Survival skills and awareness is a must for outdoorspeople. I’ve been getting free subs to the two “biggy” hook’n’bullet mags for a couple years now and they often cover the subject. There seem to be a couple key details that pop out: if you get lost and panic you’re a goner and also if you’re lost for more than a day the odds go way down for you. Something like that anyway.
I’d say the challenge boils down to two phases. The first big one is theoretically the easiest. It’s the awareness factor. It starts with simply thinking twice before heading out into any unknown area. Stop! Do you have a map, compass, lighter, LED, whistle, space-blanket, water and food? That is, do you have the simplest survival kit. Of course it doesn’t have to be a kit per se, just think about the goodies on your person at the moment before you head out. No, not then: a few minutes earlier. Last minute notions are often dismissed, with DIRE consequences.
I go into the boonies fairly often and I assume that due to experience I’m generally ready. Ha! I screw up all the time. For me, it’s usually ridiculous mis-estimations of canoe outings: they end up going MUCH longer than I thought. It’s not being lost but darn it’s uncomfortable and we often run short of food for the day and the map back at the car sure would be handy. (Actually, I haven’t screwed up in past 6 years, say.)
Hunters get lost ALL the time. I’ve been seriously lost for hours just one time—as a teen when up north deer hunting. It was vexing and slightly alarming. Our flat, overcast, thicket-rich Michigan is a mellow place but easy to get lost in. It all starts so mildly: you know the lay of the land; you head out to a blind or hunting area you’ve explored before; you become sidetracked into a thicket or any ole location off to the side, for whatever reason—following tracks being a very common one. In 5 minutes you’re lost. You’re close to where you need to be, but where is it? You guess wrong and you’re on your way!
Rescuers say that when they go look for hunters if they see that the gun, pack and coat have been discarded then they’re on a body recovery. Gulp! Apparently it’s easy to lose it in the first hour. You aren’t your normal self. It’s hard to train for.
But that’s the next step: First, take the darn vital supplies with you! Have a map on you of even your old favorite family hunting turf, of the river you paddle every summer, the forest area you commonly hike: bring the map anyway! A couple other goodies then and you’re set. Then make sure all your vehicles have little kits. Next, know how to use everything you bring. Know your compass. I know mine: they suck. I tend to bring 3 along with me and set them all out a few times before I’m confident of a reading. Know how to make a fire with what you’re carrying. I tried demo’ing fire-building to kids last summer: it was harder than I thought and took a half hour. The last hurdle would be to try a day in the woods without food, try spending a night with your emergency rig. Ha…now we’re down to the 1%ers. I haven’t done it. I suspect that doing it just once would greatly improve my chances, especially of avoiding that initial panic.
Ya know, maybe I’ll see if I can rent the DVD of that new TV series “Man vs. Wild” and see how he does it.
OK, now here’s my original Survival Kits article…
[BUMPED FROM 7/31/06] Here’s a stepwise approach to making and carrying survival kits, offering several levels of kit. I like to start from tiny kits that are always in each car and on every bike and with me whenever I go for a jaunt or a rumpush.
Kits vary with weather as well—I always have a folding army shovel in a car in winter. I tend to always carry a whacking stick in a car as well—for self defense but more commonly if I see that some driver has mortally injured a critter, I can readily dispatch it—gross but kind, actually—sometimes said critters are even highly valued for tastiness (I once hit a pheasant).
Kits aren’t only just for total survival situations. You have to realize that emergencies can be quite small. Things pop up. It’s great if you a quick fix handy so they don’t cause a ruckus. (Our muffler fell off last week and Martha easily tied it back up with wire.) I use some aspect of my kits every week. Heck, some components I use several times a day (SAK, one-hand knife). I also merge and cross-over the kits a lot—I tend to carry tons of stuff in my patented OYB man-purse.
However, my lists do remind me that I still need to get some things… : ) I’m shy of a space blanket, poncho/tarp, fuel tabs, I do believe.
Thru the steps, the kits then bloat with nifty stuff all the way up thru rucksacks to the duffle size where it’s basically what I had with me when I moved to a new house or headed out west for a few months: whatever would fit into a hockey duffle plus accessory bag. (Often I realize that when I go away for an intense weekend that I have enough stuff in my duffle that I could readily live on it.) Oh yeah! I like lists.
Step One: Fun & Useful Stuff
Mini:
(carry in pockets, in man-purse, or on car-key fob)
SAK Executive (Swiss Army Knife with pen…on car keys)
Photo III LED light (on car keys)
lighter
whistle
a little wrap of wire, cord, twist-ties, duct-tape around a couple big zip-ties
for more essential high-power tech add…
minicam (Sony Cybershot U30 is the smallest)
cellphone (don’t have one but they’re smart to have)
Midi:
…add…
one-hand knife (w/pocketclip)
pepper spray
compass
water tablets
space blanket
water bottle
powerbars
bandaids
sani-wipes
hanky
Maxi:
(carry in belt pouches or man-purse)
…add…
more twist-ties, zipties, cord, wire
fishing line, hooks, sinkers
GPS
thermometer
magnesium striker (sparker)
Leatherman
better poncho/tarp
replace little SAK w/ bigger SAK (w/ tweezers)
pen / little pad of paper
more Powerbars
cigarettes
sunscreen
bugjuice
chapstick
$20 bill
mirror
sunglasses
plastic airline bottle of whisky
(all containers should be tiny and items reduced in size)
optional for max defense/rescue…
derringer, or cute little N. American Arms .22 super-mini revolver
kubota (small pressure point, glass breaking tool)
car-rescue tool (small hammer/seat-belt knife)
Step Two: Survival in Style
(carry in bigger fanny pack)
…add…
cup and spork
(regional map)
headlamp
minibinocs
hat, gloves, sox, windbreaker
toothbrush, razor, soap
hatchet or bigger knife
waterproof matches
candle
fire tablets
thermal-packs (for feet, hands, etc.)
more Powerbars
water filter
salt
water/iodine
tea bags
bullion cubes
$100 cash
coiled wire pull-saw
110 Conibear trap (for easiest mammal meat)
Step Three: Comfy Travel
(carry in rucksack)
…add…
extra batteries
sm. foam pad
lite sleeping bag
bivvy sack
poncho/tarp
big cup / bowl
knife / fork / spoon
coffee can stove
toiletries: soap / TP / toothbrush / paste / deo / razor / comb (dishsoap?)
wash cloth / hand towel
extra socks, undies, tshirt, nylon shorts
book
bigger notebook
walkman radio w/ weather band (and a few CDs)
brim hat
cheese, sausage, hard tack
instant coffee
more bullion cubes
more tea bags
army folding shovel
Step Four: Live Anywhere & Have Fun
(carry in 2 hockey bags, roof rack)
…add…
laptop
12 books
drawing pad with colored pencils
deck of playing cards
boombox with tunes
bike (with lights, fenders, rack, biggish tires) (folding Dahon/Brompton if space limited)
skis, poles, boots
inline skates, ice speed skates, combi rollerskis
canoe, paddle, PFD (inflatable or folding boat if space limited)
.22/.308 rifle
12 ga shotgun
fishing rod’n’reel’n’tackle’n’creel’n’net
bucket
3 outfits of clothes for each season
dress shoes, runners, boots
pot, pan, spatula, big spoon, scrubby
toolbox (w/ tools, bike tools, wax, spares, ammo)
alarm clock