Survival equipment and gear survival kits

Survival, mankind's ultimate instinct, primarily built into us before birth. Now whether you are planning a trip, vacation or are just preparing for the end of the world, survival know-how and kits are a must. If you have the desire to live a more adventurous life style, or the will to live when the end comes, then you will need advice, survival equipment, and common sense. Without survival know-how, you may use up precious time and energy when the time comes, to no avail, putting yourself and others at risk.

 What is Survival ?

You win, they fail, you live, they die, simple. Survival of the fittest. If you are trying to survive a catastrophe, it could mean the difference of you living to tell the tale of what happened, or your name engraved on a placard and classed as a statistic. Or you triumphing with nature, surviving side by side with mother earth, learning to feed off the land, living.

Main Survival Requirements

Water, without this you will die very quickly. Dehydration even now, kills hundreds of people in the western world, where water is available in every tap, so why do they die? They do not understand the needs of their own body, and will go a while without water in extreme heats, no man is indestructible. You need to know your body.

Food, a human body can go for a while without food, but while you are doing that, your body is slowly deteriorating, your energy will be disappearing, your focus will become hazy. Your body will begin to thin and your bones will show through your skin, your blood will thin and your internal organs can begin to fail.

Sleep deprivation was used as a form of torture, and still is. Without sleep, you will not be able to think properly, you may begin to hallucinate, sickness could follow, you could collapse anywhere into a deep sleep and be eaten, bitten or stung by predators and other hungry animals, and you wouldn't wake up. You need to be able to sleep daily without the fear of being attacked or eaten.

 Know your land

If you are going on a vacation, expedition, or even to survive the end of the world, you need to know your land. You need to find out what grows there, what seasons they grow in, what fruits, berries, tubers, root vegetables and even insects are edible. Is there a river for fish and water, which frogs can I eat? What type of soil is there for growing vegetables, you need to know how to grow the vegetables. If you are camping out, the tools you take will last, if you are planning a very long stay, any tools that you do have, may not last the distance, you need to learn how to make the tools that you will need, from what mother nature has provided, not matter what terrain you are in.

 Water

Finding a water supply is number one on your survival list. If there is a river or stream near, that is a bonus, but you still need to boil the water or at least have water purification tablets. If there is no river or streams nearby, then you will need to make a water collecting apparatus. Without this, you will die quickly. You can drink your own urine with the help of tablets which you drop into a container, pee into it, then you can drink it within a couple of hours. If you are by the sea, there are desalinisation tablets and equipment readily available on the internet. You should buy some of these and try them at home, just so you know that you can survive by drinking urine. These tablets and powders for water purification will not last long, unless you have thousands of them, you will still need to make your self a water collecting apparatus for future supplies.

Food

Whilst you are walking anywhere, take a mental note of any fruit trees, or any food bearing bushes, which animals are lurking in the area which may add to your protein diet, whether it is a rat or a squirrel. You need to live, you will eat anything within a few days of starvation. Rivers provide a good source of food, dam part of the river so the fish will have to go through a smaller entrance, it would be easier for you to catch. Learn how to gut and cook fish, badly cooked fish can result in stomach cramps, learn to use leaves instead of toilet paper, or a smooth rock down river will suffice and is cleaner. Teach yourself how to start a fire from nothing, teach the kids. Spiralina is a health supplement made from algae, if you have packed away these tablets, you can eat a handful of grass with one tablet, you may still be hungry, but your body would of got 90% of its vitamins and minerals needed. Learn how to cook on sticks, if you have green energy products in mind, you can get solar powered ovens.

Sleep

You need to sleep. Make a makeshift bed out of anything you can find, but not on the floor. Every living creature for miles will begin to smell you, and maybe they want you for dinner. If you have a tree, get up it, make a bed where you can be at least moderately comfortable. It would be safer than being on the ground, although it will not stop insects of a few snakes, it will prevent boars, bears, wild dogs, and other humans from attacking you while you sleep. There are cocoon tents available that just hang from trees, very interesting and waterproof, or you could rig up some kind of hammock.

The one most Important Tool

This Piece of survival equipment is your survivalist knife. Not just a sharp kitchen knife, a proper knife. One which has a serrated edge for cutting and sawing, one strong enough to dig land and sharpen sticks for hunting. The knives with a compass in the handle can help, if you only learn how to use a compass and navigate from the North Star. Some of these knives come with flints for starting a fire, which are very important and handy, some with fishing wire and hooks and sewing thread with a needle. This is the one tool from which you could make every other tool, implement or weapon you should need.