Side by Side Comparison of: Ready America vs Lifeline

We wanted this to put in our vehicles for some peace of mind while travelling.

Love this product

It seems to be great, will be great when I have a emergency

Very good emergency bag. Has most needed items. I purchased 2 for 2 people, just to get a longer use time. Backpack is very sturdy. Added flashlights, radios, batteries, etc. It is roomy enough to hold many additional items, so I had to be careful about not making it too heavy. With all the storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes, it pays to be prepared. This is compact enough to place in a closet for quick access. I read where some people are leaving it in their car without problems. We live in a hot climate , so I have not tried this. Well worth the price.

Being a Jehovah's Witness, we are encouraged to be prepared for any disaster be it by nature or manmade and this is perfect. It has all the essentials needed for an immediate emergency.

You never know when an emergency can happen, stranding you without access to basic necessities like food, water, and first aid. I keep one in both cars just in case. There is a little extra room in the backpack in case you want to add any extras like a flashlight, knife, extra food or other items. It's always a good idea to have a Plan B just in case your car gets stuck in a snowstorm, quarantine, martial law, earthquake or other disaster. If you have to abandon your vehicle, you strap this on and start walking until you can get to safety.

This little kit lives in my tiny Camelback hike pack that I don't leave home on a hike without. I like to be the prepared one while hiking, and luckily I haven't yet had to use any of it, but upon careful inspection I can rest assured that I'll have what I need in case of emergency on a hike.It's packaging is tiny and I don't even notice it in my pack. You should never hike without at least the 10 essentials, and this is a great start. PS, don't forget water ;)

If you are looking for a kit that you can throw in your pocket and forget about this is the one the price is excellent and the added comfort of knowing that if something were to happen you would have the tools necessary for survival is priceless

The best survival gear is the kind you never have to use.It's hard to argue against spending the small amount of money on this, if for nothing else, just to have it. It's the perfect size where you can keep it on you at basically all times when camping (or even just in your car) and have it not be an annoying burden.I haven't used it, thankfully, but I feel confident enough that if I was put into a situation where I needed it I would probably not die for a few more hours than I would without it.I don't have a particularly high confidence rating in my general survival skills, but having this definitely helps a bit.

These are perfect for having the bare necessities when out in the woods. I got them for my daughters 10 & 12 so that they could learn how to start a fire, signal for help, etc. The pouch they come in is small but perfect to add to your belt or bag when going out.

Being an avid survivalist, I had very low expectations here.. However I was very pleasantly surprised with this kit.Yes the compass is cheap and the kit isn't going to save you from big disasters. But for the money I challenge you to find a better mini kit than this. It has some really nice items and is small enough to shove into any pocket or void. The compass works like it should and everything seems like it's decent quality.The shipping was very fast and the price was very cheap. I'm more than happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone that has survival in mind. I keep one of these in my backpack and one in the glovebox of my rig.

Got this kit for the following reasons:1) small, packed tightly in a tough plastic bag2) good, quality components3) has a tiny bit of room for extra items4) decent, affordable priceThe #3 point listed above was one of the strongest selling points for me. I added a VERY small S.O.G. knife, a lighter, a micro fishing kit, and a small firesteel to this package. A tight fit, for sure, but perfect for me in my car wrapped side-by-side with a good first aid kit. I am not disappointed at all with this little kit, and I don't think you'll be either.

This is a nice single person kit. It says it's for two, but it's a bit limited food and water wise for two. Easy to store. One minor complaint is the first aid kit which is really minimal.

What's good about this is that it's all in this little red backpack that's easy to grab. I am someone with an active family, I volunteer at school and as a coach, so I am someone really on it and active about my first aid. It's not theoretical it's daily! I do not dip into this for that. This we have for the grab-and-run possibility of an earthquake or black out what-have-you. I added more masks, ice packs and supplies. But it's a great foundation

Got this for my dad's truck. Keep in your car, office, home or travel trailer. Good base kit. I did add a few items to it. Aspirin, reflective safety vest...the kit is bare basics, to help someone you might stumble across (especially if you travel a lot) or keep yourself alive in a bad situation, not to keep you in the lap of luxury. First aid kit is extremely basic, I took it out and added one from the pharmacy, along with some aspirin tabs.

I love the idea of having a dedicated back pack for emergencies. However the backpack is child sized seriously. The picture makes it look standard sized but it's pretty small. I was well aware of the contents and it's a good start that can be added to, but I wasn't prepared for the small size. I added some flashlights, divergent blankets, food bars, and a few other things. But I'm considering moving then into a larger bag and using this one for the car. I just can't see grabbing this tiny bag with any confidence that it has nearly enough in it.

I found this kit to be more than I expected overall. The quality and type of items included really does meet the need. I purchased this to carry in my vehicle as I am often more than 50 miles from home on a daily basis and needed something that would help me to make a 4 day trek home or survive where I may be stuck for a prolonged period while looking for other resources. The only things I have added, that would be helpful, were my shortwave/am/fm/NOAA solar/crank charged radio and a military grade compass along with maps of the areas I travel in case I have to make the long trek home. Walking the trip home would certainly be different than my usual drive on major thoroughfares. I just hope I never have to really put it to the test but, knowing it is there, gives me a sense of preparedness and comfort I did not have before.

Better to be safe, right? It definitely provides the basics and price is pretty reasonable compared to other packs I've seen. Of course it doesn't include everything two people might need in every kind of disaster, but it lists everything that is included and each person can decide if they need more or not. I've added a little multi-tool and flashlight and will probably add more, like an emergency radio, as I come across them.

Just as it says but the bag is a little crammed.

I got this kit to go hiking with my friends. I got it due to the price and compared it with other kits. I liked this item better the the S.O.L scout that was TWICE the price and did not come with that much high-quality items as the Life Line kit did. The Compass is one of the best I have seen in a survival kit, even better it is ACCURATE!!!! Something that you don't get in other kits, and that it is not a button compass. The only things that I would add to the kit is a way to cook, and water purification tablets.

I was pleasantly surprised when I got this kit. The bag is much bigger than the one in the pics and the bag appears to be of better quality (see my customer pics) than the kit in the photos. This product appears to be an updated version. Note that I ordered my kit from West Coast Mall (came in two days, even with regular shipping!!). This kit now comes with a sparker, not waterproof matches.BAG: The bag is of decent quality and has a bit of room for expansion. It is much sturdier quality than a ziplock bag or one of those heavy plastic bags with the zipper. This bag rolls shut with a nylon strap and has a clip, which is awesome - it can be attached to a carabiner or clipped to a bag or belt.CONTENTS: The label contents show the same contents as the Amazon add. But, it states that it only has one (1) fishing sinker. (see pic) I was pleasantly surprised again when I found that the little fishing kit has 4 hooks and 4 sinkers. Compass points magnetic north and seems to be of durable quality. Whistle comes with additional cord. "Snare" wire is actually piano wire, but it appears to be of decent quality. This kit no longer comes with a box of waterproof matches, which is replaced with a sparker. This should make the kit more airplane-friendly.The sparker is basically a lighter sparker - not a firesteel. I doubt it would help a ton in starting a fire unless you had very dry, very fine kindling. You should definitely find a video on starting a fire with a sparker. Dryer lint seems to be the most accessible kindling. I will put some lint in the kit in a little baggie to keep water out. Or replace the sparker with a mini bic lighter, which is almost the same size.1 star off for being made in China - the fishing kit is of very cheap quality as is the duct tape. It will do in a pinch, however and can be replaced cheaply.

Overall, this kit seems pretty comprehensive and is of pretty good quality for the price. The compass is made of a durable plastic and points north consistently. It makes for a good core for an emergency preparedness kit, since it includes necessities like matches,an emergency blanket, a whistle, duct tape/rope (though not very much of it). as well as means for catching food like the fishing supplies and snare wire (though I have not tested them, so I can't speak to their quality. The aluminum foil is a thoughtful--though easily replicated--addition to the kit since you can use it for signaling as well as to help purify water via sunlight (unless the water is contaminated by chemicals, in which case it wouldn't work). Some things to take note:The case - The plastic is thick and feels durable, but I'm worried about the sides; they could probably be split open with enough force, so I'd be careful not to stuff it with too many things if you plan on adding extra items. Also, the opening isn't the best--you just roll it down and then hold it down with velcro. BE CAREFUL when opening the velcro; after opening the case few times, the plastic split along its seam so I had to use duct tape to seal the hole. I duct taped my second one behind the velcro to ensure this doesn't happen if I ever needed it.The matches - they come in a paper box that is not waterproof; the tip of each one is covered with a red wax that'll keep it light-able even after being soaked in water, but it only covers the tip. I wanted to test the waterproof matches, so I soaked two in a cup of water for about 30 seconds, dried them off with a towel, and then tried lighting them. Unfortunately, if the uncovered wood part (which is about 90% of the match stick) absorbs water, then your match won't last very long--probably not more than several seconds. But hey, if your tinder is dry that might be all you need. The plus side is that the plastic case the kit comes in will help keep the matches dry in a rain (but probably not if it got submerged). I'd keep at least 2 other means of making a fire in my emergency kit just in case.

It's not a bad product(s). It actually worked out well for us because I can teach my kids with these items and not worry about them going through it so quickly since it's inexpensive. I think it would be useful to have in your backpacks as an absolute last resort to use but maybe be a bit more reliant on some other survival items. There are some useful items here but unless you've really practiced and mastered using some of these basic tools and techniques then probably you shouldn't rely on these items for your survival.

This is a small, very light and very portable survival kit. It is definitely a good value for the price, but it's mainly just a good start on well-stocked survival kit. All of the items come out of the container very easily and it is easy to replace them all.I'll get right down to reviewing each item in this kit:Waterproof Carry Case - This is the plastic bag that the entire kit comes in. It is composed of thick clear plastic and it should be fairly durable in most situations. It will most likely keep your kit dry during the heaviest of rains but I'm not sure if it would stand up well if completely submerged in water.Waterproof Matches - These matches come in a small box with a striker pad on each side. The matches are fairly easy to light, even with the waterproof coating. The problem is that the matches aren't completely coated. Only the phosphorous tips are waterproof, so if your matches are soaked and you can get one to light, it's going to go out as soon as the phosphorous burns away. I would say that these matches should just be called water-resistant instead of waterproof, but I will just replace them with better ones.Aluminum Foil - A fairly large piece of foil which comes tightly folded in the kit. What else can I say? It's just aluminum foil and it can be very useful in some situations.Emergency Blanket - This is a silver Mylar blanket that is about 4'x 6'. If you don't know about Mylar, it is a great insulator. They use it for spacecraft and Astronaut suits to help protect them from radiation and freezing cold. This is useful to have for emergency situations where staying warm is a priority.50' Fishing Line, 4 Hooks and 4 Sinkers - All of these come packaged together in a small bag. The back of the box says that there is 50 feet of fishing line, but I'm not going to unravel it to make sure. The sinkers are very basic, and they don't have lips on the backs of them so they will be difficult to remove from a line once they are attached. The hooks seem good but they are small, so you will be lucky to catch a big fish with them.8' Snare Wire - This is just basic steel wire which can be useful in very many situations. It can also be used to catch small game if you need to. As with the fishing line the box says 8 feet, but it would be a pain to unravel it just to find out exactly how much there is.Map Compass - A simple compass for use with maps. It seems to work, but I've had several compasses that were better than this one.Emergency Whistle - A plastic whistle that comes with a nylon braided cord so you can wear it around your neck. I haven't really tested it yet, but it's a just a plastic whistle so I bet it works fine.10' Emergency Cord - Braided white nylon cord that can be useful in many situations, any type of cord like this is a must in any survival kit.36" Duct Tape - First off, this isn't Duck brand Duct Tape. This is off-brand tape and is certainly somewhat lacking in quality, but it is still Duct Tape and it is still extremely useful for very many reasons. Duct Tape is great to have in any survival kit.Survival Guide - Not much of a guide, really. It is a single piece of paper with printed instructions on both sides, but it does offer some sound advice for survival situations. It would be good to have if you have nothing else.Reusable Zipper-Lock Bag - This is just a plastic bag. A fairly large one, sure, but still just a standard plastic bag.Surgical Blade - A single stainless steel blade which comes sterilized in an aluminum foul package. Recommended for one-time use only, but you should clean it and keep it with you if you have used it already.Wound Closure Strips - Sterilized strips for closing certain wounds. Latex free and useful for deep cuts.Safety Pins - Three Safety Pins. Useful and good to have when you need them, but most people have some anyway.Also, there is a small piece of paper in the kit with safety information on it. Not useful for anything except possibly starting fires so at least you'll have something to burn in a pinch.

I bought this in 2012 and the food/water has since expired. All of these items are easy to replace. In fact, everything can probably be purchased separately at your local retail store for a lower per item price. However, this works as a great starting point if you currently don't have anything. The pros are that all the basics are taken care of. This pack has some of the most basic 3-day supplies that an average person would need. That said, this isn't a one-time purchase, set it and forget it item. If you have special medical needs, child needs, pet needs, etc you need to gut the backpack, get a decent backpack, and put these items in along with your other personal items. Some items to consider adding to this would be some tools, knives, medications, clothes, water filter, radio, phone charger, etc. There are plenty of videos on YouTube and plenty of articles to read online about surviving a catastrophic event. Some are more extreme than others, so pick your most comfortable level of preparedness. Again, this kit should be the base of a greater set of gear that should all be portable and easy to grab and go for a few days when the stuff really hits the fan. By the way, this backpack has been in my wife's car trunk for the past few years. I recently took it out to replace some of the items, and upon pulling on the zippers, they broke. The backpack itself is really not meant to last for very long. I exercise, but the way these snapped off made me feel like I had to check my post-workout drink for steroids.

It holds all the included items fine, but is too small for me to many personal items. Meaning -- there's MINIMAL leftover room. I could work with it if the backpack had loops so I could use carabiner hooks to add additional bags, but it doesn't. The first aid kit will need to be replaced. It's basically a few bandaids and a sterile wipe. The included water won't be enough to support two people for three days. Don't count on it to survive.

Would reccomend just making up one of these yourself. That way you can add and subtract things and buy nicer things. Its a good idea but alot left out some stuff you dont need and things very cheapy- you get what you pay for kind of thing- it was cheap so not like upset about it. The "food" is awful so get something to replace that, its so hard its unedible and hard to even break up with a knife. Again I would just buy your own pack and your own stuff just use the list of what this has as a general guide.

i don't think this bag is worth it's cost, even through amazon and prime. but it got me started on my go bag. First off, the water provided is good enough for 1 day of water for 2 people so already it's lacking compared to advertised. i didn't even look at the food, but people need water MUCH more than they need food. We can survive weeks w/o food compared to days without water.The other items are useable but not great. I put everything from this kit into a larger comfortable (read you can carry it for miles) bag then I put some LED lights in it as well as a knife, starter sticks and some medicine. My kit will grow over time i'm sure.This is something I wanted to start on YEARS ago but never did. Buying this kit got me focused on it, even if it's overpriced for it's contents.I live in the bay area, ca where threat of natural disaster comes in the form of an earthquake. Being prepared to leave your home is a reality here.

I purchased this as kind of a starter kit, and while it helps to give you an idea of some useful things to put together, it really falls short in delivering several of them. What I found was that it had the cheapest possible versions of everything it was providing. After getting this and looking what was in it, I pretty much started from scratch with a new bag (the one that came with the kit has a single stitch that was already failing when I first opened it with a 3-inch tear by the zipper).For ~$40, you get a good starter kit, though:Emergency food barsWaterEmergency BlanketsVERY basic first aid kitLight sticksDust masksNitrile glovesWhistlePonchosTissueMy problems are as follows:The backpack was falling apart from the get-go.The first aid kit was too basic to be very useful (it's the kind that you might toss in your back pocket for daily carry).The emergency blankets are pretty standard and cheap to buy.The 12-hour light sticks are easily and cheaply upgraded to the 200hr LED glow sticks for $5 per 3-pack at Home Depot.Dust masks can be had at the dollar store.Gloves are really cheap (the ones that came in my kit were replaced immediately as they were just too cheap to rely on).The whistle is just a whistle.Ponchos are pretty standard and cheap to buy.Tissue could be replaced with a ziplock bag of tissues and be just as effective.If you're looking to build a cheap emergency kit, look at the individual contents of this and decide what you need. If I were ever to rely on this, I would be a bit afraid. That said, after buying this I had a lot of fun rebuilding it with an "I can get better" attitude and ended up spending quite a bit more buying "better" versions of its contents and filling some gaps. $40 isn't too bad a price to get at least part way there, but I can't see why they even bothered with such a low quality backpack to hold it all, as I'm pretty sure I use higher quality grocery bags.

Was trilled when I got but found it completely inadequate for the needs in country terrain. I have since created my own b.o.b but this was the best way to start. For anyone just looking for the bare minimum this is for you. If you are looking for a bit more than you need to research BOB BAGS

I bought this to go in my day hike pack as a light weight kit. I had a bunch of the other items you'd normally need and thought this looked like a good addition to replace my aging bandaids etc.My biggest complaint is that the compass is terrible. The compass looks nice in the picture but it's not well built, the needle in the water is terribly balanced and the needle falls off it's pin easily. If you aren't used to terrible compasses this is going to cause you trouble. I'd suggest trying to use it a little, see if it works for you and if not maybe buy a better one.Pros:It's a very small lightweight kit.Contains some basics of general emergency gear.Relatively CheapReally nice sparker for starting fires (it's tiny but provides a very good spark)Cons:Crappy compassDoes NOT contain some things that are also a good idea to have, for example:Mirror for signalingHand crank flash lightBandages (there are butterfly bandages "wound closure strips" but no actual bandages)And of course water and food and extra clothing but nobody expects a kit to have those.

Kinda what I expected. Disappointed that there was what appears to be a cut in the carrying case, rendering it basically useless.

Decent product bit overpriced small dry bag is a nice touch though. Would rate higher with slightly higher quality contents

Ok, you get a cheap kit...pick and choose what you really need, throw away the stuff you don't

I always bring this with me on my hikes. The only problem I have found with this is that the compass is pretty iffy. About 4" wide by 3" tall and very light-weight. Out here in Colorado the weather can change on a dime so I always feel a little better with this in my pack.

If you’re not an extreme wilderness kind of person and you’re looking for a basic kit to have on hand because you should always be prepared, then this is it. The items are basic and wouldn't hold up to constant survival use, but they would get you through in a pinch.

Good for emergency, backpack is junk, zippers broke first time I opened it

Backpack zipper broke the first time I unzipped it. Unfortunately, I didn't unzip the thing until about ten days too late to return. Would be nice to have the ingredients to the food bars ahead of time - turns out I'm allergic. Rest of the contents are ok, will just transfer to another bag.

This is an interesting emergency kit but it is heavy. I can't imagine toting this around if there was an event. Also, when the package arrived, one of the water packs had opened and there was water over everything. Nothing was ruined and the water was easy enough to clean up, but I wouldn't order this again.

It's upsetting that this expensive kit expires after a year...

Needed to supplement it to make it functional

Good basic pack, but the water is lacking. They give you 2 pouches a day and the pouches clearly state to drink 4 per day per person.

Thought it would a little better put together and the products would be of better grade. Guess it could be still used in a bad situation.

This is a very basic and cheaply made survival kit. However, it is useable.

I bought kit along with several others to test them out in real world. No one who rated this kit >3 stars actually used in an outdoor environment. The flint striker device was designed similar to other brands, but worked markedly worse. It is effective at grinding the skin off your thumb though! There was no tinder included in this kit (instructions fine print say "tinder not included"). Good tinder is absolutely critical to use with the flint striker. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself (with cold hands, windy, damp weather). I found no matches in my kit, unlike other reviewers. The compass in this kit was 100% NON-functional, the pointer needle was fixed in place. The kit contained the right items for small, basic, personal kit (with exception of fire starter tinder) with room to add extra items, but the quality was too low. Question is what do you want to rely on in life/death situation? You get what you pay for.

Firestarter is very cheap and broke after striking it twice.Good thing I wasnt relying on it in a survival situation. Very unhappy with the product.

While this survival kit is better than nothing, the components are of poor quality. A fire starter is provided, but no tinder. There is no water purification capability at all, merely a ziplock bag for collection and storage. The survival blanket is one of the very thin, almost transparent ones. It does pack small, and again, is better than nothing. The fishing supplies are not too bad, 3 small hooks, some line and a sinker. The compass is very cheap. From the photo it looked like a Silva, but it is not. They call it first aid supply, but a scalpel and 4 steri-strips are not of much use. The whistle is an exact copy of the Adventure Medical Kits SOL Slim Rescue Howler, and it works fine. There is some wire, a bit of nylon cord, and a small roll of duct tape. The instructions are OK, but do not agree with the most respected and prominent teachers or resources for survival, getting priorities a bit mixed up.

Item comes as described but don't expect anything too fancy. If your looking for something to just throw in a glove box of a car or your boats tackle box then this will do. If your looking for a more complete in depth survival kit then shop around some more.

Product came with 1 glow stick instead of 2 and it has a shelf life of 4 years and not 5 like most emergency packs.Bought 2 and they were the same exp. 8/21.

I was not happy with Emergency kit.

Super small like a kindergarten backpack. Not as much stuff in it that I expected. Thank goodness I only got one. Good to keep in car I guess.

All the items weren't in the pack. Some of the emergency food was open. My money however was returned promptly

Expiration date of package received was in less than 3 years, despite 5 years advertisement. Others have had better luck, but this now requires a return--big waste of my time packing it back to the UPS store. Can't get more than one star when primary feature is compromised!

As pointed out in other reviews, this product is mislabeled. It is really a 2 small children or 1 large pre-teen child supplemental survival kit. It is totally inadequate for 2 adults or teenagers, and might do in an emergency for 1 adult if generously supplemented.Basically, you would be buying this for the additional food and water.So, it is good only as a child's survival kit backup to a 3-4 person family survival kit.One task I had to perform was putting all the water vulnerable items in zip-loc quart and gallon bags to protect them against drenching rain.

I am giving a 1-Star review because of the Quick Spark Fire Starter in kit. This item failed on me when I needed it the most. It just stopped working after initially producing some very nice sparks. I would much have preferred just to have a basic magnesium fire starting tool that can't break. Always carry 3 different means of starting a fire!!!

This would not save my life. But it would give me a good laugh before I died.

Got the product and I read the warning on the back of the product "WARNING: Parts of this product contain a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects and other reproductive harm." Will not be using this product and will be returning it.