Fishing is one of the most basic forms of gathering food in the wild. It was born from the necessity to survive. High quality sources of essential fats and protein are difficult to come by in most survival situations.
If you know anything about being prepared to stay alive while stranded in the wilderness, you’ll understand that conserving energy, finding protection from the elements, and getting a quality source of food are essential.
Survival fishing kits are compact, lightweight, and inexpensive. Here is an example of a simple pre-made kit available on Amazon. Well under 2 pounds, this kit is not going to get in your way or add too much weight to a daypack. In a survival situation, it might provide the food you need to stay alive.
While you can go for days or weeks without food, there comes a certain point where getting proper nutrition becomes essential. Without food it would be difficult to extract yourself form the wild and find a way out.
Think about available food sources that you know are safe in the wild. Even if you are an expert outdoorsman with an extensive knowledge of editable foods, you’re not going to be able to find many sources of protein that are better than fish. Fish is often the best form of animal protein. Hunting small game is often completely out of the question unless you have a penchant for eating trapped rodents or you have a firearm with you.
A kit isn’t essential for catching fish. In certain situations you can definitely get the job done with your hands, a makeshift net, or a hand-made spear. Using bait and a line, however, significantly reduces energy expenditure which is an essential part of survival. There are also times when you don’t want to enter the water and get wet because you risk getting hypothermia.
Even if you aren’t in a life-or-death situation, survival fishing kits are a great addition to a multi-day backpacking trip or an overnight outing. There are few things more satisfying than catching the meal you are eating while out in the wild.
Contents
The best survival fishing kits are simple and contain a variety of bait, line, and hooks. This basic kit includes 100 total feet of line, hooks in multiple sizes, jigs, weights, and a bobber. It allows for a variety of different fishing techniques with only a few simple contents. You could definitely purchase all the components for a kit separately and assemble it yourself, but buying them separately is likely to raise the cost.
Every outdoorsman needs a survival fishing kit. It’s an important tool that could save your life or just provide a fun, lightweight way to catch a meal on your next overnight backpacking trip. Just about about every well-trained survivalist recommends owning a kit. You never know when you may need it.
