Time and time again, Thomas and I have repeated our belief that it’s completely possible to practice survival, whether that’s bushcraft and wilderness survival, or urban survival and household preparedness, without breaking the bank. You can have great gear, have it be exactly what you need, and get it for a fraction of what equivalents would typically cost others. It’s completely possible.
Today we’ll be taking a look in particular at wilderness survival and bushcraft staples – trying to show you with specific items just how plausible it is for you to get the basics you need to begin practicing your outdoor survival skills with a completely affordable dollar amount – $150. Bundles will each have a survival knife, a water purifier, a fire starter, a container, a bag, some snare wire, some cordage, as well as items for heat, for water resistance, and to help with rescue. More could of course be added, but these are what Thomas and I feel are most beneficial as standard basics.
While it can be very tricky choosing the right gear and having a bill that stays under-budget, it can actually become an exciting challenge you can set yourself – to only get what you need and no more. You can walk away with a pretty damn well-rounded survival bag filled with the majority of the gear you might need for under $150 – so no more excuses guys! Time to get in the field.
(Please note that price on Amazon do change, and so while I have listed the prices of items as I saw them on Amazon, that may fluctuate by the time you get to the Amazon page yourself. I apologize for this, but my point still stands, a very good wilderness survival kit for under $150 is completely possible).
DIY Wilderness Survival Kits Under $150
Wilderness Survival Gear Budget Bundle #1
- Survival Knife: Mora Companion Heavy Duty Knife ~$14
- Water Purification: Lifestraw Personal Water Filter ~$20
- Cordage: Paracord Planet Type III 7 Strand 550 Paracord ~$4
- Compass: Suunto A-10 Field Compass ~$15
- Fire Starter: Magnesium Fire Starter ~$4
- Heat: Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket ~$9
- Water resistance: Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket
- Container: Olicamp Space Saver Cup ~$11
- Bag: Military Surplus Alice Pack with Straps ~$35
- Wire: 100 feet of Brass Snare Wire ~$8
- Rescue: (Using Colour) Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket
Total Cost: ~$120
Wilderness Survival Gear Budget Bundle #2
- Survival Knife: Condor Bushlore Fixed Blade Bushcraft Knife ~$36
- Water Purification: Sawyer Products Personal Water Bottle Filter ~$30
- Cordage: Paracord Planet Type III 7 Strand 550 Paracord ~$4
- Compass: Suunto A-30L Compass ~$18
- Fire Starter: Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel 2.0 Scout with Emergency Whistle ~$13
- Heat: ER Emergency Ready Thermal Mylar Blankets ~$7
- Water resistance: Stansport #T-810 Reinforced Multi-Purpose Tarp ~$11
- Container: Sawyer Products Personal Water Bottle Filter
- Bag: Rothco Canvas Map Case ~$15
- Wire: 100 feet of Brass Snare Wire ~$8
- Rescue: Whistle from Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel 2.0 Scout
Total Cost: ~$142
Wilderness Survival Gear Budget Bundle #3
- Survival Knife: Gerber Bear Gylls Ultimate Pro Knife ~$64
- Water Purification: Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets ~$6
- Cordage: Paracord Planet Type III 7 Strand 550 Paracord ~$4
- Compass: Suunto A-10 Field Compass ~$15
- Fire Starter: Fire Starter on Gerber Bear Gylls Ultimate Pro
- Heat: Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket ~$9
- Water resistance: Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket
- Container: GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Bottle Cup/Pot ~$10
- Bag: Condor Deployment Bag ~$23
- Wire: 100 feet of Brass Snare Wire ~$8
- Rescue: Whistle on Gerber Bear Gylls Ultimate Pro
- Misc: Knife sharpener & hammer on Gerber Bear Gylls Ultimate Pro
Total Cost: ~$139
Wilderness Survival Gear Budget Bundle #4
- Survival Knife: Ontario RAT-3 Fixed Blade Knife ~$65
- Water Purification: Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets ~$6
- Cordage: The Friendly Swede Carabiner Survival Kit ~$10
- Compass: Suunto A-10 Field Compass ~$15
- Fire Starter: Fire Starter in The Friendly Swede Carabiner Survival Kit
- Heat: Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket ~$9
- Water resistance: Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket
- Container: Olicamp Space Saver Cup ~$11
- Bag: Rothco Classic Messenger Bag ~$24
- Wire: 100 feet of Brass Snare Wire ~$8
- Rescue: (Using Colour) Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket
- Misc: Tinder, fishing line, aluminum foil, and alcohol pad in The Friendly Swede Carabiner Survival Kit
Total Cost: ~$148
Wilderness Survival Gear Budget Bundle #5
- Survival Knife: Mora Craftline Basic Utility Knife ~$13
- Water Purification: Lifestraw Personal Water Filter ~$20
- Cordage: Paracord Planet Type III 7 Strand 550 Paracord ~$4
- Compass: Suunto A-30L Compass ~$18
- Fire Starter: Jackie Portable Extra-large Head Windproof Waterproof Matches ~$3
- Heat: Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets ~$6
- Water resistance: Stansport #T-810 Reinforced Multi-Purpose Tarp ~$11
- Container: Klean Kanteen Wide Mouth Bottle with Stainless Loop Cap ~$20
- Bag: Condor E& E Bag ~$36
- Wire: 100 feet of Brass Snare Wire ~$8
- Rescue: STORM Safety Whistle ~$6
Total Cost: ~$145
If you’ve taken some time to read through all the items on these lists, you’ll notice the fact that a number of the items have been repeated from one bundle to the next. That’s partly because some of this gear is a steal – you can’t often get a high-end compass for roughly $15 (huge tip of the hat to Suunto for that killer price!). Snare wire you might be able to get for under $8, but I couldn’t find it for less on Amazon (though I certainly may have missed something, so if you spotted a cheaper price for the same thing, let me know!). You could probably also pick some up at a dollar store and/or hardware store for cheaper.
The two most expensive items on your lists will typically be #1 your bag, and #2 your survival knife. The bag doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact it’s a cost you can completely ignore if you’ve already got a good one lying at home, but for some reason there don’t seem to be too many high-quality bags for budget pricing around. There’s a couple of awesome steals, but they’re a bit hard to come by! Gotta dig for sure if you’re in the market for a good bag. In terms of your survival knife, I’m sure you already know this, but to keep prices crazy low, just pick out your favourite Mora, and grab that. They’re extremely affordable, come at prices that can’t really be beat, and you don’t have to question whether or not they’ll be good – they will be.
A lot of the items that help you cut down costs are items that have multiple uses. The Gerber Bear Gylls Ultimate Pro is one such item, and though I know many people hesitate to even test it out because of branding, we did actually get our hands on one for a review, and you’d be surprised how well it holds up in the field.
It’s definitely worth considering if you’re like me and don’t like having too many loose items in your bag (I’m always afraid something will fall out, as I’m not the most graceful person alive…). The firesteel and knife sharpener are attached very well to the sheath of the knife (they’re definitely not going anywhere), while the survival whistle and hammer are on the knife itself. Pretty convenient carry as well if you ask me.
I think one of the the best items mentioned above, added to multiple lists in fact, is the Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Survival Blanket. I love that thing. Thomas and I can easily squeeze in, as it’s meant for two people, it can replace a tarp, and its orange colour means it can be used to flag down some eyeballs in case you get lost and are looking to get rescued.
My next favourite of the items mentioned above is probably the Olicamp Space Saver Cup. I know that sounds like a weird item to pick out, but I think it’s hella convenient. You can hold extra water in the bottle to carry around with you, and use the outside components as pots to boil that water if you ever need to. Great potential for cooking that regular plastic water bottles wouldn’t have. It also fits really nicely together and is extremely compact for what it is, which, as I’ve mentioned, is a huge plus in my opinion.
The Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel 2.0 Scout is also a great deal because you’re getting a high-end firesteel, and a really nice survival whistle to use in case you need to be rescued, for quite a good price.
On top of the staples you buy, I would also throw in a ziplock bag filled with any helpful items you already have lying around the house: disposable lighters, aluminum foil, matches, a magnifying glass, a small pack of kleenex for tinder: things like that.
In Case You’re in the Market for Budget & Discount Survival Gear
If you’re interested in grabbing some inexpensive survival gear from outdoor retailers like Cabella’s, REI, and Patagonia, take a look at our massive list of knife & outdoor retailers’ sale, deal, & clearance pages! All the best outdoor gear discount pages to visit linked to on one page.
There’s also plenty of cheap, yet high quality survival gear that’s a great price whether or not it’s on sale. If you’re interested, take a look at what we think the best bang-for-buck survival gear products are at the $5, $10, $15, $20, & $25 price points.
Now Let Me Know What You Think
Let me know in the comments section if there’s any items you think should have made it to these lists but didn’t quite get there.
Also let me know which bundles you actually like (Thomas’ favourite is #2!), or if there are any you could see yourself improving on! Always looking for a great deal!
Very good kits. Could not do better myself.
If your wearing jeans and its wet outside. You can take your knife and scrape across your jeans. You can get a decent amount of lint. It is great to start a fire just like lint from the dryer. Its quick and will work on a pinch!
Great tip, never thought about doing that before. I’ll be sure to remember it.
For tinder use the lidnt from your tumble dryer, it’s always there and can be put in a zip-lock….ignites so easily as there’s no moisture left
Yeah it’s great. Thomas even used to keep a tiny capsule on his keychain filled with the stuff so that he always had some tinder on him. Don’t know if he still does but the stuff is handy – and free!
Fascinating article(s) and gear above. I’ve bookmarked this now.
Thanks! Glad you liked it :).
Super Job as Usual. I just went over to “the bag” to see what I had in it and if i was to add it up in price it is many times more for the same utility. Impressive.
For a few bucks more on the tab, a tiny flashlight, few batteries really extends daylight when necessary to get things done, and not to burn out the Bic to see what is going on.
Where i live, fishhooks and some 20lb. test with a bobber and sinker would be worth more than snare wire..certainly not everywhere though. Good to have both.
My issue is that survival means a decent pot. I have my own version, and actually met a hobo beside the river here who used a big coffee can, and that was his version.
Still, it is a great bunch of packages that You put together for individual necessity, the prices are very good and available now. Keep up the good work !
Small flashlight is a great idea! It’s also useful because of the battery inside it that can at times (with steel wool or gum wrapper for instance) be used to generate a fire if needed.
Mmm fishhooks!! Good idea. They’re quite inexpensive as well.
Coffee cans are excellent survival finds. I had a couple of bundles that had steel cups that could be used as pots – but really they should’ve all had that item considering how useful they are in survival situations!
Thanks for the support, Dan & for stopping by so often :). Love hearing about your experiences!