9 Essential Items You Need To Stay Alive Outdoors

The outdoor environment can be enjoyable. However, it can turn into a foe within seconds of a disaster. You may find that trying to stay alive is a struggle. It is especially true if you were not prepared for such an outcome.

In such case, the things you believe to be basic needs in the civilized society can turn into useless items that only serve to put you at additional risk. Here, we are going to explore 9 essential items you need to stay alive outdoors when things turn to the worst.

  1. Water Source

If you want to die quickly outdoors, allow your body to dehydrate by not drinking water. You need to drink about eight glasses of water daily (equivalent to half a gallon of water daily). The best way to ensure you have a steady source of clean, drinking water is to have a water purification system consisting of a personal water filter and water purification tablets.

Besides such system, you also need to pack a container that can allow you to collect and store water. It is wise to choose a metallic container in which you can boil and sterilize water for drinking. Armed with these items, you can quickly collect water from a creek or a stream and purify it for drinking.

  1. Shelter

The second most crucial item you need to stay alive outdoors is a shelter. Several things can threaten your well-being or even life in the wilderness if you are not sheltered. The most dreadful of such things is hypothermia.

Hypothermia happens when your body loses heat more than it can generate causing your core body temperatures to go dangerously low. It is a medical emergency that can result in you losing your life if medical attention is not fast-tracked.

You need to ensure that you pack a tent, a tarp, a sleeping bag or any other type of shelter. Besides, you should arm yourself with shelter making skills. This way, you can use items available naturally to make any kind of shelter that is suitable for the environment you are in.

  1. Food or Food Source

Few people have willingly fasted for up to forty days. Most survival situations will not last that long but chances are that you can stay outdoors for even more extended periods. This is not a reason for us not to include food as one of the essential items you need to stay alive in the wilderness.

You will need to replace the calories you lose during daily activities if you must perform optimally mentally and physically. Have a list of all edible fruits and herbs in the wilderness. Also hone some hunting, fishing and foraging skills if you must be food sufficient.

In case you anticipate that you will be in the wilderness, then you can pack an adequate supply of superfoods such as maca powder, spirulina, wheatgrass, and a sprouting kit. The latter will allow you to grow your own vegetables and fruits should the emergency extends.

  1. First Staring Equipment

Fire is incredibly important to any survivor who finds himself outdoors. It will keep you warm, help you with cooking and boiling water, and assist you in signaling for help. Fire is also a good source of light. Most animals also fear the sight of fire and will therefore not come near to your camp to attack you.

Several types of equipment can help you start a fire. The ferrocerium striker is among the most reliable fire starters. Besides being easy to use; the Ferro striker is lightweight and can create ambers in all weather conditions. The amber can light tinder, flammable liquid, and gas. You can have lighter and waterproof matches as backups.

  1. Survival Knife

Blessed are you if you have the habit of including a knife in your Every day Carry items. A good-quality survival knife will prove life-saving if you were to find yourself lurking in the wilderness suddenly. A knife will be vital if you want to clear paths in the jungle, to cut branches, twigs and vines for building shelter, to create other survival tools, to prepare tools and find water sources.

A sharp and easy to handle knife can also be a good self-defense item. However, you must first learn how to use a survival knife to defend yourself so that you do not hurt yourself in the process. A large knife can be a good hunting weapon if you know how to wield it. This can guarantee you a reliable source of animal protein.

  1. First Aid items

Injuries can happen outdoors especially if you are not familiar with the area. Should you sustain an injury, you should be able to off yourself First Aid until you can get medical attention. You can create an all natural First Aid Kit. Description of that process is beyond the scope of this article, but you can get the information elsewhere.

The easiest way is to buy a small First Aid Kit containing the essential components. Alternatively, you can buy parts of a fully-equipped First Aid kit one at a time until you can have the whole thing for better care.  First Aid skills are essential also because you cannot use the package successfully if you have no idea how to administer it.

  1. Cordage

Any cord or rope can prove life-saving in an emergency. You can use the item to build shelter, repair damaged tent, improvise survival tools, climb or descend steep slopes and hunting. You can also use the cordage for first aid to tie splints. Having a small amount of parachute cord (commonly referred to as paracord) in your backpack will take up very little space and exert little weight.

You should also hone cordage making skills so that you can make one from naturally available items in the wilderness. Use vines or green bark to improvise cord but this cannot achieve too long a length. A piece of paracord measuring 10 meters can fit your wrist when formed into a paracord bracelet.

  1. Compass and a Map

If situation forces you outdoors and you must survive, finding your way back to civilization might be your salvation. This is where a compass and a map do the magic. You may need both a roadmap and a topographic map along with the compass to know your current position and trace your way back to familiar surroundings.

Reading these navigation items may be daunting to the inexperienced. That’s what makes it vital for you to learn how to read a map and a compass appropriately early enough so that you can use it during the emergency. Many resources are available online to help you master these map reading skills.

  1. Flashlight or Headlamp

A flashlight, handheld torch or a headlamp is vital if you will spend nights outdoors. Any of these items can provide you with a reliable source of light in the darkness provided they have enough charges. You will use light to find your way, construct items, finding lost things and signaling.

A fully charged headlamp is ideal because it provides you with focused light without engaging any of your hands. Headlamps are also very affordable and lightweight. They can hold charges for several days without requiring recharging.

Conclusion

There you go prepper. It is easy to collect all these 9 essential items you need to stay alive outdoors, but they may prove useless if you do not have the necessary survival skills to use them. These items should form a basic kit for you to build on. Having the kit means you can survive for several days until the emergency can resolve or rescue crew finds you. You are free to add more items as you deem necessary.

9 Essential Items You Need To Stay Alive Outdoors

9 Essential Items You Need To Stay Alive Outdoors

RangerMade
Logo