Survival kit checklist: what to pack for a trip
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.
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.
See also
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.
Keep it on your phone
SurvivalZone 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.
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.
Other guides
- 💧 How to make water safe
- 🍲 Food without power
- ⛺ Shelter at home and outdoors
- 👨👩👧 Protecting your family and yourself
- 💊 Run out of medicine
- 🎒 Go bag checklist
- 🩹 Home first aid kit
- 🔦 Prepare your home for a blackout
- ✈️ Air travel: a safe trip
- 🏜️ Desert trip
- 🪢 Knots worth knowing
- 🔥 Campfire and outdoor cooking
- 📞 Family communication plan
- 🥫 Emergency food and medicine supplies
- 🧼 Hygiene in a crisis
- 📁 Documents and money in a crisis
- 🧰 Tools and equipment for a crisis
- 🧥 Clothing and warmth in a crisis
- 📻 Communication and navigation in a crisis
Sources
- US Army field manual FM 21-76 Survival (EverySpec archive)
- TOPR: Tatra mountain rescue
- GOPR: Polish mountain rescue
- Bergwacht mountain rescue (Germany)
- Polish government Safety Guide 2025 (PDF, Polish): go bag p. 27–28, first aid kit p. 22, power cut p. 34
Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-10-23.
General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.