When considering the items you carry or may want to carry with you on a daily basis, it is important to remember that survival is contingent on these seven priorities (in order of importance): mindset and planning, provide first aid, seek shelter, build a fire, signal for help, drink water and find a food source.
Never underestimate the characteristics of the bag you carry your everyday items in. Consider choosing one with qualities that can be useful in a survival situation. A purse’s construction, material and size could provide additional survival tools like a method for capturing water, or tearing it apart for bandages, tinder and binding.
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Aside from common sense and keeping calm, the rest of these priorities can be accomplished by using everyday items creatively. Here are five items that many women already carry that have the potential to aid in meeting some of the aforementioned survival priorities.
Lip Balm
A lip balm containing bee’s wax and lanolin (a fatty substance found naturally on sheep’s wool) provides for many uses beyond the obvious healing of cracked, dried lips. Lip balm can also be used as a lubricant for tools, to remove rings from fingers, to stop minor bleeding, to prevent blisters, protect the skin and as a slow-burning fuel for fire. Many lip balms contain a sun protection factor (SPF) rating as well, further protecting your skin. Whether your emergency leaves you stranded in the sun or snow, lip balm will help you achieve the survival priorities of providing first aid and building or maintaining a fire for warmth.
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