Essential Emergency Equipment?

B

beef

Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
680
Hi All,
I've noticed that a lot of the gear lists people post pics of don't appear to include rainwear or a warmth layer.

Maybe these two items are just so fundamental that they don't bother listing them.

It seems to me that the gear lists have firelighting equipment and knives in triplicate, spaceblankets and cordage, but these aren't quite the same...
The old scenario of "If I fall in a stream and lose all my gear, I have to be able to chop wood to make myself a fire to dry out" is less likely than say, getting chilled on a rest stop.

Scenario: You're out on a walk and get wet, either falling in a stream, pushing through dense wet brush or just sweating. You feel your hands growing numb and begin to shiver.

Option A: Build lean to from space blanket and cordage. Chop large pieces of wood into kindling and feather them. Use your ferro rod to light tinder and start fire.

Option B: Take off wet clothes, put on dry jacket and poncho.

During a recent canyoning trip, I found myself shivering and with numb hands. I realized that if I really did fall in a stream, I wouldn't have the fine motor skills to tie all my cordage, open my space blanket without tearing it, baton wood, use a ferro rod etc.
What I was able to do was open a dry bag and put on a jacket.

This isn't intended as a knock against anyone. Merely my musings.
 
Good post. I always have a watch cap and an extra pair of socks in my packs. Hats go a long way in warming a person up and the wool socks can double as mittens.
 
good point. I found myself upset with myself last week when i crossed a fast flowing creek and got my gloves wet without having a spare pair. should've taken them off before crossing. Nothing bad could have really happend that day, it was warm, i was with other people, and close to the cars but yeah. thing to keep in mind.

I think im going to get a shemagh to keep in my bag, as a nice multi purpose type of cloth. head/neck, feet and hands type thing. Or i can just walk around like an emo kid.
 
^ yea you were wet! I swear though that river section looked only 6" deep.....LMAO!!!!

I always have wool mittens in my vest, my feet never get cold, even when wet, but boy do my hands get numb FAST. even in summer i have a polypro toque and wool gloves in my kit.
 
I think this is a very good point. Two i carry extra socks and warmer layers. Just two weeks ago I climbed marcy. the weather turned nasty and started to rain by the time we reached the summit i was soaked. Believe me the socks went on and the patagonia oarka came out of its stuff sack. They felt like a god send.
 
beef hits upon an important point. Hypothermia can happen so fast or unexpectedly that all your emergency strategies are useless if you have to struggle to flick your Bic lighter. Bringing a little extra clothing is easy enough to do on land. Canoe camping last fall I experienced how a strong cold wind can chill you to the bone. After putting on everything from long underwear to a down jacket, I still had to put up a tarp as a wind shelter in front ofd the fire.

As a canoeist, I'm quite concerned with a dumping in the water scenario because hypothermia is a much more real outcome. While I can't pack extra clothing in a small ditch kit, an emergency blanket is a core piece of equipment for me that hopefully will help retain core body temp until I can get an outside source of heat going. I don't even consider the more traditional fire making tools. Ease of use is my main concern. That, and getting out of the water ASAP.
 
I generally carry extra wool socks, wool watchcap, a poncho liner and a poncho.

As for a jacket, if it's cold enough to need one, I'll probably be wearing it, or have it lashed to a pack, but that means if I go in the drink, it's getting wet, too.
 
I seems to me like we have two different concepts.

1. "Ten [or more] Essentials" lists almost always include extra clothing, and extra socks, watch cap and rainwear would sure top my list in that category.

2. PSK is a selection of gear to meet survival needs on a basic level. It has to be compact enough and light enough that you will never be tempted to leave it behind. In such a kit, fire, as suggested, or maybe a "space blanket" fills the "extra clothing" [98.6] slot. Few PSK's are as large as a single fleece jacket.
 
I think that most people have a warm layer and/or shell in their bags when they actually go out, but this forum tends to focus on the tools of the trade (i.e. the PSK's and the knives).

A merino wool hat stays in all of my backpacks and BOBs as they truly are a life saver. It's supposedly as warm as a light sweater and saves anywhere from 30-280% of your body heat, depending on the source you read. I can testify from experience on big mountains around the world that I wouldn't leave home without one.

In mild weather I tend to wear a windshirt (the kind that Marmot pioneered, which is essentially long underwear covered in a thin nylon shell) as it serves as expedition weight underwear in cold temps, a jacket in mild temps and a thin mid layer in cool temps, so it's plenty versatile and something you'll find in just about every mountain guides pack in the world. If I'm not climbing or hiking in a soft shell jacket then it's in a windshirt, depending on conditions. I've climbed Fuji in winter wearing only long underwear tops and bottoms, soft shell pants, a windshirt, a neck gaiter and wool watch cap (which can be combined to make a balaclava or be used seperately, allowing versatility with a minor weight penalty), heavy gloves, socks and boots. When I stopped to rest I threw on a sythetic filled jacket to maintain body warmth. Never got cold, even in -20F temps. If you get cold you move faster.

Sorry for the aside.

Another thing I like to carry are disposable foot warmers. These don't stay warm as long as the hand warmers but they're smaller so they can fit into your gloves more easily. I carry these to warm my hands so that I can build a fire, shelter, etc. if the need arises. I don't see these as something to keep my body warm so much as a tool to allow me to use my other tools to get my body warm through fire and shelter.

Just my .02.
 
I know this is off topic a bit but I wanted to get this point out there.

This winter I conducted a kind of ongoing experiment in which I would be outside, in temperatures down to 0 F or -20 C, not including the wind-chill, with only an uninsulated windbreaker and a long-sleeve shirt and a T-shirt, both uninsulated.

I would however wear a balaclava AND a 100-weight fleece neck gaiter AND either a light-weight polpropylene hat AND/OR a US Army-issue wool hat (I would also wear lightweight fleece mittens).

While walking briskly (fact: I was walking to-and-from the subway from home each morning and night, about 15 minutes walk each way) and dressed thus, I was comfortably warm, despite the temps.

Again, I want to point out it was a kind of experiment (my coworkers, who would see me in just my lightweight jacket, thought I was totally nuts). But my point is: you should carry EXTRA extra insulated head gear in an emergency/outdoor/survival scenario. And if necessary, put it on.
 
Last edited:
Your head, feet, hands, and crotch are where you lose the most heat (IIRC, in that order, too).

When I lived up north, I go shovel snow wearing shorts and no shirt, but a wool watchcap, thinsulate gloves and thick wool socks in my boots and be perfectly warm. People thought I was crazy, but putting out that much exertion, I'd sweat if I wore a coat and long pants, and "regular" people don't understand that sweating when it's cold is far more dangerous than just about anything (well, being any sort of wet).

Same thing when skiing or hiking in winter, I always had my coat unzipped when active to prevent sweat. I zip back up when resting, or riding the lift.
 
Thomas Linton said:
I seems to me like we have two different concepts.

1. "Ten [or more] Essentials" lists almost always include extra clothing, and extra socks, watch cap and rainwear would sure top my list in that category.

2. PSK is a selection of gear to meet survival needs on a basic level. It has to be compact enough and light enough that you will never be tempted to leave it behind. In such a kit, fire, as suggested, or maybe a "space blanket" fills the "extra clothing" [98.6] slot. Few PSK's are as large as a single fleece jacket.
Click to expand...

Hi Thomas,
I do understand the difference between the ten essentials list and PSK. I'm more referring to lists where people have said "I went out in the bush and took XYZ." It's when I don't see the warmth layer or even a disposable poncho in this list that I get concerned.
 
If I'm out in cool/cold weather for more than a day or two, or if there is rain possible, I carry a very light pair of Gore-Tex rainpants from REI and I'll likely be wearing a Gore-Tex jacket or parka; if not, it will be lashed onto my pack. My biggest backpack has a light poncho stashed in it.

I keep an inexpensive (but warm) pair of military issue wool gloves and a wool watch cap in all my daypacks. I also carry a pair of spare socks in a ziplok bag. In cold weather I carry a packable down jacket or down vest for a lightweight and warm extra layer that's easy to carry.

The loss of motor skills when chilled was mentioned above. Don't underestimate it! It's far easier to get warm by putting on some raingear and dry/extra clothes then by stuggling to get a fire lit when you're already cold and wet. You may find out you're not even able to get a fire lit.....

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
For extra clothing, those vacuum seal storage bags are great. They dont add that much to the weight but a fleece or wool shirt in one of those bags takes ridiculously little space. And, their 100% water proof.

And I suppose you could use them as emergency water storages :D
 
yes i carry waterproofed extra jacket to use if i get wet, but i also carry a highway flare, will start a fire even with wet wood, light it and throw a bunch of wood on it and you have a fire.

alex
 
attej said:
For extra clothing, those vacuum seal storage bags are great. They dont add that much to the weight but a fleece or wool shirt in one of those bags takes ridiculously little space. And, their 100% water proof.

And I suppose you could use them as emergency water storages :D
Click to expand...
III. When exposed to flame, they burn like paraffin.
IV. Keep collected tinder dry
 
I keep a extra pair of socks in my bag and carry a rain poncho and a hat of some sort..I figured when posting pictures of gear I never thought of showing the almost essentials or core gear that never gets mentioned...
 
Cpl Punishment,
When it is cold, I use my Wiggy's Sweater. It has worked well, although my older version needs a windbreaker to stop a strong wind. The sweater dries very fast. It really helped me when I slipped during a stream crossing. Everything got wet, and it was cold. I wrung out my clothes to dry them as much as possible. With the "damp" sweater and a watch cap, I was pretty warm in about ten minutes. Basically, if it is cold and could get wet, look into the Wiggy's sweater.

Spud
 
Cpl Punishment said:
I generally carry extra wool socks, wool watchcap, a poncho liner and a poncho.

As for a jacket, if it's cold enough to need one, I'll probably be wearing it, or have it lashed to a pack, but that means if I go in the drink, it's getting wet, too.
Click to expand...

I carry extra wool socks, hat, AMK Heat Sheet, Grabber Mega warmer and sometimes long underwear in a small Sea to Summit dry bag.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top