Important Tips !!!

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
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Ok it's not very often I have anything really worth saying but today I feel I do !

I went on one of my hikes today and was amazed how cold the weather has just turned. No biggie as I was wearing a fleece top,thin hat on my head and had a windproof and a Buff in my kit if I grew too cold but it made me realise that maybe I should raise these points...

You go out on a nice day like this and wearing a fleece you are plenty warm enough but what if you found yourself forced to spend an unplanned night out ? At best you would be very uncomfortable and at worst you would die from Hypothermia ( believe it or not this can set in on what you would consider a mild day ).
SaanichInlet093.jpg


Always carry more than one method of starting a fire, mine is in this little water-proof container and weighs very little...
PICT0922.jpg

When making your fire try your Bic first, if that fails try your matches, if they fail go onto you ferro rod etc, if that fails God don't want you to live bro !!!

Also carry a large garbage bag, this can be used to improvise a shelter or worn as a layer between your clothes....this will easily fit in your pocket !!!

If only wearing a fleece then carry a windproof, mine is in my PSK but would fit in a pocket if required !

Always carry or wear a thin fleece or wool hat and a pair of gloves !

I often see people hiking this time of year in Cotton clothing, hoodies and jeans etc. If you spend a night out in the cold and rain wearing these you will soon find out why I'm saying stick to wool or polyester fibres !!!!Wear them at your own peril !!!!!

Carry a sturdy fixed blade, this doesn't have to be a $200 knife, a Mora or cheap Buck will perform all your needs for a night or two, we have $200 knives because we like them !!!

Carry a Whistle.....no explaination needed !

And finally take a mental note of your environment as you hike. If you see a spot that would provide good shelter for the night then remember it, if you see a source of water then remember it. If you break your leg you may not be able to make it back to the parking lot but you may be able to drag yourself back to the good shelter spot etc !!!

These few items can be carried without even a bag or pack and could easily make the difference between living or dying !!!
I know most people on this forum carry far more than this ( as do I ) and already know the stuff I have said, however maybe you have friends or family that have just started hiking and don't know this stuff.
Or how about this one......You may carry this stuff but what about when hiking with your kids ? What if one of those got seperated from you and got lost , do they also carry this stuff ? Most people are found within a day or two so food and water don't become an issue but the COLD does !!!!

Anyway I have bored you long enough so play safe and stay safe !!!!:thumbup:
 
Thats a great reminder for this time of year. It happens far too often.

Thanks
 
Excellent tips.

I think we tend to maybe overemphasize the unimportance of food and water in these "inconvenient" overnighters. Sure, intellect tells you that you can do well enough without water for a few days, without food fo a few weeks, but it is comforting to heat some water and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, then another and have some warm chicken soup, and a last one steeping tea. It is comforting, calming, and even if nothing grand is added in terms of calories, it makes an awkward situation tolerable.

I've been caught out several times like this in cold weather. The fire was not hard to come by. Rude but servicable shelter easy enough. Once in a tight bluff shelter, once in an improvised "tipi" woven from live cane in a canebrake, and again under the thick hanging branches of a snow covered cedar. But the tiny kit (about 6 ounces) with bullion, sierra cup, candle, tea, and a cocoa packet made a big difference in my mindset and for a restful sleep. "All is well", my mind told me. "Under control".

Yes, I would have survived as well without the little kit and it's luxuries, but brooded more at my circumstances.

Thanks for the tips. :thumbup:

Codger
 
Yeah, it's come earlier this year, but I guess it's time to go through the gear for the coming winter.
 
Very good reminders. Sometimes it's easy to let these things get so hypothetical that we forget how easily things can turn bad on 'just a day hike'. These are good reasons not to thin things out too much.

I'm hoping to get a little more camping time in this winter!
 
Pitdog, Great points!

When I go hiking with my son, I am always saying, "what could we make out of that?" or "someone dropped a _______that could be good if we had to stay out here tonight."

I make a game out of our hikes. We play the what ifs. I find it helps me think more resourcefully.
 
I have this extra large spy capsule stuffed with PJ-balls and a small fire steel attached to it in my trouser pocket when outdoors. The small firesteel is enough when using the PJBs. A large steel and a F1 makes sparks like the space shuttle but it only needs a few to start a PJB. a very easy way to be sure to make fire.
Some makers of outdoor outfits have also added a firesteel sewn into the jacket from the factory.
 
pitdog said:
Anyway I have bored you long enough so play safe and stay safe !!!!:thumbup:
Click to expand...

If you are boring people with this kind of good stuff, they don't deserve to read this.

Thanks for the info, and everybody keep safe!

CZ
 
This time of year is especially hazerdous because the days get shorter quickly especially around the end of october. I know I have ended hikes in darkness that I diddn't plan on.

and while I agree with being prepard for the cold if you have to spend the night I find that A good flashlight can make a big difference and save you from that cold night in the woods.
 
PitDog you are again posting a great pic. As for your tips they are right on 100%. Its so simple to be prepared that most people never think about it. Today i went on a hike With a group of 11 people. Some had only one liter of water. Not one other person had a knife or anything extra on them. When a girl fell down and hurt her wrist no one had any idea what to do. As someone that carries way too much i had an extra bandana to wrap her wrist. Its just another example of how clue less most people are. You are right that it dont take much to carry with you and be safer. Oh i also had to share MY water cause a girl ran out of hers with two more miles of a hike left.

Sasha
 
Great reminders there pitdog. Pretty much sums it up right there.
 
Be prepared!

I was in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness last weekend on a backcountry hunting trip. On Friday, the weather was in the high seventies. Warm enough to work up a good sweat while hiking back to camp. The next morning we woke to snow on our tent and it continued all morning long and turned into rain. Later that day, clouds broke and it was almost as warm as the previous day.

In addition, my jetboil ingnition broke, so we used matches. I noticed how quickly we were going through the matches so I broke out the spark lite and that worked perfectly.

The cap on my Camel back leaked my water out so I was before mid-day. Luckily, I had an empty Nagene bottle just in case and and MSR Miox to clean the stream water. Once again, plan "b" worked.

My wool pants ripped.... Duct tape on the inside and outside of the hole.

Things go wrong up there, but if you've got the gear and some commons sense, most challenges are simlply overcome.
 
pitdog,

What's the little metal thing in the upper right of your fire kit photo? It looks like a pencil sharpener to me.... and I'm guessing that's not very likely. :-)

Thanks,
desmobob
 
PONCHO!

This is the single most versitile item of clothing that I can ever imagine. It is wind proof and water proof. All you have to do is put one on and sit down, and you have an instant shelter!

Whan you are wearing "rain gear", it is way to easy to get overheated and sweat and be worse off than you would be without it. With a poncho, it is well ventelated, and you can fluf it out now and then for better air flow and to cool down.
 
Desmo, I'm pretty sure that that's exactly what it is. Take a small branch, use the pencil sharpener on it, and you have a ready supply of easy-to-light shavings. :thumbup:
 
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