13 Survival Must-Haves You May Not Have Thought Of

Think outside the knife! Photo by Germain Wu

I’ve read dozens, and I mean dozens, of lists telling me everything I need to have with me to survive.  Usually there are no surprises.  I know a flashlight, pocket knife, and water are musts, but every now and then I come across something that makes me say, “a-ha!”  Here are thirteen of my favorites.

• Lightsticks.  You can pick up one of these every time you wander into a Home Depot.  They don’t need batteries and can be hung around the neck with a string making it easier to spot everyone in your party when it gets dark.
• Wool socks and sweaters.  People have literally frozen to death wearing their layers of cotton knit tees and hoodies.  For true survival conditions, nothing beats wool.
• Upholstery needles and thread.  What if a sleeping bag or tent rips and you have no way of mending it? 
• Roll of quarters.  Handy for phone calls, but if you put it in a sock and wield it like a sling, you have a handy-dandy weapon!
• Pencils.  Forget the pens.  They can run out of ink and freeze in cold weather.  With a pocket knife, you’ll always have a sharp pencil.
• Super glue.  Professional hockey players always have this on hand to seal up small cuts, and the glue itself is harmless.  Unless you get it in your eye, like I did.  But that’s a story for a different type of post!
• Rubber bands.  String just doesn’t cut it when what you really need is a rubber band
• Tampons in a cardboard tube.  Did you know a tampon can be fit snugly into a bullet wound?  Guys on the battlefield carry these with them.  Honest!  I’ve also heard they’re good for kindling.
• Paracord belt.  It’s an accessory and survival tool in one!
• Waterproof wrist watch.  Makes perfect sense.  I had just never thought of it.
• Animal repellant trash bags.  Use these when you’re camping and animals will stay the heck away from your trash.
• Safety pins. 
• Dental floss.  Besides helping to keep your teeth clean, I’ve heard it makes sturdy thread for mending.

What have I missed?

© 2009, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.