My most recent blog discussed survival kits. The few examples that were given via web links were nothing more then examples and not a particular endorsement of any one particulary type of kit. Survival kits can be a blog subject easily for a solid year and more. The examples were only meant to illustrate that kits can easily be homemade, carried and inexpensive. A person could of course make any number of survival kits with a wide variety of contents. So be aware that when you make a survival kit, you should by all means taper the kit and the contents to your specific needs and possibilities that may be encountered. The main point is to have a kit and have it on you when you need it. Enough said then for now about survival kits. This will surely be a subject of many future blogs.
RULE 4: NEVER, NEVER GO OUT ALONE
I know that there are mixed feeling about this rule in some peoples opinions and I am somewhat (very little actually) sympathetic toward the reasons people give for going out in the wilderness alone. The fact is however, there is generally safety in numbers and often two heads are better than one. I know there may be arguments against these statements too, but look at it this way-------------------------
If you were along and injured and dealing with some type of misfortune in the wilderness, you would very likely at that time appreciate that somebody else was there to give you a hand. Misfortunes and tragedies can happen so easily in the wilderness and even to the most experienced outdoors enthusiast. Perhaps your buddy happened to pack an item that you did not pack and that one item may make a difference of surviving for your group. Perhaps your hiking buddy or somebody in your group has a particular skill or experience that may be needed and that you may be lacking or simply not quite as skilled with as your buddy and the level of skill can make a significant difference in survival outcomes. Keep in mind too that a solo hiker or adventurer is more vulnerable to attacks from predators (human and animal predators).
Here is a little test to consider if you are totally confident that you do not need anybody else to go with you in the wilderness------
Go to the nearest high school track and lay down on the track then drag your body once around the track with your legs as dead weight. Once around the track (which is generally about ¼ mile) and you will not likely want to keep repeating the experience. One quarter of a mile is not far at all when you are able to walk but it can be a very unpleasant experience when you are not able to walk or when your walk is painful and causing more damage. Still think the ¼ mile is not so bad? Keep in mind the most running tracks are on fairly even ground with somewhat padded material. This is not the case when you travel one quarter mile in the wilderness. Still not convinced? Try doing the one quarter mile on the track in the rain, a blizzard or on a very hot day without drink or warmth available. Maybe even try it with a backpack on you back. Chances are that if you are in a real survival situation you will likely be more then one quarter mile away from help. At times like this it would be in your best interest to have somebody with you who can help. Worse case scenarios have been experienced by all too many people in the wilderness when they go out alone and with no survival kit and get into misfortunate situations. Remember, when it comes to you vs nature, nature generally has the advantage. I mentioned in a previous blog the website Hiker Hell . If you get a chance, take a look at this site and see how many stories you can find in just a few minutes about individuals who went out alone in the wilderness. These people learned the hard way. Some of them did not survive the experience. Don’t let this happen to you. NEVER, NEVER GO OUT ALONE.
http://www.hikerhell.com/
http://www.hikerhell.com/
