Outdoor and Emergency Gear

The most important outdoor gear is the kit you have with you when something goes wrong. For most people that means a basic emergency kit in the car, a bug-out bag with water, light, first aid and shelter, and, for hiking, a short checklist covering navigation, light, layers and water treatment.

Our outdoor guides compare gear on maker specs: weight, packed size, battery type and runtime ratings, water-resistance ratings and capacity. We do not run our own field tests. Where a post uses published preparedness guidance, it links the source.

Start with Survival Kit 101 for building a bug-out bag. Then read the car emergency kit guide for what to keep in your trunk. If you hike, the ultralight backpacking checklist covers the core list, and the rechargeable headlamp guide covers night hiking. The dry bags guide explains how to keep gear dry in city and travel use. Each guide lists the maker's numbers so you can compare kits side by side.