In this article we’re going to look at some highly useful survival gear that you should carry with you if you plan on bugging out in the wild. You’ll be less likely to need these if you’re bugging in at home where you’ll be sheltered and have the usual conveniences and amenities at your disposal.
When you’re in the wilderness, there’ll be several items that may be crucial to keeping you comfortable and safe. Even with a tent, you’ll still feel the effect of the elements. If the climate is cold, you’ll feel even colder outside. If it’s wet, you may slip and fall more easily in the woods than you would in an urban area.
So, you must have the right gear and be prepared. In this article, we’ll look at a few items you need to think about when packing your bug out bag. Depending on where you live and your bug out plans, you’ll need to decide which items to get.
Plastic Ponchos
There are kinds made with thick plastic and there are those made with thin, fragile plastic that are folded up into small packets. Ideally, you should have the more heavy-duty ones. However, if your bag is heavy, you can keep a couple of the small light ones instead. The most important thing is not to get wet. If you’re soaked and it’s cold, you may get hypothermia.
Chemical Light Sticks
These are very handy to have when it’s wet or pouring outside and you can’t start a fire to produce light. Breaking one of these light sticks and giving it a quick shake will provide you some good light in your tent for 5 to 6 hours. If you need light inside your tent, you can easily hang this light stick above your tent (something you can’t do as easily with a flashlight).
Survival Blanket
These can save lives. If you’re in cold climates, they’re absolutely necessary to help retain body heat. If you’re stuck out in the open with no tent or sleeping bag, wrapping yourself up in one of these survival blankets will keep you relatively warm. They’re also lightweight enough to carry around.
Water Purification Tablets/Bottles
In the wild, unless you’re in a desert, it should be relatively easy to find water. However, the water you find may not be drinkable. As long as you have water purification tablets or a water purification bottle, your job is pretty easy. You just need to add the tablet or the water into the bottle and you should be able to consume it.
Paracord and Shemagh
These are two of the most versatile pieces of equipment you can carry. They’re light and have hundreds of uses. You can write an entire book on the different ways you could use these items. They can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from water filtration to first aid.
Ensure that you have all 5 of these items in your bag. There’s plenty of other useful prepper gear to think about, but these 5 should be at the top of your list just because they can save your life and they’re so versatile. The wilderness can be unforgiving; the gear mentioned here will give you the edge you need to survive.
