Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

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

RE: Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

:eek: no comment :eek:

RE: Survival Pack
 

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

RE: Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

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.

RE: Survival Pack
 

in the places that i hunt i know the area very well and am relatively close to civilization(by close i mean within a mile of a house, on mostly open farm land). if i were in an area that i wasn't knowledgable about i would definately carry some kind of survival stuff.

RE: Survival Pack
 

Great topic Redbear!!
I carry those items and a small medic pack(butterfly stitches,bandaids,travel pack of tylenol(little tube kind),alcohol swabs, and a MREmeal complete (military meal ready to eat,you can even get themon e-bay pretty reasonable)and they come in pretty handy if your needing a hot meal when your stranded.
As for a fire starting kit,I use a 9 volt battery with some 000
steel wool(just touch the steel wool to the connectors and
it'll burn,shove that in a sandwitch bag of dryer lint with some dry leaves and you got fire!)(good one redbear i've been use'in that for years);)
My Dad is a ex-Navy Seal and he taught us kids to be prepared
for anything!!If you have the theorythat the one poster did then you'll be the one that wishes you did have that stuff!!!!!:eek:

RE: Survival Pack
 

i usually bring a couple compasses, a knife, lighter(s),small first aid kit, extra batteries, some food but usually not a lot and tons of water so i should be ok if i got lost....i always tell everyone where i'm huntin' and huntnma and i usually keep in touch throughout the day so we've got each other's backs if needed.

RE: Survival Pack
 

I usually take a snake-bite kit, a space blanket, and some type of firestarter. Other than that...I don't take much.

As you can tell, I don't wanna get stuck out there and get bit by a snake (early season) or freeze to death (later season.)

I got enough stuff to carry without carrying a 20 pd survival pack.

RE: Survival Pack
 

I only carried basic gear before, since I'm hunting the high peaks region of the adirondacks this year i've put alot more thought into a survival pack. In fact my first scouting trip up hear damn near ended with a night in the woods, I was carring my basic pack (fire, a little food, 2 way radio, knife) that would have been one uncomfortable night. Now my "deep" pack is set with "comfort" and survival in mind. I too use MRE's. One for lunch and one for emergency.

RE: Survival Pack
 

Well I'm usually hunting on my own property(btw I have four does that are on it every morning). But when I'm hunting on farmland I carry :
1. First Aid kit w/snake bite kit and any meds I need
2. Some way to start fire, (matches, lighter and lint)
3. GPS and Compass
4. Knife
5. High energy and fattyfood
6. water and tabs for purifing it.
I'm rethinking my kit this year, I'm planing on doing a backpacking hunt with my old man and I might need a little more.

Also I'm new to this board but I like it!

RE: Survival Pack
 

I?M IN THE SAME SITUATION; BUT I ALWEAY CARRY MY CELL, A NICE LIGHT SOURCE AND SOMETHING TO EAT