More and more people are becoming aware of survival tips which they need to follow in case of an emergency. However, the truth is that most of the information which you hear about survival gear is actually not accurate. You need to know how to decipher the truth from the myths. Only once you are able to have accurate information, it would actually help you to survive in the wilderness. We would today share with you 10 of the most misunderstood facts about survival gear.
You would always have your survival kit with you
Most of the people think that since they are keeping the survival kit prepared, they would be able to carry it with themselves in times of an emergency. The truth is that this is not true at all. Many times, it may so happen that you might be at the office or on someone else’s premises whenever the emergency occurs. In such a case, you would not have the survival bag with you. That is why, rather than just relying on your survival kit, it is a much better idea to know about the practical solutions for surviving in the wild. Once you are having the practical knowledge, it would become easier for you to reduce your dependence on the survival kit.
Survival kit is suitable for any kind of disaster
Most of the survival kits are pretty generalized in nature. You need to understand that while they may help to a certain extent in each and every type of disaster but if the disaster is lasting longer than 24 hours, you would need specific survival tools. These are not available in the generalized survival kit. That is why it is important to understand that the survival kit may not be suitable for each and every type of emergency. You need to look at the geographical area in which you live and thereafter build the survival kit depending on the disasters which usually strike your area. You can look at the history of your area in order to find the same.
The disaster would only last for 72 hours
Most of the survival kits are designed for supporting an individual or a group of people for 72 hours. In truth, the disaster can easily last for more than 72 hours. That is why, instead of looking at the versatility of the kit, you have to look at the durability of the kit in order to ensure that you are able to rely on it throughout the disaster.
The survival kit which you have is pretty strong
Most of the people think that the backpack which they have chosen is pretty durable. That is why they would be able to use the survival kit in any kind of situation. The truth is that you need to look into the pack specifically. The survival kit is only as good as the backpack. That is why you have to be sure that it is triple stage II or even has greater redundancy in order to survive any kind of tough situation. Only when the survival backpack is intact, you can be sure that you would be able to keep the contents inside completely safe. Moreover, an eventuality which most of the survival practice do not plan for is the snowy condition. Most of the backpacks which are available do not have enough insulation for cold weather conditions. That is why you have to choose the backpack which can survive all kinds of weather conditions.
Survival kit is sufficient without anything else
If you look at the contents of your survival kit, you would realize that in most of the cases, it would not consist of any extra clothing options. Even when you’re browsing through the survival gear options, you would realize that there are no clothing options. Most of the people think that they would be able to easily survive with the help of the clothing which they currently have on their body. This is not true at all. In an emergency, your current clothing might get burnt or torn or wet, in such a case, you would need another set of clothing. However, neither the survival kits nor most of the survival gear gives you this option. That is why this is one of the biggest misconceptions of survival gear that you would be able to survive with a single set of clothing which you have on your body currently.
Phone is more than enough for communication
Most of the people rely on the smartphones heavily. You need to understand that in an emergency situation, conventional modes of communication can easily fail. That is why it is a misconception that you would be able to remain connected as well as call for help with the help of your smartphone. It is a much better idea to opt for alternative methods of communication. This can be satellite communication or radio communication. Also, you have to ensure that you are having sufficient power sources for this alternative mode of communication as well.
Most of the survival kits are the same
You need to understand that there is a lot of difference between the different options for survival kits which are available these days. Moreover, just because the gear in your survival kit is of top quality does not mean that you would have higher chances of survival. This is one of the main misconceptions which people often play. You need to know how to use the gear. More than that, you need to have redundant gear options for each and every piece of gear. Only when you’re having a backup plan for each and every piece of gear, you can easily circumvent problems like breaking down of gear or malfunctioning of gear.
Bug out bag would be used outdoors
While building the bug out bag, most of the people think that they would only need to use the bug out bag outdoors. This is actually a misconception. In case of an urban disaster, you might be trapped in your home. In such a case, you might have to use the bug out bag within the confines of your home. That is why you have to build up the bug out bag accordingly.
GPS unit is more than enough for navigation
We are very much reliant on technology. Due to this very reason, we believe that if we are having GPS systems along with us, we would be able to survive any situation and find our way out. This is not true at all. The reason that this is actually a misconception is that in case, the GPS system breaks down or the battery is dead on, you would need the old school method for navigation that is using a map as well as a compass. That is why, even though you should always include the GPS system in your backpack but that does not mean that you can do away with the traditional map as well as a compass.
Knife help you hunt
Having the best knives in your bug out bag or in your survival kit does not mean that you would be able to hunt easily. You need to look at the animals and the surrounding forests as well as the type of knives which you have. Moreover, even after having the right knives, you would need a lot of training in order to hunt. That is why, the thinking that once you are having the right knives, you would be able to hunt easily is actually a misconception. You need to practice consistently in order to learn how to hunt.
So, instead of believing the survival gear misconceptions which might actually put you in trouble, it is a much better idea to look into these 10 misconceptions and go with the facts rather than believing these misconceptions.