WARedBear

How many of you carry survival items in your pack? If not, why not? I understand that most of us hunt close to home or with partners so it might not be necessary. But others, like myself, are lone hunters and others go deep into the woods. Even so we all need to carry some form of survival kit with us. We can't get the false idea that it won't ever happen to me or I know these woods like the back of my hand....etc...mind set. It can happen to us and it does.

A quote from a Wilderness Survival article...
"Go on hunts prepared to spend three extra days in the woods. To do this, you need to take some items with you that will provide the basics. You need quick protection from inclement weather and the ability to retain body heat. Yu need to start a fire, provide safe drinking water and have at least two methods of signaling for help beyond a cell phone or two-way radio. These items make up your personal survival kit, and when combined with your hunting knife and flashlight, will give you the edge you need to survive."

It doesn't take much to make a small survival kit to put into your pack. A small tube tent or small tarp, fire starter, dry tender (dryer lint), whistle, space blanket, and mirror are just a few items to consider and only cost a few dollars.
There are a lot of other thing you can do to make sure you have a safe hunt this year. Sound off and name a few other survival hints:
1. Make a print of your shoe and leave it at home with a map of where you will be and when to expect you home.
2.

JeramyK

I have 2 different packs that I take depending on where I am going. One for those close to home hunts and then a bigger pack that goes with me when I go deeper into the woods or into an area that I am not familiar with. I never did this growing up but a few years ago a friend of mine fell out of his stand and wasn't wearing harness. 4-5 hrs later he woke up and was fortunate enough to be able to walk out under his own power with a few cracked ribs and mild concussion.

GR8atta2d

If my pack gets any heavier I will need a survival kit. I hunt close to home, if I'm somewhere else someone always knows where i'm at. I guess with the arrival of the cell phone, GPS..etcI figure it's not needed unless you are somewhere huge and the real possibility exist of getting lost, for days on end, and weather could move in quickly hampering rescue.

WARedBear

Cell phones can't be depended on in a life or death situation. Thinking we can is a false hope that you don't need out there. Trip and fall on the cell phone, batteries go dead, a no coverage area, lost, etc....Make sure you have the necessary items in your pack to survive at least one night out even close to home.

I was in the Spokane County Explorers Search and Rescue unit for awhile. We carried to packs to every rescue, a one day pack and a three day pack. The one day pack didn't include a tent or sleeping bag or a lot of extra clothes. We counted on that night be unconfortable but survivalable. We (hunters) need to do the same everytime we go into the woods. Make sure we have the bare necessesities with us at all times to be able to survive at least one night out.

As the point was made on the treestand safety belt issue on another thread...we owe it to our loved ones to be prepared

GR8atta2d

Cell phones can't be depended on in a life or death situation. Thinking we can is a false hope that you don't need out there. Trip and fall on the cell phone, batteries go dead, a no coverage area, lost, etc



Suppose I fall and break my mirror and cut myself on the pieces.Or Lose my survival pack? Why does everyone make such an ordeal out of this?? Sure accidents can happen. I've seen many people get hit with stray golf balls on the course but we are not playing in hard hats and body armour.

WARedBear

no comment

GR8atta2d

Oh, you'll comment, it's just a matter of when.

Lady Arwen

Actually had to give a survival pack some serious thought after getting stranded this weekend. Was never in any real danger since I was not in an area completelydevoid of other people, but after walking for 2 1/2 hours uphill without seeing another person I wasn't feeling real chipper. My pack contained a space blanket, waterproof matches and long burning candle, a bottle of water, and some munchies thatwere left over from my daughter. Will be making an addition of a small first aid kit, some water purifying tablets,asignal mirror, and better food than goldfish crackers!Can't hurt to bebetter prepared.

Illinois Bowhuntin

I have a arial photo of the properties I hunt.I mark them all where my tree stands are and I always let my wife know which property and stand I am going to.This way if she doesnt see me or hear from me a couple hour after dark then she knows where to send the search party.I have a basic kit for small things in my pack though.I always carry my cell phone with me.

ClassyHunter

Besides my regular hunting pack like my knife etc., I never go anywhere without a compass, some water, jerky, one of those emergency blankets, whistle, and cell phone.