Page 1: Desert Explorer Survival Kit
Page 2: Specialised Survival Kit
Knife Review Page

An Example of a Specialised Survival Kit

The following survival kit is what I carry in my PFD while floating on rivers. This is a kit designed specifically to be carried separate from the rest of the gear. It is a standalone survival kit with all components waterproofed and left in the PFD. Nothing is removed or used during the course of the trip. In this way everything is ready for use in the event of becoming separated from the boat and the rest of the gear. The kit weighs just under two pounds, including the food, and easily fits into the PFD in a couple of pint ziplock bags, one small Witz wallet-size dry case, and one GSI wallet-size dry case (cases are available at REI). The kit without food weighs only about one and 1/4 pounds. I have chosen this configuration because it fits best into my PFD pockets. Yours may look a little different in the end.

PFD Survival Kit- For Float Trips

• 1- 1 quart ziplock
• 1- 1 gallon ziplock
• 2 condoms (non-lubricated)
• 20- Katadyn Micropur water purification tabs
• lighter (small Bic)
• matches (one book and 20 stick matches)
• space blanket
• knife (CRKT M16-12Z folder)
• metal match (Boy Scout Hot Spark or Swedish Firesteel Mini)
• 30 feet- 550 cord (in 2-pint ziplock bags)
• flashlight (microlite)
• 30 feet- 18 pound test cord (fishing line, trigger line for traps)
• 2 flies, 5 fish hooks (various sizes)
• 3 swivel sinkers
• button compass
• electrolyte mix (2 packets)
• 1 each power bar, clif bar, clif shot
• first aid kit (scalpel, sutures w/needle, butterfly bandages, med tape, 4 bandaids, 2- antibiotic ointment, 1- burn cream, 1- iodine swab, 1- poison ivy cream, 2 advil)

Photo to the left shows the entire PFD kit packed up and ready to be used. Waterproof boxes are at top of frame. Bottom of frame, left to right, are space blanket, 550 cord, food, and gallon and quart ziplocks wrapped together.









Photo to the right shows the contents of the two waterproof boxes shown in the photo above.

Further Reading and Primitive Living/Survival Schools

On our Guidebooks page are lists of books that are readily available at Amazon.com. We have added comments where appropriate. If there are no comments about the book we have not read nor reviewed it at this time. Of course this list is not exhaustive. There are hundreds of titles out there covering the topics of survival and primitive living, some of them having valid, tested, and original information, others just reiterating the contents of the USAF Survival Manual. In my opinion Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olson, tops the list for primitive skills books. Cody Lundin's 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive is the best book you will find about survival and the survival kit, not to mention being fun and entertaining.

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Page 1: Desert Explorer Survival Kit
Page 2: Specialised Survival Kit
Knife Review Page

Related Pages
Page 1: Primitive Skills- Living Comfortably Off the Land
Page 2: Primitive Skills- Learning the Basics, Water
Page 3: Primitive Skills- Shelter
Page 4: Primitive Skills- Fire
Page 5: Primitive Skills- Food
Page 6: Primitive Skills- Navigation
Page 7: Primitive Skills- Primitive Weapons
Page 8: Primitive Skills- Fishing
Page 9: Primitive Skills- Flintknapping