Coming up with a useful survival items list can be a real challenge. Do you think you have all the items you may need for an emergency?
But there are a lot of useful items in everyday life that you probably don’t think about that would be excellent additions to your survival gear. You can never be too prepared for an emergency situation.
14 Useful Survival Items You Never Thought Of
Let’s take a closer look at some useful survival items you might not have already thought of. After reading this, you might think of a few things to add to your own survival kit.
Lip balm has many uses, it is for more than just chapped lips. It can be used to protect your skin from harsh climate conditions, such as extremely hot or cold temperatures. You can even use lip balm to stop minor cuts from bleeding.
Empty ChapStick containers can even be beneficial in survival situations. You can use them to store Q-tips, matches, and more. They’re less bulky than other types of storage containers, making them perfect for any survival kit.
Floss might not seem like something you’ll need, but it’s something you’ll definitely want to add to your useful survival items list. The benefits of floss go beyond preventing gum disease. You can use it as a fishing line, to trap small game, and even to sew your clothes.
Not only is floss light enough to carry, but you can also get it for free if you save the floss and toothpaste bags that you get with your dental exams.
Hand sanitizer is important to add to any survival kit. You’ll want to use it to clean your hands prior to eating. Due to how flammable it is, hand sanitizer can also help you get a fire going when you dab it on some cotton balls.
Hand sanitizer comes in all types of sizes. The tiny bottles can last you a while and are light enough to pack in your survival kit.
Tin foil is an invaluable survival list item. Its most obvious use is for backcountry cooking, but there are so many other ways to use it.
You can create a fishing lure out of it, use it to harvest rainwater, and make a shield out of it to protect valuable items from rain.
Tin foil may also be your key to help in an emergency situation. You can make an emergency signal by dangling strips of tin foil from branches or shrubs to create a reflector if you’re in need of help.
Tin foil might be heavy, but it’s definitely worth packing.
Your cell phone might not seem like one of the most obvious survival list items, but there are so many uses for it that don’t involve calling someone. You can use your phone to sharpen rocks, to start a fire, and even to create a reflector that can be used as an emergency signal.
It’s surprising how many ways you can use your cell phone in a survival situation.
Heavy-duty trash bags should be added to every survival kit. They can be used as ponchos to protect you and your belongings from the rain. They can also be used for shelter or as a sleeping bag to keep you well-insulated at night.
Trash bags are lightweight enough to easily pack in your survival kit. You can even carry a few in your pockets.
Duct tape can be used in so many ways and is one of the most useful survival items you won’t want to forget about. You can use it when building your shelter or weapons (e.g. spears), repairing torn clothes or other items, and so much more.
Even though duct tape can be a little heavy, its many uses make it worth bringing along.
It might not seem like something to add to your survival kit list, but pantyhose have a number of uses that can help out in a survival situation. You can use them as netting to keep bugs out of your shelter, as a fishing net, or as a water strainer. Pantyhose can also protect you if you’re going to enter a body of water that might contain leeches.
Fortunately, pantyhose is a lightweight item that will be easy to carry. Like trash bags, they can even fit in your pocket easily.
Baby wipes have so many uses for a survival situation. You can use them to wipe your hands and stay fresh in between bathing opportunities. Baby wipe containers also make great waterproof storage containers.
And they’re great for your
While baby wipe containers aren’t the lightest, they’re worth packing.
Clotheslines and Pins
Clotheslines and pins are an important survival kit item. There’s no better way to get your clothes to dry in the wild. In addition, you can use a clothesline to build your shelter by hanging those heavy-duty trash bags over it.
Earplugs might not seem essential for your most useful survival items list, but they can be really handy when you’re out in the wild. They’re ideal for if you do any hunting with firearms.
They can also help shut any nighttime sounds that might keep you awake, such as the loud song of grasshoppers chirping.
Shoelaces can be ideal to have in a survival situation for a number of reasons. You can use them to build shelter, create a fishing line, make a bow or splint, and design a trap for small game.
They can even be used to start a fire.
Ziploc bags are a good item to pack for a survival situation. You can use them to keep important items dry and protected. You can also use them for storing just about anything.
You might already know about this important survival kit item, but it’s worth mentioning in case you don’t. A whistle can be used to call for help. If you get lost or experience some other sort of emergency, you might not be able to yell for help, but you might be able to whistle.
Although any whistle will work, a plastic whistle is the most ideal option because it’s lighter to carry.
These are just a few useful survival items list ideas to keep in mind. Were there any items on this list that you hadn’t already thought of? What other survival kit items would you pack?
Bonus: How to Make Pemmican, the Original Survival Food
Invented by the natives of North America pemmican was used by Indian scouts as well as early western explorers.
Native Americans spent a great deal of time on the go and depended on having portable, high-energy, highly nutritious, and filling foods that would last for long periods of time without refrigeration.
Pemmican is a portable, long-lasting, high-energy food. It's made of lean, dried meat that's crushed into powder and mixed with hot, rendered fat. This makes it one of the ultimate foods to have stockpiled for when SHTF or disaster strikes.
People really should avert their gaze from the modern survival thinking for just a bit and also look at how folks 150 years ago did it.
These guys were the last generation to practice basic things, for a living, that we call "survival skills" now.