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Survival Gear

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Survival Gear

Postby Swede » 05 05, 2017 •  [Post 1]

When you are out hunting are you prepared for an accident? What about something keeping you out well past dark? What would you do if you slipped and got soaked in a pond or creek? What kind of survival gear do you take on all of your hunts? Would a broken leg be the end if it happened near dark?

I carry a space blanket, Matches and a propane lighter. I have a little food and water. I always have my GPS, extra batteries, flashlight and compass, I have a good jacket unless I am very near pickup in a stand. Most of all I let someone know where I am going to be hunting and when to expect a call from me. When I am going out alone where there is no cell phone reception, I have my InReach transceiver.
OK, what are your provisions and contingencies?
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby jmez » 05 05, 2017 •  [Post 2]

Broken leg won't kill you, doesn't even hurt all that bad unless you move it.

I have a space blanket. Bic lighter, flint and steel, vaseline covered cotton balls, water, and a personal locator beacon. Always have a vest and a rain jacket in my pack.

Wife has cell phone # of a couple of locals we have met near where we hunt. That is more for if something bad happens at home and she needs to get word to me. I don't check in with her while hunting.

Three of us go and we generally hunt solo. If any of us didn't come back into camp at night no would get that worked up until the following night.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby Roosiebull » 05 05, 2017 •  [Post 3]

I have admittedly been a slacker in this department. I will not get hypothermia during archery season, it's mild weather here, so not a consideration, but a way to dress a wound I think is a very good thing for all of us to pack. I will be picking up some space blankets, but mainly for using as a tarp while breaking elk down (that was a good tip I recently heard)

I carry Benadryl, just in case I get lit up by yellow jackets...that's about the only safety equipment I have packed. until about 4 years ago, I never even had water with me, still don't pack food.

I do need to consider safety a little going forward, I have a beautiful family that relies on me, I need to make sure I make it home when I walk out the door.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby >>>---WW----> » 05 06, 2017 •  [Post 4]

I always have enough food for an extra day, shelter of some sort, several ways to start a fire, and a signal mirror and whistle. Also, GPS and compass. All of this besides my regular gear. My cell phone is always turned off during a hunt but it is my first choice of communication if service is available and if needed. If there is no service and an emergency happens, I also pack a MSR Res-Q-link. When I push the button on that thing, it goes directly through a NOAH satellite and the cavalry is alerted and on the way. It is basically the same sort of beacon used on ships and aircraft around the world.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby Tigger » 05 08, 2017 •  [Post 5]

Roosiebull,
I teach firearm safety class and one thing that surprised me in preparing for the class is how warm it can be and people still suffer from hypothermia. Temps in the 50s can kill if you are wet. I know you are an experienced outdoorsman, but keep that little nugget of info stored somewhere!

I have a little pouch with the basics (fire starter, lighter, cup, contractor's garbage bag, whistle, compass). I also have a little first aid kit. IMO, one of the critical parts of a backcountry first aid kit is some way to stop major bleeding.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby Beendare » 05 15, 2017 •  [Post 6]

I've been stuck out at night on hunts over 1/2 dozen times over the years. Mostly it was years ago before we had the good headlamps of today.

We used to do hog depredation here in Ca at night...and sometimes the fog would roll in and you couldn't see 20 feet in front of you. Easy to get disoriented chasing the dogs over hill and dale...so we would just curl up on the ground until first light. Those were summer conditions so though foggy, it wasn't unbearably cold. Super dry so a fire wasn't an option.

The couple times I got stuck out solo on elk hunts I had just pushed it too far in rough country off trail and with a dead flashlight I was much better off hunkering down. [Been- what about batteries? Yes, I brought batteries- but those old mini mags went through batteries every 1.5 hrs or less, they were terrible]
Now every time I see those space blankets I laugh. The first time I was stuck I had that SB and what a lesson in frustration- it was practically worthless. You have to build yourself a good fire- its essential...but the SB melts quickly when you get too close, rips, wasn't big enough to wrap up in...I could go on and on. After that, I went to a 8x8 . UL silnylon tarp that was much better....especially the one time stuck with that it poured rain most of the night and I couldn't keep a fire going.

Its worth considering that when you get stuck out...at least when it happened to me, you can't do the Survivorman pick the perfect spot type thing to bivy up. Lets see; this spot has lots of soft pine boughs, dry firewood, poles to make a shelter- check check check. NO, when you are stuck, you're stuck...you have to make the most of the spot you are in. Having a quality wrap- like a small tarp is a difference maker in that situation,IMO.

Now I pack a GoLite poncho...which is perfect for those afternoon downpours...and will double as an emergency shelter in a pinch.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 15, 2017 •  [Post 7]

Back in my younger days, two or fourty years ago. I packed nothing on my hunts except what was required/needed to kill and break down an elk. Why would I need anything else?. After two or three (yep, I was dumb and full of P and V) really bad situations where either myself or myself and buddy got caught in the most extreme of weather, or, had something down way, way back there.....and couldn't get a fire going, I have since changed my tune. A few times when those fires couldn't get started with whatever meager junk we carried, and, I/we had to run out of the backwoods to avoid hypothermia in a September snowstorm/torrential rainstorm, you choose (well before the times of checking the weather via the internet before the hunt) I got smart so to speak. I now carry perhaps more than needed but it pretty much stays in my pack. Multiple fire staring tools, always a minimal shelter of some type (space blanket, poncho, two large plastic sacks, whatever), most certainly a backup headlamp and Xtra batteries, and a bit of extra food. I also carry a decent first aid pack to stop bleeding, suture something up, and kill pain if needed. This is one part of my pack contents aside from basic hunt stuff I always lean towards the more side.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby saddlesore » 05 15, 2017 •  [Post 8]

I am different than most here. I ride every morning to my hunt area on a mule. I am always dragging a pack mule so I have a lot of space to carry things. I never leave camp unless I am fully prepared to stay out over night.Food for one day, small cooking stove like a Pocket Rocket and pot, a pauncho that is a shelter half, fire making items, small first aid kit including Wound Seal ,which is like a mini quick clot. I have a day pack with most essentials, but one thing I always carry is a road flare, You can start a fire with about anything with one of them and you also have signal capability if needed.

Physical limitations keep me from going far from the mule and I usually don't get more than a half mile from them. If I can make it back to them and crawl on they will take me back to camp without guiding them. About three years ago though, I had to bale off a runaway mule .She made it back to camp before me. I hobbled in with broken ribs, twisted knee, and bruised internal organs. That ended me up in the Craig CO ER for day. I don't carry a cell phone,GPS, SPOT or the like. I carry a two way radio if I am hunting with someone to keep in touch.

Hypothermia can happen in warm weather.Especially if you get caught in one of those cold brief rains we see at altitudes

In camp ,I have big first aid kit that includes suture kits and various high strength pain meds like Diladid ( sp). One year when we were a snowed in,I cut my hand while gutting an elk. Back at camp, I sewed it up with a horse sized dull curved suture needle that looked more like a carpet mending needle. That took copious amounts of Jack Daniels inside and out to get that done. Hence now with the medical grade suture kits which includes syringes of pain deadening meds
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby >>>---WW----> » 05 16, 2017 •  [Post 9]

Dang saddlesore! ER trips are no fun. If that ever happens again, let me know. I'll go get your mules and put them up at my place so you don't have to worry about them. Or if you need any other help or concerns while you are in the area, just contact me. PM me for contact information if you want. Us old coggers have to look out for each other! :lol:
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby BrentLaBere » 05 16, 2017 •  [Post 10]

I usually dont go anywhere with out my pack and bino harness, and if I did separate from my pack I would have enough things in my bino harness to make something work. Bic lighter, water proof matches, wetfire, water purifying pills, space blanket, Inreach, small snack, head lamp. The rest of the back up stuff would be in my pack. I invested in some puffy top and bottom layers that would add a lot of warmth. Plenty of other things in my back pack that would help me through a survival situation. The medical stuff I carry is pretty simple. Leuko tape, gauze and quick clot. I also carry benadryl or other allergy medicine along with aleve and ibuprofen. I havent had any situations where I was stranded hiking but would have really liked some of this stuff while out fishing on big bodies of water. I have been stranded a couple of times and just having a lighter makes a big difference once you get to shore.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby Beendare » 05 17, 2017 •  [Post 11]

Saddle,

Thats terrible....but of course its the chance you take with horses/mules. Some of those mules are pretty rock solid. I've been on steep uphill trails on a mule that I doubt a guy can get a motorcycle or quad up....and it was nuthin on that mule...probably safer on him than in a car on the freeway.

But then walking that mule out loaded with elk meat he decides to jump across the creek onto the same boulder i'm standing on- ouch. Walking another 9 miles like that was no fun. We were saddling up on a pack in along the continental divide and I was just taking in the view unaware...when my mule turned his head way back into the noks of my arrows and sent me flying with a hoof that just missed my head. Riding in after landing on a rock the size of a bowling ball was no fun.

We bring a whole different set of first aid stuff when we have horses or mules along.
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Re: Survival Gear

Postby 1Elkhunter » 07 03, 2017 •  [Post 12]

A way to start a fire, some sort of shelter or tools to make shelter, a way to purify water, a good sturdy knife, a first aid kit... and the skills to use the tools.
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