Always ready: Prepper gear for short- and long-term survival

Preppers may want to consider basing their preparedness plans on where they plan to bug out and how long they plan to stay there. Surviving in the wilderness will require a different set of equipment compared to surviving in an urban environment.

Likewise, short-term survival plans should prioritize items and needs that long-term survival plans may eschew for other concerns. A good prepper will get ready for both, but budgetary constraints may force him to focus on what he immediately needs and can acquire. (Related: Survival medicine: Can social distance help prevent infections when SHTF?)

What do preppers need for surviving in the short term?

A short-term survival plan covers the basic needs of a prepper for up to a couple of weeks. Certain tools take precedence.

The priority is water. While a human can survive for three days without water, those 72 hours will become very intolerable.

In practical terms, dehydration becomes a severe detriment in just 24 hours. Further, any available water may not be safe for human consumption and require filtration.

Therefore, a prepper must always bring a portable water filter. It will make the water much safer to drink.

Next on the list is the polar opposite of water. Fire will keep a prepper dry and warm, especially when combined with a shelter.

Being cold and wet will render a person vulnerable to hypothermia. The deadly condition may set in even when it isn’t very cool.

Preppers need a fire-starting kit that will work in any condition, including storms. The toolset must include a ferrocerium rod for making sparks, a multi-fire tool, an airtight and waterproof match case, and waterproof or stormproof matches. Some dry tinder rounds up the fire kit.

A temporary shelter rounds up the required equipment for a short-term survival plan. A prepper with the right skills may turn a tarp, plastic stakes, and sturdy cordage into an emergency shelter.

The cheapest option for the tarp is an all-weather blanket. It is big enough to serve as a lean-to, doesn’t take up too much space and weight, and reflects heat.

Recommended tools and supplies for long-term survival plans

Long-term survival gear must last longer than two weeks. They also require greater robustness and versatility.

Get a large water container that is suited for boiling liquids. A heavy-duty water filter that purifies considerable volumes of water is another excellent option.

To secure food in the wilderness, bring several metal animal traps. Fresh meat will keep a prepper nourished better than most sources of food.

If there are plenty of bodies of water nearby, add a survival fishing kit. Fish will make for a welcome and nutritious respite from meat.

The forest will provide more than enough wood to make many items, such as firewood and semi-permanent shelter. However, a prepper needs metal tools to work with wood.

Thus, the long-term survival kit must have an ax, a saw, and a survival knife with a fixed blade. All three must be sturdy to handle repeated use and abuse. The user must also learn how to use these tools efficiently.

Likewise, a fire-starting tool slated for long-term survival plans must be good for many uses. Get a sturdy ferrocerium rod that measures at least one inch thick.

Supplement the ferro rod with char cloth and other fire-making tools. Char cloth will make it much easier to start fires, which helps reduce the wear and tear on the fire-starting tool.

Finally, the prepper needs a way to call for help in the wilderness. He must bring a signaling mirror or similar signaling devices that don’t rely on electricity.

Sources include:

ThePrepperJournal.com

PracticalSurvivor.com