If I Was Stranded on a Deserted Island...

Recently I was contacted by Man Crates and asked to write a post about what I'd like to have in a survival kit if I was stranded on a deserted island and found a crate washed up on shore.

[What are Man Crates, you ask? Well, I'll let them speak for themselves:

We say 'no' to ugly neckties, cologne samplers and executive trinkets. We don't save wrapping paper, we don't do ribbons.

We ship bragworthy gifts for guys. Gifts that you can't wait to arrive because you know the recipient will love opening them.

Gifts that people gather round at the office, people following the sounds of wood being torn from wood by the included, laser-engraved crowbar.

We are Man Crates, and we deliver awesome gifts for men.]

And while these gifts may be primarily designed for men, I saw many that I'd love as well! For example, I'd be beyond heaven if I found one of their Bacon Crates waiting for me. *drool*

But, failing that, these would be my top five items in my Survival Crate:

(1) Flint and Steel

Matches run out eventually, and trying to start a fire by twirling a stick is both tedious and tiring. Flint and steel, however, won't wear out and are fairly easy to use to start a fire.

(2) Mosquito repellent

I HATE MOSQUITOES, and unless I'm on a deserted island with no vegetation, chances are I'll share it with mosquitoes. I'd want something to keep the obnoxious little beasties from eating me alive.

(3) Sunscreen

I'm a lily-white Scandinavian, and I've had people ask me if I'm albino despite the fact that my eyes are blue, not pink. Sunscreen, at least SPF 30, is a MUST.

(4) Hammock

Sleeping on the ground doesn't really appeal to me. I think a hammock sounds like a much better alternative. I'd love to fall asleep gently swaying in the breeze while listening to the sounds of the ocean. A covered hammock would be even better for rainy nights.

doesn't that look lovely?

(5) Books

When I was 14, I went to Washington, D.C. and, while there, visited the Library of Congress. In the gift shop, I bought a mug and a tote bag that both said, "I cannot live without books. - Thomas Jefferson." (I still have both the mug and the bag!) It's absolutely true for me; I'd shrivel up and fade away if I didn't have anything to read while swinging in that hammock. Ideally, I'd want the complete works of G.K. Chesterton and L.M. Mongtomery, and maybe the entire run of my guilty pleasure, the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb. I'd also want some how to manuals for desert island survival, such as Swiss Family Robinson and Robinson Crusoe. ;)

What about you? What's your must-have item for survival on a deserted island?