Survival Kit: a system for having the emergency items you need, when you need them. Some survivalists contend that such a system starts with the right clothing for the condi- tions to be encountered. Light-colored, loose-fitting cotton covering the body would be needed to provide protection from the sun during hot weather. Heavy woolen and down clothes are needed for the cold. Warm gloves and face protection are also needed. Add: a waterproof rainsuit to protect against the wet, a hammock for sleeping in the tropics, a sleeping bag, tent, and groundsheet for cold weather, a good pair of hiking boots with nylon socks underneath to reduce friction, and cotton or heavy wool socks over depending on temperatures, plus a hat for shade and protection. You might then add a cookstove, fuel, lighter, radio, flashlight, extra batteries, food, water, medical kit, compass, map, signaling equipment, hooks, fishing line, climbing rope, knife, rifle, ammunition, and all the other goodies that you would like to have. The problem is that suddenly there is too much weight and too much bulk. As a consequence, you probably will not have exactly what you want when you need it. The solution is to always carry a leather tobbacco pouch with a waterproof liner. It can be made into a survival kit that will easily fit into your back pocket. This kit should and will contain the following if properly packed: a pocket knife and sharpening stone, two feet of nylon cord, a button compass, a small signal mirror, a metal match and fire starter, a half-gallon collapsible water bag with fastener, iodine tablets, (for water and cuts), aluminum foil (for cooking), a single edge razor blade, a 4-inch section of hacksaw blade, fish hooks and line, a sewing kit, a small plastic pill bottle, 3 bandaids, and an emergency signal card. You can find all of these things in most sporting good stores in the United States. Use the information in the Signaling section if you wish to make your own signal card.