Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 27

Thread: Walking in the woods - don't die...

  1. #1
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Offshore
    Posts
    11,477

    Walking in the woods - don't die...

    Prompted by this thread:

    http://www.simplelivingforum.net/sho...Missouri-trail

    To avoid death, here's the wee pack I grab whenever I'm going for a hike/run/dog walk through the woods here in the Pacific NW. Total weight is 8 1/4 pounds without water in the bottle(s), or lunch thrown in:





    Now, from the outside pockets to the inside:



    Metal water bottle and cup. Can be turned into an expedient cooking setup without much trouble.



    Outer compartment: (clockwise) gloves, headlamp, fatwood sticks for tinder, fire steel/magnesium block/tinder, binoculars, Mora knife, Condor multi-wrap (hat/neck warmer/bandana - many uses)



    Inside compartment: (clockwise) hat, bright orange 550 cord, compass, whistle, signal mirror, axe, medical kit, emergency bivy shelter, wind/waterproof parka

  2. #2
    Senior Member Jilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Midwest, USA
    Posts
    1,084
    I am thinking that this would be useful for just about any time, especially when I have that long drive to my daughter's.

    I already have some stuff in the car. It all fits in a medium tote, except for the litter.

    gloves
    those silvery space blankets, 2
    matches
    candles
    compass (on dashboard)
    thermal blanket
    fluorescent orange fabric, ripstop nylon, two yards
    scissors
    knife, multipurpose
    canned nuts
    bag of dried fruit
    granola bars
    cat litter
    flashlight and extra batteries
    a box of lightsticks
    first aid kit
    plastic drop cloths, the light-weight ones, 9x12, 2
    It is well, when judging a friend, to remember that he is judging you with the same godlike and superior impartiality. Arnold Bennett

  3. #3
    Senior Member Blackdog Lin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    1,528
    Nice kits, both of you.

    Preppers get looked upon as crazies.....but we know, don't we, that having some supplies always on hand can make all the difference? It's just common sense.

  4. #4
    Mrs-M
    Guest
    Super posts, Bae and Jilly!

    Whether we go out berry-picking, for a hike, fishing, or whatever, my husband ALWAYS carries-along a small day-pack with emergency/necessary items (like yours).

    Another thing my husband did with all our boys, is take them out into the wilderness and hand them one match to start a fire. He'd play on the single match idea, telling them "one match was all they had", then he'd get them to try and start a fire.

    When they failed (and they did), he showed them what to do and how to do it, what types of twigs and things to gather, how to find pitch on a tree, and where to look to collect a few ribbons of Birch bark.

    He also taught them how to set-up camp, what sorts of warm natural plants (ferns, etc) to use, and how to make a basic covered shelter.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Jilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Midwest, USA
    Posts
    1,084
    Where I live it is just for the bad winters and if I should get stuck anywhere on the road, any time of year.

    When my daughter was young, we went on a day trip along with a friend and her son. The car broke down on the highway, not near to anyplace. All I had was a blanket in the car. I walked a half mile through a snow storm to a gas station, called home and my ex would not come to fetch us. I then called a fellow teacher and she and her husband came.

    In the meantime, that one blanket was not helping much and when the local police happened by they took my friend and the kids to the station and I stayed in the car so that my other friends would not get to the car and wonder where we all were. I am so stupid, and I guess the police too, that I did not think of putting a note on the side window, but when the police came back to check on me I went with them, leaving a note. Lordy.

    Anyway, that experience taught me to be prepared as much as possible. Now that I have a cell phone, calling for help would be much easier.

    I also keep a GPS in the car in case I get lost or there is construction or something.

    As for prepping, my daughter and her family are doing that in a very serious way. I think of it as them having a really big pantry.
    It is well, when judging a friend, to remember that he is judging you with the same godlike and superior impartiality. Arnold Bennett

  6. #6
    Senior Member Gardenarian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    SF Bay Area
    Posts
    4,255
    Thanks for postin, folks. I have a hard time getting dd to even carry a poncho and space blanket. (The knife and hat are non-negotiable.)

    13, and she thinks she's immortal. I guess I did too.
    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” -- Gandalf

  7. #7
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Offshore
    Posts
    11,477
    Fir you "space blanket" fans, I recommend you take one it on a cold, damp, windy night, and see how well they work...

    Then once you've learned, update to something at costs just a few dollars more, and weighs only a teeny bit more, that actually holds together in the wind and performs.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Jilly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Midwest, USA
    Posts
    1,084
    I always thought that I would use them underneath me, whether it be in the car or stuck out somewhere. So, they are not good for that either, I am guessing.

    What is the update thing?
    It is well, when judging a friend, to remember that he is judging you with the same godlike and superior impartiality. Arnold Bennett

  9. #9
    Senior Member peggy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    2,857
    Nice pack bae. A good precaution to have in the trunk, or on a hike.
    When hearing of this sad story of the father and his young sons, the news people kept saying 'he was an experienced hiker' and all I could think of was, no, no he wasn't.

  10. #10
    Helper Gregg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Macondo (or is that my condo?)
    Posts
    4,015
    Well done bae. Ours are very similar. Substitute the knife for a Buck Folding Hunter (in the case on my belt) and the axe for a folding saw and you pretty much have mine. I loved seeing your headlamp and whistle. I made the kids wear a whistle if they were going more than 20 feet from the house when they were growing up in the mountians. We still carry them. I swapped out the flashlights and added headlamps a few years back. So handy to have both hands available when you need them.
    "Back when I was a young boy all my aunts and uncles would poke me in the ribs at weddings saying your next! Your next! They stopped doing all that crap when I started doing it to them... at funerals!"

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •