Build the Perfect Survival Kit

As the name makes clear, this is not a survival guide, of which there are plenty of godd ones available already. This book will help you supplement your skills with the proper equipment. The guiding principle of survival is `Be prepared'. `Build the perfect Survival Kit' supplements this with its own: `Make it easy'. Make it easy to be prepared. What good is it when you know how to make a fire when you have no fire-making equipment with you because you just stepped out of your car to take in the scenery, and, due to some freak accident, suddenly find yourself 15 miles downriver, wet and shivering? The author emphasizes that he never leaves house without at least some rudimentary kit and explains in great detail how you could, too. For this John D. McCann groups the necessary survival equipment into seven groups: 1. Fire & Light 2. Signalling 3. Navigation 4. Water & Food 5. Shelter & Protection 6. Knives & Tools 7. Medical To these he adds two groups, multi-purpose and miscellaneous components. McCann then describes the various alternatives in each group. Nearly every object is represented by a (b&w) photograph, often with a scale to get an idea of its size. Since the author is an accomplished outdoorsman with experiences of both the civilian and the military side, he has a wealth of experience and it shows. Many of the items are used by him but this is not a list of personal favourites. He appears to have played with a great amount of gear and therefore for each group and for each size within the specific group you get several recommendations. You are also given the supplier of the item in question and there is an appendix where you will find a comprehensive list of those. I understand that John McCann now also has his own website ([...]) where you can also order many of the tools described in the book. It should be mentioned that the equipment is geared towards the North-American market but since the author is so meticulous there should be no problem in other regions (like Europe) so select a fitting replacement if the original is not available. Some items, like knives, are highly subjective and people will have very strong opinions about them. The author never comes across as pushing his point of view but rather as evaluating alternatives and giving you his reasons for his decisions. After the in-depth discussion of equipment the author puts it all together and assembles a vast array of kits, from extremely tiny to full-blown, from personal-carry to something to take with you in your car or your boat. Here again everything is documented with photographs, and again for each size-category there are several alternatives. From the Altoids-box filled with goodies (or the even tinier kit assembled in an ID-card holder) to kits in a bag or a backpack. In a further appendix every kits described is represented with its corresponding checklist. After reading this, should you find yourself in the situation mentioned at the start of this review, you have only yourself to blame. It should be noted that this book assumes that you find yourself somewhere in the wilderness. City-survival raised some different questions (you likely will not need a fish-hook, but perhaps some other items). Overall, this is a fantastic resource and highly recommended.

One of the most common questions asked by people interested in survival is: what should I put in my survival kit? "Build the Perfect Survival Kit" answers that question in great detail. Learn how to build everything from small pocket-size kits, to large vehicle kits. After explaining the basics of personal survival kits, you will learn about items to add to your survival kit for: Fire and Light Signaling Navigation Water and Food Shelter and Protection Knives and Tools Medical Multi-purpose components Miscellaneous components You will then read about how to select proper containers for your survival kit and how to assemble kits of various sizes, for multiple purposes. The book also contains appendices listing additional training and reading resources, as well as a comprehensive list of companies offering survival kit items for sale. Development of survival kits is discussed in detail, and there are several photographs that add to the quality of the instruction offered by this book. This is not a `survival skills' manual, but as one would expect from the title, "Build the Perfect Survival Kit", a manual on building the kits that allow you to have an easier time employing the survival skills you have learned elsewhere. For anyone interested in survival, "Build the Perfect Survival Kit" is a must read book.

There is no one book that covers everything you need to know about preparing for an emergency. A small collection of focused books will serve you best, IMHO. With that in mind, this book does a great job of covering what you need to know to create "survival" kits. No kit can prepare you for all emergencies. The author does a good job of getting you to think "what am I building this for" and then the question of what to include becomes much easier. Do you want something for your purse, the trunk of your car, your garage or a back country trek? Is it for a drive thru Washington state or a hike in a park? He analyzes the basic components of a survival kit--fire, signaling, shelter etc. and does a good job explaining the pros and cons of various equipment and where to get it. He has personally tested most of the gear he talks about, so his recommendations have a common sense ring of truth to them. For example, he points out that survival knives with hollow handles seem like a good idea, but they don't stand up to actual hard use, noting that he has broken several of them. The book is not a survival manual nor does it claim to be. He stresses the need for further trainging to learn how to use what goes into your kits. This is a good niche book on one of the most important aspects of emergency preparedness.

Must have book. For the size and pages, it packs essential information I found better than other books of larger content.

I have read alot about "bug out bags" "day kits" and all sorts of emergency bags, and have even bought an emergency kit or two, but most have not been what I want in an emergency kit. I don't forsee being trapped in a heavily forested area, or in a situation where i would need two weeks of emergency supplies. I have enough food and water at home to survive if our power went out for a few days- to a week or two, so I just wanted an emergency kit to have in my car just in case. This book gives lots of examples for various situations, and has good information that will allow you to make your own kit to fit your needs. Everyone has differing needs, whether it be to survive without food and shelter for days, survive a power outage for a few days to a week, or an accident in an automobile. Build the Perfect Survival Kit will help in building whatever kit you may need. In fact, I have built three different kits based on scenarios, one for at home, one for the car, and an extra I can grab on the way out the door if something happens suddenly to my home. All in all this is a nice reference that can help in many different emergencies.

Given the nature of some of the previous reviews it's doubtful some actually even took the time to read Build the Perfect Survival Kit With that said, the book overall is a practical resource and idea generating report. The resources listed in the back of the book and its recommended reading list is the books strength but for the expert you might not find anything new. But as a compliment to your survival library one or two ideas might be gleaned. The book is replete with photos but color photos would have been better as it is hard to see and describe some of the items you are actually looking at (especially for the beginner.) At the top of McCann's list of preferred suppliers are CAMPMOR and Brigade Quartermaster to name a few. The book is redundant but was designed that way in order to teach how to assemble the most minimal to largest kit. Practically written but YAWN I was looking for something more informational. The survival tips are few but again it was purposefully not designed for that. There are some tidbits of survival wisdom within the pages as the author is an experienced survival expert, some idea generating tips for assembling equipment like making a survival stove with a NUWICK candle, food, water, shelter... all the basics so, it would be wise to assemble at least a minimal kit for your car or truck. As in the book however building a kit is a process best done slowly as your budget allows. And having some equipment on hand in an emergency just makes sense. Preparedness. The book does not include everything that you might need or want in your kit: car, truck or boat and had some glaring drawbacks. For example, waterproofing is talked about but the author on page 91 placed separately in small zip lock bags his Tylenol and alcohol pads to go into the main compartment of a plastic medical kit carry-on case; they, Tylenol and pads are already waterproofed! I gave it 4 stars for effort and as a resource guide.

This book should be taken at face value. It is all about what kind of gear to bring with you in various situations, mostly for outdoor survival (on foot, in cars, planes, boats). The book is not about what to do with the gear and how to use it :) The author clearly knows his stuff. He gives a good overview of the types of items you need to have (e.g. shelter, medical supplies, fire starters, etc) and then does a great job explaining what's currently available in each category and how to choose among the many options. While I occasionally disagree with the author, his directions are solid and it is more a matter of taste and personal preferences. The author leans towards less-is-more philosophy: What is the smallest, lightest set of equipment which suffices for a given situation? Where can one get high quality and inexpensive pieces of gear that will do the job well? Frankly, I was amazed that a whole book could be written about this topic, but it can. The author pulls it off. Many survival guides have a section on first-aid kits and survival kits, but they are minimalistic compared to the royal treatment of this topic here. For example, the book made it clear to me that I should add a few more items in my car trunk just in case, for emergencies. Yes, I know that survival is not about gear, but more about mental attitude and learned skills. However, gear needs to be discussed too, and it is expertly done in this book.

A lot of the same info as in many of the other books on the subject. Still a good purchase for a beginner.