The summer is here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
I know many of you will be out enjoying what God created for us.
Be prepared when out in the wilderness, and always carry the essentials in survival equipment.
The basics include fire starting tools, first aid kit, fishing line and hooks, heavy string or rope, thermal blankets and some other basic items.
It is very little to have to carry, to greatly increase your chances for survival in the wilderness.
For example, some friends of mine took their family camping on Mount Hood in early March.
They had planned 9 wonderful days enjoying the hiking and fishing on this glorious mountain.
They had checked the weather conditions prior to the trip, and all looked good for a great vacation.
When they arrived, they set up camp.
They had found a remote site to camp at that was about 22 miles from the nearest town.
The site was located next to a small creek that fed into a small lake.
My friend always boasted about how prepared he was for camping, and thought he had it down to a science.
The first day of the trip was all about preparing the camp site and getting everything set up for the perfect vacation.
On the second day the weather had turned and a storm was blowing in.
Everyone remained at camp that day and awaited the passing of the storm.
That night the storm intensified and over a 4 hour period the temperature dropped drastically and snow began to fall.
By morning there was 18" of snow on the ground and the snow was still falling hard.
At that point my friend knew that there could be trouble if he was unable to get out of the snow.
Several hours into the day there was no signs of the snowfall slowing and nearly 22" of snow on the ground.
After hearing a weather report on the radio, and finding out that the storm could last for 4-5 days, they realized that it was time to end the vacation and figure out how to get out of there.
My friend retrieved his shovel and started removing snow from the front of the vehicle.
After clearing the majority of the snow from the front of the vehicle, he then cleared the snow between the truck and the trailer.
He hooked up the trailer, and slowly tried to move forward...
but nothing, the vehicle and trailer were stuck! They went back to the trailer and attempted the contact someone on a cell phone but no reception.
My friend then realized he had no survival equipment.
He had thought of everything needed from pots and pans, extra pillows, horseshoes, games and all the amenities needed for a fun vacation, but no equipment for survival in an emergency situation.
He had two choices at that time, try to go out and find help, or wait for help to arrive.
However, without survival equipment, he would not stand a chance in that harsh frozen environment.
As they all sat in the trailer trying to think of ways to get help, they heard the sound of an engine off in the distance...
it was a man on a snowmobile who had been camping several miles away.
He had seen the family pass by his camp two days before, and thought he would check in to see if they were safe after the snowfall had slowed.
If it were not for the man seeing them enter that area, no one would have known they were there.
Without the proper survival tools, their chances of survival were not good.
When you are out in the wilderness and something goes wrong, you need to have the equipment and tools necessary to survive.
There are many websites with resources to finding everything survival related.
I want to make sure that people all around the world are aware of the possibility of disasters or emergencies that can strike without warning, and those events can and will take lives if we are not prepared! In this day and age we have the resources to prepare for just such emergencies! We have to be prepared! Survival tools and equipment are essential when you are out in the wilderness.
Without the proper equipment, being in the wilderness in an emergency situation can be frightful to say the least.
There are several items that are considered to be essential, and take up very little space.
- A fire starting kit.
(even if you just have a flint and your pocket knife) - Thermal space blanket.
(this could be the difference between life and death) - fishing line with hooks.
(meals of high protein content are great!) - 60" of small wire.
(great tool for trapping.
gotta eat!) - Knife w/compass - 25' of medium nylon rope.
These are just a few of the essentials, but even having just these items will greatly increase your chances of survival in case of emergencies.
However, always remember to carry a first aid kit as well.
There is much more to consider, your environment might dictate modifications in gear (i.
e.
desert, snow, mountain etc.
) With the decision on where you are going, comes the decision on what gear to bring.
Remember to always think about worst case before you go on the trip! Have FUN and be SAFE!