The 11 Best Survival Kits of 2024

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Hope for the best and prepare for the worst

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Of all the essential travel and outdoor gear, survival kits rank highest as "must-have, hope never to use." They provide all the equipment necessary to treat injuries, clean wounds, tend to insect stings or exposure to poison ivy, and handle other variables, from the unfortunately common stomach ailments of travel to weathering the impacts of a hurricane.

Consider what activities and environments you will be in, which will correspond to the supplies of any particular kit. On one end of the spectrum, light-duty kits generally include basic first aid supplies like bandages and antiseptic. More specific options such as those for outdoor activities include fire-making supplies and space blankets. The organization and instructions of a survival kit are essential as well. You'll want everything to be easily accessible and easy to use in an emergency for the best possible outcome. Lastly, check the target number of people the kit will support, and the duration the kit will last.

Extremely exhaustive selection

Well organized

Pack distributes weight well

Pricey

Not lightweight

Let's get the price out of the way first. Yes, it's expensive. And at about 16 pounds for the two-person version, it's a bit heavy. But if you're looking for a one-hitter-quitter kit to handle pretty much anything you could encounter, this is it. The founders and designers of Uncharted Supply Co. took feedback and advice from military, government, and outdoor adventurers to put together the most comprehensive survival system we've seen.

This professional-grade pack is specifically designed for first responders. It includes a Mylar tent shelter, air masks, goggles, a convertible shovel/pickax, about two dozen wind- and waterproof matches, first aid kits, water filtration systems, survival blankets, hats, and gloves. And we love that there's color coding and instructions on how to use items in the kit. It's all stored in a waterproof bag with sternum and hip straps for more accessible transport.

Capacity: 2 people, 3 days | Weight: 16 pounds

Lightweight

Decent foundation

Includes basic fishing kit

Benefits from supplementation

This small but well-stocked kit is affordable and easy to pack for a range of activities, especially if weight and space are at a premium (such as a hiking adventure). For under 6 ounces, you'll get a heat-reflecting blanket, a button compass, duct tape, and a howler rescue whistle. The kit is housed in a compact waterproof drybag designed to keep the contents dry even in case of prolonged submersion. One drawback was the less-than-robust Fire Lite Starter, which could easily be replaced before leaving home with a better lighter. Overall, this kit delivers good value for money.

Capacity: Not listed | Weight: 5.4 ounces

Easy to carry

Basic needs for backcountry situations

Versatile

Lacks first aid items

The FeatherLite Survival Kit 2.0 from Columbia, Missouri-based ust Gear has the essentials to get you through a backpacking mishap. It includes a blanket, towel, poncho for pop-up storms, fire starter, whistle, button compass, pico light, and light stick. We also love that it comes in a lightweight and compact container for easy packing for the trail and easy storage at home. Beyond backpacking, this could easily be a kit to have at home to take on other outdoor adventures. Note: There is no first aid kit in this pack, so we recommend pairing it with another more first-aid-focused system below.

Capacity: Not listed | Weight: Not listed

Metal case

Quality items

Fits virtually anywhere

No water treatment tools

Unique, thoughtful, and tiny, the ESEE Knives Mini Kit may not have absolutely all of your survival bases covered but it does provide a host of tools that can get you through some sticky situations. Among those tools are snare wire, a ferro rod, a fishing kit, tinder tabs, and a folding razor. The tin container also features a survival card on the inside lid with some helpful bits of advice and international rescue symbols. Realistically, we think of this kit as a complement to a larger system.

Capacity: Not listed | Weight: 4.8 ounces

Specific to travel challenges

Stored in TSA-approved bags

Easy to use

Slightly heavy

With a particular emphasis on gear that the intrepid globetrotter might need, the Adventure Medical Kits’ Smart Travel comes with a refreshing variety of solutions to the various potential ailments of the open road or international travel. Moleskin patches and GlacierGel bandages fend off blisters and treat burns. Medications provide pain relief, treatment for all-too-common stomach ailments, and common allergies and irritants like insect stings. And the first aid kit carries loads of bandages, wound dressings, and tools like gloves, forceps, and two disposable thermometers.

The entire kit is organized into injury-specific pockets to make it easy to access what you need in a hurry effectively, and, better still, the kit relies primarily on visual communications to overcome any potential language barriers. A comprehensive guide to wilderness and travel medicine is also included, along with a patient assessment form.

Capacity: 1-2 people, multiple days | Weight: 1 pound

Handles most common issues

Less than half a pound

Comes with useful guide

No heat blanket or emergency shelter

Day hiking implies that you’ll be home long before the sun sets, but the unexpected could change everything. That’s why the Mountain Series Hiker kit from Adventure Medical Kits is the right one to toss in your pack. It comes loaded with enough gear for up to two people for two days, including backcountry wound care products to stop bleeding and bandage wounds or stabilize a strained or sprained ankle.

An external kit map shows where all the supplies are located (organized by injury in clearly labeled pockets), and a reflective design makes it easier to get what you need in the dark. Other, more common hiking ailments such as blisters, insect bites, and pain mitigation are also covered, and it includes a condensed guide on wilderness medication.

Capacity: 2 people, 2 days | Weight: 7.2 ounces

Inexpensive

Well organized

Manual written by wilderness physician

Includes some unnecessary items

Packability is considerably less of an issue when car camping than, say, thru-hiking or taking a multi-day backpacking excursion, so the HART Outdoor Multiday First Aid Kit makes for the ideal park-and-camp scenario. It won’t dominate your trunk space, but it still supplies everything you and your camping crew might need to handle typical wilderness injuries. It includes a host of different adhesive bandages and gauzes, a handful of pills, loads of wound-cleaning materials, and topical relief for things like burns, insect stings, or poison ivy. It also includes two broad patches of moleskin to help with blisters, scissors, forceps, an elastic bandage, and a wilderness first aid guide to keep you informed.

Capacity: Up to 4 people or 5 days | Weight: 12.7 ounces

Lightweight

Compact

Housed in a dry bag

No survival aid instructional guide

If you've been bitten by the thru-hiking bug, you know it’s all about the weight-to-value ratio, and at only 8 ounces, the Adventure Medical Kits’ Ultralight/Watertight .7 justifies its presence in any backpack. In addition to the expected cadre of medical gear for stabilizing fractures and sprains and ample treatment for wounds, illnesses, and blister prevention, it also comes with emergency gear repairs, including a safety pin and a mini roll of duct tape. And perhaps just as important, it also comes in a two-stage waterproof case—a waterproof DryFlex inner bag and a water-resistant outer treated with DWR to shrug off the impacts of the inevitable rainstorm or semi-planned plunge into a river.

Capacity: 1-2 people, 1-4 days | Weight: 8 ounces

Cycling specific

Easy to pack

HSA/FSA approved

Some may prefer key brand-name items

As its name indicates, My Medic focused on remedies for the most common bike injuries with their Cyclist Med Pack. It covers routine hassles like chafing, sunburns, stinging insects, blisters, dehydration, and chapped lips. The pack includes pain medication, antibacterial ointment and wipes, skin glue, and an assortment of bandages to address minor cuts and scrapes. The medium- and large-sized tubular gauze are easy to pull over your injured arm or leg, while a 2-inch-wide roll of gauze allows for more targeted treatment or for covering up road rash on your torso or shoulder.

Its grab-and-go size shouldn’t burden even the most ounce-averse cyclist, but note that the emphasis here is on the medical aspects, so be sure to pack a basic repair kit (tube patch, a bike-specific multitool or all-purpose multi-tool, like the Leatherman Signal, and spare tubes) to round out your backup contingencies.

Capacity: Not listed | Weight: 9.8 ounces

Extensive support

Covers medium-sized groups

Divided in two packs

Slightly expensive

Boasting enough supplies to help up to five people survive for 72 hours, the Stealth Angel Survival’s Five-Person Emergency Kit/Survival Bag distributes its gear into two of the brand’s backpacks to make it easier to haul all the stuff. It includes water and food that has a five-year shelf life, 30 4-ounce water pouches, 30 400-calorie food bars, and 50 water purification tablets—as well as hygiene and first aid kits, the latter of which carries 108 different supplies and can be carried in its own sack for quick outings.

Beyond those basics, you also get loads of clutch survival tools, including a Q5 flashlight, a four-in-one radio flashlight charger, a survival whistle, a multitool, a compass, a ferrocerium fire-starting rod, safety goggles, work gloves, and a paracord bracelet. And if disaster strikes before you can snag your camping kit, it also provides five emergency body warmers, blankets, hooded ponchos, and a tube tent with rope. In short, this kit gives you pretty much everything for you and your brood.

Capacity: Up to 5 people, 3 days | Weight: Not listed

Easy grab-and-go convenience

Color coded

Option of dry bag or blue backpack

Could use supplementation

Think of the Redfora Hurricane Kit less like a standard bag of gear and more like a customized survival solution. Choose from a kit targeted for one, two, or four people, and you’ll get three days of all the essential supplies you’ll need to ride out the damage wreaked by a hurricane. Resources are broken into categories such as first aid, shelter and warmth, and food and water (which includes high-calorie food bars, water pouches, and water purification tablets). Tools also cover the gamut, from a five-in-one whistle and 50 feet of nylon rope to safety goggles, a sewing kit, work gloves, and a multi-tool. And you can also fend off the elements thanks to hand/body warmers, a tube-style tent, Mylar sleeping bags, emergency ponchos, a 12-hour bright stick, and a candle that burns for more than 30 hours. They even have your smart devices covered thanks to a hand-crank flashlight that includes a radio and a phone charger.

Capacity: Up to 4 people, 3 days | Weight: Not listed

A truly comprehensive kit for two people with color-coded instructions, the Uncharted Supply Co. Seventy2 Pro Survival System is our top recommendation. We also like the SOL Survival Medic Kit, which is compact and affordable.

The scope of gear in prepared survival kits varies based on the level of coverage you desire, which typically aligns with the activities and the key risks you want the kit to support. Bare-bones kits usually provide enough gear for first aid, including bandages, gauze wraps, antiseptic, over-the-counter pain medications, and small tools like tweezers or a small roll of duct tape. Small packs of sunblock, sting and allergy treatment, blister treatment, and lip balm are common. Travel-focused kits may also include open road-friendly items like meds to help with stomach ailments and “visual” first aid books to help overcome any potential language barriers while administering aid. Those kits emphasizing the outdoors add additional products, like a space blanket for added warmth, fire-making equipment, small shelters, signaling devices like a whistle, and kits to repair damaged tents or jackets. More robust survival kits up the ante even more. Focusing on helping you weather something like a hurricane, they include basic hygiene and first aid kits, food and water solutions, communication and lighting devices, more capable tools, and added shelter (sleeping bags, “tube”-style tents, etc.).

Uncharted Supply Co. Founder and CEO Christian Schauf recommends visiting a site like ready.gov or FEMA.gov for a quick starting point. "But no two people are the same, and to truly be prepared, you need to consider your environment, your family’s unique needs, and how you live," Schauf advises.

Schauf recommends looking for a kit that emphasizes organization, instruction, and ease of use. "People shop for kits when they are comfortable, but they use them when things like severe weather or injury compromise them, and for many, these emergencies are not something they have much experience with," Schauf points out. "In those moments, adrenaline can cause a rational person to make bad decisions. Being able to get to the tools you need and having guidance on how to use them will improve your situation and calm your mind, equating to a path of better decision-making."

Most survival kits will indicate the target number of people the kit can support in most circumstances, which dictates the amount of gear—bandages, medication, and even food and water—that’s included. It’s always wise to target a kit that corresponds with your group size, or at least ensure that everyone has their own survival kit should things go awry.

As with the total number of people, the kit duration is typically clearly identified for most survival kits. That duration also varies with the type of activity that the kit is designed to support. Overnight travelers and day-tripping cyclists don’t need the kind of backup protection you’d need if something goes wrong and you spend the night on the trail. The primary measurement here indicates the duration that the kit can support without dwindling on supplies or, in the case of full-on survival kits, how many days of food and water are part of the kit. This should provide peace of mind and a ballpark for when you need to seek help.

Prepared survival kits will cover all the basics. Still, you should plan on supplementing a kit with any personal prescription medication, preferred medication brands, and other items like an EpiPen based on your and your party’s requirements. If you have particular items that you prefer, like a specific lip balm or sunscreen brand, you can always swap those in—or add them to the kit if they’re missing.

But at a minimum, be sure your kit allows you to quickly clean and treat a wound, support sprained and strained joints, and protect you from sunburn, insect bites, and allergic reactions to things like poison ivy. Some kits also include first aid survival guides, which you could always add to your kit if that resource isn’t included.

Anything that can expire—medication or some antiseptic or sting treatments—should have an expiration date marked, and you should check them before any outing to re-stock if anything has passed its date. But other items—tools, bandages, gauze, etc.—naturally don’t expire. Just be sure they’re not damaged and in good operating condition before departing. Schauf recommends going through your kit and replacing perishables every few years.

Yes. Cash is handy in various emergencies, including in the event of civil emergencies or natural disasters. In these cases, normal infrastructure, such as banks, ATMs, and credit card processing may be inaccessible. Try to keep fives and tens on hand since breaking larger bills may be difficult.

Schauf says he likes the theory that the best camera is the one in your hand. “The same applies to survival kits,” Schauf explains. “If you have the world’s best survival kit home, but you’re stuck on the freeway, it’s not really helpful.” Schauf advises keeping your survival kit “in a way that provides the most access. For most people, that’s their vehicle,” he says. This also depends on your activity. Keep a backpacking kit with your backpacking gear, a cycling kit with your cycling gear, and a hiking kit with your hiking gear. You get it. If you live in a more disaster-prone place than others, it’s good to keep a “go bag” handy and make sure everyone in your house knows where it’s located.

Nathan Borchelt has been rating, reviewing, and testing outdoor and travel products for decades, and spends as much time as his schedule allows traveling, hiking, biking, and running. Each kit was focused first on first-aid solutions, assuring that each product had the basics to treat minor to more severe injuries. Then the selection panned out further, looking at activity- or demographic-specific requirements like added shelter (for day hikers), gear repair (for backpackers), and the more comprehensive needs for large families or those who have recently survived a natural disaster.

TripSavvy's Outdoor Gear Editor, Nathan Allen, also contributed to the reporting and testing within this article. He, unfortunately, has plenty of experience with backcountry and urban mishaps involving himself and others and knows first-hand how important it is to be prepared in outdoor pursuits. He also keeps multiple go bags and survival kits on hand, being based in California near earthquake and wildfire-prone areas.

For this article, they consulted with Christian Schauf, the founder and CEO of Uncharted Supply Co.