2023 is a great year to fatten up your stash of survival gear. There are many exciting, innovative and useful products that can help you take care of the situations that can arise when you’re out there enjoying nature or dealing with an unexpected crisis in everyday life. What are the emerging must-have survival items that everyone needs to keep around to stay prepared and remain in control in high-pressure situations? Take a look at the top items on our 2023 essential survival gear list.

A Knife Is Still The Foundation

A knife is essential if you want to cut through whatever stands in the way of having an amazing experience in the wild or surviving when things suddenly go sideways in the world around you. A good cutting tool is actually one of the most versatile items you should have on your list. In addition to serving as an essential piece of camping equipment that can help you with common tasks, your handled blade could save your life. Of course, the size of the blade you need will depend on the types of adventures you’re planning and what you feel comfortable with carrying around with you. The important thing is to never underestimate the power of a trusty blade when you’re in a bind. Here’s a list of things knives are useful for:

• Clearing brush from paths
• Splitting wood
• Creating fire tinder
• Defense
• Hunting and dressing game
• Opening cans and jars
• Digging
• Hammering
• Staking
• Picking your teeth
• Wound care
• Cutting and trimming loose material from clothing
• Creating a shelter

Tourniquet – Bare Minimum for Emergency Medicine

The top rule to follow is to prepare for the worst while enjoying the best adventure of your life. This means you should definitely have a pressure-inducing device tucked away if you’re going to be stepping into some wild and remote terrain. This is also a very helpful tool to have in your possession in the case of not being able to get medial attention during a disaster scenario. The reality is that sharp rocks, boulders, wild animals, falling debris, violent people and even tree branches can create injuries that require the use of tourniquets for survival. Simply creating a makeshift device by ripping some strips from your shirt or pants may not stop the bleeding at the level you need when your life is hanging in the balance. A lot of outdoor enthusiasts changed the way they thought about packing survival bags after watching the movie “127 Hours” and witnessing the true story of how Aron Ralston was forced to amputate his arm after becoming trapped under a boulder in a remote Utah canyon. Savvy adventurers now always bring tourniquets along. The good news is that there are now emergency tourniquets on the market that can stop severe hemorrhaging. What is notable about these devices is that they can be applied using just one hand. They make it possible to apply the stress needed to stop bleeding and maintain homeostasis. Take a note from our Vets and lessons learned in the GWOT – you can never have too many tourniquets and you should always have at least one.

72 Hour Bag – Be Fully Prepared for the Long Haul

Sometimes the difference between life and death can all come down to what happens during a span of 72 hours. This is why having a kit with some life-sustaining essentials ready to go at all times is a smart idea. Who needs a survival bag? These bags are ideal for both recreational use and general at-home preparedness. These kits are sometimes referred to as bug-out bags or get-home bags. They can contain a wide variety of items that will help you stay sustained during an emergency or disaster scenario. The key thing to remember when choosing one of these bags is that you should have one that is only as big and heavy as you can realistically carry around. The last thing you need is to be weighed down because you’re carrying too much on your back when you need to flee an area. One good way of cutting down on unnecessary weight is to make sure the bag you choose has a very lightweight frame. The second important thing to remember about choosing a solid 72 hour bag is that yours should be personalized to meet your specific health needs. This is the place to keep extra supplies of any medications, inhalers or glasses you need to stay alert and capable in the case of a troubled scenario. What are some of the essential items that everyone needs to have in their survival kits? The answer is water, water and more water. It definitely helps to have a bag with special external pockets that are designated to hold water. The bottom line is that any bag is better than no bag when you need to grab some essentials and go without wasting a minute. Here’s a list of items that you may want to have ready and waiting inside your bag:

• LED lantern
• Lighter
• Rope and bungee cords
• Medical kit
• Flares
• Energy bars
• Batteries
• Matches
• Sleeping bag
• Toilet paper
• Campfire tools
• Blanket
• Fishing tools
• Earmuffs, scarf and gloves
• Personal defense items

Getting the Best

It goes without saying that quality is important when you’re picking out the knives, tourniquets or 72 hour bags that your life could depend on one day. Choosing products that really pass the test is important when putting together a plan for surviving anything. Many survival enthusiasts are already getting tastes of the latest and greatest gear by subscribing to TacPack to receive curated and vetted kits that feature survival supplies and camping gear. These kits give members opportunities to try out and own quality, cutting-edge gear. Consider signing up to see why so many people are preparing for the worst by getting their hands on the best.