It is a cheap and practical solution to a serious problem.

Banana bags...being in the medical field the term brings to mind for me something completely different!!

* it's a bag of IV fluid with added B vitamins and magnesium etc. that we give to patients who are alcoholics...the vitamins make the fluid yellow so it is nicknamed a banana bag!

OK. This is a wakeup call for me. Although I usually carry a basic kit, I definitely need some kind of emergency shelter.

The Banana Bag looks pretty cool. Other than the Banana Bag, what else do you guys recommend that is good for an emergency? Cheap, light, and rugged are most important. Big enough for 2-3 people is preferred, to combine warmth.

Suggestions?

David

A 10x10 (ft) tarp is light, rugged (depending upon the specific material) and versatile. Cost varies with the material selected, the lighter fabrics generally becoming a bit spendy, but worth it if weight is a primary consideration. Also carry bits of rope or line to aid in rigging. These can be quite small or usable for other purposes.

Good post. Really tragic.
It looks like they didn't have enough protection - then tried to make it out quickly when things went bad.
But the rain and the cold "won the race" against body energy.

I always carry a daypack, warm jacket and flashlight.
But i admit that I'm spoiled in CA and often don't carry a Bic lighter, matches or a tarp. I will add them ... because basically that's no weight at all.

I do have a SPOT2 device and always have that with me when I'm outdoors these days.

Pete2

Contractor bags are great for improvised shelter and can be used for other purposes. I always have a Heatsheets blanket with me, and my car kits have the Heatsheets bivvy.

Howabout a poncho? Never leave home without raingear.

One needs to remember that an experienced hiker is not necessarily a prepared hiker. Most people go through their lives without a thought about "what if" and 99.99% of the time things turn out okay. For these folks, being prepared to get stuck overnight while on a day hike is an indication of paranoia or lack of self-confidence.

What the general populace doesn't realize until it happens is it doesn't take a lot to turn your average day hike into a life-threatening disaster. An unexpected storm and one wrong turn or missed trail marker while attempting to rush back to safety could put you hopelessly off-course before you realize. So I can understand how things went off the rails for this family.

I was hiking with my kids since they were old enough to walk reasonable distances, sometimes before. I can't tell you how many trail miles I put in pushing one in a stroller and carrying another on my shoulders. There were a number of days when things didn't go according to plans. Fortunately we always had what we needed to make it safely home.

I don't know what switch gets flipped making some people more aware of their own safety and security, while most others live in blissful ignorance. My father wasn't that way, and none of the people I grew up with were either. I think it started when I was chosen to be my first son's Cub Scout's pack campmaster. Before then I wasn't into camping or the outdoors much. Since then I wouldn't even think of heading into the woods without enough gear and supplies to survive for a couple of days.

Most people still think I'm overdoing things. But I've learned to ignore the smirks and subtle head shaking when folks see what's in my pack during breaks.

This thread has been running a while yet I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. For want of a nail the kingdom was lost. It would have taken so little to save them in relative terms. It's difficult to imagine how the father must have felt when he realized they were in a pickle, having declined the offer of a ride out.

I told my wife this story. She's from Missouri. Her first comment was this ... Yeah, that's Missouri at that time of year. One moment it can be 70 degrees, and the next moment it can be 10 degrees.

I think that was the father's problem in a nutshell. He just did not appreciate the huge changes in temperature that can occur rapidly during that season. Once they got soaked out there - they were in very serious trouble. The loss of the cell phone was also a huge setback.

Pete2