Nicholas Italiano in Gear

Mission Ready Pack: Minimalist Survival Kit

Mission First Tactical’s ACHRO 22L EDC Backpack

In This Article

The Bag
The ACHRO as a Minimalist Survival Pack
Storage and Organization
Shelter
Fire
Water
Emergency Medical
Navigation
Coms and Signaling
Light
Backup Power
On-Body Gear
Closing Thoughts
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On the first day of Undisclosed all the participants were issued the gear they would be using over the course of the event. Part of their setup included the Mission First Tactical ACHRO 22L EDC Backpack loaded with some minimalist survival essentials. While I received the same pack, my role as support staff and field photographer put me in the position to require a bit more gear, so I decided to modify my loadout to accommodate my duties for the event.

Like the participants, I was facing long days and nights in the intense summer heat while traversing the rough terrain of the Ben Franklin Range. Keeping my kit as minimalist as possible to keep the weight down and reduce fatigue were top of mind when building out my kit. Ultimately, I was able to put together a minimalist survival kit that covered shelter, water, fire, medical, navigation, comms, light, and backup power along with a few essential tools.

The Mission First Tactical ACHRO is discreet enough for urban carry, but tough enough for the harshest conditions.

The Bag

The ACHRO 22L is a compact 22-liter pack designed for EDC use and equipped with a good amount of organization as well as the ability to carry a handgun. The pack is purposely designed to have a low-profile appearance and would go unnoticed amongst a sea of other packs in an urban setting. Despite the low-profile look, the laser-cut panels offer plenty of attachment options should you wish to add pouches or lash gear.

The outer body is constructed with 1000D Kodra Carbonate Nylon, which offers both abrasion resistance and superb water resistance. Combined with premium YKK AquaGuard zippers, the ACHRO is ready to take on rainy days in the field or the city and keep the gear inside dry.

The ACHRO has a nicely padded adjustable harness equipped with an adjustable sternum strap that allows the user to fit the pack to their body and adjust based on carry style and load. The back panel offers significant padding with a built-in air channel to keep your back cool.

Finally, the exterior offers two stretchy mesh bottle holders that accommodate up to a 32-ounce bottle in each. When not in use, the bottle holders don’t stick out and won’t get in the way when moving.
The interior offers four compartments. The front of the pack has a nice-sized admin pocket that can fit small tools and various EDC items. Above that is a long, soft-lined pocket designed for sunglasses with a secondary zipper pocket inside. While made for glasses, the pocket can accommodate items that you want quick access to, and the soft lining can ensure your cell phone screen is safe from scratches.

The main compartment offers a generously sized zipper pouch, a back pocket that can accommodate a 16-inch laptop and a smaller pocket that can fit a tablet. Of course, these organizational features can easily work with other items like pouches.

The backside of the pack offers an ambidextrous concealed carry pocket. The loop-lined wall can accommodate hook and loop holster options and includes Mission First Tactical’s Multi Mount Platform.

The ACHRO as a Minimalist Survival Pack

Twenty-two liters is not huge, and, in my opinion, that is a good thing — the bigger the bag the more excess we tend to pack. This is a sweet spot for creating a minimalist survival system that keeps the weight down. Many people don’t consider weight when packing a survival bag, but the importance of it was evident during the Undisclosed event, as even under light load participants struggled moving up steep hills and rough terrain.

Outside of an event like Undisclosed, weight is important, particularly in EDC scenarios. If your pack is too heavy and uncomfortable to carry, the chances of you leaving it at home or in your vehicle are much higher. Your emergency kit doesn’t do any good if you don’t have access to it.

When packing out my ACHRO, my goal was to create a comprehensive minimalist survival kit along with a few EDC essentials so that I could handle any emergency situations that might come up, and I had everything I needed to get my job done throughout the event.

Storage and Organization

The ACHRO has some great organizational features, but I take the organization game a step further using pouches to organize certain types of gear. This allows me to quickly identify and access various kits in an emergency. In addition, pouches can be easily swapped out to accommodate activity-based needs.

he Mission First Tactical ACHRO Storage Case is a versatile pouch that can be used for a dopp kit, ammo haul, or for survival gear.

Mission First Tactical ACHRO Storge Case

Along with the ACHRO backpacks, participants were issued ACHRO storage cases — the participants used them to store extra magazines. The ACHRO storage case is made from the same water-resistant material as the pack and features the YKK AquaGuard zippers to ensure everything inside stays dry. At 9.5 by 4.5 by 4 inches, the versatile case can serve as much more than just magazine and ammo storage. During the Undisclosed event I didn’t need to carry magazines or ammo, so I opted to use mine for my wilderness survival kit.

The Badger Claw Outfitters Scout EDC Pouch is an ideal place to store everyday carry essentials.

Badger Claw Outfitters Scout EDC Pouch

As the name indicates, the Scout EDC Pouch is ideal for housing all your EDC items. This compact 7x5x1-inch pouch fits in any bag and even a large cargo pant or coat pocket. The Undisclosed participants received one of these in water-resistant X-Pac material, but I opted to use a custom version made from Nemesis Camouflage Cordura. I keep basics in here including a pen, notebook, lockpick kit, lighter, and a small “ouch pouch.”

Shelter

In a wilderness emergency, shelter is a top priority. We can survive without food and water for a time, but exposure to the elements can lead to death in as little as three hours. Having the ability to quickly and easily set up a makeshift shelter can be the difference of getting home alive and not getting home at all.

The Rab Siltarp 1 is ideal for setting up a one-person survival shelter.

Rab SILTARP 1

Each Undisclosed participant was issued a Rab SILTARP1 as part of their kit. I opted to keep this one in my kit as it was lighter and more compact than the large tarp I usually carry. This ultralight tarp weighs just 8.5 ounces and is made from 30D Cordura fabric, making it both waterproof and durable. When unfolded, it is 1.5 by 2.4 meters (roughly 5 by 12 feet) and is the ideal size for building a one-person shelter. There are built-in loops that can serve as attachment points, and each loop area is reinforced to reduce the likelihood of damage from the elements after being setup.

Atwood Parapocalypse Paracord

Cordage is a vital part of the shelter-building process and can serve a variety of other purposes including lashing gear to packs, hanging food to deter animals from getting into it, and more. I use Atwood Parapocalypse cord as it adds even more survival functionality. This 11-strand paracord is incredibly strong, but if you break it down you will find seven nylon strands, a waxed jute stand, 10-pound fishing line, 160-pound test line, and 110-pound test line.

Fire

Even when building a minimalist survival kit, a good fire kit should always contain redundancy and account for different environmental conditions.

Fire makes us warm, which was not something needed with the intense heat at the Ben Franklin Range during Undisclosed — but fire can do a whole lot more for us in a survival situation. With the proper vessel, fire can be used to boil water to kill pathogens found in wild water sources and cook any wild food sources you can acquire. Fire can also be used to signal rescuers for help, provide light, and boost our mood. I always carry redundancy when it comes to fire-starting tools, as weather conditions and injuries can limit the ways I can start a fire.

BIC Lighter

A classic BIC lighter is the simplest way to create fire. It can be done quickly and easily one-handed. The downside to a lighter is that they will not function well when wet, and the fuel is finite.

Outdoor Element Sparky

The Sparky is a small carabiner made from hardened aluminum. While it is not to be used for climbing, it is ideal for attaching gear, carrying keys, and using as an attachment point with paracord. What makes the Sparky standout is the attached ferrocerium rod, which can be used to create sparks to ignite tinder. While not as easy as a lighter, ferro rods function well in wet and cold environments.

Wazoo Fire Card

The Wazoo Fire Card is a simple credit card-sized piece of highly flammable material that can be used in an emergency to start a fire. Simply shave down some pieces and use a lighter of ferro rod to ignite. The material will ignite in both cold and wet conditions.

Black Beard Fire Plugs

These waxed plugs will burn even when wet for a few minutes, giving you ample time to get some tinder and kindling going.

Water

Under ideal circumstances we can survive for up to three days without water, but in the intense summer heat that number drops dramatically. Having the ability to source clean drinking water is not just vital in an emergency, it can help avoid an emergency all together. The Ben Franklin Range had several creeks and streams onsite, so sourcing water was not a problem I just needed a way to make it safe to drink.

Having the ability to access clean drinking water can be the difference between life or death in an emergency. The Epic water filter bottle serves double duty in a minimalist survival kit as both a water filter and water storage device.

Nalgene Water Bottle with Epic Filter

All Undisclosed participants were issued a 48-ounce Nalgene water bottle equipped with Epic water filters. This is ideal for this type of adventure, as it stores a large amount of water and can be used to filter wild water sources through a filter that attaches to the straw. The bottle is as wide as a 32-ounce bottle but is taller, so it fits perfectly into the ACHRO pack’s bottle holder. Each bottle kit contained two filters, one for wild water sources and a second for tap water.

LifeStraw

Like fire, having a backup way to purify water is important. I keep a LifeStraw in my wilderness kit as a backup due to its lightweight and ease of use. Simply stick it in any wild water source and use it like any other straw.

Note on Water Filters: While water filters are a great option, they have their limitations. Smaller microbes like virus particles and some environmental contaminants can get past the filter. When possible, source your water from moving water sources and avoid water that is near industrial or farm areas.

Emergency Medical

In most cases, my ouch pouch is enough to handle the small cuts, scrapes, and bumps that come along with traversing rough wilderness terrain, but it is not equipped to tackle major muscle and bone injuries or major bleeds. Undisclosed also had portions of the event that used live firearms, so while it is always good to have some advanced bleeding treatment in the wilderness, it was even more relevant for this event.

A proper trauma kit is essential when working with firearms, even in a controlled environment.

Gorilla Medical Individual Trauma Kit

Each participant received a Gorilla Medical individual Trauma kit loaded with a number of lifesaving items focused on the types of injuries most likely to occur with firearms, though many of the items apply to injury types that could potentially occur in the wilderness.

The kit included:
• C.A.T. Tourniquet
• Emergency Bandage
• Compressed Gauze
• Hemostatic Gauze
• Non-Latex Gloves
• Trauma Shears
• Surgical Tape
• Casualty Document Card
• Permanent Marker
• HyFin Vent Chest Seal
• Nasopharyngeal Tube
• Surgical Lubricant
• Needle Decompression

The trauma kit was housed in a custom nylon pouch, which could be easily mounted to our packs or belts.
Note on Emergency Medical Equipment: Medical equipment is only as good as the training you receive. Without the knowledge of how to properly use medical gear, it is just dead weight. Our participants received a crash course in emergency medical training, and I have personally taken numerous courses in the subject. These skills are perishable, and it is important to periodically train to retain and update your skillset.

Navigation

Having a reliable means of navigation in unfamiliar areas can get you out of a bind if you know how to use the tools available. Cell phone-based apps can be helpful, but in the wilderness, and many areas in the Ben Franklin Range, service is limited, and those apps may not be functional.

GPS navigation devices allow you to find your way and better understand the topography of the area you are in.

Garmin 64st

This handheld GPS unit has been with me for a while. It may not be the newest unit on the market, but it’s reliable and still receives updates from Garmin. It offers an array of features, but most importantly it provides a topographical map of the area, which is helpful when planning movements. The external antenna gives you a solid connection to GPS satellites for accurate location information even under dense tree cover and during adverse weather conditions. It is rugged and can handle drops and driving rain, ensuring it will be available when you need it.

Coms and Signaling

With limited cell phone reception or in the instance that our mesh radios fail, having a backup communications plan is important in the event of an emergency. Beyond communications, having the ability to signal others, especially in the dark, is important if facing an emergency.

When in remote locations cell phone service can be unreliable. Compact satellite communicators like the ZOLEO allow you to communicate with others when there is no cell service.

ZOLEO

As a stand-alone device, the ZOLEO satellite communicator is a great, easy-to-use option capable of sending SOS messages and contacting emergency services. What is even more useful is that it turns your cell phone into a text-based satellite communicator, allowing both emails and text messages to be sent and is capable of automatically sending your GPS location to emergency contact or search-and-rescue services. The device itself is built to withstand the elements and has great battery life. The compact size makes it easy to carry in your pocket, attached to your gear, or in a pack.

The Glow Rhino Ember is an ideal low light gear marker and signaling device that add next to no weight to your minimalist survival kit.

Glow Rhino Ember

Glow Rhino packs tritium into their fobs. Tritium is a harmless radioactive isotope that will glow brightly for well over a decade without the need for any light or electronic charging. While small, the bright green glow is picked up easily by the human eye in dark conditions, which can help you stand out to those looking for you. These also make great gear markers when working in dark conditions.

Light

Having a light source when operating at night or in dark conditions is essential. Even if you are not planning to be out in the wilderness at night, emergency situations can leave us trying to navigate back to a safe location in the dark. In the wilderness, the absence of building and infrastructure lighting can result in pitch black conditions, making movement difficult and unsafe.

Powertac HL-10 Headlamp

The Powertac Explorer head lamp was provided to all participants, and I opted to use this as my primary light source as headlamps are ideal for creating hands-free light when working or on the move. The Explorer produces up to 2500 lumens of white light and has almost three days of run time on low mode between charges. In addition to white light, the Explorer has a red light option, which is ideal for preserving your night vision and an IR mode for tactical pursuits.

Backup Power

With a heavy reliance on electronics comes the need for backup power. Power banks are a daily carry necessity, but when operating in adverse conditions, picking a ruggedized weather-resistant option is vital.

With a heavy reliance on electronic devices, backup power should be part of every survival kit.

Dark Energy Poseidon Pro

The Poseidon Pro is a great solution for wilderness backup power. The ruggedized frame is drop, water, and temperature resistant, and it provides 10,000 mAh of power, which is enough to charge all the devices I carry and my phone at least once.

On-Body Gear

The kit I put together was comprehensive, but as our participants learned during the event, your pack doesn’t do you any good if it is not on your person when an emergency happens. While the participant faced a staged mass casualty event, I have learned from firsthand experience how easy it is to become separated from your pack in high-stress situations. Developing some redundancy in your kit to store on your person should be part of every survival kit build. Even though my on-body gear is not as robust as the gear in my pack, it is important to remember the best survival gear for any situation is the gear you have on you. My on-body carry included The Reiff Vicon, Skallywag Tactical Iron Jaw, Fenix PD25R, Sunshine Safety BRIK Micro, Outdoor Element Sparky, and Glow Rhino Ember.

Closing Thoughts

My ACHRO packed out came in at just over 11 pounds, not including water weight, and left plenty of room to add some snacks and house my camera when not in use. Having a light pack was welcome when traversing the challenging terrain and intense summer heat at the Ben Franklin Range during Undisclosed. Fortunately, I did not encounter emergency situations, but being prepared brings confidence and peace of mind to charge forward during the event with less stops back to the lodge to get supplies.

Much of the gear came in handy throughout the longer days, particularly the navigation, lighting tools, backup power, and water bottle. While we may instinctually want to pack everything and the kitchen sink, finding the right balance between weight and functionality is vital to reduce fatigue. When operating in challenging terrain and high heat, over-packing survival and EDC gear will quickly do more harm to your body and performance that outweigh any benefit the gear may have.