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Make sure these 7 survival essentials are in every kit you create. These are just the essentials and recommended necessities to make SHTF life easier.

Life is a journey with lots of ups and downs. While enjoying good times, you hardly think of the situations that might give you troubles.

Some of the most common examples of these are accidents, natural disasters, and civil unrest, but even a job loss can qualify for a personal SHTF situation right in your own home.

So, to prepare for future SHTF (personal and global) that can occur anytime and anywhere, here is a list of seven essential categories that will give you a head start in a new survival kit. This is a simple list of seven ‘not-to-be-missed’ categories that should be mandatory for any survival kit.

Make sure you add to or adjust these items as per your personal needs and skills, and according to what does doesn’t work for you (i.e. no sense in carrying a flint and steel if you’ve never used one, just grab a lighter).

7 Survival Kit Essentials

1. Water – Water is the most important thing you could ever prep. You will need lots of water for drinking, cooking, and for hygiene purposes too. We recommend that you store three gallons of water per person per day, and at a minimum one gallon per person per day. You can bottle it yourself right out of the tap, or buy it at the store. Another option is to stock emergency water pouches with a shelf life of 5 years which is specially packaged for emergency situations.

2. Food – Your emergency survival kit should have at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food items with a long shelf life. Check expiration dates annually and keep it fresh. Also store some basic freeze-dried foods and carb/protein bars. Avoid can foods, their volume to weight ratio is hardly worth it. Don’t forget about pets and little ones either. If traveling or staying with babies or pets, carry baby food and formula and pet food for them too.

3. First-Aid – You might not have any access to doctors and hospitals, so prepare to do as much medical care as is feasible. Get a good first aid kit or make your own with supplies like, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, hydrogen peroxide to wash and disinfect wounds, eye drops, medicines for diarrhea, pain and fever, bandage strips, elastic bandages, cotton roll, sterile gauze pads, cold packs for sprains, adhesive tape rolls, scissors, burn gel and thermometer.

4. Shelter and Warmth – Under most emergency situations, your office or house or car will be the safest place for you to stay, but if for some reason you need to bug out, you will need some way to create shelter. The easiest is to have a backpacker’s tent, a lightweight (usually 2-4lbs) and compact tent made for small storage and long hikes. A sleeping bag, vinyl tarps for ground cover, and some thermal blankets will make a complete shelter kit for any situation. Also consider hand and body warmers and a rain poncho to keep you warm and dry.

5. Sanitation and Hygiene – If you didn’t think to fill up your bathtub and there is no running water, you’ll have to live without a toilet. A bucket (preferably 6 gallon because of the height) will work as a makeshift for toilet. You can put a normal toilet seat lid on top for comfort, or even cut and split a foam pool noodle. Make sure you have enough toilet paper and garbage bags with plastic ties too. A toothbrush and toothpaste, sanitary napkins, hand sanitizer and bar soap should be in your kit.

6. Lighting and Communication – A multi-powered emergency radio (battery, hand crank, and solar) with NOAA bands, and a good LED flashlight with some spare batteries are a must. Candles and lanterns, along with waterproof matches and a lighter will go a long way to saving your batteries and providing more useful light in a home. A battery or solar powered phone charger or power bank will let you keep in touch with the outside world. A whistle is also a cheap and important signaling device.

7. Survival Gear – This is a broad category that covers tools and misc gear. Things such as a compass, multi-function knife, plastic sheeting, dust masks, small prybar, portable stove and a good quantity of fuel.

Pro Tip! For more information on exactly what survival gear to add to your emergency survival kit, check out our official 2017 Bug Out Bag Checklist.

Other Misc Items – Besides all these, it’s a good idea to carry some cash in small bills, a laminated map of your area, work boots and gloves, and thick socks, along with an extra change of clothing in your emergency survival kit.

Want to know more about an emergency survival kit made with these seven items? Here is an infographic by More Prepared, a survival preparedness expert.

[Click Infographic To Enlarge]

Image courtesy: 7 Essential Item in Your Emergency Survival – More Prepared