The 11 Things You'll Need To Survive The End Of The World

Let’s face it, when the apocalypse comes it’s going to be chaos. Better your chances by having these eleven items at the ready. Remember, the key to survival is preparedness.

1. Sleeping Bag:

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A high performance sleeping bag could literally be the difference life and death. You’re as much at risk from the elements as you are from the human threat in our post apocalyptic future.

A good sleeping bag will keep you warm. It’ll keep you dry and it’ll keep you alive.

2. Matches:

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If you can start a fire with a fire bow or with flint, take the extra time to do so and save those matches to barter in town. They’re a solid, lightweight currency guaranteed to be in high demand by folks less skilled in tactical survival than you.

3. Compass:

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So here’s the good news: there will be a lot less light pollution in the post-apocalyptic future. So if worst comes to worst, you’ll always be able get your bearings from the stars, right? Hah! Yeah, sure…in your dreams.

Look, it’s just not as easy as they make it seem on TV. Accurate navigation by the stars requires a fair amount of preexisting knowledge. A sextant is helpful too, and so is knowing how to use a sextant. It’s better and much easier to keep a compass in your go-to-hell pack.

4. A Reliable Knife:

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A knife is useful for both food preparation and defense. It can be used in close combat or attached to a shaft and used as a spear for hunting purposes. Your knife will be your best friend – the best friend you’ve ever had. Know where yours is at all times.

If you can only bring one knife with you, make sure it’s a fixed blade. Without any moving parts, a fixed blade is less likely to break.

5. A Whetstone:

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Here’s the thing: that knife won’t stay reliable forever. But you can extend the life of your most trusted friend with diligent and proper care. Be sure to leave room in your pack for a whetstone. You don’t want to try to dress a kill with a blunted edge. You’ll ruin the meat if you end up puncturing an organ.

6. Duct Tape:

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Duct tape fixes everything.

Okay, duct tape fixes almost everything. From fixing equipment to patching up clothing, duct tape is your first line of defense against Murphy's law: “if it can go wrong, it will go wrong.”

7. Rope:

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If you’ve ever played Dungeons & Dragons, you know that rope is one of the important things you can bring on a campaign. It’s also the thing that parties forget to bring along with them 9 out of 10 times.

Rope is good for everyday needs, and especially for establishing provisional shelter. If you’re going to bunker down for any length of time, the need to tie something down will arise. If your rope is thin enough, you can also build traps with it. And unlike tape, you can reuse it.

If you've opted to take to the high seas in your attempt to weather the total collapse of the social order, you're going to need rope in spades. (Seriously though, unless you are an experienced sailor or are an actual pirate, don't do this. The Boat Plan is almost always a terrible idea.)

Do yourself another favor and learn how to coil a rope properly. Your time is precious. Don’t waste it untangling knots.

8. A Tarp

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Staying dry is important. It’s easier to stay warm when you’re not soaked through to the bone. If you’ve prepared for the coming apocalypse, you’ll have a military poncho in your pack. The poncho can be worn on the move and converted in to a tent when you decide to rest.

If you don’t have a high-end poncho, a regular tarp will suffice for shelter. Tie a couple ends between two trees and suddenly you have a taco tent.

9. Non-perishable rations:

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There will be times when you will be on the move, and when I say “on the move”, I mean on the MOVE. With a horde of zombies or marauders nipping at your heels, you won’t always be able to resupply. Carry a supply of fresh water with you and enough dry rations for three days.

10. Self-powered flashlight:

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Unless you've been bitten by a radioactive owl, chances are, you cannot see in the dark. Flashlights are important – essential even, but batteries are heavy and non-reusable. Lighten your load by ditching the batteries, and switch to hand-crank technology.

11. Finally - A Crowbar:

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This might seem like an odd choice given how heavy it is, but the crowbar is a pretty useful and underrated piece of equipment - particularly if you choose to hole up in a city instead of taking to the wilderness. The crowbar will help you get through locked doors and into cars where valuable supplies or shelter may be found. Also, the crowbar is a positively brutal melee weapon. If your swing connects, you can be sure that it will do a lot of damage whether you're smashing doors or cracking skulls.

To find out what Captain Lee Harden keeps in his go-to-hell pack, check out D.J. Molles's bestselling survival series - THE REMAINING.

Special Forces Captain Lee Harden and a group of survivors struggle to survive while rebuilding an America devastated by a bacterium.

The fifth book, The Remaining: Allegiance, is available now! Look for it online and in stores everywhere.

Want to start from the beginning? Read an excerpt now.