Not kill your self in the woods!

PrimitiveMan said:
Just stay home.

That way nobody will accuse you of being under-prepared and you will not get hurt in the woods.
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What a helpful, and well thought out, response...

Some people should really consider that most of these SAR cats know what they are talking about. Now, they are all volunteer (I think) so some do slip through the cracks. The advice posted by the OP is damn useful and a pretty good reminder for just about anyone. I know plenty of experienced hikers who forget little things when they get ready to go out and say "ah well, I know how to improvise" or some other form of nonsense. It is a dangerous situation.
 
Fonly, I thought that was a great post. It's always good to think things through and be safe so you can concentrate on having a good time!

When I go on a short hike (5 - 7 miles) in a fairly well used park, I just tell my SO where I am going. I fill the Camel, get a snack bar or two and my hat, grab a big folder and I am off. My compass, my Ronson Jet Fire butane lighter, the park map, a whistle, a book on Texas fauna and a tiny first aid kit are in the ultralight pack.

When I go for a couple of nights, I do all that you said, and have for many years. Prudent, sound advice.

Robert
 
You can read all of this in any one of a million survival books. Funny how Fonly managed to say in one post, what some folks drag out into big ass books. I guess they can be fun to read, but most are so full of filler, that it makes a guy's head spin. Good simple and concise advice works best because people can remember it. That Fonly's one smart dude. Must be Canadian.... :)
 
another Canadian here :D

For FAST egress out of the wilderness when night hiking (night hiking is for VERY experienced hikers only) ..............I like to cut up about 500 x 1" x 1" squares of Dept Of Transportation approved "Signal Stat" reflective tape (leave backing on it). (the red/white truckers reflective tape on the sides of tractor trailers). Use the WHITE part only for the EXIT route, and use the RED part for the ENTRY route. Carry a box of carpet tacks and as you go along the trail or bushwack, put a reflective square into a tree (red on entry side, white on exit side) with the carpet tack, at eye level. Do this every 300 feet in open terrain, or every 50 feet in dense brush. The SIGNAL STAT tape will pick up the weakest of LED lights from over 200' away and reflect as a bright white patch. . A really bright LED light will reflect as a bright white patch from over 1000 feet away.

Its really neat flicking on the light and seeing a marked "hiway" out on trails or woods that do not have reflective trail markers or degraded trail markers. One can also carry a bag of wood stakes and do this in areas (desert, scrubland) with no trees.

red is at 50 yards, white is at 150 yards, light is Surefire L2 lumamax led LOW (15 lumens) adn there is heavy rain and light fog:
DSCF2291-1.jpg
 
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Bushman5 said:
another Canadian here :D

For FAST egress out of the wilderness when night hiking (night hiking is for VERY experienced hikers only) ..............I like to cut up about 500 x 1" x 1" squares of Dept Of Transportation approved "Signal Stat" reflective tape (leave backing on it). (the red/white truckers reflective tape on the sides of tractor trailers). Use the WHITE part only for the EXIT route, and use the RED part for the ENTRY route. Carry a box of carpet tacks and as you go along the trail or bushwack, put a reflective square into a tree (red on entry side, white on exit side) with the carpet tack, at eye level. Do this every 300 feet in open terrain, or every 50 feet in dense brush. The SIGNAL STAT tape will pick up the weakest of LED lights from over 200' away and reflect as a bright white patch. . A really bright LED light will reflect as a bright white patch from over 1000 feet away.

Its really neat flicking on the light and seeing a marked "hiway" out on trails or woods that do not have reflective trail markers or degraded trail markers. One can also carry a bag of wood stakes and do this in areas (desert, scrubland) with no trees.
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On my few nights hikes, I have used those nifty little reflective tacks for marking deer stand trails and such. They work great.
 
dougo83 said:
On my few nights hikes, I have used those nifty little reflective tacks for marking deer stand trails and such. They work great.
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Been doing that for decades, we had to make our own back in the day but they work a treat finding your blind or stand and back again.

Great tip Bush thanks for bringing it up.:thumbup:

I dont know about others but I am covered in reflective stuff head to toe and it will pick up glints hundreds of yards away. PLEASE! do me a favor and get the damn camo off your kids at least and get them into bright colors grrr.:mad:

As far as people staying in the city, fine, many people have no business in the deep outback. I think you should have a mandatory course to earn the right to be in serious bush country outside parks. But thats me.

Skam
 
Fonly said:
Hey Guys,

Fourth thing:
If traveling alone, leave a note on the vehicle of your route, or a start and finish, let them know if you plan on taking the hard route, or easy one. You don't have to make a map, but it would be nice.:D
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Great advice Fonly. The latest advise I teach civilians that makes my job much easier when I am mantracking you is:

Take a couple 8x14 inch sheets of aluminum foil and just before you and (all in your party) lock the door to the vehicle press your boot imprints (buy standing on them) into the foil, both feet. Label your names on the foil with a sharpie. Leave them on the drivers seat. This way I can distinguish on busy trails relavant prints. Search dogs will also get a scent off it.

We do break into your vehicle and process it for clues before hand.

A list of all in the party, gear they have with them, routes, dates times, experience and any medical conditions helps imensely. As an EMT it could dictate my gear going in after you. It is easier to leave this with a RESPOSNSIBLE! person at home or similar (people who will miss you, the kid that bags your groceries or your 13 yr old daughter is NOT that person)

Link to a well done trip plan I use often:

http://www.raems.com/RAEMS TRIP PLAN.pdf

Other usefull items:

http://www.raems.com/downloads.html

Be Safe.

Skam
 
off topic, but RAEMS link that Skammer posted, they are a great company, I got a bottle of big iodine crystals from them for water purification.

Trip plans, ICE: use your Safety Network - < these are people who know you very well and know your hiking habits, gear and training. I find the ol parents, god bless em and I love em, or GF or friends - are just NOT good as emergency contacts, even with a sheet of info - emotions get in the way and critical info is forgotten....

......I prefer to use my Safety Network - the UK Soldier that trained me in a lot of wilderness skills, my old boss who is also an experienced woodsman, or other people i hike and train with frequently. All are very aware of how I hike, or what gear i carry, the truck i drive, how i stash said truck in the bush, and they all have both a up to date printed Flight Plan, as well as my Contingency Plan, medical info, and a list of primary and secondary contacts. They also get an email of the same.
 
For me as an experienced hiker. It comes down to fitness. Don't walk into the woods if ya don't have the endurance and stanima to get out.

Do some hikes in safer places were your own limitations won't endanger you.
 
colubrid said:
For me as an experienced hiker. It comes down to fitness. Don't walk into the woods if ya don't have the endurance and stanima to get out.

Do some hikes in safer places were your own limitations won't endanger you.
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I work medical and rescue for outdoor adventure reaces often. HIGHLY fit people travelling fast and light and expert navigators. Now and then they need to be carried out. While fitness plays a big role its not the only factor.

Murphy is always lurking, best to prep for him as well.

Skam
 
Fonly said:
If traveling alone, leave a note on the vehicle of your route, or a start and finish, let them know if you plan on taking the hard route, or easy one.
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:thumbup: also I seen that if you use foil and take a print from your footwear it can save time following the wrong footprints in the terrain & leave
w/note in vehicle
 
 
My response had NOTHING to do with SAR

It was meant tongue in cheek as a response to the litany of threads that get into the same, exhaustive thread of how much gear you need to be "prepared" and who is an idiot because they didn't carry a microwave and generator so they could heat up their hot pocket.

The OP has a very good grasp on a basic set of needs, butnot the only one.

While I am at it, I will rant a bit, can we STOP chastising people that break a leg and need help by saying they are "not prepared"

I don't care if you have 20 pounds of gear or 100 pounds, unless you have an orthopeadic surgeon in your pack, you are not prepared. There is NO difference between an ultralight hiker and a pack mule when it comes to severe needs such as that.

Again, my post was to be taken lightly, but with a grain of truth.
 
skammer said:
As far as people staying in the city, fine, many people have no business in the deep outback. I think you should have a mandatory course to earn the right to be in serious bush country outside parks. But thats me.

Skam
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Come again?`
 
That's CRAZY talk!!!

Don't we have enough laws??

I'm sure the gvnmt would LOVE the taxes attached to that one!
 
SpookyPistolero said:
Come again?`
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Case you missed it.

As far as people staying in the city, fine, many people have no business in the deep outback. I think you should have a mandatory course to earn the right to be in serious bush country outside parks. But thats me.

Hey man its how I see it.

Give me your number you can pitch in hauling these numbnuts out next time.

Skam
 
You work too hard helping people that are in true need.

Let the unprepared perish.

Really, I don't mean to rag on the SAR guys, because I have the utmost respect, but I am getting sick of hearing "we don't discriminate between idiots and prepared people" and the next sentence "you don't understand what we go through when people are idiots"

And in the end, there is no definitive consensus of what "being prepared" means.
 
PrimitiveMan said:
You but I am getting sick of hearing "we don't discriminate between idiots and prepared people" and the next sentence "you don't understand what we go through when people are idiots"

And in the end, there is no definitive consensus of what "being prepared" means.
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No worries man its all opinions here.:thumbup:

Thought I explained it in the thread not well enough I guess, others got it tho.

Definition of preparedness, you will have to wait for my book;)

Skam
 
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