Every year, thousands of young people travel as a backpacker and enjoy the fun of their backpacking trip. Every backpacker has different route, itinerary, purpose, and the level of challenges, but all of them want to discover the richness of the life and challenging themselves.
For trekking or hiking tours through the forest, the main aim is enjoying the spectacular natural scenery, getting nice photos and unforgettable memories during the journey. However, there are potential hazards: astray, accidents … and countless of unforeseen things. Facing with this situation, if you have good survival skills and the “be prepared” survival tools, then your chances of survival will be very high. So what should you prepare to be ready in every situation?
Relatively, a man would suffocate because of having no oxygen for 3 minutes, freezing to death if staying in snow area for 3 hours, dying of thirst after 3 days and starving to death after 3 weeks. So we should prepare for survival tools in order of priority as above. This article show up 10 groups of the most basic tool help you survive until you find a way out – or rescuers find you. The list is for reference purposes only; you can completely customize to suit your pockets, ability and hobby. These items should be considered to features: compact, convenience and especially they always are with you in necessary case.
MAIN CONTENTS
1. Penknife, knife, saw and ax for picnic
A picnic knife is the first choice for every trekking tour. You do not need to look for the survival knife with strange style as Rambo-style, or the long machete. A sure knife with fixed blade and a blade length of 10 cm or more is more than enough, as long as you can cut with it. Typical knife is multifunction knife Mora Classic No 2 which was designed simple but practical, and extremely convenient. If the trip needs works as: cooking, chopping wood… you may consider bringing folding saw, forest-type knife, or small ax. Since we are referring to a knife in the survival kits of emergency situation, so compact factors takes precedence. The best knife is the knife you have when you need it, whether it is a knife, penknife, or versatile knife.
2. Tents and tarpaulins
You should have something to shield you from the weather. A green rubber sheet with the size 2.5 x 3 m is enough to shield you from rain, wind and hot sun. If it is possible, you should bring rubber sheet or army-style raincoat, or better you should bring emergency blanket for shielding and combating cold weather with striking orange is very useful in the work of rescue.
3. Items to make a fire
You always need to make a fire, especially at night. Fire helps you cook, boil water, stabilizing mental and warm up body. Bic lighters are the most popular and handy thing but you must check regularly, avoid the risk of malfunction or the gas exhausted. A fire kit which is the most reliable and stable is ignition bar. You can select the classic ignition as Light My Fire Scout ignition 2.0 of Sweden, or kind of military style as The Friendly Swede ignition. If possible, it should have some combustible materials like bags of cotton balls, wood sawdust, and turpentine to make a fire easier.
4. Water bottle
You should always have a water bottle to hold drinking water. You should choose a metal bottle, it is durable and you can cook water if necessary. Depending on your condition and your need, you can select a bottle approximately 0.5 – 1 liter.
5. Wire
When going to the forest, you should have at least 5 meters of paracord wire in your bag, rolling neatly or tighten in style of survival bracelet. The wire has a tremendous advantage: shielding tarpaulins, tighten items, climbing or make a trap, make a gimp, or wound splint. If possible, you should carry few different kinds of wire as: paracord wire, fishing line, sewing thread, medical thread… etc.
6. Compass – Map
You should always have a compass and a map of area you intend to go. Compass is an important item you should invest a good compass. A compass and a map will help you avoid pointless wandering of stray.
7. Personal first aid kit
Whether you’re traveling with the tour company or you go by yourself… there must be a personal first aid bag. Personal first aid kit contains common medications: fever medicine, vitamin C, diarrhea medicine, the bandage, rolls bandage, sterile gauze, antiseptic, medicinal oil … and if possible, you should bring anti-venom serum. This is one of the most important things to check carefully.
Personal first aid bag is worth wherever, even when going away or in everyday life.
8. Flashlight
You should have a hand flashlight or head worn flashlight, or both is the best. The light will help you calm and more convenient while traveling, working. Headlamp especially useful when working in the dark: you will free up your hands to tighten tarp, collecting firewood, cooking … You should choose a lamp with long battery life, durability and waterproof.
9. Packing Tape
Like paracord, thick packing tape has 1001 applications: Patch clothing, backpacks, set up tents, dressings, tighten items or even make contain bags… so long as you have enough skills and creativity. Gorilla Tapes are appreciated and preferred due to durability and certainty. Or you can also use packing tape to repair broken book.
10. Needle and thread
There should be a sewing needle and a thread roll in your bag. In addition to repair clothing, backpacks, shoes …, needle can be used to take thorn off your skin, nails, even suture the wound.
