Carrying your newly built rifle with a high-performance free-floating barrel in the upper receiver and a complete set of accessories on it won't always guarantee survival when stranded in the wilderness.
If it's a matter of you against the elements, you will need more than just a dependable weapon if you want to make it. Here are a few things you need to include in your everyday carry kit to help you improve your chances.
A Miniature Tool for Multiple Purposes
There are plenty of multiple-purpose tools on the market these days, but the trick is to find one small enough to prevent awkward carry and use but tough enough to withstand harsh punishment.
It's not difficult to find a miniature multiple-purpose tool that includes not only a knife blade and screwdriver but a hammer, a pair of pliers, and the ubiquitous bottler opener all in one single device.
Whatever you choose, remember the more things you can do with the one tool, the better you are.
Fire Keeps You Not Only Warm but Safe
Unless one of your proficiencies is a degree in Petrology, and you can spot the perfect flint rocks to strike together to create sparks, another thing you'll need in your Every Day Carry (EDC) emergency gear is a firestarter.
Never assume that carrying a box of matches is going to do the trick. Murphy's Law tends to strike during the most random moments, and those matches will be tough to use when you get caught in a torrential downpour, and they get soaked.
For less than twenty dollars, you can purchase a firestarter rod that can manage over twelve thousand strikes and will shower your tinder pile with molten sparks of almost five thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Guaranteed to bring sufficient heat to start that campfire with you need it.
Many Uses of Paracord
Paracord has been around for over eighty years and is another must-have item you need to carry in your EDC survival kit. Yes, the most apparent benefit is the tough tensile strength paracord provides when building a protective shelter, but there are other things you can do with a strand of paracord.
You can use paracord as firewood if the emergency need arises. If you've taken the time to melt the ends of your twenty or thirty-foot section of paracord to eliminate unbraiding, then you already know a length of paracord will burn.
In a pinch, a few strands of paracord will keep that flame going until you can find additional fuel for the fire.
If you haven't found an uninhibited cave nearby and need to set up your campsite out in the open, use your paracord to hang your food supply on the branch of a tall tree. It's not as if you plan on remaining awake for twenty-four hours, and when the fire goes out while you're sleeping, the scent of your food is guaranteed to draw the attention of hungry creatures.
Using paracord, be sure to hang that food source far enough off the ground and away from the trunk so you can have breakfast the following day.
Let There Be Light
No, we're not talking about walking through the woods with a flaming torch to light your way. Every well-stocked EDC emergency survival kit needs a fresh supply of batteries and a dependable flashlight.
There are some extremely powerful flashlights on the market today, small enough to take up very little landscape in your survival kit. When it's all about distance and lumens, some of the miniature titans can provide almost a thousand lumens of light and cast those beams over two hundred yards away.
As inexpensive as they are powerful, a small handheld flashlight will prove to be one of the most valuable pieces of equipment you can carry in your EDC.
As mentioned initially, having a firearm and sufficient ammunition is always a practical and prudent thing for survival. While some prefer to carry a rifle, others may want to include a handgun and plenty of ammo in their EDC. Either one will serve the purpose, but it's always best to at least have one firearm you can depend on just in case.
Camping or hunting in the wild is often a pleasurable experience, but it can quickly become a nightmare if you're unprepared.
Remembering to stock your emergency survival kits with these simple things will practically guarantee your chances of a repeat visit to your choice of wilderness.
