There’s the old boy scout motto “be prepared,” which is an especially wise saying for people that are going out camping in the wilderness, where just about anything can—and sometimes does—happen. But how, exactly, do you be prepared? From torrential rain to fires, to getting lost, to mudslides, or even avalanches, depending on the time of year, there are many unforeseen hazards that can befall people once they leave the relative stability of an urban zone and venture into the wilds.
This is where emergency and survival kits can play an important role. They fall under a similar cautionary piece of advice, namely, “It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” An emergency kit only feels like it’s wasting space until an actual emergency happens, then it may potentially save lives. That’s what the Kosin Survival Gear 18-In-1 Emergency Survival Kit is trying to do, but does it?
What’s In It?
The Kosin Survival Kit has, as the name implies, 18 pieces of equipment contained in a kit box that is only 6.3” x 4.3”, which is smaller than many tablets, though thicker. The case itself is made with ABS plastic, making it both durable and waterproof. Inside the kit are various accessories including:
- Water bottle clip
- Whistle
- Tactical pen
- Needle
- Alcohol pad
- Bandage
- Screwdriver
- Compass
- Flashlight
- Flint for starting fires
- Survival knife
- Emergency blanket
- Credit card knife
- Survival bracelet
It is designed to be light, compact and easy to carry. So in the event of an emergency, you will have the tools at hand that make it easier to survive the experience and maybe even make it easier for rescue efforts to locate you.
Pros:
- Easy to carry even in a backpack
- The case is durable to protect the items
- Includes tactical pen can break glass
- Survival bracelet is a mini-survival kit on its own
Cons:
- Only enough medical supplies for single treatment
- Removing items and repacking requires much effort
- No advanced survival items
- No manual, correct usage of some items requires trial and error
The Verdict
This is small enough and compact enough that we’d recommend it as a great piece of “just-in-case/safety” just about anywhere. You should have a kit like this in your car, either in the glove compartment or in the trunk, in case of emergency, but you should also have it present in your home, and especially in one of your backpacks when you’re in the wilderness.
We do recommend that you don’t rely on the Kosin Survival Gear 18-In-1 as your substitute for a medical kit. While it has gauze and a bandage, there no elaborate medical instruments like scalpels, syringes or pain killers that might also be important in an emergency. However, with the included compass, knives flashlights, emergency blanket that conserves 90% of your body heat, and whistles that can be heard across long distances, we would say that this is small enough but useful enough that it’s essential for emergencies. It can be quite useful when the time comes.
