Survival Gear and Survival Skills that will Save Your Life

If you search the web for survival gear you will find a massive amount of products labeled as "survival gear." The difficult task for many is to choosing which survival tools to include in your survival kit. With so many to choose from how is one to decide? Fear no more, we are here to help you choose the most practical survival gear and help you learn practical, proven and trusted survival skills. 

What survival tools should I include in my survival kit?

There are many things to consider when choosing which survival tools to purchase for your survival kit. However, it is most important to first consider what type of threats exist in the areas you are traveling to. Is it a high elevation area? If so, you will want to have plenty of water and a backup hydration solution in case you find yourself in need of water unexpectedly. Additionally, at high elevations, you are exposing yourself to extreme weather threats. The weather can change immediately at high elevations and you want to ensure you have what you need to protect yourself. 

There are four main categories you will want to include in your survival kit:

1. Shelter

2. Fire

3. Hydration

4. Signal

Shelter

When choosing a survival shelter to keep in your backcountry pack or car survival kit it is important to understand what kind of situation you might find yourself in when the need for shelter arises. More often than not the need for an emergency survival shelter comes to fruition with immediate implications. Meaning you most likely will not have much time to properly protect yourself. Imagine the possibilities. You may find yourself high above timberline when a storm comes in fast with a downpour that can overwhelm you, you may slip and fall into a river or fall off a ledge you think is perfectly safe and find yourself alive and in desperate need of a signal, shelter and even a fire.

Choosing a shelter that provides adequate protection immediately is the single most important aspect to consider when purchasing a survival shelter. Don't expect to have time to build an elaborate shelter you find in written about in a "survival" book. Sure, these primitive shelters hold an interesting activity when your life is not in danger. However, it is important to understand it is a very, very difficult (nearly impossible) task to build a shelter solely out of natural materials that will is 100% waterproof. 

The Endure Instant Shelter is the single most effective solo emergency shelter available. The heavy-duty material not only protects you from the elements the shelter also provides heat recirculation. The shelter traps all of your body heat inside keeping it close to your body providing adequate warmth even in harsh conditions. The royal blue color also acts as a signal as royal blue is easiest to be seen by search and rescue crews looking for you. 

Fire  

The most important thing to consider when choosing a survival tool for fire is the three requirements for starting and maintaining a fire:

1. Fuel
2. Heat 
3. Oxygen

These three ingredients to a successful fire are three things you may want to embed in your memory as if you find yourself in need of a fire in case you are in a life-threatening situation you will want to break down the key elements to help ensure you are giving yourself the best chance to start that fire. As your life may depend on it. 

1. Fuel: Must be dry. Cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly are the single most efficient and effective source of fuel to get your fire started. Keep the vasoline soaked cotton balls in a waterproof container to ensure they stay dry. Cut dead branches and limbs off of trees to ensure they are dry.
2. Heat: A lightweight ferrocerium rod that showers sparks as sure as a bear takes a poop in the woods. Meaning you must have a trusted rod, with a wood handle in case you find yourself out of cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly you can shave the wood off the handle.
3. Oxygen: Your fire will die without oxygen. Don't expect to keep your fire going adequately unless you have a steady flow of oxygen. Use a brace log and place your stacks of fuel with one end on top of the brace log in a perpendicular fashion. If you need more oxygen simply lift the brace log to allow more air to flow. This will ensure your fire is reaching its maximum potential and that you are fully utilizing your survival fire skills. 

 The Endure Survival Fire Technique matched with Endure Survival Metal Match Kit in your survival kit you are sure to be able to start a fire even in extreme and harsh conditions. 

Hydration

An often over-looked survival category is the requirement to keep yourself hydrated. No matter if it is the threat of freezing temperatures and going hypothermic or conversely in extreme heat, you can go hyperthermic and your body can overheat. For day hikes its wise to bring more water than you need, however, what happens when you run out? Or if you find yourself in a situation where you are forced to stay overnight in the outdoors? 

A backup hydration solution is a must-have item to keep in your survival kit. Whether you are deep in the wilderness on foot or simply off-roading and find yourself stuck with no help around. The need to water can arise unexpectedly and it is always a great idea to keep a backup hydration solution. 

The Endure Hydration Kit includes a collapsible water bottle and Katadyn MP1 water purification tablets that are guaranteed to purify your water. 

Signal  

Good signals for sight and sound are must-have items to keep in your backcountry survival kit as well as your car survival kit. If you are lost in the middle of a vast landscape imagine how difficult it might be for search and rescue crews to find you amidst the vast landscape. The one rule to being rescued when it comes to signaling is staying found. Staying found consists of when you find yourself lost it is best to use the STOP acronym.

1. Stop what you are doing and sit down.
2. Think about what the circumstances are of the situation you are in.
3. Observe your surrounds and options on what to do. 
4. Plan a way to stay alive and be found which usually starts with staying put.

If you are truly lost its best to stay in one location, set up camp and mark your camp with trail tape in a circular fashion around you.

Set up a location to set up a survival shelter and fire. When search and rescue crews come to find you there are many ways to stay found:

Use a purposed signal mirror to reflect the sun's light beam on to passing airplanes or search and rescue helicopters or drones. 

Use a powerful omnidirectional signaling whistle to allow search and rescue crews on the ground find you. 

Use trail tape to mark your trail from the moment you find yourself lost. Use a marker to write your initials on the tape

Also, it is a great idea to consider the color of your survival shelter. Royal blue is the most effective color to be seen at far distances by search and rescue. Emergency shelters that come in Royal blue are a must-have in your survival kit. 

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