What should you have in a survival kit? These experts can help

Call him what you will – the world’s greatest Boy Scout, McGyver – but survival expert Joe Fischer is always prepared.

“Whether it’s a twisted ankle or the zombie apocalypse, it pays to be ready,” he laughs.

And ready he is. In what he calls his “man purse” – actually a small camouflage bag that is with him at all times – Fischer keeps a fire starter, a fixed-blade knife, a stainless steel water bottle and a length of heavy-duty cordage, which nonsurvivalists call rope but is actually a lightweight, multiuse cord.

“You can make just about anything you need with fire and a knife,” he says. “The other items are listed in order of importance.”

To augment the personal pack, Fischer maintains a car kit containing a small supply of nonperishable food, a bottle of water, a fire starter, a couple of tealight candles, black electrical tape and a Mylar survival blanket. “It all fits into a metal ammo can, which I keep behind the front seat,” he explains. “You don’t need the kitchen sink, just a few versatile items.”

We believe him, but have a very different idea about what should be included in a survival kit.

For us, it’s all about food. Our kit would include, in no particular order:

▪ A LaBrasca’s pizza (with a cheese salad on the side)

▪ A Rockaway’s burger (with fries, of course)

▪ A latte from Drip

▪ A milkshake from Zesto

▪ Chicken salad from the Gourmet Shop

But if you’d like more real advice on survival, emergency preparedness, field medicine, self-defense and natural health, consider attending the Greater South Carolina Survival and Green Living Expo, set for this weekend at the S.C. State Fairgrounds.

No matter the event to survive, you’re sure to find the tools to help you make it through, from stun guns and ammunition to body armor, medical kits, backpacks, water purification – and, a bit less interesting than our list, some freeze-dried food.

This story was originally published July 26, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "What should you have in a survival kit? These experts can help."