Survival has always been a necessity of human life. It is the fear of extinction and the drive for survival that keeps us going. We never know what life has in store for us, hence many people start preparing for the worst. The following list highlights some very important tools that are required for survival.
1. Food
We all need food. There is no argument on the fact that this item should make the top of the list as it the basic necessity of all life; to eat food. There are many websites and companies which sell emergency food supplies for survival situations. This ‘survival food’ is sealed in airtight cans to increase its shelf life and there are little to no preservatives to help maintain its nutritional value. A large variety of these foods, ranging from powdered protein shakes to powdered fruit and vegetable juices are now available online and in physical stores. However, one can store only too much food. Another important thing which is required along with food is how to efficiently consume it without any wastage.
Growing your own food is also another option, but growing food is the one which is always at risk of being wasted in case of a natural disaster such as a flood or an earthquake. The ability to cook also helps. You might also get tired of eating the same stuff over and over, and if you have your own vegetable garden and a few handy, tasty recipes up your sleeve, you can actually enjoy yourself cooking and trying out new dishes and flavors.
2. Company
Nobody knows when or where a survival situation might befall them. People preparing for such situations usually consider a scenario in which they are the only survivors, and this leads to one problem- No one can survive on a planet this big, alone. If all the humans have died, the only solution to this problem is to keep a pet. Which one, you ask? A dog, obviously. Dogs, being the most loyal to human beings, can be great partners when there is no one left in this world with you. They give you company, play with you, help you in finding important stuff and most importantly, guarding against danger or threats.
3. Efficiency
If you're reading this article, one thing is implied; that you must have the common sense needed for such a situation. Efficiency is extremely important in survival situations. Be it financial efficiency, or resource efficiency, it is important. Throwing away important little things like empty pill bottles, pieces of cloth, soda cans; which can be extremely costly when you are in need. These things can be used to make containers, blades, patches for torn clothes in a situation where survival is the necessity. Efficiency also carries on to food, as mentioned earlier. You can easily increase the nutritional value and the size of your meal by adding some weight to your food. This can be done by adding lentils, fruit or things like oatmeal, which increase your meal size but do not use up too much of your resources than necessary.
4. Portable Knives
You might be surprised that this made the list but the matter of fact of is that having a portable knife is also a very important thing to carry during a survival situation. Knives can come in handy if you’re stranded and you need to get out of a tight spot. They can act as cutters, levers, screwdrivers and of course, as a weapon if need be. Many military grade knives are available online, along with some beginner level knives, which can serve the necessary purposes for you.
5. Vinegar
Did you know that vinegar can do wonders in a survival situation? It is a natural household cleaning fluid. Stains, drains, deodorizing, you name it. You can clean your shoes, windows, clothes with vinegar. So, bottles of vinegar are a must-have for your stock of survival items.
6. Technical Skills
Last but not the least, a very important thing to have in your survival inventory are technical skills. Cooking, as mentioned above, sewing, first aid education, are only some of the important techniques that you should know in order to be a proper and successful survivalist. A lot of the skills are interrelated with each other. For example, if you know how to grow your own vegetables and you can cook, you kill time in a long survival situation, if the need arises. You will also be getting good nutritional value out of the food that you eat, keeping you healthy and fit for the road ahead. You must have a sense of how to recycle things like cloth can be combined with the ability to sew. If you need to patch your clothes up, you can use the saved up pieces of cloth and your sewing skills to mend your clothes. And the list doesn't stop here. You should learn how to fix important things like broken wires, circuits, plumbing and other things so that you don't have to pay or waste resources, be it money or your broken equipment.
