50 Essential Survival Tools for an Emergency in Your Home, Car or Outdoors.

Yesterday, I received my first shipment of dehydrated food from Shelfreliance.com.   Since I placed my order, I have been sleeping better.  Is preparedness the new sleep drug of the 2010’s?  Hmmmm….

I realize that to some of you, this talk of emergency preparedness seems far out.  Maybe I really have fallen into the lunatic fringe, but my gut is telling me more than ever, to get prepared.  You might want to read my recent article on the normalcy bias before dismissing the idea.

Think of the folks in Christchurch New Zealand.  Or, recall the stunning situation in Chicago earlier this year when 1,200 cars got buried in snow on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago during a blizzard.  Many thought they were going to die.  Imagine what it would do for your morale to have even half the items on this list. 

I continue on my journey to become a Suburban Survivalist.  Now that I have a handle on the food situation (funny how I gravitated to food before air and water), I have turned my attention to emergency supplies.  I am preparing for three scenarios:  1] a car emergency, 2] a long term stay in my house with limited to no services and 3] complete chaos where we have to “bug out” to the wilderness, baby.  

I have been scouring the internet for tips and advice on the most basic survival essentials.  I came up of a list of about 100 items on my wish list.  Wow!  As a matter of practicality, I cross referenced and narrowed the list down to 50 essential survival tools that would be desirable in any of the three situations.   As my budget allows, I will purchase the items from this list first, and then, I will continue to add items from the big list.  My goal is to fit all 49 items into one small-ish cooler that I keep stored in the family vehicle.  When I get all the items, I will let you  know if it is even possible. 

Did I write the book on survival?  Obviously not.  I am learning as I go, and the items on this list were sort of a “best of the best” from what I found on the internet.  The list can be downloaded by clicking here.  Fill in your name and best email address, and you will be sent an attachment that includes the list and a few other free reports I offer to my subscribers. 

It is not feasible to detail the use for all of those items in one post, so I thought I would just highlight 5 things that were completely new to me.  Survival in the 21st century is nothing like what I remember from Girl Scouts. 

Fixed Knife Blade:  I always thought a good old Boy Scout pocket knife would do the trick, but according to the tried and true survivalists, a pocket knife is a joke in a real emergency.  A good fixed blade knife is one of the most essential survival tools.  It must durable, hold a sharp edge for a long time, and be easy to handle.  One guy tells a story of how the rubber handle on his knife allowed him to cut through live electrical wires without getting scorched.   I narrowed my list down to four possible blades, including the Fallkniven F1 knife and Sog Seal Pup, Gerber LMF II, or Bear Grylls Survival Knife.   Reviews on each are very easy to find.  Take some time and make the selection that is right for you.

FireSteel Fire starter:  Fire is everything in an emergency, even if you are in a hot climate.  You must be able to cook, keep predators away, signal your location, keep warm and boil water among other things.   I have not mastered the art of rubbing sticks together so I am going to want a little help.  Have you ever burned magnesium?  It makes an extremely hot and intense spark.  Firesteel has capitalized on this little secret of chemistry and created a magnesium rod with a scraping tool that will give you a head start if rubbing sticks doesn’t work and you are out of matches.  Check out their website for more information at http://firesteel.com/.

Hexamine tablets:  Can you tell I am a little worried about my ability to start a fire?  Maybe I should start practicing.  Hexamine tablets are made of (you guessed it) hexamine which is non-toxic and evidently burns quite well without creating a lot of smoke.  But the fumes and residue are toxic, so check the manufacturer’s website for more information.   Hexamine is compact, lightweight, and easy to use which meets all of my requirements.  

Portable Stove:   I am a convenience girl.  I may not want to trek into the dark woods to gather wood.  Everything might be wet, cold and scary.   I will want a way to contain and manage a fire so I can at least boil water and whip up a hearty freeze-dried meal.  I ran across two little camping wonders called the Bush Buddy Stove and the Kelly Kettle.  With the Bush Buddy, you will need some type of small cooking pot.  If you read the reviews, people swear by both brands because they are lightweight, portable and really do the job. 

Hand crank flash light with phone charger:  These survival guys think of everything.  You can get a hand crank flashlight with built-in UPS ports to charge various devices like phones, iPods, iPads, GPS units, etc…  It might save your life connecting you to help you desperately need, or at least providing you with a little entertainment to pass the boredom.  Just “Google it” and find the one that suits your needs.

I think you will be surprised at some of the items that are on this list.  Check it out.  If you like it, please feel free to pass it on to friends and family.  Stop procrastinating. Start getting prepared. You’ll sleep better and who knows…someday, it might save your life!