6 essential survival gear items when you are in the wilderness

Whether you’ve ventured in nature before or it’s your first time, you must know the importance of bringing survival gear. There are items that will significantly increase the chances of you making it out of the wilderness safe and alive in case of danger.

Normally, you wouldn’t want to encounter a situation where their usage is deemed necessary, but it’s great to have them just in case. Before you start your trip in nature, you must know what items can keep you safe. Check out our list of top essential survival gear, and you’ll be ready for your journey.

1. Signaling Equipment

When you go camping, there are very high chances of not being able to use your cell phone. Of course, some areas may have better signal than others. Still, overall, you must expect to be stuck in no service areas. If a survival situation occurs during this time, contacting your fellow campers seems almost impossible.

However, it’s not impossible if you have the necessary gear. There is equipment meant to give signals to your companions. These devices often involve whistles, signal mirrors or a flashlight.

Whistles are very useful because nobody can mistake their sound. Basically, they are very helpful to use in case of danger. If you’ve been hurt or danger is approaching, you can use the whistle to let the others in your camp know about your situation. Conversely, whistles can be used in case you get lost, as there may be other campers nearby that will hear you and come to your aid. You can also use whistles to catch the attention of a passing car if you get near a road.

Now, a signal mirror is something else. If you know how to aim it, it will be able to create a flash of light up to 10 miles away, possibly grabbing the attention of cars, aircraft or even people walking by.

In any case, signaling equipment can be used in lots of ways, as you can see – so, having it with you is extremely helpful.

2. Knife

A knife can be used in more ways than to slice your food or stab an animal that attacks you. In other words, the cool thing about knives is that they are amazing tools for both usual activities and survival situations.

For instance, if you were in a dangerous situation and you or another camper ended up with injuries, you will need bandages that you can cut with… a knife. In addition, the blade can be used to open packages or cut ropes. Let’s not forget that they make amazing weapons too.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that you have to bring the biggest blade you can find. Bring something that’s resistant to pressure, and you’re good to go.

3. A .357 Revolver

One of the things to add to your collection for survival is a .357 revolver. In the wild, you’re more prone to encounter a life-threatening situation, especially if you’re entering an area with animals. As such, you need a defensive gun, and a .357 revolver makes a great choice thanks to its reliability and power. Having it in your survival gear arsenal can really make a difference.

Basically, this handgun has a projectile of 9.07 millimeters. It’s small, isn’t it? It also weighs up to 158 grains. Nevertheless, despite its small projectile, it has a longer casing. This means that it can have more powder behind the bullet, which automatically shoots the bullet with more power. For defensive situations, this is great because it makes sure that whoever or whatever threatens your safety will have a hard time after being shot.

So, if you want a powerful revolver, a .357 one might be what you need.

4. First Aid Kit

Obviously, a first aid kit is something that every camper should consider, no matter how long you’ll be out there in the wild. First aid kits are so helpful because they contain items like gloves, bandages, alcohol cleaning wipes, gauze, and many others. These can help with the healing process until you get medical assistance. Aside from that, they will reduce the risk of infection and decrease the intensity of the pain.

You’ll find first aid kits of multiple sizes, but you don’t have to pick up the biggest one on the market. Settle for a smaller, decent sized-one that packs all the essentials.

5. Water Filter

It’s a known fact that you can’t survive without water. When you’re going out in the wild, water is one of the main concerns of every camper. You will bring water supplies with you, but what will you do once all your resources are out of stock? Your only alternative is going on a search for potable water in the wild.

As you know, though, not all water you find in nature is that reliable and could be polluted. This is why a water filter can be such a life-saver. Basically, what it does is that it purifies the water, making sure that it’s free of any bacteria that could make you sick. Water filters are also quite complex, as they can come in pocket sizes, but also in the form of a cup, or devices that use UV rays to filter the liquid.

Maybe you won’t always need a water filter, but if your trip takes place in areas such as South or Central America, Southeast Asia, India or Africa, you certainly need one. It will take a while until it will clean your water, but at least you can rest assured that you won’t die of dehydration.

Editor’s note: When I am in the wilderness, I ALWAYS have a water purification kit with me. For more information on survival water purification, please click here.

6. Fire Starter

A fire has multiple uses, all of them important in a survival situation when you are in the wilderness. The first is of course that fire can be seen for miles at night, and the smoke can be seen for miles during the day. This, along with a signal mirror/whistle, is so important if you are needing to be located and rescued.

A fire is also important for keeping you warm, especially if the elements are turning cold. I always urge people to dress appropriately for the weather. But unforeseen events are always a possibility and can cause problems. So having a way to start a fire in of utmost importance.

And finally, a campfire has a way of helping to calm your nerves in a high stress situation. And let’s face it, having an emergency out in the wilderness is a high stress situation. So having a way to help reduce that stress can be a lifesaver.

Final Thoughts

Going into the wild without survival gear is the worst choice possible. This list of gear to bring while you’re out in the wild will prepare you for unforeseen situations. Make sure you include these items in your backpack, and you’ll be thankful for spending some extra money on them if danger occurs.

What other gear or items do you consider essential when in the wilderness? Be sure to let us know in the Comments Section below!

Stay safe out there!

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