24 Objects that save lives

Water is essential for human survival. Even if there is no absolute consensus on the minimum amount required (figures range from 1 to 3.5 litres per day), it has been proven that humans can survive for only about three days without drinking water. Clean drinking water, that is―according to the World Health Organization, contaminated water is responsible for around six per cent of all deaths today. A lightweight, portable, inexpensive and durable filter can solve the potentially lethal problem of water contamination. One of the best-selling filters is the LifeStraw, introduced in 1996 and designed and manufactured by Lausanne-based, family-owned global health company Vestergaard. The LifeStraw is about 25 centimetres long, has a diameter of 3 centimetres and weighs only 50 grammes. It is made of high-impact polystyrene, two types of resin and activated carbon. Its hollow fibre-membrane technology works like a bundle of straws whose holes are microscopic―so small that organisms like bacteria or parasites, dirt and even microplastics cannot pass through. Proven effective against waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea, the filter removes particles as small as fifteen microns. The latest models are also capable of removing chemicals and heavy metals including lead.

The oldest known tin can is 2,000 years old. Found underwater, on a sunken Roman ship, the little tin can had kept its contents (medical pills) safe all that time. With the beginning of industrialisation, tin cans developed into one of the most popular types of packaging―though initially they were not used for food. The invention of the tin can for food preservation can be traced back to at least three people. First, the Parisian pâtissier Nicolas Appert came up with the idea of heating food in airtight containers made of glass to preserve it. Then, French engineer Philippe de Girard proposed using tin, rather than glass, to make the containers. The British merchant Peter Durand patented the idea in 1810. Early cans were made of tin, then steel, and, from the 1950s, aluminium. At first, metal cans came in all shapes and sizes. But by the early-twentieth century, the canned food industry was flourishing. This prompted manufacturers to adopt standard sizes, ranging from #1 to #10 (300–3,000 millilitres), for economic efficiency. The large #10 can has become the prepper’s go-to size. With a capacity of up to 3 litres, it ensures food remains safe and fresh for up to twenty-five years.

Subsistence Research Lab, J. W. Speaker Corporation and Washburn Corporation.

When it comes to canned food, can openers are crucial. And they come in many forms. There’s the lever-type kind of opener, the trickier-to-handle church key opener, the toothed-wheel crank version and the simple butterfly opener. The P-51, introduced in the 1960s, is an evolution of the slightly smaller P-38, developed by Chicago’s Subsistence Research Lab in 1942 to open field rations during the Second World War. The P-51’s greater leverage makes it a faster can opener than the P-38. Its compact size and ease of use have made it an essential tool for hikers, soldiers and survivalists alike. Opinions differ as to what “P-51” means. Either the numbers 38 and 51 correspond to the lengths of the two blades (38 and 51 millimetres) or “P” stands for puncture and “51” for the number of cuts required to round the can. In the 1980s, military canned rations were replaced by soft-pack MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat). But these openers are still used in disaster-relief efforts, and international rescue organisations distribute them along with canned foods.

Is there one, ultimate universal tool that you shouldn’t do without? Yes: the knife. Cutting, digging, chopping, piercing, prying, splitting, crafting, carving, whittling, skinning, opening things: whatever unexpected situation arises, a knife can help. One all-rounder is Opinel’s folding peasant knife. Designed and manufactured in 1890 by Joseph Opinel, a French toy-maker’s son, the knife is composed of five parts: a carbon steel blade, a wooden handle, a metal clamping band and pivot pin, and a safety twist-lock mechanism. True to its slogan “It does one thing extremely well, rather than many things badly”, the Opinel is simple, safe and robust. It may just be the one, ultimate tool to always keep on hand.

Vesta Stoudt, Johnson & Johnson 

Duct tape is one of the most universal fixers. Sturdier than any other tape, it can stand heat, repair broken backpack straps, secure loose car parts, mend ripped tents, seal cracked windows and even waterproof buckets―at least temporarily. Comprised of three layers, duct tape features a cloth sandwiched between ­rubber-based, pressure-sensitive adhesive, with a polyethylene coating on top. It is typically a silvery-grey colour, but is also available in camouflage patterns. Duct tape was the brainchild of a concerned mother during the Second World War. Vesta Stoudt, anxious that weaknesses in ammunition box seals could jeopardise soldiers like her son, wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. She proposed the more reliable waterproof fabric tape solution that she had tested. Her letter and the diagrams she included explaining her solution made their way to the War Production Board, prompting Johnson & Johnson to develop a new adhesive tape, designed to be torn by hand, not cut with scissors. In the event of a duct tape shortage, you can fashion your own makeshift duct tape at home using cotton cloth cut into strips and soaked in a heated mixture of rosin (natural resin from pines and other plants) and rubber (from the inner tubes of bicycle wheels).

No matter where you are, in the wilderness or in an urban context, a rope can be a lifesaver. One of the world’s most widely appreciated ropes is the paracord Type III 550, a lightweight nylon kernmantle rope that has been in use since the Second World War. Consisting of a core of threads protected by a woven exterior nylon jacket, it is designed to optimise strength, durability and flexibility. The core fibres provide the tensile strength of the rope, while the outer sheath protects the core from abrasion. The name “paracord” originates from the rope’s use in parachutes. On landing, the parachutist would cut the paracord from the parachute and then use it for all kinds of things, including carrying, hanging, tying or starting a fire―earning it a reputation as a versatile survival tool. The most commonly used paracord is Type III 550, so-called because of the rope’s thickness and its breaking load of 550 pounds (approximately 250 kilogrammes). For climbers and fire and rescue services alike, this specific rope construction is the only one considered suitable for safety applications.

Fire is essential for generating heat, cooking food, and providing light and protection at night. There are various methods for starting a fire, including magnesium blocks and firesteel rods, flint stones, solar lighters, fuels, or the ancient technique of using a bow drill to ignite tinder. However, storm matches might be the fastest solution. Storm matches are not just any old matches. Also known as lifeboat matches or flare matches, these very special matches are far more robust than others of their kind. They flame in gale winds and can even spontaneously reignite after being briefly immersed in water. How do they do it? A special combustible compound (sulphur, fillers, glass powder and potassium chlorate, which serves as an oxidising agent) extends down an extra-long matchstick. As a regular cardboard matchbox can get wet, the storm matches are securely stored in a waterproof case. Each box includes twelve matches and additional replacement scrapers for striking.

John Hudson, Acme Whistles. 

Making yourself heard is crucial, whether you are warning others, trapped, or lost at sea awaiting rescue. That’s why every life jacket comes with a whistle, which can be up to one hundred times louder than the human voice. In addition to the simple plastic whistle or the HyperWhistle, which claims to be the loudest whistle in the world, there are hundreds of different whistle models on the market. The classic, however, is the Thunderer by ACME Whistles. Now in production for over 150 years, this model is perhaps best known as the referee whistle used in sports stadiums around the world. It was developed by John Hudson in the 1880s. Having previously developed the distinctive whistle of the British policeman, Hudson kept on searching for a whistle sound that could both carry over a long distance and penetrate through dense background noise. The result is a whistle composed of two moulded brass pieces that, once joined, enclose a small pea (a cork pellet). The Thunderer’s distinct warbling sound is produced as the air in the whistle chamber moves the pea around.

To find our way today, we often use digital signposts: the GPS tower on a mountain top, the satellite navigation system in a car, or the smartphone in our pockets. However, in the event of a mass catastrophe, satellites may stop working, and no GPS signal will exist to tell us where we are. It is therefore vital to be familiar with alternative orientation techniques―and to include a local area map and a compass in your bug-out bag. It is most practical to wear a compass on the wrist to keep your hands free. One example of a wrist-mounted compass is the M-9 by Suunto, a producer of precision devices founded by Tuomas Vohlonen, a Finnish surveyor and adventurer. Dissatisfied with the compass technology available, in 1932 he applied for a patent for a liquid-filled compass with a more stable and accurate needle. Three years later, the patent was granted, and the design entered mass production as the wrist-mounted Suunto M-311 (today, the M-9).

Bartering commonly involves staple goods and commodities like long-lasting food and clean water, medical supplies, luxury goods such as chocolate, sugar or tobacco, fuel and, last but not least, alcohol. In addition to being a beverage, alcohol serves various purposes: it acts as a disinfectant and antiseptic for wounds, equipment and surfaces; it preserves food; it functions as a cleaning and cooling agent, a de-icer and a solvent. It can be used as a flammable agent and even as biofuel to power vehicles and machinery. Alcohol is produced by fermenting sugars in grains, fruits or vegetables and then distilling the result of the fermentation process. Many countries require a licence for the production of homemade alcohol. However, if you find yourself in a stateless situation, bootlegged alcohol could prove a much-needed resource. That’s why it can be useful to keep instructions and ingredients for producing alcohol yourself in a safe place.

When on the move, it is important to be agile. You need your hands free, even if you’re carrying all kinds of equipment. Finally, the weight of what you are carrying should be evenly distributed across the body. For those who want to carry a diverse assortment of survival equipment without giving up the convenience of ready accessibility, a tactical vest may win out over a traditional backpack. The ALICE (All-purpose
Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) system was introduced in the early 1970s for military and law enforcement purposes. However, it soon became popular with civilians. Tactical vests are typically made of a heavy-duty fabric, such as water-resistant cotton, nylon or (bullet-proof) Kevlar fibres. With their multiple (up to twenty) pockets and pouches, these vests are unmistakable―and a favourite among outdoor adventurers. In the 2000s, the ALICE system gradually gave way to a combination of PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System) and MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) systems. These vests are constructed using a nylon grid of webbing. A system of separate pouches means the wearer can securely strap individual pockets and gear onto the webbing, allowing for a high degree of customisation.

Kazuhige Miyake et Kota Kato, Muji 

An emergency radio is designed to function even in the event of power outage. It tunes into standard AM and FM broadcasting bands, the weather, and alerts from the national emergency alert system. This is especially useful in areas where sudden changes of weather or other fast-breaking emergencies can occur. Other communications, such as national security statements, environmental and public safety statements, civil emergencies, evacuation orders and hazards can be received as well. Emergency radio dates from the 1960s, when the US Weather Bureau began broadcasting marine weather information. It allowed listeners to quickly receive potentially life-saving weather bulletins from their local weather forecast office, along with routinely updated forecasts. An emergency radio must be able to run on very little energy, and be equipped with both a traditional electric plug and an alternative power source, such as an integrated solar panel or a hand-cranked electrical generator, along with a rechargeable battery. Devices often include an emergency LED light and can also charge other devices, such as cell phones.