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Bug out Bag (Infinite)

The objective of the survival kit in particular is to augment or enhance the ability of the user to gather supplies from nature. Although with any bushcraft or environment based survival kit the general idea is to gather as much from the environment as possible to increase survival capabilities, this particular kit is designed to provide tools which more or less replicate abilities that are difficult to find in nature, such as the sharp edge of a steel blade, or small needle which would be incredibly difficult to reproduce. Anything sterile, flat or water resistant will be particularly difficult to find in nature, such as a thin plastic tarp which can protect from water, wind, and other elements in nature. While using bushcrafting knowledge to make what you need, predominately, from nature, can be fantastic, augmenting what you find in nature with certain tools can increase productivity significantly. A knife can make particular shapes much smoother, faster, and even safer, and a fishing pole or weapon can make hunting and fishing significantly easier, if not provide abilities that would be impossible to exploit otherwise. While any long term survival kit will rely predominately on what can be found in nature, this is designed to, hopefully, provide capabilities simple impossible to find without it.

This particular kit borrows heavily from the 10 c's of survival. While much of it is renamed, the same general concept of as small a kit as possible to provide as long a time as possible to survive in the wilderness is the general theme. While in the extreme long term, such as several years, or decades, much of this will wear out, be consumed or break, hopefully it should be capable of getting one able to survive, long enough, to reform a society where some or all of this will be readily produced and available, or at least give you enough experience and time to make or find your own. While it obviously can't guarantee survival, there are several somewhat seemingly small things which can have an incredible impact on effectiveness. My addition to the 10 c's largely are predicated on placing more focus on or adding a few extra items, including Clothing, Weapons, Medicine, Vitamins, Water Purification, Seeds, General Tools, hunting implements, survival guides, and hygiene. While perhaps not quite as compact as the 10 c's, it will hopefully shed light on some ways to enhance your ability to survive in the wilderness for long periods of time, on foot.

In general, temporary food and water, such as food or water you carry in a pack, can last most people a few days on foot. While canned foods, MRE's, or just whatever you can find in your fridge and pantry will last you a few days, food and water is relatively heavy. Your average soldier, even with MRE's, carries approximately 28-30 pounds of food and water, for a standard 3 day combat pack. If you had to plan to survive for a month in the wilderness, it would require, at minimum, 300 pounds of food and water per person. While this is certainly more manageable with a vehicle, roads and streets may be blocked by debri or people, they may be shut down by gridlocked traffic, or they may simply be too dangerous to traverse with something as obvious and easy to spot as a vehicle (which are very loud and produce bright lights). Even if you are able to escape in a vehicle, you may not have many years worth of food and water stocked up that can even fit in your vehicles, and even so, as with any food supply, even supplies designed to last several years, they are ultimately temporary, as you will consume it. Thus, for longer lasting or more permanent disaster scenarios, long term production of these goods (such as with farming or wells), or scavenging will be the only solution for long term survival situations. Budget might also be a primary concern, as it is must cheaper to buy tools than many years worth of quickly consumable supplies (although it is recommended). While I recommend several days worth of food and water in an initial bug out scenario to allow for as fast travel as possible out of a major populated area or to your bug out location, and given that it's weight will rapidly reduce as you consume it, this is only intended for a short term situation. Any long term supply of food and water will need to come from the environment or some form of human based manufacturing, such as farms or water wells.



General Items and Focus
-Clothing
-Cutting Tool
-Fire starter
-Water Collection and Purification
-Vitamins
-Shelter
-Containers
-Weapons
-Hunting Implements
-Medicine
-Hygiene
-Seeds
-Rope and wire
-Illumination
-Cotton
-Compass and Maps (Navigation)
-Tape (Duct Tape)
-Needles
-Survival Guides
-General Tools

Theories, Philosophies, and Mindsets
More important than the equipment itself is the theory and knowledge behind why and how you should use it. The importance of each item itself, it's role and purpose in your survival, and the intended use is worth as much if not more than all of this equipment. If you cannot properly use or understand it's importance, it will be difficult to explain or utilize the equipment for it's intended purposes. A tool can have many uses, but what you use for and how is more important to your success. A cheap knife is better in the hands of a skilled craftsman or a Doctor performing surgery than an excellent one in the hands of a someone who has the slightest idea how to properly use it. Knowledge of medicine, bushcraft, or even simply being an engineer would obviously be incredibly useful in a disaster scenario, where skillsets, not equipment, define even our current roles in society. When the internet and such knowledge is widely available, it's best to get all the knowledge you can, even if it's basic first aid, combat skills, and general hunting and wilderness preparedness now than when you are in a disaster scenario, and trial and error, leading to error, can more often than not lead to grave consequences. With that in mind, while some of this will more or less be obvious, additional ideas and importance to keep these things fresh in your mind when making gear choices is advised.


An important consideration, for instance, is should you even bug out at all? Possessing resources to allow you to easily gather more resources from the wild is incredibly important, however, you may be able to do this on your property or close to your property; if you have no location in mind you plan to bug out to, or it's possible that it could be swamped with countless other survivors with the same ideas who'd take the nearby woods and consume virtually every available resource in the area and strip the area bare of any edible food or potable water, it may not even be possible to use bush crafting style survival skills to be able to survive in the wild. Where do you plan to bug out to, how long will it take to get there, can that place produce resources more adequately or will you land in the same boat? Can you, or should you cache resources along the path of your bug out location so you don't have to carry all of it, or leave some at your location; would you be better off hunkering in and spending your money on resources which would fortify your home and essentially making a low key bunker? What is the weather and climate like where you are going; is it cold, what clothes should you wear? Do you plan to be on foot or in a vehicle? All of these are considerations to keep in mind when making decisions about how to plan your survival kit. While these are general guidelines, more inclined for people on the go, what you should pack, or even if you should plan to bug out at all, depends on your particular scenario. While I find it wise to have a plan to bug out in case of an emergency, such as if your home is compromised and you are forced to move out on foot, it may be within your best interest to appropriate resources to more important or likely tasks to begin with, if you possess some degree of limitation.

Thus, in my opinion, choosing a but out bag is not as simple as gathering resources; resources are only as useful as the strategy or plan you decide to have. While the strategy itself may be simple, for instance "Get to grandmother's house", if you have no place in particular to bug out too, an emphasis on living off the land in your local area may be paramount, or finding a location which you would believe would be relatively secluded. Equipment should be planned around strategic goals, which while some equipment can be nearly universally useful (a gun for fighting, a knife for cutting etc.), can still be the most important and paramount aspect to any survival objective. Thus, as the old saying goes, Mindset, Strategies, Skillsets and equipment are important in that order, and should be decided based on those parameters. What is your objective and plan, what do you anticipate to occur, what can be used in general situations and is versatile, what fits your cost parameters?




The Actual bag itself
An often overlooked feature is the pack in which you carry your supplies. While an ordinary bag is better than nothing, it is preferable to carry supplies in a backpack, which will keep the hands free and raise the balance to a higher and more stable center of gravity (rather than a swinging hand, which can throw you off balance). However, such as pack can easily cut into your shoulders, hurt your back, or even fail under the stress and weight; more common is the lack of the ability to run, as a very loose backpack will move around a lot when moving at fast speeds, throwing off balance and making it nearly impossible to move past certain speeds. Thus, a very good pack, one which spreads out the load and makes it far more comfortable, is very important to consider. While hypothetically any bag will do, a very well made back-pack is ideal, and could actually run to levels up to nearly 100 dollars or more. Whether it can fit all your supplies or not is also something consider. Large materials, such as tents, sleeping bags, and potentially even containers may have to go on the outside of your bag, due to their bulk, and some way to compress them and protect is also necessary to prevent them from moving around as well or becoming damaged by the environment.


An important consideration, for instance, is should you even bug out at all? Possessing resources to allow you to easily gather more resources from the wild is incredibly important, however, you may be able to do this on your property or close to your property; if you have no location in mind you plan to bug out to, or it's possible that it could be swamped with countless other survivors with the same ideas who'd take the nearby woods and consume virtually every available resource in the area and strip the area bare of any edible food or potable water, it may not even be possible to use bush crafting style survival skills to be able to survive in the wild. Where do you plan to bug out to, how long will it take to get there, can that place produce resources more adequately or will you land in the same boat? Can you, or should you cache resources along the path of your bug out location so you don't have to carry all of it, or leave some at your location; would you be better off hunkering in and spending your money on resources which would fortify your home and essentially making a low key bunker? What is the weather and climate like where you are going; is it cold, what clothes should you wear? All of these are considerations to keep in mind when making decisions about how to plan your survival kit. While these are general guidelines, more inclined for people on the go,




Clothing
While this one is perhaps obvious, if not almost redundant to point out, I feel it is important to highlight and provide emphasis to this particular survival tool. While we almost take good clothing for granted, in a survival situation your clothing options will be limited, and will drastically effect your chance of survival depending on your environment. If all you have to wear in the desert is a parka, you will overheat; if all you have to wear in the arctic is a t-shirts and shorts, you will unfortunately reach hypothermia. While each scenario requires a different approach to some degree, all of them ultimately require that you possess the right clothing for the job. While clothing is relatively light weight, it will still require some forethought, as it does not provide a non-negligible weight. Furthermore, clothing is often bulky; a way to compress it and finding a better and convenient way to pack clothing, particularly wilderness clothing, will be important to consider. A way to dry and clean clothing will also be equally important, particularly in wet or muddy environments. While clothing's primary job is often to help regulate human body temperature, of which the human body produces an enormous amount of energy, but is a rather poor insulator, as well as keep in moisture, it is also used for protection. When moving through even light brush and vegetation, it is easy to get scratched up by plants, and minor cuts and scrapes will build up over time, also becoming an infection problem. Furthermore, bugs and other critters will be exposed to your skin without covering up, thus potentially infecting you and making you sick that way, as well. Constantly damp clothing can lower your body temperature or being to wear out much faster, also potentially making disease worse, which, depending on your environment, will require that you clean clothes. While laundry detergent and soap will only last so long, it can work to lengthen the clothes supplies you have provided you are prudent with them and hand clean them, as well.

While one may believe that reducing one's clothing will help in a desert environment, it will only go so far. Sunburn and exposure to the sun heating up the body is a real concern in hot enough climates, and thus wearing no clothes can actually be worse than wearing thin clothes which are long sleeves in the desert. Furthermore, rapid water loss can occur if the body is not covered and the water from sweat and transvaporation is not captured by your clothing, thus leading to faster water loss. It is therefore actually prudent to get proper clothing for the desert, as it can become somewhat complex to survive in the cold nights and hot days.

While colder temperatures may at first appear easier, such as using more layers to keep oneself warm, water proof and comfortable clothing is something to consider. Snow may require particular kinds of shoes or add ons to be able to walk on, or even skiis, and that your clothing be fairly water resistant to resist snow from melting. Clothing with too much insulation can actually lead to heat exhaustion and sickness just as wearing too much in the desert could, and thus you have to dress appropriately for your environment. When moving, you may need to find yourself frequently adding and removing clothes when you start and stop up, as your body will begin to heat up, and overheating becomes a real issue. Too little of course leads to heat loss, while too much can lead to exhaustion, which can be harder to gauge given the range of cold compared to warmth on our planet. Cold clothing also needs to be compact and flexible, so that the bulk doesn't too drastically inhibit movement and packing, which it often can, and to be able to wear in layers to adjust to the particular environment. The ability to keep water out or replace the clothing if it becomes wet, even from your own sweat, is incredibly important to keep in mind. A sleeping bag can greatly increase the warmth of one's own body, and is possibly one of the most important environmental materials you can have. Hunger and thirst can change, animals and predators can be avoided or stalked after, but the cold and heat will always find you. It is therefore not only prudent, but paramount, that you pick the right clothing for the environment.

A good pair of shoes is also incredibly important to consider. Sandals will not be very good for many reasons, including the fact that the feet are exposed and they do not conform well to the average foot. Athletic shoes and boots will be a must have, to move through rough terrain or at high speeds if it's required. Anything which hurts your feet or isn't properly fitted can easily lead to long term problems setting in, such as blisters, being rubbed raw, materials cutting into you causing pain or even bleeding, or simply bending your food the wrong way and causing joint or bone pain. Damage to your body can extended beyond feet, as your knees, hips, and back will all be effected by how well you walk.

Ultimately, the right clothing choices will come down to personal preference and environment. Fleeced wool and gortex are considered staples by many soldiers and special forces, although they both have their share of advantages and disadvantages, both being particularly susceptible to dehydration. Any kind of moisture wicking sock, and shoe insole to help protect and comfort one's feet are also greatly recommended, such as those by doctor shole or impact gel. Clothing which fits and isn't too tight will reduce chaffing and cutting, which is more or less the single most important aspect to consider with clothing. Clothing that will cover parts of the body, such as the hands with gloves to protect them, feet, or even face such as with goggles or a ski mask, or even gas mask need to be fitted properly and properly protect the face without excessive fogging or difficulty seeing. Contacts and glasses need to be particularly well taken care of, and even cleaning solutions and kits should be added. Plastic wind breakers can provide exceptional protection the cold and water while being rather thin, although the body still needs to be able to breathe to get oxygen and water. While more in depth or particular sources of clothing will depend on specifics, in general it is best to keep in mind what type of clothing you are wearing for your environment.



Cutting Tool
Perhaps one of the best known survival instruments, any form of cutting tool, from a knife to a hatchet, will be invaluable for survival. From gathering resources, to making tools, to fending off attacks, any type of cutting instrument is essential to any survival kit. Modern cutting tools replicate features that are difficult to find in nature, such as with steel knives or machetes, which can hold a sharp enough edge to provide the ability to cut fine materials, such as twine, twigs, meat and wood, yet tough enough to remain sharp and solid after many uses. Most sharp materials found in nature are incredibly brittle, such as rocks or flint, and difficult to work with and forge, usually quickly breaking under stress, while most strong materials are not very sharp or ideal for cutting. Societies are often defined by their ability to work certain materials, such as bronze or iron, and without smithing equipment and access to ores and mines, it will be difficult to replicate these types of abilities in nature, let alone the quality in modern manufacturing.

It is recommended that you also have any number of sharpening tools to keep the knife sharp. While emphasis on incredibly sharp knives may seem a bit over the top by some people, it will in the long run increase the life of your knife several times, easily 10 or more times longer, and it will keep the knife sharp during most of it's uses. After just a few hundred cuts, a knife generally begins to become noticeably dull. While a knife can only hold a razor sharp edge for so long, when a knife becomes difficult to cut with it generally needs to be sharpened. While a sharp knife may in some ways seem or actually be more dangerous, in general for a proper tool knife sharpening maintenance is one of the most important aspects of safety with a knife. A knife that is too dull will make it difficult to cut with, and thus will you have to put out much more energy to do so. This will not only increase calorie consumption, but also make it incredibly difficult to cut with; something that has a tough time making small wood shavings as tinder for fire may have a tough time getting through wood, but the soft tissue of the human body is likely another story. Even dirt or mud is often more resistant than the human body, and a strong jab into wood will ruin most knives, and only leave them at best a few inches if not mm's into wood, when it could have easily penetrated much, much more into a human. Thus, a sharp knife is not only useful for common obstacles and preserving calories, but also for safety as well, as it will become easy to jerk and slip with the knife, potentially cutting oneself. It is also important to practice redundant precautionary safety measures when using knives, such as cutting away from oneself and generally moving at an appropriate pace.

While exact knives and sharpeners are difficult to specify, any general wood working or combat knife should be sufficient for the wilderness, and silicon carbide or diamond powder sharpeners generally are fairly effective at keeping your knife sharp. While leather strapping can additionally improve the quality of your knife, some form of skill or knowledge on the issue is important to keep in mind when using it. A sheeth or container of some kind is highly recommended, not only to be safer and cover your cutting instrument, but to preserve the quality of the blade from knicks and scratches, and make it easier to carry on your person. While a multi-tool or accessory knife is highly recommended, if you plan on doing a lot of cutting a standard, single blade full length knife with an ergonomic grip is recommended for it's comfort and ease of use, as well as general quality. A hatchet or axe for chopping firewood or clearing large obstacles is also recommended, if you can handle the weight, as well as possibly a good machete, particularly if it can replace an axe. While your requirements or preferences may vary, generally a knife and/or some other cutting tools is an important feature to consider.


Fire starter
Man is often distinguished and proud of it's achievement to create fire. With it came the ability to see at night, ward off predators, purify water, cook food and expand our diets, both create and destroy, work with tools (particularly with black smithing), stay warm, and produce massive amounts of energy to fuel our high standard of living. While the generic camp fire is often no longer needed in modern society, everything from cars to electricity rely on combustion, burning fuel such as gasoline and coal, to release tremendous energy to be captured and used for our own devices. Much modern cooking still relies extensively on fire, such as that cooked over a grill or on a stove, and it makes an incredibly convenient way to both provide energy, sterilize things, and provide food. Fire is essentially to any survival plan.

While nature is more or less abundant with fuel to burn, in the form of wood and other forms of vegetation, starting a fire can be more tricky. While there are supposedly ways to create fire starting instruments from pieces of wood (such as by rubbing them together), the sun or other such materials, these are generally intended for only last ditch efforts, as they are generally very hard to use and make fire with, and even when successful take an incredible amount of energy and time. While they should be used when available to lengthen your supply of more convenient fire starting tools, something such as a magnesium fire starter, something to produce sparks, matches and even a lighter are all recommended to create fires quickly, in an emergency, or just easily to begin with. Some survival situations may require that you remain on the move, or that you can quickly extinguish, start, or even carry a fire with you, such as reaching your destination or if you're being followed or attacked. Whatever the case, having some good back up methods to creating a fire is obviously essential.

Furthermore, and often overlooked aspect of using fire is a stove to enhance your efficiency. While engines are generally out of the question, devices which enhance the efficiency of your burn can allow your fires to be smaller, more contained, leave less of a signature, require less wood, smaller wood, and make it (provided it has thermal insulation) considerably easier to carry. While by itself such stoves can increase the efficiency of your wood consumption, they also allow for quick and low signature "tactical" fires, which produce little smoke giving away your position, and make them contained, not leaving behind many ashes or evidence of it's existence, and even being potentially capable to cap or carry. Thus, the fire is not only small and concealable, but also can be carried with you, as well. While cheap wood stoves can be made from soda cans, bean cans, of coffee cans, by far actual well designed stoves are preferable, given they are optimized for efficiency and air intake, made out of much stronger fire resistant materials such as steel which can resistant higher temperatures (steel melts at 2000-2800 degrees, much higher than a wood fire, where as aluminum melts at 1200 degrees, and zinc at 800) and that often come with insulators to keep burning yourself. They also often come with well designed stands which make it easy to balance and cook food over (from my experience, boiling water or really anything becomes difficult when the cheap stove is about to fall over at any moment, especially due to the wind), and properly designed wind shields can make creating fires far less of a pain and far more systematic. While exact stoves vary in quality, I know that a biolite stove is generally considered one of the best stoves around, carrying a self rechargeable fan powered by excess heat, and a USB drive capable of charging small hand held devices, such as a phone. Despite it's general high quality, the fan can be rather loud and eventually with run out of batteries, and as well it's expensive, well over 100 dollars. While the stove will work fine without the fan, a much cheaper stove that is still much more efficient than an open air flame is always preferable, for the above mentioned reasons; a way to put a lid on will be extremely helpful, so that it can be placed within a pack quickly, and to keep the coals warm even if the fire is put out due to the oxygen absorption. A stand is almost a most have, as the fire is much easier to maintain if it is raised above ground, wastes less of the heat, and is also easier to balance, especially with food placed on it.

While heavy and brittle, some kind of cooking stone can be useful to heat up over a large fire, sort of like a grill or skillet, although it may just be better to actually carry and use skillet, or other container, or just finding a proper rock for the job. While often over looked, fire proof containers such as a skillet or pan will be extremely important for cooking and sterilizing water. Many people find themselves in the wilderness with the ability to start a fire, but nothing to cook or boil water in, to make soup or other meals with, or just sterilize water with. Stainless steel is hard to go wrong with, but teflon coated is fine so long as you keep the fire low enough or keep the cooking utensil far enough away from the fire, as it is more sensitive to heat. Forks and spoons, or other forms of utensils, perhaps collapsible or foldable ones, as well as bowls or plates, preferably durable and metal, are also highly advised, to make eating and cleaning much easier and convenient. Anything zinc coated or coated in certain metals will produced toxic by products, and thus not all metal containers can be used; soda lime glass will melt at 500-600 degrees or less, such as that found in bottles of beer or soda, and thus it will only have spare use, although many discarded bottles can often be found near populated areas, and are usable for at least distilling water. While one can cook on a stick over a fire, it is generally more convenient and better to have a container of some kind. Boiling water will be next to impossible without a solid raise wall container, and unless you live in a place with large leaves, particularly bananas leaves, and use them sparingly for a short time over fires, and don't mind the taste of raw sewage, it is generally best to boil the water in some form of dedicated container which will last a long time. While bulky, other things can be stored inside them, and they can also be carried on the outside of your equipment, provided they are clamped down tightly and noised proofed. A lid and a kettle are also highly recommended, with a lid speeding up cooking times and trapping in moisture.


Water Collection and Purification
Perhaps nothing is more essential to life than clean, potable water. Our bodies are 90% water, and all our bodily functions, from your metabolism, to brains, to functioning muscles, rely on water for electrolyte conversion, temperature retention, and general suspension and all your bodily organs. Water both acts as a medium and chemical compound involved in most chemical reactions in your body, allowing your organic body to hold, transport, and react with most components it requires. At 5% water loss, most people's brains begin to shrink as they become delirious and exhausted, and at 10% water loss most people will become unconsciousness or so delusional that they can no longer function. Because hallucinations set in at around 5% water loss, it is generally considered inevitable death past 5% water loss, which can set in in as little as 3 days particularly given strenuous physical activity, as an individual who is hallucinating cannot intelligent or aptly work towards their survival objectives, such as gathering more water, and may become a danger to themselves and others. While some people have been known to survive up to 10 days with little to no water in ideal environments, these people generally could not keep themselves moving and active up to that point, where they were often found delirious and barely able to stay active. If an individual goes on unconscious or the equivalent, it's generally assumed that they can't fend for themselves, and thus are as good as dead.

While water is naturally abundant, it's safe to assume that most forms of water found in nature are contaminated or at least not potable. While 75% of our surface is covered in water, over 98% of this is salt water. Of that 2%, only approximately 2-5% comes from naturally lakes, rivers and streams, of which not all sources will be immediately potable for consumption. With that in mind, some systematic way to purify water, rather than rely entirely on naturally available fresh, clean water, will be necessary. While streams or rivers moving sufficiently quick to remove particles or other contaminates from water are preferable, even with this water, which could be contaminated in other ways, it's generally best to purify the water.

The simplest method of doing this will be boiling, which involves fire, and can be achieved with a pot of water and stove; while boiling will generally sterilize water, it will not entirely purify it. Contaminates such as iron, minerals, and dirt or sand will still be present, and the dead bodies of bugs or bacteria will also be present in the water. Water, particularly ground water, can easily be filled with an excess of trace minerals which will actually make it toxic; while iron and other common materials will make the water bitter, they may make it too toxic to reliably drink just through sterilization.The best and most reliable way to purify water is through distillation, which involves turning the water into steam or water vapor, and then condensing it into another container after it reforms. Thus generally sterilizes the water and removes all contaminates from it, particularly salt, which makes it ideal for purifying any water source. Some distillation sources can even use the sun, although these options take much longer to implement. These sources generally require some type of clear container; while distilleries are effective, they are often slow, require a fire, and are difficult to produce. While a miniature distillery would be ideal, finding one widely available and easy to carry in a pack can be difficult.

Other methods of water purification involve water purification tables, such as iodine or various oxygen based methods, and even bleach. While typically factory designed water purification tablets are significant more effective and safer, than can be more expensive and easier to run out of. Bleach can be used to purify some, but not all types of water, by providing an 1/8th of a teaspoon per gallon. Obviously, if there are any obvious contaminates in the water such as bugs or mud, these should be removed or allowed to settle. Water this is clean can be given a lid and stored with far less bleach, although it can end up tasting worse; chlorine or much safer, bromine can be used to keep water fresher longer, such as that used in swimming pools, however, only incredibly tiny amounts, likely too much to be used in a small container, should be used (such as less than the amount you add to your pool, assuming you own one). Iodine

Another method of purifying water, and perhaps one of the most convenient is to use a filter. While a reverse osmosis filter is arguably the best filter available, able to filter virtually any water source and make it potable (although the quality of the water will effect the lifetime of the filter, meaning you should use clear water first) they are often large, heavy, and expensive, with smaller ones ranging in the few hundred dollars, and to my knowledge, unavailable for your average person to carry in a pack. While great even for long term transportation in a vehicle of any kind, such as a truck, provided as well that you have water to contain it in, they are generally too large and unsuited for long range, on foot practical water filtration. Simple charcoal filters, particularly well designed hand cranked ones, can easily filter out most major contaminants, all but the most deadly strains of diseases and viruses. A handful of filters, such as Life Saver, can filter out down the smallest known viruses and bacteriums, and most deadly or toxic particles, allowing for virtually all forms of fresh water to be filtered with just a hand pump. The bottles can filter up to 6000 liters, while the jerry cans can filter over 20,000 with a single filter. They do cost however, upwards of 150-300 dollars, particularly if you try to buy pesticide, fertilizer, and pollution removing filters. Lifestraw is a cheaper but still very effective alternative, small and compact, which typically costs around 20 dollars, and can filter up to 1000 liters of water, or around 250 gallons. Furthermore, such water purification methods allow for easy and convenient filtering methods, allowing them to be used on the go, without much preparation, and generally with little difficulty for many thousands of gallons. Particularly useful if being followed or attacked, filters can reliably produce clean water from most sources of water with little difficulty, and thus are a very capable "tactical" tool, which can be used conveniently in a combat situation. Because these forms typically have much more limited lives than simply boiling or distilling water, it's generally advised that these methods be reserved in case of emergencies. Distillation and boiling are generally considered the most effective ways of sterilizing water, but a proper distillery will be required for large volumes of potable water, as heat resistant, sealed, fit, ideally, well made tubes (I.E. not rubber or plastic) can be difficult to acquire.

Vitamins
Multi-Vitamin pills are probably one of the most important items to acquire for a long term pack that will take the stress off of the individual users. Vitamins not only fight off disease and provide more energy to people out in the field, as well as extra vitamins as people will be burning through more of them, but are also necessary to live. Vitamin B12 is perhaps one of the most important vitamins, only found in meat or bacteria, which is important for brain function, liver function, and general body function, While only 6 micrograms are required a day, it's almost impossible to overdose one, and a small amounts can last months if not even years, without it you will eventually suffer brain damage and other horrible effects of malnutrition. Vitamin D and Vitamin C particularly help with disease and providing energy, also help aid with digestion, and joint pain. Certain diseases are actually caused by a lack of both, and particularly in low sun environments, both can be a very useful addition to your vitamin stock. Calcium is particularly important for bones and muscle health, and as well are used in calcium ion channels found in the brain, important for nervous system health as well. Sodium and potassium are important electrolytes which provide energy to body, and phosphorous and most metals help with bone and muscle health as well. Iron and Vitam A are also extremely important, but generally can be easily found from most foods in nature, including meat, grains, green vegetables (such as lettuce and cabbage), beans, milk and eggs, and virtually all forms of generally available foods. While there are many to go into, many vitamins are directly responsible for nervous system and muscle function, as well as general health, and thus should not be ignored in terms of total calorie consumption.

In your environment, and even with years worth of rice and beans stocked up, and especially with canned foods, gaining all your essentially vitamins and nutrients can be difficult if not simply impossible from a survival based diet. While wild game and fishing can provide all the protein and B12 you need, as well as iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D, it will be lacking in many vitamins, particularly vitamin C and others. Furthermore, while these vitamins will be plentiful, given the amount of food you're eating, you may not actually be able to get all the vitamins you need, and certain animals do not actually produce very much of these vitamins, particularly secondary predators such as snakes, owls or wolves, which do not produce nearly as much as primary food animals (such as grass eating animals, like deer or cows). Thus, additional vitamin supplements, or just boosters to provide everything or more than you need, is greatly advised. Especially if you are not well versed in botany or don't have readily available high vitamin plants in your environments, vitamins can extremely lengthen and improve the quality of your food supply by replacing dietary gaps you lack. Even more importantly, if you can't find meat, Vitamin B12 and others will be essential to replace by other means, and thus a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle will demand that vitamins become necessary just to survive. It can more or less provide vitamins in areas that you you settle down that the area lacks, and allow you to eat abundant but far less nutritious and abundant sources of food that may be high in calories, but otherwise low in everything else, in the long term, for not a lot of weight. To this end, protein supplements, such as protein bars, powders, or similar high value, low weight meal additions to a much more restricted diet, is encouraged, and depending on your environment, mandatory. While some may feel inclined to buy small travel packs of vitamins holding 30 to 60, I strongly recommend you buy several hundred in as large a container as possible. While larger and possibly jiggling around a little, several years of vitamins will be far more valuable, and if you have extra members of your group, a godsend as it can practically make your survival strategy in your environment if the food sources are scarce or not full of vitamins.

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