7 best products to build your own survival kit under $50

Some of us think there is no need to own a survival kit, as picturing an unexpected situation happening to us might be a bit paranoid. However, as people say, “forewarned is forearmed,” and nature can take us by surprise when we least expect it. In order to avoid any incident that threatens to ruin your adventure, you need to be prepared. And we promise… you will not regret planning a survival kit in the case of an emergency!

What if you’re feeling ready to make your own kit, but you do not have knowledge of what kind of objects you need to put in it? Here, we will show you 7 products to build your survival kit — and also keep it in the range of about $50 total.

An equipment to store water and a tool to make it drinkable

Water is the most essential element a human being requires. We can survive up to two weeks without eating, but we need to stay hydrated in order for our body to function. For these reasons, one of the most vital products you should acquire is a tool to store water and tablets to purify it ($5). The WHO recommends drinking 5 litres (1.32 gallons) daily if you are physically active, or in case of an increase in outdoor temperature. A container with that capacity won’t cost more than $10. 

A flint firestarter

Due to the microorganisms that food contains, it’s not recommended to feed yourself anything until you have cooked it. Building a fire is important in order to prepare tasty food and get rid of any dangerous bacteria. Furthermore, fire also helps you maintain your body heat, which is extremely important when the sun goes down.

There are a variety of options we can take to build a fire. Matches are one of them, but they easily can be dismissed, as wet matches are useless. Instead of buying them, flint fire starters are a better choice, since they are reusable and cheap ($7).

Space blanket

It’s very important to stay warm on a cold night. Since you’ll have to put out a campfire to prevent attracting wild animals, the space blanket will help you reflect your own body heat and avoid hypothermia. This is because of the metallic surface that it’s made out of, which traps body heat. These products are the cheapest in our list, costing only $5 for such essential equipment.

A flashlight

Nowadays, smartphones have flashlights included, but these are nothing compared with the high intensity of an actual flashlight. Hand crank flashlights are excellent choices to consider when buying one. They transform the power of our muscles to electrical power to generate light. You will not have to worry about batteries anymore, making it the best choice. And in terms of money, they come at a price of about $7.

A pocket knife

Knives are one of the main instruments you can add to your kit. This tool will let you cut anything. As we are not considering food-related products in this article, a knife will be very useful when hunting or cutting fruits, mushrooms, or even edible plants you want to collect. The price of a small but functional folding knife is about $8.

A first aid kit

Last but not least, you need a first aid kit. First aid kits are vital to prevent the risk of an infected wound, to reduce the risk of getting sick, and heal injuries. The first aid kit can be customized depending on your needs, but as a rule of thumb, you need to put a bottle of alcohol, bandages, gazes, cotton balls and maybe anti-inflammatory drugs. The price of the kit will vary according to the things you put on it; however, for one person, it’ll range about $8.