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MacGyverCanada · 10-10-2008, 11:26 PM

Your list of survival supplies will change depending on your situation. If you will be staying put in a house in the city with a family of four, it is a much different list than if you are solo and on the move in the countryside. I have a good amount of country experience. If the SHTF, then I'm going mobile. So here's what I have in my ready-to-go backpack

WATER PURIFIER
Absolutley essential. If you have no water, then you will die. If you drink water in the countryside and ingest a water-bourne parasite, then you will become sick and dehydrated, and then you will die. I carry a MSR Miniworks water filter; 1 litre per minute, filters about 2000 litres before needing a change of filter, and will turn the nastiest dank black polluted puddle water into a crystal-clear beverage. I also carry water purification tablets, the means to boil water, and powdered Gatorade to combat dehydration.

FOOD
If you're sticking around at home, by all means stock up on canned goods. If you're mobile, make sure it's light and high-energy. Dehydrated fruits and protein bars are my mainstays, plus the ability and means to hunt and forage whenever possible.

SHELTER
If you're at home, then you've got this covered. If not, a decent shelter can be constructed from a single lightweight tarp and a good piece of cord (rope), which I carry at all times just in case. Make sure that you are off the ground (make a pad with branches, leaves, etc), away from large heat-sucking stones, and out of the wind.

CLOTHING
Absolutely NO cotton!!! Cotton soaks and holds water, which conducts heat away from the body very rapidly. COTTON KILLS. As backup clothing, I carry a fleece sweater and fleece pants, as well as a heavyweight rain shell and lightweight rain pants (preserve core temperature), both fleece and nylon socks, a fleece hat, rubberized Kevlar work gloves and nylon over-mitts.

LIGHTS
I have a high-powered LED lamp with a dynamo generator. There's also a backup battery pack. I also use 9-bulb LED flashlights that I buy for $3.00 at a surplus store. They're cheaply made, but the light burns for over 8 hours on 3 x 'AAA' batteries.

NAVIGATION
A GPS is only as good as its batteries. If you're on the move, it's essential to have map and compass skills. Go take a course.

FIRST AID
A good first aid kit is essential, regardless of the situation. Make sure that it is concise and that you know how to use its contents.

TOOLS
Multi-tool, knife, matches, lighters, fishing line and hooks, duct tape, candles, can opener, and a few cigarettes just in case.

10-10-2008, 11:26 PM	#20
MacGyverCanada Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NS, Canada Posts: 39	Re: A brief list of survival supplies Your list of survival supplies will change depending on your situation. If you will be staying put in a house in the city with a family of four, it is a much different list than if you are solo and on the move in the countryside. I have a good amount of country experience. If the SHTF, then I'm going mobile. So here's what I have in my ready-to-go backpack WATER PURIFIER Absolutley essential. If you have no water, then you will die. If you drink water in the countryside and ingest a water-bourne parasite, then you will become sick and dehydrated, and then you will die. I carry a MSR Miniworks water filter; 1 litre per minute, filters about 2000 litres before needing a change of filter, and will turn the nastiest dank black polluted puddle water into a crystal-clear beverage. I also carry water purification tablets, the means to boil water, and powdered Gatorade to combat dehydration. FOOD If you're sticking around at home, by all means stock up on canned goods. If you're mobile, make sure it's light and high-energy. Dehydrated fruits and protein bars are my mainstays, plus the ability and means to hunt and forage whenever possible. SHELTER If you're at home, then you've got this covered. If not, a decent shelter can be constructed from a single lightweight tarp and a good piece of cord (rope), which I carry at all times just in case. Make sure that you are off the ground (make a pad with branches, leaves, etc), away from large heat-sucking stones, and out of the wind. CLOTHING Absolutely NO cotton!!! Cotton soaks and holds water, which conducts heat away from the body very rapidly. COTTON KILLS. As backup clothing, I carry a fleece sweater and fleece pants, as well as a heavyweight rain shell and lightweight rain pants (preserve core temperature), both fleece and nylon socks, a fleece hat, rubberized Kevlar work gloves and nylon over-mitts. LIGHTS I have a high-powered LED lamp with a dynamo generator. There's also a backup battery pack. I also use 9-bulb LED flashlights that I buy for $3.00 at a surplus store. They're cheaply made, but the light burns for over 8 hours on 3 x 'AAA' batteries. NAVIGATION A GPS is only as good as its batteries. If you're on the move, it's essential to have map and compass skills. Go take a course. FIRST AID A good first aid kit is essential, regardless of the situation. Make sure that it is concise and that you know how to use its contents. TOOLS Multi-tool, knife, matches, lighters, fishing line and hooks, duct tape, candles, can opener, and a few cigarettes just in case. Last edited by MacGyverCanada; 10-10-2008 at 11:30 PM.