My apologies. I must have misunderstood.

LOL. I would expect no less from you, jac. As I have said, you are a very savvy prepper. I'll probably take my fanny pack after this thread, though I have never had a problem finding my way back. That said I will mow probably get lost and have to huddle in a ball to try and stay warm. Thanks jac. Always a pleasure.

Not a problem Jim. I would be the first to encourage you.

Great story Matt, very instructive. Welcome to ETS.

losing the gear is the one survival situation i do prepare for.thats what the PFD with the ditch kit is all about.
going overboard from the canoe is a very remote disaster but treading water while the boat and pack are driven down wind would mean at the least many days with out food or shelter waiting for help.the kit however has all i need to stay safe and fed for at least a week.the other way to loose the gear is a fall on the portage trail so the PFD go's with me on every trip back and forth these days.by fall i mean busting something and not being able to get back to the packs at the other end of the carry.i bushwhack and go into some remote places but some of the portages are well used.


good---



bad---



unused at the start of a bushwack to whats called a Primitive Management Area. you need a permit to get in and camp and only one is given out so you will be alone...i need to invest in a PLB.....

Excellent example.

One of the worst "boo boos" I've ever done is when I was out X-Country skiing. I didn't have a map (mistake #1), but I had seen a map and knew that a road cut across my path. So, I thought I'd ski a compass bearing. I'd hit the road, turn left to the main road, and follow the main road back to camp.

Except that they don't plow that road in winter. I skied right over the road without knowing it. I kept looking at my watch thinking "why the heck haven't I reached that road yet?" Finally, it was getting dark and the people I was with were starting to get scared. Using a compass bearing, we turned toward the main road. We did get to the road, and we even got picked up by someone who kindly gave us a lift back to camp.

Moral(s) of the story:
-Always carry your survival gear
-A map is survival gear. Not getting lost can prevent a whole lot of survival situations.
-Be careful of assumptions about terrain. If it ain't adding up, then you might just want to abort a loop trip and return the way you came. Retracing your steps isn't "admitting defeat;" it's a smart survival technique.
-Always establish a turn around or "bail out" time.
-Leave word at camp of where you're going, what route you'll take, and when you'll return.

HJ

I think that about hits the nail on the head about getting lost.

Situations where you violently have your pack torn off your back or situations where you suddenly end up lost or seperated are going to be very rare (for most of us). More commonly situations will develop and become the result of the sum of various factors.

I think it was one of iawoodsman's videos on youtube where he states that you don't just become lost. It might take hours for a situation to develop before you realize you are lost. It will always be the situation you didn't plan for that takes you by suprise, unfortunetly it is impossible to plan for situations you never expect to happen or believe can't happen (getting lost on an "island").

I think people have to be realistic about what they carry to encourage a high probability of carry. In all honesty I rarely carry my tobacco based survival tin because I find the size and shape awkward. For that matter looking at senarios that are most common much of the contents are probably uselss unless I go very deep into remote wilderness. When conducting outdoor activities EDCing high quality and sturdy tools and signaling devices might be more useful. In alot of the senarios I read about people get turned around and lost within a few hundered meters or a few KMs of other humans. EDCing something like a penflare in the woods might get a response from other humans that allows you to self-rescue before ever getting "lost".

Just thoughts...

HJ [/quote]

I think it was one of iawoodsman's videos on youtube where he states that you don't just become lost. It might take hours for a situation to develop before you realize you are lost. It will always be the situation you didn't plan for that takes you by suprise, unfortunetly it is impossible to plan for situations you never expect to happen or believe can't happen (getting lost on an "island").

[/quote]

I thought it was iawoodsman who said on one of the other forums that he keeps his PSK in his pack because he's NEVER lost his pack? Someone pointed out (very gently) that he thought it defeated the purpose of carrying a PSK. Woodsman's PSK I think was in a smaller bag that he could pull out of the larger pack. Or am I confusing him with someone else?

You maybe right. I seem to remember the discussion on usa bushcraft forum. Not carrying survival gear on the person isin't a great idea IMO; however I agree with his theory on how many situations can develop over a longer period of time ie not getting lost when you weren't a second ago. Obviously not the cash for plane crashes, bear attacks or upset canoes.

EDIT:
Here is the dicussion you mention kathy.
http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16229
Seems at the posting date he carried it in his pack and moved the psk to belt or pocket once at camp. Perhaps that changed after a discussion but I didn't go through the thread to check.

Yes, that was the site. Thanks very much. I roam around a lot and don't register, so sometimes forget where I've been.