The Ten Essentials of Survival

When I was a boy scout, I remember one of the first things I had to learn were the ten essentials. I still have them memorized, in no particular order, they are: a pocket knife, a first aid kit, extra clothing, rain gear, a flashlight, a map and compass, water, food, sunscreen, and a fire starter. These ten essentials were something we needed to carry with us anytime we went camping, backpacking, or hiking.

When it comes to prepping, you need to have the same kind of thought process as to the ten essentials of survival. I did arrange these in a particular order, but many people choose to arrange them differently. The ten essentials of survival are:

1. Water
2. Food
3. Shelter (Including items to help you stay warm and dry)
4. Sanitation
5. First Aid
6. Communications
7. Power (Including flashlights)
8. Tools
9. Cooking items
10. Emergency Binder

1. Water

Water is the most important thing you need because your body can only survive three days without it. FEMA recommends 1 gallon per person per day. I would recommend storing at least 3 gallons per person per day if you have the room for it.Check out great water storage products here: http://www.prepandsave.com/water-storage-and-filtration/emergency-water-storage-containers/aquapod-kit.html

If you don't have the room or budget for water storage, make sure there is a water source nearby and you have a good water filter. I recommend the LifeStraw or the Royal Berkey. The LifeStraw is great if you need to get water on the go. The Berkey is great to filter water for cooking and drinking at home. You can find them here: http://www.prepandsave.com/water-storage-and-filtration/water-filtration.html


For more info, check out my blog post about water filtration.

2. Food

Food is the second most important thing for survival. Your body can only survive three weeks without it. Stock up on canned goods as well as dry foods such as rice and flour. Unfortunately these foods only have a year or two long self life, so you will want to stock up on freeze dried foods as well. Freeze dried foods have extremely long shelf lives, up to 30 years. They are also delicious and easy to make. Having a supply of freeze dried food is the best way to make sure you are prepared for an emergency today or anytime in the future. Check out the variety of options you have to choose from here: http://www.prepandsave.com/survival-food/mountain-house/mountain-house-pouches.html and http://www.prepandsave.com/survival-food/augason-farms.html

3. Shelter

Shelter is the third absolute essential you need to survive. It's hard to think about in the middle of summer, but surviving in the winter is very hard without a place of warmth and protection from the elements. I recommend not leaving your home if you don't have to. If you do, you will want to make sure you have a good tent to keep you protected from the elements and wild creature.

However, even if you stay at your home, there are a couple of things you will want to make sure you have. Get a good sleeping bag that will keep you warm even if the power (and thus heating) is off. I recommend this one- http://www.prepandsave.com/emergency-gear/camping-and-tools/camping/prospector-sleeping-bag-5-lbs.html. Just make sure it's warm enough for the coldest temperatures your area experiences. If you get a 35°F rated sleeping bag and it gets to 15°F at night in the winter in your area, you'll probably be pretty cold. However, if you get a -15°F sleeping bag and it only gets to 40°F at night where you live, you'll be way too hot. I also recommend getting an emergency blanket. These are made out of Mylar and reflect 90% of your body heat. Check out one here- http://www.prepandsave.com/emergency-gear/camping-and-tools/camping/emergency-survival-solar-blanket.html

Also, make sure you have a good fire starter. This will help you start a campfire to stay warm. This can be a lighter, matches, or a flint, or all three. Lighters run out of fluid, you can only carry so many matches, and flints take practice to use effectively. Check out this fire starting kit- http://www.prepandsave.com/prep-and-save-fire-starter-kit.html

4. Sanitation

After shelter, the order of the ten essentials is debatable. I personally put sanitation right up there as the next most important element to survival. If you are going to be surviving without power and water, you're going to need to have a portable toilet, lots and lots of toilet paper, and a portable shower or way to clean off. Maintaining proper sanitation is imperative to staying healthy, staying clean and comfortable. Check out great sanitation products here- http://www.prepandsave.com/school-emergency-supplies/emergency-sanitation.html



5. First Aid

In an emergency, the hospitals will be overflowing and potentially shut down. You will be the only source of first aid you have. Make sure you have a good first aid kit that has all the bandages, wraps, and items you will need to treat yourself and others for cuts, scrapes, and sprains. A first aid kit with all of these things is imperative. I recommend getting this kit that covers most all first aid concerns- http://www.prepandsave.com/nurses-response-bag.html

6. Communications

Staying in contact with your family and the outside world will help you be safe and know when everything is back to normal again after a disaster. I recommend getting a good portable radio that you can take with you wherever you go. This will keep you informed on what's going on in the world around you if you're far away. This is a good option- http://www.prepandsave.com/cc-solar-observer-am-fm-weather-solar-emergency-radio.html



You should also have some way to contact your family. Most everyone has cell phones today, but the lines might be down during an emergency. I recommend getting a pair of walkie-talkies with a wide range to help stay in contact if you get separated. These are great for that purpose- http://www.prepandsave.com/midland-36-mile-walkie-talkie.html

7. Power (Including flashlights)

Today we rely on electricity for nearly everything. If you're reading this, it's probably on a computer. You've probably already used your phone, your fridge, your microwave, your coffee maker, and your car already today, among other items that require power to work. What would you do if there was no power? All of those items except your phone and car wouldn't work anymore. What if even your phone and car died? This could happen if an EMP pulse went off. Could you survive without power? If you can afford a generator, you won't have to worry so much about this. I recommend having a backup source of power to charge your smaller devices. This is a great solar powered option- http://www.prepandsave.com/sunjack-complete-package.html

Flashlights are also vital tools to have during an emergency. If the power is out but you still have to move at night, you need to see where you're going so you don't walk into something or someone.

8.  Tools

It's not a law that everyone has their own toolbox, but it should be. Don't get me wrong, you don't need one of the decked out toolboxes that cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But everyone should have the same basic tools. This includes a hammer, a Phillips head screwdriver, a flathead screwdriver, needle nose pliers, a multi tool, and a good pocket knife. You can definitely add more tools to your kit, but at least make sure you have those. You can pick up the hammer, screwdrivers, and pliers at any home repair store. This is a good option for a multi tool- http://www.prepandsave.com/14-in-1-pocket-tool.html

When it comes to knives, anyone will tell you that a fixed blade is better than a pocket knife. They're bigger, stronger, and more useful. However, they don't fit in your pocket, they're heavy, and sometimes illegal to carry around with you. I recommend the Boker Magnum USN Seals knife. I have used this one for many years and it has worked great. It's got a 440 steel blade, a seat belt cutter, a window breaker, and has indentations for your fingers to grip it comfortably. Check it out here- http://www.prepandsave.com/magnum-knife.html

9. Cooking Items

This kind of goes hand in hand with food, but it needs to be listed as well. You should have a mess kit, a portable set of plates, bowls, cups, and utensils for every member of your family. You should also have a portable cook set of pots/pans. These are great for cooking single serving meals or for boiling water for freeze dried food. The last thing you will need is a portable stove. I recommend this one- http://www.prepandsave.com/portable-camping-stove.html


10. Emergency Binder

Half the battle of getting prepared is taking stock of what you already have and knowing what you need to get. This is where an emergency binder comes in handy. You can make lists in there. You can also put important information like insurance info, birth certificates, and family information in there. They're designed to grab and go in an emergency so you know that you have all the information with you that you'll need during an emergency.



So there you have it, the ten essentials of survival. After getting all of them, you will be prepared for any emergency situation.