Survival Kits: Top 10 Essentials

Trimming down a survival kit to its top 10 essentials reveals the most necessary items for ad hoc shelter, warmth, communication, navigation, and sustenance in the outback or if you get lost.

Taking the advice of these three survivalists’ lean lists of gear you should not be without in any wilderness situation we have added our new range of "Smart Things".  We hope this will save you time and money and add to your safety.

Here three experts give us their tips:

Doug Ritter, Equipped to Survive
• Heatsheets space blanket
• Gloves
• Chlorine dioxide water-purification tablets
• Braided nylon line
• Whistle
• Lighter
• Waterproof matches 
• Tinder (for fire-starting)
• Signal mirror
• Personal locator beacon (PLB)
Mike Forti, United States Air Force Survival School
• Large knife (machete or hatchet)
• Cellphone
• BIC lighter
• 9 x 12-foot plastic painter’s tarp (0.35 mm thick)
• Mylar survival blanket
• Mini LED flashlight
• Water-purification tablets
• Water container of some sort
• Small roll of fishing line or dental floss
• $50 bill (“After a few days lost in the woods eating bugs, it would be a real shame to emerge next to a 7-Eleven and have no money for food,” Forti said.)
Todd Smith, Outdoor Life Magazine
• Personal locator beacon (PLB) or cellphone
• Map of area
• Compass
• Small first-aid kit
• Water bottle
• Flashlight/headlamp
• Lighter and firestarters
• Space blanket/bivy sack
• Whistle
• Signal mirror