the gun and ammo is not ideal to have to tote around during a survival situation. Depending on the scenario, It might get left at home, or the minimum, short-term package would be brought. In the wilderness, a good knife will out-perform a gun any day. Once a gun runs out of ammo, it is no good. A knife has multiple uses with only the need for it to be sharpened on a stone once it becomes dull.

Survival Cord

Survival cord is probably at the top of my most wanted list. The uses of cord are boundless, and can assist in the building of a shelter, fixing equipment, tracing trails, setting traps and making clothing. You can use it to make a spear, tie a shoe or built a boat.

Other Items

Radios are good if you get lost with people. You can use the radios to safely split up into groups. Though this is not recommended, if it becomes necessary, you will have a source of communication. The binoculars may only be handy in certain geographical locations, but may be used to spot boats, other people, wildlife, smoke, danger, food, etc.

When Emergency Strikes

I’ll go deeper into this in a separate blog, but there are a few things that need to be done ASAP when in an emergency situation. The order of the steps, and specific details will vary based on if you are being pursed, or just lost in the wilderness, temperature, weather conditions, and equipment.

In a wilderness situation, being tactical doesn’t matter. You can be loud, make aggressive fires, build large shelters, etc. Fire is the most essential step in a wilderness situation, even before shelter. Fire will help you keep warm, boil water, and even keep prey away. Shelter is number two. Food is number three.

The biggest set back when being pursued is your ability to make fire and shelter. When making fire in “hostile territory” you must first dig a trench deep enough to hide your highest flame. In this situation, fire should only be made when the temperature becomes life and death. Same goes for the shelter. This is also where the chemical heaters in an MRE come in handy. They are flame-less, and cannot be identified.

Training: More Important Than Any Equipment

All of this equipment in the world won’t do you a bit of good if you have no idea how to do it. I could probably survive better with a pocket knife than most people could with 3 duffle bags of equipment. Training includes knowing the region your in, what plants are poisonous, what plants are nutritious, how to catch game, prep and cook game, stay on course with or without a compass, how to make fire and shelter, how to cover tracks, evade an enemy, protect yourself from large prey, stay hydrated, and how to follow the terrain towards civilization… just to name a few things.

A Good Map

A good map should be waterproof, or laminated. It should have terrain details, local wildlife and plant life details, basic food collection, signal instructions and how to make fire.

Survival Knives I Suggest (Decently Priced)

Gerber ASEK
Gerber Trident
Black Hawk Night Edge
CRKT Ultima
Cold Steel Hunter Series
Cold Steel Scout Recon
Busse Battle Mistress
Buck Nighthawk
SOG Seal Knife
Schrade Extreme Survival 9
Rough Use Knife (made by Cheaper Than Dirt)

Unfortunately, the original Marine Corps Ka-Bar knife is not as well made as you would think. Ka-Bars look nice and have a good reputation, but tests have shown them to be a weaker competitor to a lot of other cheaper knives. However, the new Ontario OKC3S USMC knife has taken the Ka-Bar designed and turned it into a worthy adversary.

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