Five underrated survival tools you should have handy
Creating a survival checklist can appear pretty straightforward. Once you’ve got the basics out of the way, e.g., knife, cellphone, flashlight, and a lighter, it’s easy to feel ready to go.
But survival kits are never complete. The entire premise of a survival kit suggests you should always update them. After all, if you are preparing for unpredictable events, it makes sense to keep updating your toolbox.
Sometimes, updating your toolbox may require you to get newer, more useful items for your kit box. For instance, getting a 2020 Kershaw pocket knife would be an excellent addition to your toolbox.
Other times, updating your toolbox may mean adding new items you never knew you could need. In this article, weIn this article, we will be looking at some of the least mentioned multipurpose items that can come in handy in non-obvious situations.
Cash
Okay, this sounds like a no-brainer. So, why don’t most people have spare cash in their survival kit?
Since the world is moving towards a cashless society at such a fast pace, most of us don’t see the significance of having cash. After all, you can always pay with your card. However, unexpected situations still have a way of catching us in the most challenging spots.
Take the snowstorm that took out power in Texas, for instance. People lost access to power for more than three days. That meant most electronic systems stopped working.
In cases like that, the most valuable thing you can have is spare cash to buy whatever you need. Estimate how much you would need to survive for a couple of days and keep it in small notes in your bag. The day it comes in handy, you’ll be grateful for it.
Over The Counter Medicines
OTCs can come in handy in situations you never predicted. You may not need them right now, but when you do, you’ll be glad you have them. Some of the top recommendations include:
• Painkillers - this can be useful for people dealing with inflammations. They can mainly come in handy in cases of injuries.
• Anti-allergens: these are useful for everybody whether they have known allergies or not. You might just run into something you didn’t know you were allergic to in the middle of nowhere, and that causes a problem.
• Antacids: stomach acid buildup is a reality that many people have to deal with, and it can get messy quickly. Antacids help you get past those.
• Sleep aide: survival situations are often stressful situations, and stress can disrupt your sleep. Having sleep aides handy is essential, especially if you’ve battled with sleep-related issues before. Any stressors could trigger you, and you want to be prepared for that.
• Keeping OTC in your survival gear kit is not just a function of whether you need it now. Your family, friends, and other people around you may be the ones that end up needing it.
You have to be careful of the expiry dates on the drugs. They usually take a long time before they expire, but you don’t want to be stuck with expired medications. Those are as good as not having any.
Solar Phone Charger
Phone makers always promise great battery life on their devices. But those promises are only good for the first few months. Most of us have to charge our phones at least once a day; if not, they go dead.
Now, phones are essential because they keep up connected to the world. An emergency situation is exactly where you don’t want your phone dead.
A solar phone charger can help you stay connected at all times. Since they are solar-powered, all you need is a little sunlight, and you can get some charge on your device.
Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is one underrated item that can serve multiple purposes. Although it is more popular for its use outside the kitchen, it is almost like a superpower outside. For instance, if you had a large enough piece of aluminum foil, you could use it for heat reflection when you’re out camping or without artificial heat. Placing it behind the heat source can help you redirect the heat to yourself.
If you’re lost in the wild, you can also use aluminum foil as a signaling device since it reflects light. If you cut it into tiny pieces, you can use it as a fishing lure. Its shiny color will attract fishes to it.
Dental Floss
Admittedly, your dental health is not likely to be the first, second, or even third thing on your mind in an emergency situation. However, these deceptively strong cords can be a literal lifesaver.
You can easily use some dental floss to set up an unseen perimeter around your camp. To make it more security-conscious, you can add tin cans, so you are alerted whenever someone or something is within the area.
They can also be an excellent substitute for a fishing line if you need to get some emergency food. Other uses for dental floss include shoelaces, clothesline, shoelaces, and hopefully, you don’t need this one - a stitch.
Final thoughts
Many of the things we need for survival are everyday items. Adapting them to our emergency needs is where real ingenuity is.
Now you may be worried about becoming a hoarder. It’s easy to start hoarding items because they may be useful in the future. To avoid this, only store items you are sure will be helpful when you have an emergency. If you are unsure whether an item will be helpful, it’s best to throw it out.
As for the useful items, hoarding them may not be so bad. After all, they’re usually the first things to go out of supply in case of an emergency.
