Top 10 Items for an Advanced Survival Kit

This guide is for people who already have the basics. If you do not have a kit yet, start with our list of 10 must-have items for your basic survival kit. Come back when that is done.

An advanced kit covers longer outages, evacuations that last days, and situations where help is slow to arrive. Each item below says what to look for. We do not review or rank brands.

1. A water filter plus a chemical backup

Stored water runs out. A filter lets you make more from a stream, lake or rain barrel. The CDC explains what each method can and cannot remove.

Method	Removes or kills	Does not reliably handle
Boiling	Bacteria, viruses and parasites	Chemicals
Filter, 1 micron or smaller (or NSF 53/58 for cysts)	Parasites	Viruses, all bacteria
Filter, 0.3 micron or smaller	Bacteria and parasites	Viruses
Reverse osmosis	Bacteria, viruses, parasites and salt	Not stated by CDC
Chlorine bleach or iodine	Bacteria and viruses	Parasites
Chlorine dioxide tablets	Bacteria, viruses and Giardia	Cryptosporidium (only partly effective)

The CDC says boiling is the best method. Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 6,500 feet. If you cannot boil, the next best choice is to filter first, then disinfect.

So pack two things:

• A filter rated for bacteria and parasites (0.3 micron or smaller)
• Chlorine dioxide tablets or another chemical disinfectant as a backup

UV pens also work best on clear, filtered water. For step-by-step methods, see how to purify water in an emergency.

2. Longer-term food

The basic kit holds a few days of food. The Red Cross suggests a 2-week supply at home.

Good options for longer storage:

• Canned food. The USDA says low-acid canned foods, like meat, soup and vegetables, keep about 2 to 5 years. High-acid foods, like fruit and tomatoes, keep about 12 to 18 months.
• Freeze-dried meals. Light and long-lasting. Most need hot water, so plan for fuel and a stove.
• Dry staples. Rice, beans and oats store well in sealed containers.

Eat and replace your stock in rotation so nothing expires.

3. Safe backup power

Portable power stations and solar panels

A portable power station is a large rechargeable battery with outlets and USB ports. It can run phones, lights, radios and small devices.

You can use it indoors because it burns no fuel. A folding solar panel lets you recharge it during long outages.

Check capacity against what you need to run. Look at the watt-hours (Wh) of the station and the watts each device uses.

If someone in your home uses powered medical equipment, FEMA advises planning backup power for it ahead of time. Talk to the equipment supplier about battery run times.

Generators

Gas generators make carbon monoxide (CO), a poison gas you cannot see or smell. The CDC warns that running a generator indoors can kill you in minutes.

Follow these rules from the CDC and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

• Run generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house and from doors, windows and vents.
• Point the exhaust away from doors, windows and vents.
• Never run one in a garage, basement, crawlspace, shed or porch, even with doors open.
• Install battery-powered CO alarms, or alarms with battery backup, outside sleeping areas and on each floor.
• Test CO alarms monthly.
• Consider a generator with automatic CO shutoff.

CO poisoning can cause headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion. If you feel sick or a CO alarm sounds, get outside right away. Then call 911.

4. Better communication

NOAA Weather Radio

If your basic kit only has an AM/FM radio, add a NOAA Weather Radio. It broadcasts National Weather Service warnings 24 hours a day from more than 1,000 transmitters. It covers all 50 states.

Choose a model with SAME, a tone alert and battery backup. SAME lets you pick alerts for your county only.

Two-way radios: GMRS and ham

Two-way radios let your group talk when cell networks are down. Licensing rules differ by type:

• GMRS: The FCC requires a license to operate. Applicants must be 18 or older. The license lasts 10 years, and your immediate family members may use your station under it.
• Amateur (ham) radio: You must pass an exam before the FCC grants a license. Volunteer examiners give the tests. Ham radio has much longer range, but takes more study.

Fees and rules change. Check the FCC website before you buy or transmit.

Satellite messengers and personal locator beacons

These work where there is no cell service at all.

• Personal locator beacon (PLB): Sends a distress signal on 406 MHz to search and rescue. Federal rules require you to register it with NOAA. Registration is free, and NOAA asks you to confirm your details every 2 years.
• Satellite messenger: Sends texts or SOS messages by satellite. Many need a paid subscription, so check the costs before you buy.

Some newer phones also offer satellite SOS. Learn how yours works before you need it.

For a full family setup, see our guide on how to develop a family communication plan.

5. Trauma first aid, plus training

This guide is general information, not medical training. Call 911 in an emergency, and take a hands-on first aid class from the Red Cross or AHA.

A basic kit treats cuts and scrapes. An advanced kit adds supplies for severe bleeding:

• A commercial tourniquet
• Hemostatic or plain gauze for wound packing
• Pressure bandages (elastic wraps)
• Trauma shears
• Nitrile gloves
• A marker to note the time a tourniquet goes on

A tourniquet is for life-threatening bleeding from an arm or leg. Gear without training can do harm.

Take a Stop the Bleed course, which teaches direct pressure, wound packing and tourniquet use. Many hospitals and fire departments offer it.

Add a larger supply of your regular medicines, too. Our guide to first aid techniques for survival situations covers what to learn next.

6. Shelter and sleep gear

Ready.gov lists a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. It also lists a full change of weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes. An advanced kit builds on that:

• A sleeping bag rated for your local winter lows
• A sleeping pad, to stop the ground from pulling heat from your body
• A tarp or small tent, plus cord to set it up
• Emergency blankets
• Rain gear, a warm hat and work gloves

7. A reliable fire kit

Ready.gov lists waterproof matches. Pack at least three ways to start a fire, in a waterproof bag:

• Waterproof matches
• Two lighters
• A ferro rod (ferrocerium rod)
• Dry tinder, like cotton balls with petroleum jelly or commercial fire starters

Practice with each one before you need it. Keep a fire extinguisher at home, too, as Ready.gov suggests.

8. Better tools

• A full-size multi-tool
• A fixed-blade knife (check your state and local knife laws)
• A utility shut-off wrench for gas and water
• A small folding saw
• A pry bar
• Heavy-duty work gloves
• Paracord and zip ties
• Duct tape and a basic sewing kit

9. Documents and cash

Upgrade the paper pack from your basic kit. The Red Cross suggests copies of:

• IDs, passports and birth certificates
• Insurance policies and the home deed or lease
• A medication list and medical information
• Proof of address
• Recent photos of family members (update them every 6 months, especially for children)

Store paper copies in a waterproof pouch. Keep an encrypted digital copy, too. Add more cash in small bills, plus spare car and house keys.

10. Navigation

Phone maps fail when networks go down or batteries die. Pack:

• Paper road maps of your state and region
• A topographic map if you live near wilderness
• A baseplate compass
• A handheld GPS with spare batteries, if you already know how to use one

A map and compass are only useful if you practice. Take them on a local walk and find your way with them.

Advanced kit checklist

• Water filter (0.3 micron or smaller) and chlorine dioxide tablets
• 2 weeks of food at home, rotated
• Power station and solar panel, sized for your devices
• Generator (if owned) set up outdoors, 20+ feet from the house
• Battery CO alarms on each floor, tested monthly
• NOAA Weather Radio with SAME and battery backup
• Two-way radios, with any required FCC license
• PLB registered with NOAA, or a satellite messenger
• Tourniquet, gauze and pressure bandages, plus a Stop the Bleed class
• Sleeping bag, pad, tarp and cord for each person
• Three ways to start a fire
• Multi-tool, knife, shut-off wrench, saw and gloves
• Waterproof document pouch, cash and spare keys
• Paper maps and a compass

Related guides

• 10 Must-Have Items for Your Basic Survival Kit

Sources

• Build a Kit — Ready.gov (FEMA)
• Be Red Cross Ready — American Red Cross
• A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment and Sanitation for Backcountry and Travel Use — CDC
• Shelf-stable and canned food storage (“Stop! Don’t throw that food away!”) — USDA
• Danger! Carbon Monoxide Hazard — CDC
• Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning — CDC
• What to Know About Portable Generators — U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Power Outage flyer (FEMA P-2143) — FEMA / Ready.gov
• NOAA Weather Radio FAQ — NOAA National Weather Service
• NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards — NOAA National Weather Service
• General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) — Federal Communications Commission
• 47 CFR § 95.1705 – Individual licenses — U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (via Cornell LII)
• Amateur Radio Service — Federal Communications Commission
• Beacon Registration brochure — NOAA SARSAT
• Stop the Bleed: Compress and Control — Florida Department of Health