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Exit Kit Checklists:

Car kit:

Try to keep your gas tank at least half full at all times. The car kit is in addition to the larger exit kit described below, and definitely not a replacement. You may want to keep something the pocket exit kit or a stripped down version of the larger exit kit in your car.

• Shovel

• Tow chain

• Warning light or road flares

• Extra clothing, hats, and footwear

• Extra food (pre-packaged foods such as granola bars, raisins, nuts and candy )

• Booster cables

• Road maps (of a much larger area than you would have in a backpack or bicycle exit kit)

• Fire extinguisher

• Flashlight

• First-aid kit (larger than or complementary to the kit suggested below) with seatbelt cutter

• 5-15 Gallons fuel in jerry cans

• Tools for minor repairs if needed

For colder climates:

• Methyl hydrate (for fuel line and wind shield de-icing, and improvised cooker fuel)

  • Ice scraper and brush

• Sand, salt or kitty litter (to melt snow or increase traction)

• Axe or hatchet

• Traction mats

• Extra blankets

Pocket Exit Kit:

You can put all this into a tin, the polished metal interior of which can be used as a mirror. It it very light and takes up very little space so you can carry it around with you, unlike a more complete exit kit.

• Waterproof matches and striker torn from a box or booklet of matches

• Candle (may be shaved down to a rectangular shape to help it fit)

• Flint with steel striker

• Magnifying glass

• Several large needles wrapped in heavy-duty thread or dental floss

• Fish hooks and line

• Very small compass

• Micro flashlight (there are very small single LED flashlights)

• 16 gage brass wire (good for snares and repairs)

• Flexible wire saw (If it comes with handles, remove them. You can attach your own improvised handles to the rings at either end of the saw.)

• Survival knife (or multitool)

• Condom (can be use to make an improvised water bottle if unrolled and supported inside a sock)

• Compact medical kit

  • Mild pain reliever

  • Antidiarrhea medicine

  • Antibiotic (You can get stronger oral antibiotics like penicillin or tetracyline which may have also have some side effects, or gentler herbal antibiotics like grapefruit seed extract.)

  • Antihistamine

  • Water purification tablets

  • Potassium permanganate (to treat water and for use as a topical antiseptic)

  • Salt tablets (to help treat dehydration)

  • Surgical blades (handles can be improvised)

  • Butterfly sutures (for closing cuts without using stitches)

  • Band-Aids

Basic Exit Kit:

I've divided this kit into two parts, personal kit and group kit. Everyone can carry their own personal kit, and the contents of the group kit can be divided amongst everyone (or stowed in a canoe, bicycle trailer, sled, or what-have-you). The personal kit is for every day needs, with back-up supplies in case someone is temporarily seperated from the group, or in case other parts of the group kit get lost and need to be compensated for.

Personal Kit:

• At least one litre (quart) of water in a durable plastic container at any time (plus at least one extra litre of capacity), and some water purification tablets/chemicals. Collapsible water bottles like 'Platypus' are handy for expandable water storage capacity, but are not as durable as bulkier Nalgene-style bottles.

• At least one day's supply of food and snacks

• Sheath knife (sturdy for big jobs and prying) and folding pocket knife (for smaller, more delicate jobs, and as back up). A Swiss army knife or multi-tool (stainless steel) would also be handy.

• Personal mess kit, with cutlery and a metal cup (which can be put on top of a fire, candle or stove and used for melting snow, boiling water or limited cooking). Plastic (Lexan) cutlery is a bit lighter and fairly strong, but may also melt if touched to a hot pan. A compact manual can opener is also useful (a style like the military classic P38 is also useful for many other purposes).

• Toiletries (One roll of toilet paper, flattened with cardboard tube removed, toothbrush and toothpaste, 2 bars antibacterial soap, and menstrual supplies, if applicable. Menstrual pads are also handy for heavily bleeding wounds.)

• 2 or more large hankerchiefs (useful for many purposes)

• Sleeping bag and/or wool blankets

• Ground mattress, either inflatable (i.e., Thermarest) or foam or in very cold weather, both. (These can be rolled up and covered with a garbage bag, and are important for keeping you warm and insulated from the ground.)

• Space/Emergency blanket

• Change of clothing (in addition to the clothing that you are wearing when you exit)

  • 4 pair socks (2 pair cotton or polypropylene for inside and summer, 2 thick wool socks for outside in winter long hikes)

  • Several pairs underwear

  • Insulating long underwear (wool or polypropylene)

  • Toque, scarf and/or balaclava for cold weather

  • Sturdy hiking boots

  • Pants (ligher base layer and extra insulating layer of wool). Cargo pants with zip-off legs can be handy.

  • Base-layer shirts or t-shirts

  • Sweaters for layering

  • Thin gloves for cool weather, leather workgloves for cooler weather and work, and insulating over mittens to wear layered with lower gloves in cold weather.

  • Hat with broad brim for sunny weather

• Rain gear

• Snow gear (including insulating hooded coat, pants and boots) or other cold-weather gear as appropriate, including gaiters if needed.

• A dozen heavy-duty garbage bags, both black and transparent.

• One LED headlamp each.

• Compass and FOX40-style whistle

• Short maps (maps cut down to relevant area) with pre-planned rendezvous points or route memorized in case of separation.

• Duct tape (can be wrapped around water bottles to save space)

• Several small survival candles

• Waterproof matches and lighter in airtight container (and flint-and-steel starter if desired)

• Sunglasses and prescription glasses (If needed. Extra pair of prescription glasses is handy.)

• Mosquito repellent

• Compact first aid kit.

  • Mild pain reliever

  • Antidiarrhea medicine

  • Antibiotic

  • Antihistamine

  • Water purification tablets

  • Potassium permanganate (to treat water and for use as a topical antiseptic)

  • Salt tablets (to help treat dehydration)

  • Surgical blades (handles can be improvised)

  • Butterfly sutures (for closing cuts without using stitches)

  • Various band-aids

  • First aid tape

  • Sterile gauze

  • Triple-antibiotic ointment (like Polysporin)

  • Sunblock

  • Potassium iodide pills (to mitigrate exposure to nuclear radiation)

  • For cold weather regions, instant hot packs are very handy.

Also handy for personal kit:

• Personal sewing kit.

• Walkie-talkie or handheld radio if appropriate.

• Pencil and pad of paper

• Wire saw

• At least 50-100 feet of parachute cord (or other strong cordage) which is very strong and durable

• One roll of 16 gage wire (handy for snares, repairs and other uses)

• Small, strap-on crampons or creepers for icy, steep or slippery conditions.

Group Kit:

• Water in durable plastic containers, water purification chemicals (like Halazone tablets) and/or a water purifier (enough to provide at least 4 L (1 gal) per person per day.

• Portable emergency radio (Ideally battery-powered with a crank or solar option. The Grundig FR200 Emergency Radio is one fairly affordable example with a crank, and Radio Shack's DX-351 is a small, portable battery-powered radio.)

• Important papers, bank or credit card information, or identification if needed (in a waterproof container)

• Extra keys for car, house, etc.

• Cash

• First aid kit with handbook

• Survival handbook(s), with pocket guides to edible and medicinal plants in your area

• Windproof and waterproof matches, and lighter in an airtight container

• Flashlights with spare batteries, and/or solar- or crank-charged flashlight.

• Candles (Useful for light, limited cooking or snow melting, as well as heat in a small, enclosed shelter. “Survival” candles like Nu Wick will burn longer.)

• Pots and pans sized appropriately to your group (the nesting style is the most compact, and some varieties have lids which double as frying pans)

• Assorted cooking utensils

• Several rolls of duct tape (can be wrapped around other things to save space)

• A Swiss army knife or multi-tool (stainless steel)

• Detailed road and topographical maps of the area.

• Sewing kit with extra heavy duty thread or dental floss, various needles including some with big needles with large eyes for heavy thread, and plenty of various sizes safety pins.

• Towel or dishcloth

• Folded up roll of heavy duty aluminum foil (good for cooking in fire, reflected heat, making a solar oven or cooker, etc.)

• Tent, poles and stakes and 1 or 2 large, heavy duty tarps and/or roll of plastic sheeting for shelter.

• Wool or synthetic pile blankets (not cotton), and a heat-reflecting, waterproof "space blanket". Sleeping bags are good to have. Bags or blankets can be put in compression sack to reduce volume, and sack can be put in a garbage bag.

• Extra clothing (in case of unexpected cold weather, loss of personal clothing, 'adoption' of new group members, or need to share) including long underwear, hats, jackets, waterproof mittens, leather work gloves, sturdy hiking boots, and lighter shoes (to keep your boots dry while fording rivers, or for wearing after a long day of travel). Everything in garbage bags to keep dry.

• Two dozen heavy duty garbage bags, some black and some transparent. Plastic grocery bags may also be handy, and where I live the bags from the liquor store are the toughest and most durable.

• At least 50-100 feet of parachute cord (or other strong cordage) which is very strong and durable

• One or two rolls of 16 gage wire (handy for snares, repairs and other uses)

• Firearms, and extra rounds, if applicable. (See firearms primer, page #)

• Magnifying glass (for finding slivers and starting fires)

• Hatchet and/or axe with cover and sharpening stone (if you want to travel really light, bring only the head of the axe and carve a handle yourself)

• Folding saw (more effective and more durable than a wire saw in the long term)

• Fishing supplies: fishing rods or jig sticks, ice fishing tip ups, fishing tacklebox equipped with hooks, lures, line, sinkers and floats appropriate to the area (ask a local angler for tips if you aren't sure)

Also good to have:

• Pack of cards and/or dice

• Hand-powered weapons like bows and arrows, blowdarts, or whatever you are experienced with.

• Rat traps can be useful pre-made traps for small animals.

• Signal flares and smoke signal devices (if you need to signal others at a distance, or in case you get lost and want to be found)

• Folding solar shower

• Compact binoculars

• Inflatable raft or inner tube (with pump, if needed) for improvised water crossings

• 100 feet or more of climbing rope (very strong)

• A metre or two of accessory webbing

• A casting net, around 5' x 8'

• A dozen bungee chords (very helpful for packing, especially on bikes)

• Insect netting

• Small piece of mirror (for mirror signaling or to aid in cammoing yourself)

• Compact hammock

• Solar battery charger

• Large rubber bands for repairs and general handiness

• Lightsticks

• Camp stove and fuel

• 10 - 30 large nails

• A hammer. A larger hammer, if you can spare the weight, can be used in combination with an axehead or wedge to split wood, and a splitting maul is also very handy for that.

• Fingernail clippers (a luxury, since swiss army scissors work well for clipping nails, too, but they're small) which can also be used to cut through thin plastic lines or hose clamps.

General handy repair and maintenance items:

• Patch kits for air and tents smatresses (if applicable)

• Superglue and/or an epoxy which cures at low temperatures

• Sandpaper (to rough up areas which need to be glued or patched)

• Multitool (if not included above)

• Freesole or similar setting urethane compound for fixing shoes and boot soles

• Plastic hose clamps

• Scraps of ripstop nylon and polyester for patching clothes (if appropriate)

• Extra duct tape

Food supplies: (this is in addition to caches and stocked up supplies described elsewhere) The aim is to choose food which is light, nutritious, has a high energy content, and requires no refrigeration or cooking.

• You might want to consider Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) which are military-style rations.

• Canned foods including meats, vegetables, fruits and soups.

• Dehydrated foods like jerky, potato flakes, fruit and soups.

• High-energy ready-to-eat snacks like granola bars, nuts and peanut butter, dehydrated fruit like raisins, chocolate bars (chocolate bars are is especially handy in cold-weather situations)

• Grains and seeds for sprouting (since, for example, wheat stored properly will keep indefinitely) along with sprouting equipement like a sprouting bag or a jar with a piece of screen to cover the mouth.

• Spices and salt (important for avoiding appetite fatigue)

• Fats and oils like margarine, shortening or vegetable oil have a high energy content, and also aid cooking.

• Vitamins and/or multivitamins (may help you cope with irregular diet and with the decreased vitamin content in preserved food)

First Aid Kit:

Skills:

Herbal treatments and medicinal plants in your area

Basic first aid

Winderness first aid

Basic Kit:

• 2 "Ace" Elastic Bandages

• 1 box assorted sterile adhesive bandages (band-aids) including several square bandages 2 inches or larger

• Four to six 2-inch sterile gauze pads

• Four to six 4-inch sterile gauze pads

• Several pairs of rubber surgical gloves (latex type is common and cheap, but some people are allergic, so consider nitrile gloves)

• Assorted sizes of safety pins

• Butterfly sutures

• At least 3 triangular bandages

• Cleansing agent/soap

• Thermometer

• Tweezers

• Blunt-tipped scissors

• Medical tape

• Mouth shield with one-way-valve for protection when giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation

• Sterile needle and sterile thread

• Alcohol and./or 12 prepackaged alcohol squares

• Instant cold/ice pack

• personal or prescription medication as appropriate (stock up)

• Non-prescription drugs including:

• Pain reliever tablets* (like aspirin or acetaminophen)

• Antidiarrhea medication*

• Antacid

• Syrup of ipecac* (to induce vomiting if necessary)

• Laxative*

• Activated charcoal (in case of poisoning)

Expanded:

• Emergency first aid manual and general medical book like Where there is no Doctor

• Snake bit kit (if applicable to your area)

• Moleskin (for blisters)

• Emergency suture kit

• Splinting material

• Tourniquet

• Kelly hemostat

• Burn gel

• Natural antibiotics. Internal: Echinacea, colloidal silver, grapefruit seed extract. External only: Tea Tree oil (also anti-fungal)

• Prescription antibiotics and painkillers

• 2 scalpel blades

• Hydrogen peroxide (for cleaning wounds)

• 2 tongue depressors

Extra Supplies for Home:

• Fire extinguisher

• Wrenches for shutting off gas and water lines
• Chlorine bleach and disinfectant
• Extra cots and mattresses
• Plenty of water
• Soap and liquid detergent
• Various sanitation supplies, equipment for making improvised latrines (see Booklet #1: Tools for Gridcrash) (including 5-gallon buckets, sawdust, a large shovel, toilet seat and general construction materials
• Food, and lots of it.

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