#204876 - 07/18/10 02:03 PM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: MostlyHarmless]
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Sheriff
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
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Before I forget, Sierra Trading Post has a 30% discount right now. That link should get you the discount (which is an across the board discount). You'd then just do a search on UDAP, and the pepper spray, among other things, will come up. With the discount, the pepper spray's price is lowered from $34.95 to $24.46. Not too shabby, I'd say. HJ
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#204878 - 07/18/10 02:50 PM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: MostlyHarmless]
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Sheriff
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 1804
Loc: Southern California
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MostlyHarmless,
You bring up an excellent point: does one "reserve" one's PSK or other emergency supplies exclusively for emergencies or does one use them for normal everyday tasks? I do a little of both, but I generally leave my PSK intact. Because I keep the PSK intact, I do have to carry some redundant items. However, since I'm such a scatter brain, sometimes a little redundancy is better than not having something that I need.
Yesterday, for example, I went hiking to a place called Hermit Falls. I was getting a "hot spot" (pre-blister) on my heel. I took out some duct tape, and reached for my SAK. It wasn't in my pocket. Not good. But it wasn't a problem since I still had my fixed blade with me. I cut off a strip of duct tape, applied it to my foot, and went on my way, no problem. Thank God for redundancy.
HJ
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#204881 - 07/18/10 06:18 PM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: Phaedrus]
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Stranger
Registered: 06/10/10
Posts: 4
Loc: Connecticut, U.S.A
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"I think it's interesting that in all the episodes of Survivorman I've ever seen he always sets snares but I've never once seen him catch anything."
Survivor Man needs licenses for hunting/trapping in most cases. It may be why we don't see that on the show, or he doesn't set enough traps to catch anything. 1 or 2 snares isn't enough
_________________________
I might not know where I'm going, but I'll recognize it when I get there
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#204882 - 07/18/10 06:35 PM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: Mark_R]
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Stranger
Registered: 06/10/10
Posts: 4
Loc: Connecticut, U.S.A
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Thw SW M360 has a 12 oz listed weight. Works out to about the same as a UDAP "Magnum" sized bear spray without the political and legal hassles involving guns. Also, it can be used on "he's just being friendly chewing on your leg" fido. or carry an airhorn...gives you another signaling device
_________________________
I might not know where I'm going, but I'll recognize it when I get there
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#204887 - 07/18/10 10:59 PM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: SETI6equj5]
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Old Hand
Registered: 05/29/10
Posts: 863
Loc: Southern California
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or carry an airhorn...gives you another signaling device Another signaling device wouldn't be bad. I once hiked with a guy who had a portable ham radio (pre satellite phone era) in his pack in lieu of the conventional essentials. The bear spray, or handgun, is for defense. Unlike home emergencies where the ambulance can be at your door in less than 10 minutes, it’s going to take a good amount of time to get to you on the trail. Even more time if they don't know exactly where you are. I'd just as soon not get bit.
_________________________
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane
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#204892 - 07/19/10 01:42 AM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: Hikin_Jim]
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Journeyman
Registered: 12/03/07
Posts: 88
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**The 10 Essentials** Map (topo, preferably around 1:25,000 scale with approx. 40' contour intervals) Compass Light (headlamp or flashlight) Sun protection (hat, glasses, sunscreen) Extra food & water Extra clothing Matches (or lighter or fire steel or sparker) <==at least 2 methods Firestarter (tinder) -- e.g. Tinder Qwick, Wet Fire, Vaseline cotton balls, candle, etc. Knife -- Fixed blade preferred FAK
Preferably with water, you have at least a way to carry it (eg platypus soft bottle), and a way to boil it (eg small pot with wire hanger), depending on your size requirements, the boil pot could easily be the kit container. These should be independent backups of your normal water supplies. You of course know this, but the people reading your list may not. And let us not forget the ever-handy aquarium tubing for extracting from seeps. Extra clothing: Work gloves of some sort should be carried at all times for the times you need to protect your hands, and extra socks (wool, natch) to protect your feet. Mittens are handy in colder weather, but an extra pair of wool socks can warm hands or feet. A watch cap, GI Poncho, and down vest are very handy to have as minimal emergency clothes. **Other essentials** - Chapstick (SPF 30) - Personal meds (3 day supply) - Duct tape - Whistle - Signal Mirror - Shelter (e.g. space blanket, space blanket bivvy sack, tube tent, etc.) - Rain gear - Watch - Bandana - Pen & paper
Cards or dice can be a handy other essential to kill boredom. GPS could be considered an "other essential" nowadays, though it shouldn't take the place of map & compass, since maps seldom break, lose signal, or have dead batteries. Cheap painters drop clothes can be used for temporary shelters, but are really inferior to a tube tent, as they tear easy, they are however cheap, compact, and light weight. Just some thoughts, C.Rowe
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#204893 - 07/19/10 01:51 AM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: SETI6equj5]
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Old Hand
Registered: 01/28/10
Posts: 1174
Loc: MN, Land O' Lakes & Rivers ...
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"I think it's interesting that in all the episodes of Survivorman I've ever seen he always sets snares but I've never once seen him catch anything."
Survivor Man needs licenses for hunting/trapping in most cases. It may be why we don't see that on the show, or he doesn't set enough traps to catch anything. 1 or 2 snares isn't enough
Les Stroud never had much luck hunting, snaring, or fishing, but he did a good job demonstrating the technique. I doubt that many of us would be so lost for so long that we would need to snare something to survive. Where I live, fishing is easy, so I carry braided fishline and snelled hooks. The thing about snare wire is that it is lightweight, compact, and has a hundred uses besides snaring. I carry about 15 feet of it in a 4 inch coil.
_________________________
The man got the powr but the byrd got the wyng
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#204897 - 07/19/10 05:03 AM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: MostlyHarmless]
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Old Hand
Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 778
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Redundant is my middle name!When I go on overnighter's or longer treks,my total pack weight is 30lbs. minimum,& that's after Many years of cutting down!As I age,the logical step is to cut down further,since my bones will have less resistance to injury,however, my brain tell's me I've got it just about right,Mental Block? Perhap's!Stubborness?Most Definitely!I alway's seem to run into other hikers/campers that need a hand with something,& Most marvel when they see my "Redundancy" in action!When I've helped someone,I ask them to Pass it on,Hopefully,It keeps things in check as,There is not much worse than,having a Bummer in the Boonies!
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#204899 - 07/19/10 05:59 AM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: Byrd_Huntr]
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Old Hand
Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 778
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
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Most folk's think of a snare to trap mammals,i.e. Rabbit,Squirrel,porcupine,etc.,Even under the Best of conditions,Lest you have a decent background of Mammalian Behavior,You will need to set MANY snares/traps,with bait,scents,masking scent,etc.Birds on the other hand,are Quite easy to watch,& since they can fly,are quite choosy where they habitate,usually their seed source is very nearby their coveyhole.Braided fishing line,& snelled treblehooks are Ideal for catching birds on their scratch-lines.Birds don't smell humans,they see/hear them,If you spook a covey from thickets in the morning,they will be back, come suppertime.Being a Byrd Hunter,I'm guessing it's just something you overlooked,since you'd otherwise have your gauge with you.
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#204905 - 07/19/10 12:08 PM
Re: Emergency Hiking Gear List -- Your Thoughts?
[Re: Richlacal]
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Old Hand
Registered: 08/10/06
Posts: 882
Loc: Colorado
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I don't know what's included in "personal meds" but I'd suggest adding a pretty good dose of antihistamine such as Benadryl or something quite powerful.
Good for treating bee sting for everyone.
This weekend while camping in sagebrush I re-learned how allergic I am and how vital anti-histamines are to my continued functioning in grasslands. (I'm fine in the mountains but not in hayfields and sage brush.)
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