Originally Posted By: PureSurvival
I am confused by 'carry a kit'.


Speed of complete response is my reason for putting a kit together.

I had not considered carrying self-heating consumables because I always have the ability to make fire several ways, usually a stove, at least one cooking vessel, and plenty of snacks and nutricious food that can be heated or cooked. But all that take time to find, set up, cook, etcetera.

I had not considered carrying a towel, dry clothes, heat packs, and a bivy in one package. I usually have all of that stuff but in different places in my gear. It would take time to find and deploy each of them.

I had not experienced how much slower thought processes and physical actions became when hypothermis began setting in. Response simply takes more time, and at some point I can see you could just run out of time.

This all is given more emphasis when you are alone, as am I often, or when you may need to depend on someone else who may not really know what to do.

So, now I am resolved that in situations where hypothermia is a serious risk due to weather or water, I will carry a hypothermia kit with all the stuff discussed in one dry bag labeled conspicuously "HYPOTHERMIA." I hope it never gets used, but whether I deploy it for myself or another, I want it to be quick and easy.