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-Reader Submitted Article
Better Too Much, Than Too Little
Being only 13, I realized this situation all too soon. Ever been
in a situation where you had needed something that you put back
because you thought you wouldn't? Only to need it later on? I have,
and it isn't a good feeling.
If you think you are going to need something at first, then take
it. Do not second guess yourself, even if it is something that someone
else may laugh at. So, you carry a little more gear, but that makes
you more prepared then the rest if it is something that could come
in handy later on. A good example of this would be a GPS. Yes, who
would laugh at that? Really, who? I will tell you, people who think
that a three mile hike is nothing to use a GPS for. But, what if
you happen to find a path that you thought you knew and ended up
way off course, and then a storm hit or worse, you become injured
and you need assistance round the clock? Yes, you told someone where
you were hiking (Or you should have, anyway) but, what if that one
wrong turn you made meant you ended up 3 miles or so from where
that spot was? It could take them an extra day to find you, or longer.
A day that you may not have. However, you have a cell phone you
can call and tell them your coordinates! But, wait, you didn't take
that GPS because it was a short 3 mile hike, know what do you do?
Now, do you get the point that it is better to take more then not
enough? Most likely not, as that was just one item. However, lets
say you are going to go on a hiking trip in the mountains and you
take the following items:
- Paracord (300 ft)
- GPS (Yep, making sure to take it this time!)
- Extra clothing
- Knife
- Flint and magnesium
- Flashlight
- Food for 5 Days
- The backpack with 4 Water bottles
- Cell phone
- Multitool
- Mini Survival kit (Fish hooks, 1 Sq Ft alum. foil, 10 ft rope,
30 ft fishing line, 2 sinkers, etc.)
(Not the best of a list, but, then again, this is to get you to
the point that you should take more then enough then not enough)
Now, say that is only 15 pounds, and we are comfortable up to 30.
However, you feel like you want to travel lightly, and the weather
is supposed to be good.
Say, this stuff you looked at but thought you wouldn't need it,
so you left it behind:
- Snare wire (None in the mini survival kit)
- Hatchet
- Extra Cell phone battery (Why would you need this anyway?)
- 2 AA Battery phone charger (Again, why?)
- Tent (The weather is supposed to be good)
- Sleeping bag
- Water filter
- Water purification
- .22 Pistol
- Tarp (10 x 12)
Alright, you think that extra 10-ish pounds would be too much for
you to handle. Beside, it is supposed to be nice weather, and it
is only a 2 day trip in the mountains.
Let's say we traveled to where we would be staying, and we go explore
a little. Now, the weather was supposed to be nice, wasn't
it? Then what was that loud roaring sound? Quick! You turn on the
internet feature on your phone and her that there is a huge cold
front going to be moving through and with it is coming some massive
storms and fierce winds. It is going to hit in less than an hour.
You get back to where the camping spot is, and you remember that
you thought the weather was going to be nice and you didn't bring
your tent! No problem, right, you will use your tarp. Oh wait, even
that was too much extra weight for you to carry. Well, you could
always set up that sleeping bag as a tarp! Wait, that was too heavy
as well. Now, you are down to building a shelter. Alright, you quickly
go to cut some branches from the pines to use as a shingle effect.
But wait, you didn't bring your hatchet with you!
You go on the internet on your high tech phone and find out that
there is a tornado warning only 20 miles west of you! Then you remember,
you were just looking at the internet on your phone that you thought
would work here. You quickly dial the phone number of your closest
friend to come and get you! Right as they answer, your phone dies!
Wait, the extra battery, that you didn't bring because the extra
weight. The charger! Wait, we left that behind too, didn't we? So,
you are now stuck with a storm going to hit in less than 10 minutes,
in a makeshift shelter out of dead branches. You make with what
you have, and eat a little to regain some of that energy. The storm
hits and it rains for over 4 hours. Lets say we got about, 10 inches
in that time. (A little much, maybe, but to get to a point) Alright,
there is no problem, it stopped after 4 1/2 hours and the wind is
blowing 50 MPH now. You are now completely soaked, so you change
into your dry clothes.
The next morning you are going to leave the way you came in, but
you are flooded in, since you did come up over a hill into a valley,
then up a mountain. The way you came in is in 8 feet of water. You
go to get a drink, but, all your water happens to be gone, and you
didn't try to catch any the night before. No problem, you go to
get some from the streams! Wait, you remember something you previously
saw on TV about the water in the streams about how even the flowing
water because of the recently dry years, all of it had some parasites
in it, and all that is mixed with the freshly fallen rain! Wait,
use the water filter. Oh, we can't because we didn't bring it!
NOW Do you get the idea? Good, because you should.
The main point of all of this is that if you don't bring enough,
you could be miserable. If you take more then you need, you will
use a little more energy, but you won't be miserable if something
happens where you actually need to use that stuff.
The items as follows I always hear of people saying "Why?
Who cares about that?"
Extra Cell Phone Battery - Your cell phone may not work where
you are going, but what if it does for a few minutes? This could
be extremely useful. What if you are lost, you have a cell phone,
but your battery is dead? And you didn't tell anyone where you were
going (Like you should have)? That extra cell phone battery would
be extremely useful here.
2AA Battery charger - Same as above, except charging the
other battery
Signal Mirror - Now, these IMO are debatable, however I do
find that if you have an effective signal mirror, they are helpful.
Let's say you injure yourself and you see someone flying over pretty
low. Or you see some campers a ways away they can't hear you. If
you had that signal mirror, and knew how to use it, you could easily
signal where you are.
GOOD QUALITY Whistle - Sure, the toy whistles are better
than your voice. But not as good as a high quality whistle in the
least. With a good whistle you should be able to hear up to 2 miles
away. If this is the case, then you should have no trouble getting
help should something happen IF you are in a highly populate area.
(Where people come all the time) Plus, it saves your voice.
Hatchet/Axe - Yes, they are heavy. Think of the advantages
though! If you need shelter, you can cut branches for shingles,
or for a lean-too. If you need fire wood and find a dead tree, look,
you can chop it down!
Survival saw - Debatable, they may snap, however I have personally
had great experience with them. They are very lightweight, and can
help in the makings of a shelter, build a fare, or when worst comes
to worst, make a small snare out of it.
Snare wire - Yes, snares, old fashioned! Use a gun, right?
Wrong. What if your gun gets jammed, or the aim is off? Or you use
all of the bullets and get no food? Exactly. You wish you had snare
wire. When made right, these WILL catch you food in a day if you
place them in a decent spot.
Fishing kit - Who needs it? Well, I take one, and when I
needed food, after I set my snares, then what? You go set fishing
hooks. In this kit, you should have - 12 Hooks (Pick your own sizes
depending on where you will be fishing) 50 ft of 20 pd test. 100
ft of 12 pd test. 16 assorted sinkers, 8 jigs, some bait (If you
need it) 20 ft of Paracord. Paracord you say? Yes. Tie some to a
tree, then a tree across a stream/ creek if there is one. Then dangle
hooks off of it into the creek/stream. No fishing, just trapping
basically. Or if there are no creeks in your area, only ponds, then
bring an inner tube and a decent size weight and float it out with
the bait dangling.
Tarp - Yes, just bring a tent! No, don't just bring a tent.
Bring a tarp and make a tent. Not that hard. Plus, it can be used
for many more things than just a tent. Cover yourself up, waterproof
your shelter, use it as a solar still, etc. etc.
Tube Tent - Now, these aren't the best by a long shot, but
if you need a shelter and QUICK then use it. Just make sure you
have a tarp or a garbage bag handy to block one of the holes and
you have something as good as a tent
Garbage Bag - Large ones. Use them as a make shift tarp,
makeshift Poncho, or tent. Very useful when paired with a tube tent.
Make an actual tent (Almost) Cut it down the two seams, and then
in half put one half over the back hole and seal it around it and
the other the front hole but leave it hang to get in and out
Compass - You know what way to get out, North. But, how can
you tell the direction? What happens if you head in what you thought
was North and go South and end up even further from safety?
Blaze Orange markers - These are in NO survival kit I see.
I say they are an essential. What happens if you need to start moving,
and the next day people go thru where you were? Use these to mark
your path. Make sure to have an adequate amount of them. Over 100.
I would just bring a roll of the Blaze orange tape. That way you
can make arrows on trees.
-Dale Reynolds
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