What do you do in an emergency situation?
In any emergency situation, it pays to be prepared. Preparedness can stand in the way between you and an unavoidable disaster. However, it isn’t enough that you are both physically and mentally prepared; you need to be prepared with your equipment as well. Here, we’re going to talk about the best tactical and survival gear for any emergency situation.
Thus, as you’re going through this article, you should start checking if you have these items in your ready-bag.
The Best Tactical and Survival Gear for Any Emergency Situation
- First aid kit
This is one of the most important pieces of equipment you need to have in your emergency bag. Not only in your emergency bag, but in your home, car, and everyday bag as well.
You can find a pre-prepared first aid kit in a hunting goods store or pharmacy, but you can also make your own. However, it should contain all of the essentials that a first aid kit should have, namely; bandages, wraps, tourniquet, plaster, basic medicines, antiseptics, rubbing alcohol, and others. Here’s a complete list of what you need to have.
Apart from the basic first aid kit contents, you can also have advanced first aid supplies such as oral rehydration salts, quick-clot bandages/sponges, and prescription medication that you or a family member needs to have with them at all times.
- Firestarter tools
In emergency situations, say, a hurricane or earthquake where the power is most likely not working, you need to have constant heat in order to survive. Hypothermia is the biggest enemy when you’re in an emergency situation where you are exposed to the elements. Thus, fire is your friend.
In your emergency bag, you need to have the following items packed: lighter, stormproof matches, and fuel to keep the fire going. Today, many stores offer special fire-starting tools that are fit for an emergency situation, so you will see floating lighters, stormproof matches, and magnesium bars that can be sparked to start a fire.
- Food
Emergency situations, especially the ones that are most dire, are stressful and scary. A heightened level of stress plus an unfavorable condition can cause the body to use more energy than it needs. This is the reason why you need to pack high-calorie food in your emergency bag that is enough for a few days to a few weeks.
You can pack canned goods like a hunter because they last long and can be damage proof, but they can sometimes be too heavy if you need to pack for a few weeks’ worths. So instead of packing only canned goods, you can opt for dehydrated or freeze-dried meals to have enough food in your bag.
- Water
We can survive two to three weeks without food, but we cannot survive more than a few days without water. Humans are made of 70% water, so it is important that you maintain a hydration level that can keep the bodily processes going. Remember: dehydration is the biggest enemy next to hypothermia.
Thankfully, there are many technologies available for this kind of case. In your emergency bag, you need tools that can help you get clean water anywhere. Some of these items are straws with built-in water filters, portable microfilters, and water purification tablets.
These items have varying degrees of water filtration. So, you should also pack purified water in durable water bottles in your emergency bag. Hopefully, they will last you until you can access clean water again.
- Knife
The best hunting knife can make your emergency situation much safer and survivable. For starters, there are many functions of a knife, the most important being cutting wires and rope, making shelters, preparing food, and even defending yourself from hostile animals and/or people.
A swiss knife or multi-tool are also great accessories to pack in your emergency bag but do not do away with getting a good knife that can be reliable at all times.
- Rope
A rope is another thing you need to have in your emergency bag. Not only a regular rope but a paracord or elastic shock rope that can be fit for use in an emergency situation. A rope or cord can help build shelters, transport people and animals, and can be used to climb.
One important thing to keep in mind while shopping for emergency supplies is to choose a cord that is customized for emergency situations or survival. This type of rope is sure to be durable, elastic, and easy to knot.
- Signaling tools
Imagine you’re in a hurricane, stuck on the roof, or lost in the woods. You need to get help as soon as possible to keep the situation from getting dire. For these types of cases, you need something to signal other people with.
Examples include whistles, signal mirrors, flares, alarms, and easy-to-see orange tape. These items are usually small so you can pack them everywhere you go, not just in an emergency bag. It’s also vital to carry one of these items in case you’re traveling or hunting alone.
- Communication device
An emergency bag cannot be without a communication device. This includes a radio for one-way communication, where you can listen to updates or emergency instructions. Another essential device should be a fully-charged wide-signal cellphone with extra batteries. In this way, you can contact emergency responders right away.
If you have several family members, you should also make sure that they have a two-way radio or walkie-talkie in their separate emergency bags. This way, you can communicate with each other just in case you get separated. For radio rentals, try New York City two-way radio rentals here.
- Shelter
One of your biggest enemies in the outside world is the elements. The wind, cold, and rain can all be deadly forces against your body, and if you don’t believe that, just think of the people that die because of hypothermia. So aside from getting a fire going, you also need to build a shelter.
Building a shelter can be done with rope, branches, and big leaves. This is the gorilla style of making a shelter. However, some emergency situations require building a shelter fast. Therefore, you can opt for items such as emergency sleeping bags, bivvy, reflective poncho, tube tarp, survival blanket, and other easy-to-pack and ready-to-set shelters that are all designed to shield you from the cold.
- Tactical pen
A best tactical pen cannot only be a component in your emergency bag but it can also be carried everywhere you go. Because it’s basically a pen, you can take it almost anywhere.
Aside from writing with a tactical pen, you can use it for defense which is its primary function. However, you can also use it to cut through tarps or cloth in emergency situations, especially where you don’t have a knife or a pair of scissors.
Conclusion
Being prepared is sometimes the only thing you can do in an emergency situation. An emergency bag is something you should have in the house, preferably one for each family member. It should be packed, complete, and ready to pick up just in case a natural disaster or emergency comes your way.
This list included the best tactical and survival gear for any emergency situation. If you see items in this list that are not in your emergency bag now, you should get them as soon as possible since these items are the most important.
I hope you learned a lot from this article. If so, please leave us a comment below and tell us what you think. Don’t forget to share this with your friends as well. Thanks for reading!
