There is a literal plethora of ready-made E-kits on the market that anyone who knows how to uses a rudimentary search engine can locate. Almost every single one of these marketed kits are prepackaged with little to no space for customization on the buyer’s part.
This can be good and bad.
The good part is you as the buyer have the very basic elements that every E-kit should contain. First Aid, light, the ability to make a fire, some water and/or water filtration, rations, and maybe a form of shelter.
Those elements that I mentioned are the absolute core basics that every kit should contain, (the 10 Essentials. If you don’t know what those are, look them up). If a kit that you’re considering purchasing doesn’t have all or most of the items mentioned included in it, pass it on by and move on.
Now onto the bad part of using a prepackaged kit.
Regarding the rations that are included in it, you don’t know the remaining shelf life of the water and edibles until you receive your kit in the mail. That could mean you have to throw them out and start fresh.
The tools, gloves and Cyalume lightsticks may not be quality and the first time you go to use them they don’t work, the gloves tear and the tools break.
I’m not saying that all prepackaged kits are bad; I’m just stating that you need to research into what the kit contains before shelling out cash for something that is of poor quality.
One other consideration when buying a prepackaged kit is the limited space these kits have inside for personalization/addition of your own gear. What that means is if you’re like most preppers you want to add items that you’re familiar with and comfortable using to your kit. Most of the prepackaged e-kits have very limited space and in some cases, you’d swear they were vacuum sealed when it comes time to put the items back into the carrying case.
Some major items to be wary of is any kit that includes a multi-tool or ‘survival’ knife that has a brand name you don’t recognize. There are knock-off tools/knives floating around out there that only last mere minutes before total failure. Not a pleasant surprise when you are depending on them. The vast majority of these non-brand name multi-tools are of such poor quality that they pose a hazard to the user. The same can be said for the ‘survival’ knives that some online kits include.
I have my own preference for blades as will everyone else. I prefer a multi-tool where the primary attachments lock in place so they won’t fold back over your hand/fingers when using them. You don’t need a hand/finger injury to further compound the situation. I’m kind of partial to the Leatherman Wave for that reason. Of course, everyone has their preference, the Wave just happens to be mine. (And no, I’m not being paid an endorsement by Leatherman to talk about their tools.)
The packaging on most backpack E-kits is normally standard nylon with maybe some faux leather added for ‘durability’ and some shoulder straps that may or may not be comfortable after a few hours. The problem with most is the thread and stitching is similar to what you’d find used in a child’s backpack that they take to school.
This could lead to a problem. If you’re using this type of kit, and it would have to be something serious for you to pull it out and start using it, there is no guarantee as to how long it will last or if you could repair it in the event it rips or gets damaged. You don’t need the bottom stitching to give way and all the contents to spill out just like you don’t need the zipper to come off its track and not be able to close.
As you can see, I’m not a real big fan of prepackaged Emergency Kits as most are overpriced and under quality.
This is where my personal preference comes in once again.
My choice for a personal E-kit when it comes to outer packaging, the container all your goodies will be packed into, is the Eagle Industries ‘War Bag’. I’ve used this bag for years and it’s never had a tear or rip or let me down in any way. Designed for wildland firefighters and smoke jumpers you can get an idea of the quality of the material and stitching.
Before anyone runs out and tries to grab a ‘War Bag’, Eagle Industries shut down some years ago so if you’re lucky, you might find one on Ebay or Amazon.
I have since ‘traded up’ to a Mystery Ranch pack and passed on the War Bag to a family member who is currently using it for their E-kit.
As I stated earlier, that choice of pack is my preference. Realistically, any pack or bag that you feel comfortable with and that fits into your budget, go for it. The same applies for the supplies and equipment you place inside that kit. If all you have is a Hello Kitty back pack it beats trying to stuff your supplies into a plastic grocery bag.
Remember, the key to an E-kit is what you can comfortably afford to purchase and use. No one is telling you to go out and 2nd mortgage the home just to buy a pack and quality tools and equipment. Always remember the 10 Essentials and move on from there. If you want to add in the 15 Criticals and have the space, then by all means do so.
That being said, remember this, whatever tools and equipment you plan on using when the time comes to grab that E-kit and haul ass, they had better be something that is durable as you could be betting your life on what’s inside that kit.
