This post is intended to help others survive a cold wet night or at least think about being prepared for the the worst. Salish had a good post on emergency nite out. It made me realize that even though I carry at all times survival gear in my day pack I really don't know how long I can survive. I was hoping that if others don't read Salish's post on emergency night out that they might take the time to participate on this post. I'm hoping that this post lasts a while and can maybe help save a life.
If at all possible if members could take pic's of their survival kits/gear that they carry in day packs and list suggestions for surviving a night or two or three in wet cold conditions that would be great. Even if you get some time this summer or spring or whenever to actually set up a shelter made from survival tarps blankets etc and post a pic that would be great. I think this backpacking/hunting forum here at the fire is my favorite forum of all. I have myself alot to learn about survival/surviving a cold wet nite and really look forward to seeing pics of day/packs and survival kits/gear. I have two boys I'm trying to teach as much about the outdoors and I have alot to learn. I'm very busy hunting/working and will myself try to post pics soon of what I carry for survival in my day pack. Thanks for participating Chuck
The whole field of bushcraft/wilderness survival has really changed over the last thirty years. Back then, my sources were two books: Larry Dean Olsen's Outdoor Survival Skills, and Richard Graves' Bushcraft. Olsen was more into living like a caveman, and assumed you didn't even have a knife with you. Graves took an approach more similar to modern bushcraft trends, and assumes you have a knife. The modern trend is more geared towards bringing a bunch of essentials, like 550 paracord for example, and focuses more on the specifics of your knife, and various knife skills, than back then. People have more recently become very opinionated about exactly what kind of knife (what steel, blade length, thickness, weight, what shape of blade and other blade characteristics, handle materials, type of grind, etc.) is best for bushcraft/survival, and for the most part I agree with the modern thoughts on the subject. Back then a knife was usually a pocket knife of no particular description.
I've only been lost in the woods once, during a solo deer hunt. I was prepared to spend the night, and had some basic survival stuff, but didn't fare too well, and was glad when the local police finally came out to get me in the middle of the night. One thing I did learn was not to rely on those compact (pocket sized) folding "sleeping bags." Forget about it. Much better off packing a good compact folded tarp. That sleeping bag fell apart on me, and it was pouring down raining. Couldn't light a fire either, since everything was wet. That would have been a miserable night.
