BobC
Active member
Interesting post, and good to hear other peoples' comments on what they bring for emergency kits. Thanks.
Emergency Kit - 12 Items - Less than 2.5 Oz.
- Thread starter Tom Rankin
- Start date
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Little Rickie
New member
sierra
Well-known member
My first aid kit is has evolved much over the years. I carry alot of tape and bandages as well as benedryl, advil and antibiotic cream. My kit used to be much smaller, but I had a few incidents over few years and missed certain items. I decided heck, I rarely use it, BUT when I need it, all its contents and weight are worth staying alive and as a soloist 90% of the time, IM my only hope when Im out there.I dont carry splints I can make those, but I carry batteries, xtra food, a small pad, a beefy space blanket and my most important item, imo, A large knife ( a smaller lockback as well).This large knife issue has come up in the past many times, I still think its worth it to have. I can make a shelter with it in no time ( I mean a good one) cut wet wood, make splints in minutes and if need be self defense isnt the worst idea. I know alot of you have seen bear from man vs.wild, he carrys a descent size knife and if you watch puts it to alot of good uses.
Little Rickie
New member
What kind of large knife? I have a tiny swiss, med. lock blade and have been thinking of a large knife or small/short ax for camping.
SAR-EMT40
Well-known member
None except that I have a tendency when relaxing to take the stuff on my belt off. I also cannot wear a belt pouch unless it is on the hip belt of my backpack when carrying a backpack so my emergency kit comes off the second I take off the backpack. Not the situation I prefer. This stays around my neck all the time and I never really give it any thought. But it should be there if I ever need it. Murphy is always in the back of my head and he is a prick. You see, I KNOW that I won't need that kit when it is sunny, in the 70's without a cloud in the sky and me with my full pack and 30 others within talking distance. I will be solo and have dropped my pack to walk a "short distance" to relieve myself and probably will have fallen in the dark into a ravine and twisted my leg and I am now seperated from my backpack. THAT's when I'm going to need that kit.
It has my ability to start fire and sustain a fire, help make a shelter, a light and a signaling device. And I usually have a ranger band around it (like a big rubber band made out of a piece of an old inner tube) that has a button compass and a garbage bag under it so I also have the ability to navigate and even make a better shelter. I have pictures of that setup around somewhere also I'm sure.
I might also add that I have actually used my kit to, start a fire, make a shelter, etc. I have discovered lots of mistakes/misconceptions over time doing this. And I'll point out the first time I ever try anything like this, even testing a new stove, I do it in my backyard. Success there lets me move into the real woods.
Just my $.02,
Keith
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sierra
Well-known member
I carry a Blackjack, 10.5 inches overall, micarta handle and A2 steal. The steel is strong, you can chop wood with this knife and it would be hard to damage it. The thing with knives is you get what you pay for, list price for this knife is 170.00, but its in your pack for life. You mentioned and ax, my suggestion would be to buy an ax as well to chop wood specifically as in car camping, as for the backcountry I always carried a folding saw. although I no longer have fires in the backcoutry, strickly a stove man now.
billski
Member
Never
Thinking about the space blanket leads me to some thoughts.
I never want to be in a position of coming upon an injured hiker and not a) knowing what to do and b) nor having what I might use. I was the beneficiary of a technical mountain rescue out of a rugged area, having suffered very serious head trauma. My hiking party really didn't know what to do. Neither did the next person who came along. It took another hiker, with some training to get me stabilized, using the things he found in my pack.
I used to think of first aid gear for ordinary injuries, or survival gear for an extended stay. I never thought much about what needed to be done or not done while you waited for help. While I was conscious the whole time, I absorbed everything that was going on, including mistakes made. After the injury, hypothermia rapidly set in, the space blanket and a sleeping bag were essential, with the space blanket first wrapper, then the bag, then a sleeping hammock to get me off the ground. But none of that happened until a trained hiker arrived about a half-hour after the accident. It was about 2 1/2 to 3 hours before a rescue team could reach me. They found a lot of good stuff to use in my pack. It took almost 10 hours total to get me to a hospital. I was pretty close to a goner.
I never want to be in a position where I cannot help, either with knowledge or equipment. It could be me, or it could be someone I do not know. I appreciate now more than ever the importance of WFA training. I'm signed up for November. I'll probably get a lot out of it, having "been there" and seeing the difference competent handling in a wilderness setting can make. I've taken the Red Cross courses for years, but suffice to say, that's "city training", where 911 is five minutes away. It's probably 20% of what I really need to know. As important as it is to know what to do, to know what not to do is crucial too.
Thinking about the space blanket leads me to some thoughts.
I never want to be in a position of coming upon an injured hiker and not a) knowing what to do and b) nor having what I might use. I was the beneficiary of a technical mountain rescue out of a rugged area, having suffered very serious head trauma. My hiking party really didn't know what to do. Neither did the next person who came along. It took another hiker, with some training to get me stabilized, using the things he found in my pack.
I used to think of first aid gear for ordinary injuries, or survival gear for an extended stay. I never thought much about what needed to be done or not done while you waited for help. While I was conscious the whole time, I absorbed everything that was going on, including mistakes made. After the injury, hypothermia rapidly set in, the space blanket and a sleeping bag were essential, with the space blanket first wrapper, then the bag, then a sleeping hammock to get me off the ground. But none of that happened until a trained hiker arrived about a half-hour after the accident. It was about 2 1/2 to 3 hours before a rescue team could reach me. They found a lot of good stuff to use in my pack. It took almost 10 hours total to get me to a hospital. I was pretty close to a goner.
I never want to be in a position where I cannot help, either with knowledge or equipment. It could be me, or it could be someone I do not know. I appreciate now more than ever the importance of WFA training. I'm signed up for November. I'll probably get a lot out of it, having "been there" and seeing the difference competent handling in a wilderness setting can make. I've taken the Red Cross courses for years, but suffice to say, that's "city training", where 911 is five minutes away. It's probably 20% of what I really need to know. As important as it is to know what to do, to know what not to do is crucial too.
John H Swanson
Active member
On one 3000 footer hike Sue Dennis and I had a total of 7 compasses and 4 altimeters between the 3 of us! We were all used to hiking alone and having redundency.
ColdRiverRun
New member
I like that redundancy a lot more than a hike I did were there were multiple GPS in use. Agh.. puke. They all wanted to wait for each one to get a signal. Now I prefer to whack with people who don't give a damn about getting lost because it sounds like fun. If it wasn't for his wife at home waiting I think Neil would try to get lost on each hike.
DougPaul
Well-known member
Get a modern high-sensitivity GPS. They can get a fix in ~30 seconds or less even under tree cover. They also maintain a lock in far worse conditions than the older units.
GPSes are a bit heavy (5-7 oz) to be carrying multiple units. I do, however, carry multiple compasses, maps, and batteries.
Doug
John H Swanson
Active member
Sure it's safe to have multiple compasses, maps, etc
Sure it's easy to have a GPS.
...but it really gets fun when your off trail without compass, map, gps, in a country where you don't speak the language and all you got is a google earth b&w printout and a really large sense of adventure.
I almost always throw a kit in my suitcase when I'm traveling to allow me to take impromptu trips. I favor having standard, proven, heavy duty gear instead of compact commercial kits containing lightweight compact items. My kit is a zippered pouch measuring 3"x6"x3/4" and it easily fits into a pocket.
It contains:
All of this gear is redundent with what is in my pack so I don't bring it hiking. I have a strick practice of keeping my pack with me based on my training. To be separated from my pack by accident, say during a water break, is not very likely.
Incidently, I have seen the advantage of having gear more accessible than in your pack and for a while I hiked with a small lighter and swiss army classic (keychain) knife around my neck on a lanyard.
Sure it's easy to have a GPS.
...but it really gets fun when your off trail without compass, map, gps, in a country where you don't speak the language and all you got is a google earth b&w printout and a really large sense of adventure.
I almost always throw a kit in my suitcase when I'm traveling to allow me to take impromptu trips. I favor having standard, proven, heavy duty gear instead of compact commercial kits containing lightweight compact items. My kit is a zippered pouch measuring 3"x6"x3/4" and it easily fits into a pocket.
It contains:
a climber swiss army knife,
small roll of first aid tape,
4 bandaids,
a lighter,
a roll of dentalfloss,
some sewing needles in a small container used for mechanical pencil lead,
a LED pinchlight on a neck lanyard
and one use of tp.
I recently added a boyscout hot sparks stick.
small roll of first aid tape,
4 bandaids,
a lighter,
a roll of dentalfloss,
some sewing needles in a small container used for mechanical pencil lead,
a LED pinchlight on a neck lanyard
and one use of tp.
I recently added a boyscout hot sparks stick.
All of this gear is redundent with what is in my pack so I don't bring it hiking. I have a strick practice of keeping my pack with me based on my training. To be separated from my pack by accident, say during a water break, is not very likely.
Incidently, I have seen the advantage of having gear more accessible than in your pack and for a while I hiked with a small lighter and swiss army classic (keychain) knife around my neck on a lanyard.
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