How to Create the Perfect Survival Kit For Your Solo Trek

A Guest Post by Jane Roberts: How to Create the Perfect Survival Kit For Your Solo Trek: With 53% of American travelers worrying about getting lost while traveling alone, a solo trek might, at first, sound stressful. However, along with booking your flights and planning your travel route, preparing for unforeseeable events can do a lot to ease your mind. Whether you’re planning a trek through Southeast Asia’s mountains or an independent road trip across the United States, putting together a survival kit is a wise idea for any solo traveler.

The perfect survival kit:

Packing the essentials 

Every survival kit needs to have the essentials, one of the most basic being food and water. Water is essential to your body, and you’ll only last three or four days without it. And, while you can survive for three weeks without food, it’s important to keep in mind that trekking requires strength. Because of this, having a good supply of food and water in your survival kit can be a lifesaver if you ever get lost. Good options include granola bars, protein-packed snacks, and extra water. To save space in your pack, investing in a filtration straw can be a smart alternative to lugging around extra water.

Along with a good supply of food and water, packing a first aid kit is another essential not to be forgotten, no matter what your situation may be. For backpackers on a solo trek in nature, the possibility of getting cut or stung is very real. Having simple and proper first aid supplies on hand can help prevent infection in the long run, not to mention give you pain relief sooner rather than later. Good first-aid items include bandages, gauze, and hydrogen peroxide, to name a few.

Customization is key 

Depending on your travel plans, customization is key when putting together the ideal survival kit for a solo trek – and you can customize in many ways. For backpackers, this means customizing your survival kit so that it takes up the least amount of space possible while on the go while packing the proper survival tools (like a compass or knife). However, for those who wish to take a solo road trip, things may be a bit different.

When putting together a survival kit for the car, you have more space to work with, meaning you’re easily able to pack more practical items. For example, a lantern, blankets, and pillows (in the event that you need to stay the night in the vehicle), and a good supply of food and water. However, it’s important to keep in mind that a survival pack for cars may include other items as well, like jumper cables and a spare tire. This means that your backpacking survival kit will look significantly different than your car kit, proving that customization is necessary.

Consider stocking additional items

Along with your basic emergency supplies, it’s worth considering adding additional items to your survival kit. Bringing along a prepaid phone can be a valuable means of communication that not many may think of, especially if you’re already bringing along your smartphone. A cheap back-up may just save your life in the event of an emergency and can save you from spending more time in an undesirable situation. Cash can be helpful as well if you’re stranded in a populated area, as it can allow you to buy gas, food, or other necessities.

Going on a solo trek can be a wonderful experience for anyone who chooses to do so, though it’s important to plan for unforeseeable events. By creating a survival kit that is fit for your needs, you can be prepared in the unlikely event of an emergency.

See also “10 Ways to Find Water”. For more information, check out 10 Solo Hiking Safety Tips.