1. Survival Bible
The SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition (B445 on Amazon.com) is packed with techniques on surviving crises like chemical and nuclear attacks. Another hot pick title is the cheerfully titled How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times (B375 on Amazon.com) which has been called “the definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis—from global financial collapse to a pandemic.”
2. Water purifier
Not that the tap was ever our preferred source, but if a catastrophe should render the water more undrinkable than usual, it is best to have on hand the Sawyer Complete Water Treatment System. They claim it can eliminate 99.99999% of bad bacteria and protozoa. There are 4 and 8 liter versions on Amazon.com (B4,200/B5,200).
3. Knife for life
For the ultimate survival battle, you’ll need nothing less than the Victornoix Expedition-kit Swiss Army Knife (B5,700 from www.swiss-knife.com) with 42 attachments, including pressurized ballpoint pen, LED light, compass and 8x magnifying lens—in case you want to write to write a goodbye world note in super small handwriting, in the dark while walking north.
4. Venom wipe
If you don’t know a cobra from a dinky little garden snake, don’t take any chances during the apocalypse. The compact Aspivenin Venom Pump (B832) at www.aspivenin.com can suck out 39% of venom from snakes, wasps, bees, spiders and even frogs.
6. Alarm Screamer
If you, like us, have zero faith in the decrepit little smoke alarms in your ramshackle building, check out www.catch22products.co.uk for the FlareSafe Smoke Detector (B1,934). It has an LED torch light and a 110 decibel SOS alarm which can last for over 60 hours, long after you’ve been burnt to a crisp.
7. Sleep tight
But knowing your survival skills, you’ll have made it out alive. Then all you’ll need is The PHD Mountain Software Sleeping Bag (B6,900-25,700 at www.phdesigns.co.uk/dyosleepingbag), lightweight and durable in rough weather as low as -50C.
