Up to date and maintained list of the essential kit for an emergency situation or scenario. Find out how it fairs here.
Tangia Camping Stove – This trusted weatherproof camping stove has been in development since the 1940s and I’ve been using them for 24 years for all sorts of camping and family days out. It’s light, weatherproof, fast to put together and to take down too and it’s super quick to boil water in the provided kettle.
Fire Steel – Lightweight and able to use in all weathers for lighting the stove and making a traditional fire too.
Two Baggies of Cotton Wool – Recently added as fast burning tinder when I found out wood shaving just wouldn’t do the job alone.
Proper Knife – I’ve ditched the folding fruit knife for something more substantial. Great for carving wood and helping to make a shelter, plus more comforting when I don’t know what I’ll face while I’m out there and the world has gone to the dogs.
Dry bags – Keeps your stuff dry, need I say more?
Wooly hats and gloves – It’s January and a few months away from fifteen degrees celsius during the day.
Wash Kit – A compact kit with toothbrush and paste. You want to look after your teeth. I for one don’t fancy self extracting a tooth!
Low light torch – With four colours of light to select from, it’s great for keeping yourself concealed and not damaging your sensitive night vision when you use it. Who knows what’s going to be hunting you down at night?
Wind up Torch – Works without batteries. Enough said?
Clothes – Quick dry trousers, essential in any weather. Layers of technical clothes, the best way to stay warm. Hiking socks are a no brainer for comfort.
Water – As well as bringing as much as you can carry, NHS guidelines are for 1.2 litres per day to keep dehydration at bay, but you will need a constant supply. If the water is contaminated in a nuclear fallout, there’s not a great deal sterilisation and filtering can do, but in every other circumstance a filtration straw will let you filter up to 2,000 litres / 530 gallons direct from the source. It’s a no brainer.
Sleeping bag – It’s small, lightweight and three season. Should deal with most of what the English weather can throw at me as long as I have shelter.
Tent – Again, small and portable, weighing just over 2kg / 4.4lbs it gives options for where I can eventually go.
Paracords – With boundless uses in survival situations and lightweight, it’s a must.
Emergency Kit – Contains 21 different items to help you survive, including a fishing line and hook, tinder and a knife, all wrapped in woven paracord.
Passport – You never know. In an emergency I’m sure the rules would be relaxed, but when it all settles down, if it ever does, then it would make resettling so much easier, if there’s anything left. Keep positive. Probably the most important lesson.
Cash & Gold Coins – When the world comes down around your shoulders the cash will be of use, but only in the short term. If the shit really hits the fan, its jewellery, precious stones and metals that hold all the bartering value. Gold is easy for anyone to recognise their value. Gold will always be in demand, even when states fail. Buy small denominations, 4 grams half Sovereigns or 8 gram Sovereigns or American Quarter Eagles so you don’t have to pay a higher price for the want of change.
Hammer – It’s heavy, but has many uses, including as a weapon, helping to build a shelter or to break into an abandoned supermarket to restock supplies if it really goes down.
Paracetamol – Access to doctors may be limited. Pain could be a new feature of life. Whether it’s a strain from walking, a headache or problems with your teeth, you’ll be glad of bringing plenty of these lightweight tablets with you, plus they’ll be great for bartering if you have spare.
Food – Dense, dry ingredients are best. Even better are those that don’t need water to eat. Tinned goods are next because they’ll last so long, it’s been shown they’ll last long after their official expiration date, but they’re heavy and too many will weigh you down. Chocolate and sugar dense sweets are great too, but only if you’re taking care of your teeth, access to dentists may be limited, if available at all.
Emergency Rations – In their simplest form they are high calorie biscuits which in emergency situations can sustain one person for 72 hours. They have a five year shelf life, but will still keep the calories after. At half a kilo, they’re heavy, but worth the weight.
Nails – I’m bringing a hammer so why not long nails too? Gives me options for building shelters.
Hand sanitiser – It won’t last long, but used sparingly it will help stave off stomach bugs, plus it’s flammable.
Batteries – The more the merrier. The torch is useless without them and can help start a fire if needed. Consider candles, but only to be used when inside a shelter, not a tent!
Emergency Blankets – Only single use, but can keep you warm if you fall into a river, giving you enough chance to recover.
Alcohol – Full of calories and a treat to keep you warm at night.
Vitamins – If food is scarce, these will be a handy top up. Lightweight too. Empty out the paracetamol from their packets and pile them in the vitamin bottle to save space.
Antihistamines – If you suffer from hay fever then it’s a must, but also useful for bee stings and for all things that go bump in the night. It likely won’t save your life, but if you’re going to be living outdoors for the next few months, they could make it a lot more bearable.
Wind up radio – You can get them with solar power too, plus USB charge to give you that first kick start, plus they come with powerful emergency lights. Keep on top of the latest details of the emergency.
Compass – Even without a proper map you can travel in a vague direction and keep yourself on a course. Overlooked first time around, but invaluable, especially if you already have one.
Camping mattress – It may seem trivial, but not when you’re lying on the cold hard ground trying to sleep with one eye open.
In the End…Why not read about what happens to a group of friends whose world collapses around them, forcing them to make difficult decisions just to stay alive. It’s not going to be comfortable, or an easy ride. Find out if they’ve got what it takes to survive when they’re no longer at the top of the food chain…
What a great post and link to your book. Creative!
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Thank you. Very kind.
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We have many points in outbuildings…
See you very soon
Tony
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Great advice! I have started an emergency kit, but you’ve shown me the areas where it’s deficient. Thanks!
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Sobering, to say the least! Living in the US Pacific northwest, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes are more of a concern than mass chaos or extreme political disruption, but who knows? We do have a kit, with lots of water and food, the hand crank radio, and a bunch of other things. Hope we never use it!
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I hope so too!!
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Oh thank you for your like on my post leading me here to discover you! I am fascinated thus far by the first few chapters of your book! Prepping is an interest that I have ‘kinda’ started; meaning, we have provisions but not specifically a ‘bag’ to take along somewhere; I need to work on that. Thanks for sharing.
Domesticated Rebellion
http://www.thedomesticatedrebellion.wordpress.com
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Thanks for your kind words
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This is a great idea and wonderful share!
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While reading the post I could not stop thinking about books until you mentioned one. I believe it is important for your mind to travel far in order to survive without getting insane.
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Thank you for stopping by
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I think your list is very useful. I have to put many of these things in my trekking backpack.
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Thank you and yes, my trekking pack steals much from the bug out bag when I get chance to go out
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I bought an Ohuhu camping stove that you can feed with anything burnable and esbit cubes. When I tested it with sticks from the yard it got a can of beans bubbling in under five minutes. I bought it with the MSR Alpine Stowaway 775ml pot. The stove packs down into a small bag and I can nest it inside the pot with 4 Esbit tablets and some matches. I know the Tangia is a great stove you can count on, but this was a good option when I can’t carry liquid fuel.
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Great advice and I’ll look into that! Thank you. You may see an update sometime soon!
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Hi GJ! Thank you for finding and liking my “Now” post! I am very new to blogging, and am still figuring things out, lol, can you please tell me how you came across my post? 🙂
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Hi LesChef. I’m a very avid blogger and I look through and search out a lot of blogs. I can remember exactly how I came across yours but I probably followed a comment you left on another blog. Thanks for stopping by
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Hi GJ,
I’m happy you found it, I was just curious as to how people can find my site, like if they searched something food related would it get them to me? I’m a first timer hoping she’s doing this right! LoL 😀
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Oh and I’m reading your story, it’s eerily intriguing!
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Thank you 😊
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indeed – this is so great list!!!
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Thank you. I’m going to be testing the kit and posting some updates soon when season two of In The End comes to its conclusion.
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Nice to see someone finally offering some concrete suggestions and advice on The Coming Apocalypse. Looking forward to reading Season One.
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Glad you like and I hope you enjoy!
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I have begun the end, you get pulled in by the scattered uncertainty in the narrative voice driving the rapid slide from normalcy to panic without being clear what has happened, skilled crafting 🙂. Thank you also for liking my poem, I am glad people are seeing it.
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Thank you and you’re welcome
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Very good article.
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Thank you
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Good post. I liked your comment concerning coin money. After all, if things really went to heck, all the paper money is going to be good for is starting fires and in place of TP. Coins on the other hand can still be used to barter with because they can be melted down into useful products. Add, but the humble penny might someday really be worth something.
Good post, thanks.
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Thanks for stopping by and your comments. I’m shortly going to be writing a post about what the best items might be to carry for bartering, I.e. what really would have value / be light enough to carry when it all goes to pot!
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I have cigarettes in my bag for trade. Good idea on vitamins.; I hadn’t thought of that.
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I’m currently writing another post about the pros and cons of several items for trading, cigarettes are on the list. Thanks for stopping by and for your suggestion! 👍
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Oh I am definitely interested…I hadn’t considered cons
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Again, good post! Always good to see people getting prepared! Especially in the UK; at least from my experience, many folks from the UK absolutely ridicule the thought of emergency preparedness. Although I certainly see how the US “prepper” stereotype could be off-putting. Personally, I’d nix the pills and technical clothes. Cotton gets cold and wet, but anything else gives me welts that are easily infected, and I practice a very particular regimen of nutrition and medicine that…. defies most labels. I’ve designed a custom medical kit that I’m currently compiling, including surgical supplies and antidotes for various poisons.
As for travel during a national emergency, I suspect restrictions will actually be tightened, not relaxed. At least here in the US. Not sure where you live, but it might be better to hunker down in your own home. It really all depends though. If you live in the city, get out while you still can, before the riots, quarantines, martial law, and traffic jams. If you live out in the country, you might be safer. Just remember: the police and military probably ain’t your friends in a real national emergency. They’re just people too, and they’re out for their own. YOU are your own first responder. Out of curiosity, what kind of knife did you pack?
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Hi Edith, thanks for the comments and the advice, I totally agree. I live in the suburbs and the kit assumes I have to get out. There’s an newer version of the kit here which I updated after lessons learnt, including a decent knife https://gjstevens.com/2018/07/16/emergency-kit-bug-out-bag-v2-0/
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Ooh, the suburbs are tricky….Between city and country, yet unlike either. I live in a fairly dusty, rusty, ramshackle, backwoods kind of suburb; think District 12 from the Hunger Games, but without so many armed guards. So I feel safe enough here, if the population keeps shrinking like it is. And if we stay out of the news.
That said, we still got tornadoes, floods, an earthquake a-buildin’ under the river, and a very very tiny risk of a volcano. But no one believes me about that last one. This also used to be wildfire country back in the day, and the droughts get worse every year. But I’m more worried about the human disasters, like riots and martial law.
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