I recently got my hands on the BG Survival Series Basic Kit, which includes seven items stored inside a sturdy, and well constructed, waterproof sack. Those items include a Mini Paraframe Knife, an emergency whistle, fire starter, waterproof matches, snare wire, emergency cord, and cotton balls to be used for fire tinder. That's right, Gerber managed to put most of the "10 essentials" right into one well designed package.Each of the items in the kit are small, compact, and highly useful, and while the Mini Paraframe won't replace your other knives or multitools, it is a nice little blade to have around "just in case." The fire starter, matches, and cotton balls are an excellent resource to have around whether you're on the trail for two hours or two weeks. The little kit even includes Bear's "Priorities of Survival," pamphlet, which is a pocket guide for survival in the field. The back of the waterproof bag also conveniently has a set of alpine rescue signals that can be used to send message to rescue teams in the air.
The compact Basic Survival Kit is another nice product from Gerber, that maintains the company's standards for quality, while remaining very affordable. This is one of those products that is inexpensive enough to be an impulse buy and really should be in your pack for when ever you head out on the trail. MSRP is about $30, but the kit can be found online for far less than that.
