Survival Kit List: Complete Checklist of What to Pack

Survival kit for your backpack: a practical guide

⏱ 2 min read

What to carry on trips and outdoors. A guide based on official advice. The same text is in the free SurvivalZone.app and works without internet.

Open in the app (works offline)

Always with you

A charged phone and a power bank with a cable. Download offline maps in advance.
A paper map and compass. GPS and signal can fail.
A head torch with spare batteries.
Water (at least 1.5 litres for half a day) and a filter or purification tablets.
Energy snacks: bars, nuts, dried fruit.
A whistle. The international mountain distress signal is 6 blasts a minute.

For an unplanned night out

An emergency foil blanket and a warm layer, even in summer. Mountain nights can drop below freezing.
A waterproof jacket and a hat.
Storm matches or a lighter and tinder in a waterproof bag.
A knife or multitool and a few metres of cord.

Health

A small first aid kit: plasters, dressings, elastic bandage, disinfectant, gloves and your regular medicines.
Sunscreen and sunglasses.
A card with your blood group, allergies and an emergency contact.

Watch out

A kit is no substitute for good sense. Leave your route and return time with someone, and turn back in bad weather.
Make sure you can use what you carry: compass, filter, storm lighter.

Frequently asked questions

What should a survival kit contain?

Map and compass, phone and power bank, head torch, water and filter, food, foil blanket, a warm layer, fire, knife, cord, whistle and a small first aid kit.

How is a survival kit different from a go bag?

A go bag is for leaving home fast: documents, medicines and 72 hours of supplies. A survival kit goes with you outdoors to get through an unplanned night and call for help.

What is the mountain distress signal?

Six signals a minute (whistle, torch or voice), then a minute's pause. The reply is three signals a minute.

Can I use a survival kit checklist offline?

Yes. In the free SurvivalZone.app the guides and checklists work without internet once the app is installed.

Keep it on your phone

SurvivalZone.app is a free app for every emergency, with no account and no app store. It works without internet and shows the nearest shelters and help points, local radio, a 72-hour plan and a mountain trip planner.

Open SurvivalZone.app

Thank you for reading. If this could help someone, send it to the people you care about. Getting ready takes a moment, and in a crisis every minute counts.

Coming soon: the app’s permanent address will be survivalzone.app.

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Sources

Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-11-08.

General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.