Keeping Safe with Essential Survival Gear

An emergency can occur at any time. They aren't always considered when we make plans for things. And they can happen in good times and in bad. Disaster gear packed in advance can safe our lives in the most desperate situations. Emergencies are sometimes expected in dangerous weather areas or places prone to natural disasters. Certain parts of the world are known for tornadoes, hurricanes or typhoons. Emergencies however aren't just weather related. Fire can happen anytime and almost anywhere. Snow storms can come up out of the blue, flash floods are never expected, and some cities experience power outages at random times.

One of the most important pieces of gear is a map. We should have a map of the campground we're going to be staying in, of the mountains we intend to hike in, of the caves we're going diving in. A compass helps with map reading, as does a GPS receiver. Second to a map, we should have a flashlight. Darkness is a danger not because of the boogey man but because we might stumble and fall and injure ourselves. Emergency food rations should also go into the pack we keep our survival gear in.

First aid kits are important to include, especially ones that are compact but serve many purposes for survival needs. Bandages, antiseptic salves and creams, and ways of treating burns, cuts and allergic reactions could be crucial at certain moments. A multi purpose tool is a good thing to have in our survival gear, as it might help us pry open food containers, build a shelter or an all important fire. The material to start a fire is also essential in survival gear. This could include waterproof matches, a lighter or a rod that one can purchase cheaply that can be scraped to shoot sparks onto a pile of dry grass or bark.

Normally people aren't planning on staying lost forever. It's better to be safe than sorry when packing an emergency kit of disaster gear. Be sure to add some way to make water safe to drink. There are disinfection kits available but there are other methods to use too, like solar methods that turn water into condensation that can be collected safely for drinking and cooking. A whistle is another important piece of the kit. Being able to make noise without much effort, and a noise that will be heard for a long distance, could be critical to being rescued.

Regardless of whatever else goes into an emergency kit, the most important piece of survival equipment we can bring is ourselves. Our will to live, and to survive, is the most important tool we have at hand in cases of emergency. We have to remember that rescue could be just around the corner and that we must not give up five minutes before the miracle. All of the above items are valuable but our will is the most valuable of all.

Emergency situations can happen anywhere, at any time. Having survival gear at all times keeps people safe.