While going on a short wilderness adventure, one should never loose guard. No one knows what can happen at any place, therefore one should have his own survival gear in order to meet all emergencies.

We know that most people are unsure about what they should pack while leaving on a traveling adventure that can help them in an emergency that’s why we have created this wilderness survival checklist.

These essential survival items will help you if you get lost in the wild, or to light a fire when the flash lights stop working and in similar situations. You must have watched bear grylls. This is your time to become him and start your own surviving adventure.

The list of wilderness survival gear list can be used in not only jungle and off-grid adventures but at your own home, in case of an emergency.

Wilderness Survival Gear Checklist

Below is a list of essential survival products to pack on your short adventure trip:

1.Lighter

A lighter is necessary on a surviving adventure even if you do not smoke cigarette. You do not have to get a separate lighter, instead get one that is available with a foldable multi-purpose tool-kit. Many swiss multi-purpose knives have include a lighter with them.

Just be sure that the lighter has enough juice to make it work for a long time.

2. Flint and steel with magnesium strip

From primitive time-period, flint stones are used to light fires. When you ran short of light, or have no other way of making a fire, flint and steel can become exceptionally useful. Just make sure you have enough hands-on experience with flint and steel for lighting a fire before taking it into the wilderness. Because, more dangerous than having flint and steel is, not to know how to light a fire with it.

Here is a video to use flint and steel for making a fire. It is an essential part of the Wilderness Survival Gear Checklist:

Flint and Steel can be bought on Amazon.

3. Handheld Flash Light with Extra Batteries

While these days most smartphones have a built-in flash light that is more powerful than a regular one, but still you should keep an extra flash light with you while you leave for an off-the-grid adventure. A regular flash-light with rubber exterior and attached rope will be a good bet. Because it will have less chances of falling from your hands.

Also, while you are at it, keep an extra paid of batteries. Though, I would recommend to get a flash light that is solar-rechargeable. A solar flash light can be recharged easily so it has more chances of helping you in case of an emergency.

Also, you can use it as a regular solar flash light even in dark camping areas.

4. Fixed Blade Knife

You can have a multipurpose knife if you like but a fixed blade knife is has many usages. For example, you can use it to cut barks of a tree, this is not possible with a multipurpose swiss knife because the base is weaker. However, modern knifes from gerber brand are more powerful. They have a locking mechanism that doesn’t let them fold until you remove the metallic cord from underneath the surface. Apart from that the knife can come in handy while hunting or defending yourself from wild animals.

Nonetheless, the knife is an essential item of Wilderness Survival Gear Checklist and should be carried on your expedition.

5. Compass

Stuck on an island or a forest and don’t know which way to go… that is where a compass will come in handy. The compass needs to have a metal exterior so it doesn’t break easily. There are multiple compasses, so check that you have:

• A inclinometre
• Global needle
• Luminescent indicators
• Sighting mirror in your compass.

TIP:

Remember to practice using a compass before taking it with you on your next trip. Here is a video showing how to use a travelling compass.

It is a simple video for beginners who have a compass lying around in their house, and would like to try their hands on it.

6 Emergency Whistle

An emergency whistle is used to help people notice you when they can’t hear your shout. The whistles have saved many people in different situations such as natural disasters, crimes scenes, against wild animals and survival situations. It should be your top choice while preparing your wilderness survival checklist.

Keep these things in mind while buying an emergency whistle:

• It has to be loud
• It can’t get jammed or overblown
• It can withstand critical temperatures

An emergency whistle is not like your sports whistle. It needs to reach at least 120 db without blowing it with full power. You can attach it to your keys using a key chain so it can remain with you at all times.

7. Parachute cord

Parachute cord is available in survival bracelet. The survival bracelets have a couple of feet of parachute rope (also called paracord) that can be used in many situations such as tying cargo, fixing poles or even saving someone from drowning. The rope can also be used in tourniquets to control major bleeding, but many considered it a poor choice for that.

Nonetheless, the paracord needs to be with you when you leave for a survival adventure. Instead of buying parachute rope, just get a survival bracelet that has it included.

Learn to use the survival bracelet in this video:

A regular paracord survival bracelet should be around 10ft in length. Or, you can get paracord and make one for yourself. Many videos  are available online showing how to make a survival bracelet through a paracord.

You can get them at Amazon.

8. Zip loc bags (multiple sizes)

A zip loc bag has multiple uses. It can be used as a shopper for carrying edible items, or supplies and even as a bandage to put over a wound to keep it dry. Apart from that, a zip loc can also be used to carry water and act as a magnifying glass to light tinder (more on that later).

The zip loc bags should be kept in multiple sizes. At least three different sizes of zip loc bags should be kept while going on an adventure trip because these are pretty helpful with a lot of things.

9. First Aid kit

A first aid kit is obviously self explanatory and I don’t need to tell its use. You should have a small one your back-pack at all times. A simple first aid kit will include:

• A bandage
• Tape
• Scissors
• Ointment
• Soap
• Pain killers

You can add more items to it depending on the length of your adventure. However, I would recommend to keep one in your regular backpack as well.

First aid boxes can be made by yourself as they are pretty easy to make. Just take a small box or pouch and put all necessary items in it. However, you can also buy one to get all items at once.

10. Rain coat

If you are already wearing a jacket that has an attached rain coat then skip this step. If not, then get a good rain coat that can cover you till knees. Rain ponchos, an all-seasoned rain-coat is an even better choice.

These rain ponchos can save you from rain if you get lost in the woods during rain – as it happens a lot to hikers during stormy seasons.

With long pockets, these rain coats can become an old faithful travel buddy.

11. Emergency blanket

An emergency blanket has many uses. It can be used as a regular blanket to warm yourself, as a cushion under your makeshift mattress, but it can also be used to signal someone by waving it in the air, or by putting it on the ground in different patterns (for helicopters). Many people avoid taking an emergency blanket on trips because these take two much space. But these have saved many lives in the wilderness and will continue to do so until and unless you stop taking them with you. Your call.

12. Water Pump filter

Many survivalists say that water pumps are the sole reason people survive in harsh conditions. That’s why small water filter pumps are on our wilderness survival checklist. The water pump filters allow you filter river water into drinkable one. Their are water filter straws for survivalists that filter the water while you suck from them.

Below is a list of water filter straws for survivalists. Most of them are cheap and can be easily obtained online.

13. Water purification tablets

Another way to purify river water before drinking is to use water purification tablets. These chlorine-mix tablets clean the water of any impurity making it drinkable. The water purification tablets are of course in short supply, therefore using a combo of both, water filter straws and pumps, is a good way to meet your survival needs.

14. Extra warm clothing

Finally, keep an extra paid of clothing if wandering off in a warm temperature, or a pair of warm clothes if going for adventure trip in cold climate. In case of a mishap, the warm clothes will spare you one more day to survive the temperature and its harshness. The extra pair can be used in many other ways such as lending to a partner, using as a makeshift bed and many more.

15. A reliable bag to hold all this

Finally, you will need a good hiking bag to carry all these items in it. The bag should have different compartments so you can place everything in place just like a military bag. It should have pockets with zippers. It would be better to buy one reflective strips. This will help to recognize you during night travel in the wilderness, or to locate your bag if placed somewhere.

That’s all folks. This is for now. If you have any questions about the post or would like to share your awesome experiences related to survival in the wilderness, or just want to add something to our wilderness survival essential checklist then shoot it away.