Personal Survival Kit

We all have a backpack or fanny pack that we take with us when we go into the outdoors, but how much thought do we put into what we take.  Most people I know simply fill their packs with water, granola bars, and maybe a knife or multi-tool and head off on their adventures.  What should we really be taking in our outdoor packs?

This is a list of MINIMUM items that should be included in your outdoor packs: Bandana, Compass, Flashlight plus extra batteries, 2 Large garbage bags (preferably orange), Lighter, Matches, Magnesium flint striker, Metal cup, Multi-tool or Swiss army knife, Painkillers, 25 feet of parachute cord, Protein bars, Sharp knife, Solar or space blanket, Whistle, and Ziploc bags.

Like I said this is only a list of minimum requirements for your personal survival kit and items can always be added to suit your individual needs.  A more complete survival kit would include some of the following items in addition to the minimum items listed above: Candles, Dried food, Duct tape, Tinder for fire starting, First-aid kit, Fishing kit (hooks, sinkers and line), Flares, Hand held GPS, Map, Orange surveyor's tape, Money, Needle and thread, Pencil and notebook, Safety pins, Folding saw, Signal mirror, Snare wire, Personal location beacon or SPOT satellite messenger, Water purification tablets, Water purification pump, and Gloves.

As always use this list as a guideline for packing your survival kit and feel free to personalize your kit to suit your specific needs and the region you are traveling in.  Feel free to add comments about items you include in your personal survival kits.