In the woods, survival can be key. If you wander off the beaten path, anything can happen. You can get bit by a snake, you can fall into a ravine, you can twist your ankle or break a bone, you can run out of water – the list goes on. Nobody wants things like that to happen, but when you’re hiking, you always need to be prepared. Experienced hikers will travel with things like a knife, a compass, a thermal sleeping bag, matches, and other things of the sort, in case worse comes to worst.

Investing in a strong and water-proof kids backpack is key. If it rains, depending on what you have inside, you will want your cargo protected from the elements. Additionally, the backpack can be used to form a slight rain barrier if the weather takes a foul turn on your afternoon or weekend outing.

If you aren’t good at kindling your own fires, a box of matches or even a lighter can save your life. If you worry that these short cuts wouldn’t be authentic to a hiker’s true experience, it would be worth your time and benefit you greatly if you did research and practice at home for starting your own fires. Fire is the key to survival.

Of course, you can eat food without fire, but you can’t eat food at all without a way to catch it. Some dental floss, a needle, and a pocketknife can cut you a fishing pole, mend a tear, or even close a wound.

Finally, aside from the obvious items, you need to consider what you need and what would be important to your health in an emergency. If you are allergic to bee stings, bringing along some epinephrine can save your life if you stumble upon a nest or just meet a wily bee along your way.