Emergency Survival Pouch

Anna, thank you for your comment and you make a good point. Yes, there is something larger than a survival kit, it’s called a survival pouch.

To always be even more prepared for any circumstances you should have a survival pouch. This would be larger than your survival kit, so you wouldn’t carry it around with you all the time, but it could be stored away in your cars, boats and aircraft. (If only we all had these to store our pouches in!!) If you’re hiking on foot you should keep such a pouch attached to you on your belt, not in your backpack.

Your survival pouch should minimally contain emergency food, fuel, signaling kit, light and other items that cannot fit into your survival kit. All this would be packed into a mess tin, which would protect the items and can also be used to cook and eat with. If you use anything from the pouch during your trip you should replace it as soon as you get back.

This pouch will give you a definite edge in a survival situation.

The pouch should be made from tough, durable and waterproof material and be large enough to fit a mess tin. It must be able to be closed and held with strong, positive fastenings that will not break or come undone and should have a strong tunnel loop on it to hold to your belt. (All items carried on your belt should clip on with a tunnel loop type holder, not a metal clip that can slip off).

Remember when putting one together that, while larger than your survival kit, they still should not be too bulky, so the small size of items that go in one still counts. Some of the items that should go into your survival pouch are:

MESS TIN

A very practical item to have for cooking and for the protection of items in your survival pouch. Being made of aluminum means that it is light and strong.

SURVIVAL BAG

A simple survival bag is just a very large polythene, plastic, bag that you can crawl into and will reduce heat loss in emergency situations. The problem with this kind is the condensation which can make you wet. There are heat insulated bags which work much better and also keeps you dry. Better yet is one that can protect you from fire, giving you a final chance at life if you are caught in a brush fire you cannot escape.

FUEL

This is material you can burn in situations where a wood fire is not possible or inconvenient. Best are solid fuel tablets that come in their own fold-able stove, you simply unfold the unit and it becomes a miniature adjustable pot stand with a plate for the fire. They also make excellent fire lighters.

FLASHLIGHT

Get a small, thin, flashlight with long lasting batteries. Pack the batteries inside it, but reverse them so they don’t discharge if the light is accidentally turned on.

MINI-FLARES

Used for signaling and attracting attention, they work similar to fireworks. You can get a set that is very small and will fit well into your survival pack. The kit should come with red and green flares and a small (pen-size) discharger. Read the instructions on the kit and practice using it in a safe location where you won’t start a fire. In a survival situation don’t waste them, wait until you know there is a chance of someone seeing the signal, if you just start shooting them off they will soon be gone, a regrettable circumstance when a potential rescue is in sight with no way of signaling them.

FOG HORN

You can get them in small cans and they make a very loud noise. Used for attracting attention and in some circumstances for startling or scaring off a predator. Should be saved for attracting rescue attention or signaling to other members of the party when there is trouble or you need help.

WHISTLE

Also used for attracting attention. Get one like the kind a coach or life guard uses.

MARKER PANEL

This is a strip of bright, fluorescent material, about 1ft by 3ft (0.3 by 2m) that can be used for signaling and attracting attention in emergency situations. On bar signals for an immediate evacuation. There is a section on this site where you can learn several other signals for survival and rescue situations. You can use this to pack your pouch so that the items don’t rattle.

MATCHES

You can never have enough matches, so pack as many as you can into a watertight container. Remember that the kind you can strike anywhere are best and if you dip them in candle wax it will waterproof them and help prevent them from rubbing together and going off, you just pick off the wax with a fingernail when you are ready to use them. You should pack these carefully, wrap them in a rubber band and stuff cotton balls or wadding into the container to keep them from rattling around and accidentally lighting.

TEA KIT

Remember that while tea has a tendency to quench your thirst, coffee can make you thirstier. So it is best to use tea for brews. Making a brew can do a lot to boost morale in a bad situation, so this can be an important item. Also pack sugar and milk powder.

FOOD

One of the hardest foods to get while living off the land is fat, so the extra calories it provides earns it a place in your pack. There are kinds of butter and lard available that do not need refrigeration which comes in tubes.

Blocks of dehydrated meat aren’t that tasty, but they are nourishing and sustaining and should be gotten.

Chocolate is a good food, but does not keep very well, so check it regularly

You absolutely must include salt or, even better, an electrolyte powder that contains minerals, salt and vitamins required by the body for survival. But minimally salt, which can come as salt tablets, a more compact way of carrying it.

PARACHUTE CORD

This is a very good item to have because it is made up of a lot of tough strings which can be pulled out and used for different bindings when making survival tools. Can be made into a daisy chain for more compact carrying, even making a bracelet to be worn all the time if you choose.

The best thing to do if lost or having suffered a forced landing, car broke down or something that puts you into the wilderness is to wait for rescue in that location. This may take several days and your survival pouch can see you through that time. Also, if you need to start living off the land it can take some time to figure out the best way to gain sustenance from the wilderness and your survival pouch can help span the gaps when you have nothing. But remember to ration what you have to make it last.

See if you can think of any other items to carry in your survival pouch. Consider such things as extra bandages, medicines, sun block lotion, honey (which has uses other than food), and so forth, keep in mind that you don’t want to make it too heavy or bulky. Also, remember that there are explosive flares, matches and solid  fuel in your pouch, so handle it with care.