Best Survival Kits 2022

Two films come to my mind when I hear the word ‘survival’. The first – ‘127 Hours’ – was based on the real-life encounter of a mountain climber who was trapped between the walls of a canyon, for 127 hours as the title suggests. And the second – ‘Into The Wild’ – was also a real-life story, of the unforgettable Alexander Supertramp who retreated to the Alaskan wilderness and lived off his backpack, roots, leaves and small hunts. In the first, the protagonist survives despite (as he realizes too late) the cheap knife he went hiking with and which failed him. In the second, the protagonist perishes after consuming a poisonous plant.

Moral of the stories? There is no such thing as over-preparation. I don’t mean to freak you out, but those of you who recall the doomsday prophecies of 2012 would probably agree that things haven’t quite turned out smooth enough, though we are still here.

Not that I enjoy obsessing over natural disasters – they are utterly out of our control and only too real – but when I go exploring outdoors, I know anything can happen. Sometimes, you could even be chilling on your couch at home when disaster strikes (as proven by the pandemic outbreak). Could be a hurricane, a tsunami, a worldwide financial breakdown, a war we don’t even participate in the start of, or it could just as well be your tent blowing away with the wind on a steep ridge during a trek.

Preparation, in all these and other disastrous possible cases, is then what determines your chances of survival. Luckily, there are readymade survival kits that you can invest in and hopefully never need to actually put to use.

Do You Even Need A Survival Kit?

Looks like, doesn’t it? We live on a turbulent planet – under our feet as well as above them.Protests around the world, economic recessions, climate change, puppets for presidents, not to forget natural calamities as well as self-made wilderness adventures gone haywire. In such a scenario it isn’t panic you need, but essentials to live off until help finds its way to you.

Rule of thumb is, if you can survive the first 72 hours of the emergency, chances are high that you’ll make it out alive. Because that’s about the amount of time it takes for any kind of rescue operations to be mobilized. And there are plenty, given our hyper-connected world.

Now, there are two ways to go about acquiring a survival kit that can prep you up for those crucial hours of wait. One way is to create your own – by doing tons of research, shortlisting items, sifting through brands that offer each, and then finding an appropriate bag to intelligently pack it all into. Not only is this stressful and cumbersome (I’ve tried and given up on the hefty mission), but it also ends up costlier.

The second way – that of buying a survival kit designed specifically for the purpose – is usually much easier. It’s far more convenient, plus you have the freedom to select one according to the kind of emergencies you are perhaps able to foresee (living in an active earthquake zone, for example, or a cyclone-frequented area).

I’ve owned one of these kits for years. Not because I’m paranoid, but simply because I love to travel, and I mostly end up going to far-out isolated locations. That said, the only time I’ve actually zipped it open happened to be at home – when I accidentally cut my finger while chopping a tomato in the kitchen. All the material I needed to dress the wound was there, stashed away in the cupboard. Not quite a magnificent disaster, but you’d agree a bleeding finger can feel disastrous enough!

How Should You Choose A Survival Kit?

So how does one select a product that one’s life could come to depend on? With a kind of boy-scout precision, that’s how.

The variety of survival kits available in the market today rivals almost the kind of disasters one can think of, so it can seem like a daunting quest to begin with. Most of these can be bought in different variations depending upon the number of people you are planning survival for. There are kits that aim to save you from black bears, kits to survive earthquakes, kits that focus on assembling boxes of food and water rations to last you a month (with expiry dates stretching up to 20 years!).

Here’s a quick checklist to egg you along with your selection:

Intended use: The purpose of the survival kit should be your primary concern. We all know that disasters like to surprise us, but equally, there are some that lurk over our shoulders and obviously would help guide your choice.

For instance, if you are sitting in a place brewing with political/military trouble, you might want a kit that includes a gas mask to defend yourself from a chemical attack. If you are in a landslide-prone area you’d probably want food rations in case you are cut off from civilization. If you are going canoeing along far-out rivers, you might want to stock flares for distress signals. Basically, your location goes a long way in informing you of existing threats.

Composition: Once you have zeroed in on possible calamities, it makes sense to draw up a basic list of essentials you think you’d need. Generally, for most emergencies, this includes first aid, food, water and shelter. Each is extremely important. Medical issues can crop up in any situation, dried fruits will keep you alive and energetic to fight for your life, water is fundamental, while a tent and emergency blanket will protect you from the elements.

Size: Goes without saying, that the more extensive the kit the larger it will be. The smallest of these could be fitted into the bottom of your backpack for a trip out, while the largest is best stored inside your house in an accessible area. Largely, you should just determine whether it is to be carried outdoors or not, because if it’s too heavy to walk with you can be sure it’s the wrong choice.

Cost: The cost is always a big factor, more so when you are investing in a lifeline. If it’s for a single-person use you might consider splurging, but family survival kits require more thought as the cost escalates with each person added.

Best Survival Kits 2022

Keeping all of the above in mind, below is our SOS guide for readers switching to seriouspreparation mode. Not included here are vehicle survival kits, which call for a somewhatdifferent buying guide, but we’ve got all other devils covered. (Everything short of a zombie apocalypse, though there are survival kits available even for that!).

1. Sustain Supply Co. Premium Emergency Survival Bag

Amongst the most elaborate survival kits available is the Sustain Supply Co. Premium Emergency Survival Kit (also known as Comfort4). That’s a long name for a large kit that takes up plenty storage space and costs a lavish green sum, but then with this buy you can be sure that you and your family will be protected in the first 72 hours of any kind of disaster.

What makes it the perfect choice?

Searching for the same brand, you’ll also come across the Sustain Supply Co. Essential2 survival bag, which costs much lesser but is meant to equip two people and has far fewer supplies. Why we prefer the Sustain Supply Co. Premium Emergency Survival Bag is for all that it packs into a high-quality water-resistant backpack (a solid one you can also use for hikes on a pleasant day).

Included within are several light sources – a snap light, an LED lantern, flashlight and ferrocerium rod – and 4 whistles to signal for help; four emergency blankets to stay warm and a decent first-aid kit that can take care of aches, cuts and wounds. There are even bath wipesin there, should you feel like some cleanliness in a crisis.

For food there are 24 servings of packaged goodies as fancy as possible (think teriyaki chicken and mac and cheese), basic utensils, and best of all – a portable stove that can be a godsend not only to heat food but also to boil water. The sharp, multi-purpose MoraKniv knife (excellent quality Swedish steel) will come in handy no doubt. For water they only have 4 liters, which means you’d be sorted for the first day but for more, there’s a water filter that can be used (provided you can find water to purify).

Who is this for?

The Sustain Supply Co. Premium Emergency Survival Bag is ideal for families or 4-person groups. An all-purpose, high-quality survival kit that is sure to put your mind at ease, no matter what shape the disaster takes.

2. Emergency Zone Deluxe Urban Survival Kit (2-person)

Another all-purpose survival kit is the Emergency Zone Deluxe Urban Survival Kit, a reliable 2-person kit that comes with a mid-range price tag and a good deal of prep items that are not offered by the other contenders on this list. This is the kit I have owned and relied upon even on long road trips into the wilderness.

What makes it the perfect choice?

I’ll start with the highlight of the Emergency Zone Deluxe Urban Survival Kit – the Dynamo Radio Flashlight. It serves triple purposes and is powered by a simple built-in hand crank – an AM-FM radio for critical communication from the outside world, an LED flashlight, and a USB point that will slowly but surely charge your cellphone.

Besides this brilliant little touch in the name of communication, the Emergency Zone Deluxe Urban Survival Kit also includes two packs of food rations (that’s 7200 calories with 5-year shelf life); 40 fluid ounces of drinking water, purification tablets, filtration straw and a bladder; a sharp-edged knife, a 118-piece basic first-aid kit, one tube tent, two sleeping bags and two ponchos.

Then there are the additional flourishes, like toiletries! We haven’t seen many kits that come with personal hygiene products (razor, sanitary pads, sewing kit and what-not), gloves, light sticks, GI can opener, a pencil and even playing cards. All of it nicely fitted into a lightweight backpack.

Who is this for?

If you are looking for a two-person survival kit that will cushion you through a hurricane and a flooded adventure alike, then the Emergency Zone Deluxe Urban Survival Kit is perfect. Should disaster strike, you’ll be glad you invested in the most thoughtful kit of the lot.

3. Complete Earthquake Bag

Redfora’s Complete Earthquake Bag is amongst the most popular survival kits on sale. A quick look at the founders’ page on their website might just convince you with the back story. They are two adventurers who set up the company after experiencing a minor earthquake, and are now doing so well that they donate a small percentage of their earnings to relief victims and also organize volunteer trips to disaster-hit zones.

What makes it the perfect choice?

With variants for sizes ranging from single-person to 6-person packs, the Complete Earthquake Bag is intended to enable survival for 72 hours. Similar price range as the Emergency Zone kit mentioned above, though there are certain differences.

In the 2-person bag, you get the following: 24 water pouches (I mention this up front because that’s more drinkable water quantity than offered by most), 20 purification tablets, food bars worth 7200 calories, a dynamo-powered flashlight-radio-charger like the one above, a 107-piece first-aid kit, a tube tent, two sleeping bags and ponchos, personal hygiene items, rope, gloves, pencil and notepad.

Who is this for?

The Complete Earthquake Bag packs is a good investment for those of you with different size requirements and multi-disaster preparedness. I’d highly recommend this if you are a single person preparing for apocalypse.

4. S.O.L. Smart Prepper Series Urban Survivor Kit

Closer to the budget range is the S.O.L. Smart Prepper Series Urban Survivor Kit. S.O.L. as in Survive Outdoors Longer, and as mentioned on their kit packaging, the focus here is on natural disasters, specifically tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.

What makes it the perfect choice?

The S.O.L Smart Prepper Series Urban Survival Kit is a one-person kit meant to ease you through the first 72 crucial hours. Admittedly, it includes half as many items as the more expensive survival kits above, but it is backed by Tender Corporation – a brand name associated with the best adventure medical kits in town.

An ultralight, watertight medical kit that includes smaller items such as a surgical mask, and a truly indispensable Wilderness and Travel Medicine Guide (won’t misguide you like in Alexander Supertramp’s case, I promise) that will be of great help in times of medical need (or desperate reading needs!).

The S.O.L Smart Prepper Series Urban Survival Kit also packs in an LED headlamp with 25-hour battery life, a waterproof poncho, firestarters and a good-quality emergency blanket. Food and water rations are spartan though; you get four 400-calorie bars, not quite enough to gather energy for a shout, forget hunt.

Who is this for?

Ideal for those who are preparing for a disaster while at home, because the last thing you want is to be lost in a forest without a source for shelter to speak of. Of course, if you already own camping gear, this S.O.L. gear will set you up well; it’s more of a kit to buff up your existing equipment.

5. Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit

At the lower end of the budget is Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit, possibly the best that a couple of dollars can buy for your safety during disasters of all kinds.

What makes it the perfect choice?

For a 2-person survival kit, the Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit packs in the recommended (and absolute) basics. For food supplies, it comes with 4800-calorie food barsand 50 fluid ounces of drinking water, which isn’t the most, but it’s something to stay alive on. Also included are two thermal blankets and ponchos, a 33-piece first-aid kit, two 12-hour light sticks, two dust masks, nitrile gloves and a whistle. Well okay, maybe not 72 hours, but you’d be sorted for the first 48!

Who is this for?

If your plan is all-purpose preparation at a strict budget, the Ready America 70280 should suffice as a basic survival kit you can invest in to curb your paranoia and forget about. I wouldn’t buy it if there was a hurricane speeding my way though.

6. EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Aid Kit

If you are willing to forego food and water rations, the EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Aid Kit is suitable for natural disasters and outdoor adventures alike. It comes with the unique claim of being designed by US military veterans and ‘field-tested by ex-army sergeant’. While there’s no way to tell how true that is, it does have good first-aid supplies for a small family.

What makes it the perfect choice?

What makes the EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Aid Kit a good buy is the FDA-approved, 241-piece EDC medical kit included within. It should cover a family with basic first-aid requirements for several days.

The survival gear part of the kit features a three-mode tactical flashlight, a paracord bracelet, compass, whistle, knife, saber card, two glow sticks, a flintstone for igniting fire, thermal blanket and a rain poncho. I don’t think the flintstone is a bright idea (it’s an acquired skill), and a single blanket won’t do much for a family, but the kit comes packed in a water-resistant, military-grade bag with space enough to add your own extra supplies.

Who is this for?

The EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Kit would work well as a backup kit for those of you heading outdoors with your camping gear already in order. In case of disaster preparation, this would be an affordable investment if you can supplement it with substantial food and water rations.

7. Changku Eiliks Emergency Survival Kit

No products found.

The Changku Eiliks Emergency Survival Kit is, to put it simply, a tactical kit. It seems tailored for those of us who love getting lost. There’s no food or water included in this kit, but in the case of an apocalyptic event, you’d be equipped to whack your way through bushes, defend yourself and hunt for small game if need be.

What makes it the perfect choice?

This one’s a pretty straightforward survival kit. Changku Eiliks Emergency Survival Kit comes in a waterproof, highly durable black case that seems to mean business. It has 10 items within – scraper, flashlight, a multi-purpose swiss card, a compass to find your way with, flint stone to start fire, a heavy-duty military-grade foldable knife that triples up as bottle opener and seatbelt cutter, whistle, tungsten steel pen, portable mini light and a reliable thermal blanket for shelter.

For the kind of price tag it sports, the Changku Eiliks Emergency Survival Kit packs in quite a sharp edge; I’d buy it just for the knife!

Who is this for?

Considering the navigational tools that make up the bulk of it, Changku Eiliks Emergency Survival Kit is ideal for those who like the outdoors and prefer a kit that can be fitted into a rucksack. It is compact, hence highly portable; ideal to take along for camping as well as road trips. Also a good purchase for those facing civil unrest or who live in turbulent landscapes.

Which Is The Best Survival Kit?

The best survival kit is the one that saves your life. Towards that end, the one that equips you against your most foreseeable dangers as well as unpredictable disasters is the best that you can bet your money on. The survival kits mentioned above are reliable and suited to multiple purposes. Like I said, one smart way to arrive at a choice is to draw up a list of items you are quite sure you’d want at hand’s reach when a tornado is dancing on the horizon.

Speaking of which, remember to store your survival kits of choice in a cool, dry and accessible place. You don’t want it burying under rubble during an earthquake! I’d also suggest supplementing the kit with additional water supplies, since all of them lack the requisite amount to last 72 hours, and they count on your proximity to a water source. This, as you can guess, might not always be the case.

To sum it up, the best survival kit would be one that takes a readymade emergency pack and builds on it by adding extra supplies as per personal preferences. Buy one, keep calm andstay safe.

Read Next:

Best First Aid Kits

Best Mattress According To Reddit 2022

Best Portable Bidets

Last update on 2022-06-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API