11 Survival Camping Kit Essentials and Trip Tips

Survival camping (also known as survivalist camping) involves living for multiple days (or weeks) in the wilderness, relying upon survival skills and minimal camping gear. This form of rugged outdoor recreation requires far more advanced outdoor survival skills than the casual camper may possess (like foraging for food and navigating from deep in the woods). It is similar to ultralight backpacking, but it is meant to simulate being in an actual survival situation.

The two types of survival camping are base camping and walk-out-style camping. For base camping, campers head to a remote location in the wilderness to live for an agreed-upon amount of time. When the trip concludes, someone will come to pick the campers up, rather than tasking them with navigating back to civilization.

On the other hand, walk-out-style camping involves someone dropping the practitioner off at a remote, unknown location deep in the wilderness. The practitioner must navigate their way back to civilization using only basic survival skills and minimal tools.

No matter which style you choose, the goal of the activity is to experience an extremely rugged camping adventure. People unaccustomed to living outdoors may want to consider another form of camping.

One of the goals of survival camping is to make do with as little outdoor gear as possible. Still, there are a handful of supplies essential to safety and wilderness survival, especially if you’re faced with an emergency in the backcountry:

1. 1. Camping knife or multitool: Bringing along a survival knife or pocket knife multitool (including items like scissors and mini-pliers) is wise and may come in handy for a long-term wilderness trip.
2. 2. Compass: A compass is an essential survival tool when plotting your hiking path and identifying your location in both forms of survival camping.
3. 3. Emergency food: Even if you plan on surviving entirely off the land, it’s important to carry some protein- and calorie-dense food as a last resort among your emergency supplies.Refer to this list of backpacking foods for an array of shelf-stable, space-saving options.
4. 4. Firestarters: Whether you opt for waterproof matches or a steel and striker, you’ll need tools to create a fire for yourself from wild tinder to keep warm and cook your food.
5. 5. First aid kit: You don’t want to be caught alone in the wild without the first aid supplies necessary to take care of an injury or infection. A great space-saving camping hack is to fill old prescription bottles with medical kit must-haves like bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, tourniquets, and other essentials.
6. 6. Headlamp: Pack a headlamp and a rechargeable power source to help yourself see in the dark.
7. 7. Paracord: Depending on your available space and skill with knots, you can use a paracord bracelet (or a length of paracord attached to a carabiner) for everything from rigging up shelter to creating friction for a fire.
8. 8. Sleeping bag: An emergency blanket (also known as a space blanket or thermal blanket) is a compact failsafe to consider, but your survival gear should also include a designated sleeping bag. It will keep you warmer than the alternative.
9. 9. Tarp or emergency tent: Some survival camping purists rely solely upon the wilderness for shelter. For extra safety, it’s best to pack a tarp or emergency tent if you need last-minute shelter in dire circumstances.
10. 10. Water filtration or treatment equipment: Hydration is one of the most important components of staying healthy in the wilderness—you’ll need access to clean water that is safe to drink. In addition to a water bottle, campers should also plan out a water purification system or carry a water filter to avoid getting sick. Pack a water filtration device, purification tablets, or a UV purification light to purify your drinking water. Learn more about how to purify water in the wild.
11. 11. Waterproof clothing: In addition to wearing waterproof boots, carrying a poncho or compact rain gear helps keep you dry in an unexpected storm.

Ensuring your outdoor survival depends as much on the gear you bring as it does on your abilities and mental preparedness. Here are some critical skills and activities you’ll want to master before you head out there:

1. 1. Set an emergency contact. A friend or family member back in civilization should know roughly where you are in the event that you go missing. If you have the space to spare, consider packing a communication device with you, like a cell phone, for emergencies.
2. 2. Get comfortable with your navigation skills. Suppose you decide not to pack a smartphone or other satellite locator (even for emergencies). In that case, you’ll need to rely entirely upon your navigation skills to avoid getting lost on any day hikes and help yourself get back to camp.
   
3. 3. Learn how to hunt and/or gather food. Knowing how to hunt with a knife can be a beneficial skill for survival camping if you eat meat. If you eat fish, learn how to build a basic fish trap. If you’re a vegetarian, familiarize yourself with the edible flora of the wild, so you don’t ingest anything toxic. Before heading out on any extreme camping trip, learn the basics of foraging.
4. 4. Master basic first aid. Survival camping is largely about preparing for the worst-case scenario. In advance of your camping trip, take a first aid class to learn how to care for yourself if you get injured or sick.
5. 5. Know a variety of ways to create shelter. Even if you opt not to pack a traditional tent, you should know multiple ways to provide shelter to protect yourself from the elements and predators. The lean-to is a great, space-saving method involving building a basic trapezoidal prism from sticks and draping a tarp over the top.

Certain outdoor activities carry an elevated risk of serious injury. Wilderness scenarios require extensive survival gear, including but not limited to food, water, maps, protective clothing, and first aid, along with mental and physical fortitude. This article is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for hard skills and expertise.

Prepare for any outdoor journey by grabbing a MasterClass Annual Membership and committing Jessie Krebs’s wilderness survival course to memory. As a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape instructor, Jessie can teach you everything you need to know about packing for a trip (neon is the new black), purifying water, foraging (crickets: the other white meat), starting a fire, and signaling for help (forget SOS).