This Survival Gear List Will Prepare You For Anything

So, you want to get survival gear so you can be prepared when disaster strikes?

It can be tough to compile a list of what you need. Most of the survival gear lists you find online are targeted toward specific types of disasters or just trying to sell you their crappy products.

In making this survival gear list, we tried to be as comprehensive as possible. It will cover gear and supplies needed for all types of disasters, from a 3-day blizzard to major hurricane.

How to Use this Survival Gear List

It might seem like there are a lot of items on this survival gear list. Please don’t get overwhelmed!

Start by gathering the cheapest and most important items like extra water and candles. Over time, you will build up a complete stockpile of survival gear and supplies. Just don’t be complacent about it!

Disaster can strike anywhere, so this survival gear list is divided into 3 parts: Home, Vehicle, and Evacuation. You will need to stockpile survival gear for all 3.

At-Home

*This survival gear and supplies list is divided into subcategories so you can see what types of items you need.

Water

  • 1 gallon of water per person for 30 days
  • Water filter
  • Bleach (for purifying water)

Food

  • Canned goods, non-perishables, Meals Ready to Eat (more on survival food)
  • Camping stove, wood stove, or another off-grid cooking method
  • Fuel for cooking
  • Plates, utensils, and cooking pots/pans

Emergency Toilet

  • Two 5-gallon buckets
  • Trash bags
  • Shredded paper, cat litter, or sawdust

Read more about emergency toilets here.

Hygiene Items

  • Toilet paper
  • Baby wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Female hygiene items
  • Diapers (if you have a baby)
  • Soap, shampoo
  • Toothpaste
  • Trash bags (LOTS of them!!!)

Debris Cleanup Supplies

  • Hand and power tools
  • Plastic sheeting
  • Duct tape
  • Heavy-duty gloves
  • Plywood
  • Nails and screws

Safety Gear

  • First Aid Kit and manual
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Dust masks

Warmth and Comfort Survival Gear

Lighting and Electricity

Other Survival Gear

Vehicle List

  • Emergency water and camping water filter
  • Emergency food (MREs)
  • Spare clothes and shoes
  • Map and compass – read more about the different types of compass
  • Sleeping bag or wool blanket
  • Mylar blanket
  • Waterproof matches or firestarter
  • Vehicle first aid kit
  • Mechanical items (jump starter, spare tire, gas can and siphon, oil, antifreeze, tire jack, brake fluid, adjustable wrench, screwdrivers, vise grips, pliers, spare fuses, ice scraper, WD-40)
  • Car fire extinguisher
  • Shovel
  • Flashlight
  • Knife/multitool
  • Crowbar or pry tool
  • Paracord and towing rope
  • 2-way radio
  • Signaling items (reflective triangles, roadside flares, fluorescent safety vest, whistle)
  • Emergency phone charger (such as solar charger)

Evacuation List

Few people actually take the time to prepare survival gear needed for evacuation situations. They’d rather believe that this worst-case scenario won’t happen.

But the sad truth is that we usually don’t have time to pack a bag before fleeing our homes in a disaster situation. This is why you need to have your evacuation gear ready to go!

Gear for Your Evacuation Bag (aka “Bug Out Bag”)

This bag should contain everything you need to survive 3 days after a major disaster. Your Bug Out Bag should always be packed and ready to go.

If you have a family, you will need to determine how many bags you will pack and how you will distribute the gear.

Here are the items that should be in your Bug Out Bag.

Evacuation Transportation

Depending on where you live, you may need to prepare a different form of transportation in case of evacuation. Just imagine how much better off New Orleans residents would have been if they’d had inflatable rafts after Katrina instead of being stuck on their rooftops waiting to be rescued!

Here are just some ideas for evacuation transportation:

  • SUV or another rugged vehicle, plus spare fuel
  • Motorcycle (great choice in post-disaster traffic jams)
  • Bicycle
  • Boat, kayak, or inflatable raft

This is Just a Start…

This survival gear list covers all the core items you need to survive disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. It is important to note that we can’t predict what disasters will occur or will happen in the aftermath.

For example, one of the most likely disasters is an EMP from an attack or a solar flare (Read What Is EMP). EMP destroys electronics. It could wipe out the entire grid and fry your electronic devices. Because a large-scale EMP attack has never occurred, we don’t know whether our cars would work.

Don’t get scared by all the “what if’s….” Many people get too overwhelmed by the unknowns and then give up altogether.

Start by stockpiling survival gear for a 3-day power outage. Then start adding specific survival gear to your list, such as earthquake supplies (if you live in an earthquake-prone area) or hurricane supplies (if you are in a hurricane zone).

Most importantly, remember that no survival gear can replace knowledge. The more survival skills you know, the less equipment you need to get by in a disaster. You won’t just survive but will thrive.

What survival gear can you add to the list?

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  1. I’m looking for opinions on the COB LED flash lights. They seem to be the new “in” thing but how dependable are they really? And just how many “lumens” should we be looking for?

    Reply
    • Cob leds work amazingly and last almost forever. Very low power drain lights and bright as the sun. I would recommend them to anyone. They’re the smallest, brightest light you will find anywhere! Most are in the thousands of lumens range for brightness. Its a bright new world since Cob LEDs have come along.

      Reply
    • Only problem with water suggestion for “bug out bag” is volume and weight. AFTER B.O.G. is packed with necessities to carry capacity, find another bag/container to haul with containing enough water for a couple days and invest in a better water filter and water purification tablets to use in conjunction.

      Reply

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