For "Survival Camping" you have to keep your pack light.


If you load it down with traps then your getting into sustainability not survival.


Do you want to live out of a backpack ?



The most you should carry is a small pocket fishing kit so you can catch a fish.


All your other food should be dehydrated.


You need a Stove to boil some water.

I like to carry a filter too so I can purify my water.


Then you need outdoor clothes. This is very specific, if you think normal cotton will work outdoors you may end up dead. You want wool and synthetics.


My entire hiking backpack 16 pounds of baseweight.


That means without water and food all my gear is only 16 pounds.

That includes a hammock with a underquilt, topquilt both of down and a tarp that blocks all the wind. Also a spare set of clothes and raingear. And all the little things you need like a fire starter rod, compass, headlamps, water bladder, cook pots, latrine kit, even more spare wool socks.

Nothing I have is cotton, because cotton holds moisture while wool and synthetics wick it away.


My baselayer is wool.


My Fleece insulation layers are synthetic fleece.

My Outerlayers are rugged quick drying synthetics.



When I get to camp I can change out of Hiking clothes and put a clean set of camp clothes on. Fresh socks and fresh baselayer, then if its cold I have down camp clothes that I also sleep in. Along with a down hat and some fleece gloves.


The first thing that will kill you in a survival situation is Exposure.


Your clothes are your first layer of defense.


When camping I dont sit by a campfire. I hang in my hammock covered by a tarp with a down quilt hanging under me and a down quilt on top of me while I have wool underwear on with a down suit on under that.