Introduction
This article was written by Norman J. MacLeod. We would like to thank him
for his kind permission to reproduce this article.
In the process of getting our Scouts into a more adventure-based programme, we have required them to build a personal survival kit. While there are some required items, there are others that are the individual's option. While we don't expect the same level of contents that you will find in a military pilot's ejection seat kit, we do have a fairly comprehensive set-up that works quite well. We are training the Scouts to use the kits (as well as how to survive without even this minimal level of equipment), and how to modify the kit according to the time of year, terrain, distance from the nearest well-travelled road and type of activity.
The kit itself is designed to be a lightweight addition to a daypack for a day's hike, though we also expect them to have it with them on backpacking trips. Several of the items follow along with what you will find in the S.A.S. Survival Handbook (a pretty decent guide, all in all).
The loose bits of the kit that might otherwise get mis-placed are tightly packed into a small rectangular cooking container that has an inner plastic container. The top to this aluminum "box" has a spring-clip top.
A signal whistle, utility knife (Swiss Army or Leatherman type), water purification tablets, and a sealed packet of water-proof matches are carried in pockets in the clothing the Scout or Leader is wearing. These, along with a water container (also being carried on the person), are the bare minimum that someone should have in the event of a survival situation. (If the person doesn't want to be carrying a canteen on a belt, then he or she will need to have a couple of packaged condoms in a pocket, since a condom will hold upwards of a litre of water.) The main reason for pocketing them instead of carrying them in the pack is that there are occasions when you are forced to lose a pack, such as when falling into a fast-moving river, bailing out of a canoe and losing all of the bags, or going through the ice on a lake.
The next set of items go into the aluminum box mentioned above. It's a small thing - about large enough for a decent-sized brew-up, so it has to be packed carefully in order to maximise the space.
What we expect to find inside - as a minimum - are:
- 1 cable saw. (Typically, we train the Scouts that these are
not to be used exxcept for shelter building, since the wood you need
for a fire ahouldn't be any larger than you can break over your knee.)
- 1 metal match - used with a knife to make sparks for fire
starting.
- 6 small candles (the type used to put under hot dishes,
small, disk-shaped) - used for starting fires with wet wood.
- 1 packet dry chemical heat tablets (Esbit) - used for fire
starting (shavings).
- 1 packet waterproof matches (in addition to the packet in
clothing pocket).
- Asprin (or non-asprin pain reliever for younger Scouts).
Asprin is more effective than most over-the-counter non-asprin pain
relievers, and has good anti-inflammatory properties which are very
useful if you have hip, knee, ankle, or foot injuries.
- Water purification tablets (in addition to those carried in
clothing pocket).
- Condoms - (Put away the "dirty" thoughts, here.
They're to help you survive.) These are the most portable water
containers you are ever likely to find.
- Salt tablets - used as compressed salt for food, sprinkle by
grinding against pebble held over food.
- Boullion cubes - used to add flavour to food, contain a fair
amount of salt, as well.
- Small signal mirror.
- Small compass (liquid-filled is best)
- Fishing kit (monofilament line, hooks)
- Variety pack of sewing needles - these should include the
heavy-guage needles you would need to use to repair your backpack and
its suspension system. Use the monofilament fishing line instead of
thread (more strength in the repair with less effort than with thread.
- Brass snare wire.
- 1 tube of Bacitracin ointment (Prevents wounds becoming infected.)
- A few tea bags - hot cuppa is an amazingly good morale builder if you are lost, believe it or not.
- Teaspoon (if there's enough room left over). Shorten the handle so it will fit in the box.
There are a few other items, some more essential than others, that we train our Scouts to include as part of their survival kits in the daypack or backpack. These frequently tend to be multi-use articles that can be used as part of the main kit on a backpacking or canoeing trip:
- A space blanket - not the flimsy kind, but the type that will easily double as a ground-sheet, or a waterproof sleeping bag cover to roll up in if you are stuck out in the bush without a tent.
- A plastic bag (ZipLock type) with teabags in.
- A few packets of compressed food, such as Cup-O-Soup, noodles (for carbohydrates), and other extremely light-weight instant "meals".
- A topographic map of the area the activity is taking place in.
- A brief, lightweight guide to edible plants in the activity area (keyed to the time of year, as well)
Most search and rescue (SAR) operations find a lost or stranded person within a couple of days at most - if the search is going to be successful. The food items of the above are targeted to this short amount of time. They will also help you stay in a base camp area for the couple of days you will need to build an effective shelter and other amenities for a longer-term survival situation. This way, you can wait to do hunting/gathering activities until you have a decent place to bring the catch home to.
The survival training we conduct tends to go beyond what badges such as the BSA's Wilderness Survival or the UK's Backwoodsman require. While these badges provide a good basic level of survival skill, everyone, from Scouts to Leaders to parents gains a higher "comfort level" if we are all trained to a standard where we can not only survive in a situation driven by bad weather, injury, or becoming lost, but to be able to do so in at least relative comfort.
Norman