Survival kits are designed to give a person the tools they need to survive in most situations. Although not all of these kits are the same, the majority of them contain some kind of emergency food, medical provisions, survival tools, and other equipment that can be quite useful. That’s a bit of an understatement actually. We should’ve said that many of these kits are actual lifesavers to those who have access to them in an emergency.

Since we want all of our readers to have the tools they need to get through any emergency, we’ve decided that we should review some of the best ones available. And we think that we’ve found some models that our readers are going to love, so get ready for the best survival kits currently being sold. We hope that they provide our readers with the tools they need for any emergency.

Quick Summary of the Best Survival Kits

Editor’s Choice: Complete Earthquake Bag Emergency Kit

Unlike some other survival kits, this one is designed to give the consumer what they need to have in an emergency and dispenses with all of the things that aren’t necessary. This kit contains provisions for food and water, first-aid and hygiene, and light, shelter, and warmth. It also contains a variety of tools that give the consumer everything they need to survive an earthquake or just about any emergency.

This kit is designed to sustain 2 people for 3 days and is packed in a handy and durable bag. Inside of this kit the consumer will find two 3,600 food bars, 24 water pouches, a hydration bag, 20 water purification tablets, a 107 piece extended first-aid kit, two pocket tissue packs, two waste bags, two hygiene kits, a hand crank flashlight/radio/phone charger, two hand warmers, a 30+ hour emergency candle, a 12-hour bright stick, matches, and two mylar sleeping bags with a two-person tube tent.

Also included in this kit are some handy tools that include work gloves, goggles, a pencil, a multi-function knife, a note pad, a 5-in-1 whistle, a sewing kit, and 50-feet of nylon rope. As it’s easy to see from its contents, this is the best survival kit that anyone will find anywhere. And if a two-person kit isn’t big enough for the consumer, this company makes a variety of different kits in sizes from 1-person up to 6-person kits.

Yes, we know that this is a kit that was originally designed to help people survive earthquakes, but in our opinion, it can be used for virtually any emergency. Sure, it’s a little more expensive than some other emergency kits, but if a person had to buy all of these parts separately, it’s sure to cost much more than what the manufacturer of this product is asking for it.

What we liked about it
  • It contains everything needed to survive an emergency.
  • It’s well organized and well packed.

Also Recommended: Ready America 2-Person 3-Day Survival Kit

This survival kit is assembled by Ready America—a company that’s been assembling great emergency kits for almost three decades now. This particular kit is designed to provide the consumer with everything they need for 2 people to survive for 3-days. It’s a good selection of emergency food and water, medical supplies, and a few tools that a person might need if they’re lost in the woods or stranded in a disabled vehicle by the side of the road.

As we did with our first review, we think that we will start with the backpack that all of its equipment is packed in. The backpack is, unfortunately, the biggest flaw with this survival kit. It’s good for keeping all of the equipment in one place, but it doesn’t seem durable enough to take on the trail camping. Fortunately, this kit is inexpensive enough that the consumer can place all of the items into a different bag if they need something more durable.

What’s contained within this kit? Well, let’s take a look. Inside of this kit is a selection of emergency supplies which include an emergency blanket, 12-hour light sticks, an emergency whistle, and an emergency poncho. It also contains a 33-piece first aid kit that comes in a small plastic carrying case. This first-aid kit includes medication, bandages, and antiseptic.

Also included in this kit are twelve 4.225-ounce drinking water packets that can withstand temperatures from 40-degrees Fahrenheit to well over 120-degrees Fahrenheit, and two 2,400 calorie food bars. That’s the bare minimum of two people who need to survive three days.

Another thing that the consumer might want to think about when considering this survival kit is that it has a shelf-life of approximately 5-years. Fortunately, it comes with an expiration card that allows the user to keep track of it so they can rotate it out as needed. All things considered, this is quite a handy kit for survival situations and one that many people are going to want to have in their home or car.

What we liked about it
  • It contains the basics needed in an emergency.
  • This is an inexpensive survival kit.

Also Consider: Everlit 250-Piece Survival & Emergency Kit

Even though this survival kit doesn’t contain any food or water provisions in it, it does contain just about everything else that consumers could want their emergency kit to contain. It’s also a product that’s made in the U.S by American veterans, so consumers can rest assured that it’s a quality kit that won’t fail them when they need it the most.

There’s quite a lot of stuff in this kit to unpack (quite literally), so we’re going to get through as much of it as we can in the amount of space we have to do it. Let’s start with the pack. It’s a military EMT pouch that’s 8.5x6x4.5-inches, and the kit itself weighs approximately 2-pounds. That’s just the right size to fit into a larger pack, put into a vehicle’s trunk, or store in a closet.

As great as the pouch is, however, it’s what’s contained within it that’s the most important. Inside this kit, there is a camping knife, multipurpose tool card, and a fire starter. It also features a high-lumens flashlight, a disposable poncho, two glowsticks, and a paracord bracelet.

This kit also has quite the selection of medical supplies in it. Even though it’s not possible to describe everything that’s in this kit, we can give our readers an idea of what’s in it. This includes items such as alcohol prep pads, adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads, soap wipes, burn dressing, CPR mask, scissors and a bunch of other things. 250 items in all that is quite useful in an emergency.

The only drawback to this emergency kit is that it doesn’t contain any food provisions or water collection devices in it. However, we feel that’s a small oversight to a mostly comprehensive survival kit and can easily be remedied by the consumer purchasing energy bars and/or a survival straw separately. It’s still one of the best survival kits around, but it could’ve been even better.

What we liked about it
  • It has a great assortment of survival tools.
  • It has a good selection of medical supplies.

A Guide To Buying & Using Survival Kits

While we were reviewing the best survival kits, we felt a heavy obligation to get things right. After all, we knew that people could be potentially hanging their life on these kits, so we wanted to make sure that we chose kits that would give our readers the tools they need to survive just about any disaster or emergency.

With that being said, however, we know that we’re not quite done. We also feel an obligation to give our readers the best advice we can give not only concerning how to decide which kit is right for them but to help them ensure that the kit has everything they need. As good as emergency kits are nowadays, they still may need to be adjusted by the consumer to ensure that it fits their personal needs.

That’s why we’ve decided to write this guide. We hope that it serves to help consumers think about some of the potentially life-threatening circumstances that might confront them and prepare for them properly.

Shopping For A Survival Kit

Let’s get things started by talking about some of the things the consumer is going to need to consider when shopping for a new survival kit. The following points will help the consumer decide which survival kits are right for them.

Step One: Choose A Size

One of the first things that consumers should think about when choosing a new survival kit is what size kit do they need. Do they need a kit that fits in their car, or do they need a kit that’s a little bit bigger? If they’re considering a kit for their home, then they’re going to want to make sure that it’s large enough to fit the needs of everyone in the home. Most kits are designed to sustain 1-person for about 3-days. If the kit isn’t big enough for everyone in the home, then they may need to purchase additional kits for each additional person as needed.

Step Two: Consider The Kit’s Purpose

The next thing the consumer is going to want to consider is how they’re going to use the kit. Do they need a kit for the home that could be useful for earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other natural disasters, or do they need a survival kit that can be taken on camping or hiking trips? There are survival kits for just about any situation a person can think of—there are even kits that are made to help a person through the very unlikely scenario of a zombie apocalypse. Therefore, the consumer is going to want to make sure that they buy a kit that fits their needs the best.

Step Three: Consider The Kit’s Cost

Another thing that consumers are going to want to think about is how much they want to spend on their new survival kit. There are inexpensive kits that cost as little as $20 but are extremely limited in what they offer the consumer, and there are kits that cost over $1,900+ but have everything the consumer might ever need. The consumer should buy the one that fits within their budget their best. A basic kit might not have everything they need, but it’s certainly better than nothing for an emergency.

Step Four: Consider The Kit’s Portability

The consumer should also think about how portable they need the kit to be. Some of the more expensive kits are too big to take out into the wilderness, and some of the smaller kits that are portable enough might not be suitable for use as a home survival kit. The consumer needs to keep all of this in mind before they make their final decision and decide which kit is best for them.

Tips For Keeping The Survival Kit Updated

Although the kits we reviewed are some of the best ones available, the consumer should keep in mind that no kit is perfect. They will probably need to adjust the kit to fit their personal needs. For example, they might need to add snake bit kits or other essentials to their survival kit to make it more suitable for their purposes. Remember no kit is perfect or complete, so the consumer will need to add a few things to it to keep it updated and ready for use. Below are a few things to consider adding to a survival kit to make it more complete.

Items To Add To A Survival Kit:

  • Cash
  • Personal ID/Passports
  • Personal Pain Relievers/Medicine
  • 3-Days Food
  • 3-Days Water
  • A First Aid Kit
  • Trash Bags
  • Firestarters
  • Snake Bit Kits
  • Allergy Medicine
  • Respiratory Masks