The possibles pouch is more than emergency gear. It’s a field toolbox you’ll use daily in the backcountry.
I don’t like to call it a “survival kit” — that term encourages people to pack it away and not touch it until disaster strikes. A well-built possibles pouch contains tools and supplies you regularly access while hunting, scouting, or training.
Mountain men coined the term “possibles pouch” to describe the collection of essential items they carried that helped them handle whatever situations arose in the wilderness. When properly equipped, this gear improves your chances of success in any outdoor pursuit, whether hunting, hiking, or camping.
The Seven Essential Elements
A properly equipped backcountry possibles pouch must address seven key elements, organized by survival priority. These elements help you handle emergencies without compromising your mission.
1. Shelter
Your first priority in any environment is protection from the elements. My compact possibles pouch includes 550 paracord and a space blanket — two crucial shelter materials.
These versatile items serve multiple purposes in emergencies. The space blanket can insulate your body over your existing clothing, be a ground barrier beneath a bed of pine boughs, or function as an overhead tarp. The paracord lets you lash together branches for an A-frame or lean-to, extending the time you can spend in tough conditions.
2. Water
Getting and purifying drinking water ranks second in importance. Without enough water, your decision-making suffers, and your physical ability drops off.
Include chlorine dioxide tablets and a container option like a Ziploc bag in your possibles pouch. This combination lets you collect and purify water from nearly any source. Hydration is especially important when you’re injured — fluid intake supports blood circulation and can prevent complications like frostbite in cold environments.
Even if you carry water in your main pack, being able to purify more from streams or lakes extends your field range. It’s also a great backup if your primary supply runs low or becomes contaminated.
3. Food
While you can survive three weeks without food (compared to three days without water and three hours without shelter), maintaining your energy is important for backcountry performance. Fill your possibles pouch with high-energy food options like compact calorie bars or electrolyte chews.
In survival situations, finding food is a matter of opportunity. If you come across easily accessible wild edibles like ripe berries or unaware game birds, take advantage of those resources, but remember the golden rule: Don’t harvest game animals unless you can properly cook the meat. Eating raw meat risks illness and dehydration through vomiting (a dangerous complication when you’re already in trouble).
Consider including a basic fishing kit in your possibles pouch, too. During training trips or scouting missions, practice primitive food gathering with fishing lines or snare wire. These skills build competence that could prove valuable during extended backcountry emergencies.
4. Fire
Fire comes fourth on our priority list, giving you warmth, cooking options, and mental comfort. While I consider fire a luxury rather than a necessity in many backcountry situations, your kit should include reliable ways to start one.
Back up a primary fire starter (like a windproof lighter) with more basic options, such as a ferrocerium rod or flint and steel. Pack some pre-made tinder, too. When paired with a fixed-blade knife that can split wood to expose dry inner surfaces, you’ll have multiple ways to make fire when conditions get tough.
5. Signaling
When you can’t move easily — when you’re trapped or injured — you need to be able to signal for help. Equip your possibles pouch with signaling tools that work during day and night, with ways to call to people nearby or aircraft overhead.
Years ago, a friend was hunting alone in the Bitterroot mountains when he was thrown from his horse, suffering broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken leg. During his three-day crawl back to the trailhead, both a low-flying airplane and an outfitter with packhorses passed within several hundred yards of him. Unable to whistle or yell because of his injuries, and without any signaling gear, these potential rescuers passed by without noticing him.
Pack your possibles pouch with an orange signal panel you can hang above your position in trees, a signal mirror for sunny days, and a whistle that needs little effort to make high-pitched sounds. These tools work well alongside electronic devices like satellite communicators and provide backup when technology fails.
6. Medical Kit
Every backcountry traveler must carry a personal medical kit, regardless of what others in your group might have. Your possibles pouch makes the perfect storage spot, keeping critical medical supplies with other emergency gear.
A basic medical kit must cover wound care and pain control and include personal medications. Being able to clean and close wounds, stabilize injuries, and manage pain can turn a trip-ending injury into a manageable setback. Customize your kit to your specific needs, your training level, and common injuries in your activity areas.
7. Gear Repair
The final element in your possibles pouch is the ability to fix essential equipment in the field. This often determines whether a minor gear failure forces a trip to end early.
Include multi-purpose repair items like duct tape, heavy-duty thread and needles, spare cordage, and zip ties. These simple tools help damaged equipment last longer in remote settings. Field repairs might not look pretty, but they keep critical gear working until proper fixes are possible.
Practical Organization for Your Possibles Pouch
The container for your possibles pouch matters as much as what’s inside it. I always use a fanny pack. It balances space and portability, weighing only ~1.5 pounds when properly stocked.
I strongly prefer this setup to scattering survival items throughout your pack. Leaving your main pack for a stalk or glassing session? Grab your possibles pouch and strap it around your waist to keep your full survival setup with you. This system ensures you’re prepared if unexpected problems keep you from returning to camp before dark.
If you’re an ultralight hunter/hiker and want to cut your weight even further, split some items between your possibles pouch and optics harness. Critical gear like chlorine dioxide tablets, tinder, and a small signal panel can fit in your optics harness, which most hunters wear whenever they leave camp.
The Cost of Being Unprepared
The most common mistake in backcountry preparation is not carrying these essential items at all. Many outdoorsmen believe emergencies happen to other people, not them. But spend enough time in remote areas, and you’ll learn that trouble isn’t a question of if, but when.
Preparation and practiced skills separate experienced backcountry users from statistics. Your possibles pouch represents this preparation — not as an abstract insurance policy, but as working gear you regularly use and maintain.
After each trip, check and refill your possibles pouch contents. Replace used items, check expiration dates on medical supplies, and make sure all components still work. This maintenance routine only takes a few minutes and can save your life in remote settings.
Training With Your Possibles Pouch
The possibles pouch works only when you regularly train with and use its contents. Getting familiar with your equipment builds confidence and skill. When emergencies happen, you’ll operate from a position of practiced ability rather than panicked improvisation.
During routine outings, practice setting up your emergency shelter or rigging a trotline with your fishing kit. Test your fire-starting tools with different tinder sources and under varying weather conditions. What works in the Alaskan mountains may need changes for desert environments, so curate a kit that matches your hunting area’s unique challenges and opportunities.
A well-equipped backcountry possibles pouch turns potential emergencies into manageable challenges. Build yours thoughtfully, carry it consistently, and train with it regularly.
Your future self will thank you for thinking ahead.
by John Barklow, Special Operations Survival Instructor and a valued partner of MKC
