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#204716 - 07/14/10 05:50 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: xbanker]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: xbanker
As a hiker (including Sierras), my essentials closely mimic yours, but personal preference/priorities have signal mirror and whistle included in first "critical" list. Maybe ahead of extra clothing, depending on weather, time of year, conditions, hike location etc.

In event of impaired mobility caused by mishap -- say broken leg or worse -- and maybe where fuel for signal fire not abundant, I absolutely want to have signaling basics well-covered.
Good points, and I agree with you that depending on the time of year and the weather, priorities will shift.

Here in the part of Los Angeles where I live the high over the next few days is going to be around 100F/38C and the low 70F/21C. In heat like that, extra clothing is hardly a primary concern.

HJ
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#204717 - 07/14/10 05:51 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: xbanker]
TeacherRO Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 03/11/05
Posts: 2574
On further thought - this list is good...and the key is making any kit small enough to carry every time...for me thats a pound* and book size. (plus food, water, clothing...)




TRO

* ~1/2 kilo

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#204718 - 07/14/10 06:04 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: MostlyHarmless]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: MostlyHarmless
Jim, your list makes very much sense to me. Changing to a different location would perhaps mean that some items would gain priority, such as shelter being a very high priority for me in a Scandinavian climate (except in wooded areas in the warmest part of the summer).
Absolutely. The most important thing to pack in any survival kit is common sense. One cannot just throw the same kit in one's backpack and think that one is simultaneously prepared for both Saudia Arabia and Alaska. A list is just a starting point that one must think through.

Originally Posted By: MostlyHarmless
One seasonal/locale dependent thing I would like to add to your list is bug avoidance (such as a mosquito hat/net or bug repellent). Trying to sleep while being eaten by mosquitos and bugs is a sure morale killer. My recommendation is a mosquito hat together with clothing that covers your feet and hands.
Oh, sorry, my list wasn't very clear. In the fourth set of ten, when I say "headnet", I'm referring to a mosquito net that one places over one's hat. It can be a life saver in heavy bug country. Insect repellent is listed in the third set of ten.

Originally Posted By: MostlyHarmless
Another thing: I love Paracord, but any cord is better than no cord at all. Not everyone will be ecstatic about hearing they need to go online to purchase some genuine "mil-spec" because they really need that magic elfish rope or whatever. I would edit that part so it reflects the virtues of bringing some minimum quantity of whatever synthetic cord they're happy with.
OK, that's a very good point. I will modify my list accordingly.

Thank you very much for some really good feedback.

HJ
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#204719 - 07/14/10 06:59 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: Phaedrus]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: Phaedrus
If you can build a fire, keep the rain off you and stay hydrated I'd say you're in good shape for a few days.
Well said. That's basically where I'm coming from. I think of thermal regulation and hydration (unless there's an acute medical issue or I'm in imminent danger) as job one in survival. Signaling follows thereafter. Hopefully my list reflects those priorities.

HJ
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#204720 - 07/14/10 07:01 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: xbanker]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: xbanker
Originally Posted By: Hikin_Jim
Please tell me the specific hiking trails that you're talking about. I'd really like to hike there.

Nice hike north of you if ever the opportunity: Graveyard Lakes. Great fishing last time there few years ago. Area photos.
Nice site. Is that your site?

Yeah, that's a great area. I've been there several times. A bit far for anything less than a three day weekend, but I sure love it up there.

HJ
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#204721 - 07/14/10 07:21 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: ducktapeguy]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: ducktapeguy
That pretty much describes my current hiking setup except for a couple things.

Added
Trekking poles - I always have them
Camera - Personal preference, but I always carry mine
Webbing - If there's a chance of doing some cross country bush-wacking or off trail, I may carry some webbing and short length of rope and a carabiner.
At least 2-4 sources of light - If night hiking it's 2 headlamps and 2 flashlights, otherwise 2 headlamps is standard.
Trekking poles? In terms of emergency use, do you use them to construct a shelter? And the camera? As a signaling device using the flash?

I agree with you on the rope & biner for XC stuff. As for lights, I've got two on my list, and I think I'll leave it at that believing it a reasonable compromise between weight and safety.

Originally Posted By: ducktapeguy
Deleted-
P38 an opener - I never carry one, because I don't carry any canned food and have never run into canned food out in the backcountry.
Two way radio - Don't normally carry them unless I'm going with other people who are carrying them. One exception is when canyoning.
Rain Gear - If the forecast doesn't show rain, I've been leaving this at home. I do have a homemade silnylon poncho/tarp/bivy that I may carry instead of dedicated rain gear and bivy. Of course this varies quite a bit, usually I err on the cautious side.
Pen and paper - Never used it, so I haven't carried it for a long time.
OK, you got me there on the P38. smile I'm former Army, hence my bias. People aren't using cans as much these days, so it's probably not critical. QUESTION: What if anything would you replace it with?

Seems like no one likes my radio idea. I actually had a HAM radio in mind not FRS/GRMS, but yes, it's probably not an essential.

On the pen & paper thing, I'll probably bump that down a notch, but let me tell you a note pinned to a trail junction sign might just save your life some day.

Originally Posted By: ducktapeguy
I hike pretty much the same areas, and didn't think fishing was very feasible either. But I was wrong, there are a lot of fish up there...
Ah, you caught me on that one. I was engaging in a bit of hyperbole with Rich there. There are some good areas to fish in the backcountry in So. Cal. albeit few and far between. What I was really driving at is that there is no fishing on most of hikes I go on. My lack of fishing gear also reflects my priorities: thermal regulation, hydration, and signaling.

Originally Posted By: ducktapeguy
However, I still don't carry any fishing gear. I probably should, but even with regular fishing gear, I'm still not any good at catching anything. Like anything else it's a learned skill, some people have it, I definitely don't.
Oh, you too? smile

HJ
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#204722 - 07/14/10 07:29 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: TeacherRO]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Originally Posted By: TeacherRO
On further thought - this list is good...and the key is making any kit small enough to carry every time...for me thats a pound* and book size. (plus food, water, clothing...)
Well, that's actually really a good point. The kit you won't carry isn't going to do you much good.

I myself have been considering the purchase of a McMurdo FastFind 210 even though I already have a perfectly good ACR Terrafix. Why? The ACR is bulky and takes up a fair amount of room in the little pack I take on side trips while on a backpack. I'm much more likely to carry the truly pocket sized McMurdo than the big, clunky ACR.

I'll have to weigh my kit and see what it comes to. Stay tuned.

HJ
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#204728 - 07/14/10 10:45 PM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: Hikin_Jim]
xbanker Offline
Addict

Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 484
Loc: Anthem, AZ USA
Quote:
Nice site. Is that your site?
HJ

Thanks, but no, just something in my bookmarks.

Yes, unfortunate that it's so distant from you. Even when I lived/worked in the Pismo Beach/San Luis Obispo area, required three-days minimum ... and five days was heaven. smile

This is closer (I assume) to your area: Sespe Wilderness/Sespe Creek. Another great hike if you haven't tried yet. And there's water!
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"Things that have never happened before happen all the time." — Scott Sagan, The Limits of Safety

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#204735 - 07/15/10 01:23 AM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: xbanker]
Hikin_Jim Offline
Sheriff
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
Oh, yes, the Sespe. The Sespe is one of the reasons I'm on this site. I spent three days there in 1984 -- on a one day hike. I will never forget the Sespe. My interest in wilderness survival is far more than academic.

I've been wanting to do this hot springs hike in the Sespe Wilderness. It's much closer than the first area you suggested but still over two hours drive each way.

HJ
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#204737 - 07/15/10 01:29 AM Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts? [Re: Hikin_Jim]
xbanker Offline
Addict

Registered: 04/21/05
Posts: 484
Loc: Anthem, AZ USA
Originally Posted By: Hikin_Jim
I spent three days there in 1984 -- on a one day hike. I will never forget the Sespe. HJ

Now that made me chuckle ... three days on a one day hike. Sounds like there's an instructive story somewhere in there. smile
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