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Post by snowmom on Aug 29, 2015 5:00:22 GMT -5
Vegas James' post of 8/26 brought up a good point. Many of us hunt alone. I give the members of this board credit for having more sense than those who we read about in the headlines stranded without fuel, lack of water and shelter in high heat or cold conditions, etc. , and expect that we don't go hounding in short shorts and flipflops unless we are on sandy beaches... I have seen parents bring their kids to the reclaimed quarry park here to hunt for fossils dressed just like that. Would be interested to hear of precautions you take before heading off to hunt (alone or in packs) and of events such as James' and how you were able to get home safely. I always let my spouse know where I am headed and when to expect me back. If I am late and have cell service where I am, I will give him a call. We always set a "time to worry".... If I don't show up by dark, send the bloodhounds... How do you prepare for safety while hounding? What potential danger have you experienced and how did you handle it? Got a few good ideas to pass on to the rest of us?
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Post by vegasjames on Aug 29, 2015 6:21:25 GMT -5
I:
-Pack a lot of water. Several gallons of drinking water and 5-10 gallons of wash water that can be used for drinking in an emergency.
-Pack at least a few days worth of food in case I get stranded. When I was backpacking Iceland I always had a 2 week supply of food with me since the interior where I spent most of my time is basically uninhabited. I figure if I kept going in one direction I would eventually hit something within that two week period. The one time I got really lost it worked. I happened to find a farm after the second day and luckily people were there from a horseback tour. A day earlier or later nobody would have been there.
-During the winter I keep several emergency mylar sleeping bags in the vehicle.
-I keep a foot wide and three foot long piece of carpet in the toolbox, which works great for getting out of soft sand. Just push as far under the front of the tire as you can then allow the tire to get traction on the carpet. My friend did not believe it would work when his truck got stuck in soft sand. But it worked great and he went flying out of the hole. Of course it is a good idea to keep a shovel handy for the digging. I have also used a jack on a small 2x4 to lift my vehicle up out of the hole to put rocks and brush under the tire to get traction.
-When my business partner was alive, who I lived with I would leave the Google Earth image of where I was searching up on the computer so she had the GPS coordinates if I did not come back within a certain time.
-I always keep a knife with me. Knives can be used to cut splints, cloth to tie them with, cut plants for food, shelter, distilling water out of etc.
A lighter and a plastic bag are also good ideas. Lighters of course for fires if it is safe to make a signal fire or to keep warm. Also to sterilize something being used on a wound or to heat something to cauterize a wound if absolutely necessary.
If out in the winter a small fire starter of a mixture of wax saturated with sawdust is a good idea. This will burn long and slow helping to get a larger fire going even if the wood is damp. Mixing glycerine with potassium permanganate will also get the job done if the wood is damp. Don't mix these until you are ready to use them as the mixture will ignite quickly.
A plastic shopping bag can come in handy for a variety of things. For example to make a simple water still since you can condense the moisture on the plastic. Also good for sealing some wounds or can be used in place of cloth to tie things off and even to help keep things warm like hands or feet since it is waterproof and plastic is a poor conductor of cold. During winter a bigger bag like a trash bag can also be used to help make an emergency shelter or help insulate you from the cold ground. And the bags don't weigh much or take up much space.
-If you are going to be somewhere that you do have cell service keeping an emergency battery backup is a good idea in case you are on the phone with rescuers for a while trying to direct them or getting medical aid advice.
-I also recommend keeping a first aid kit handy.
And several flashlights with plenty of extra batteries. Especially if you are exploring mines. You don't want to be trying to find your way out in the dark if a flashlight goes bad or batteries die before you work your way out. Of course they are also helpful if you get stuck at night and can be used for signaling. I keep three headlamps and several flashlights in the truck.
And a compass if you are directionally challenged.
Of course there are other things that you may want to take with you depending on the person and where you are going such as a gun, or flares that are great for starting fires again and signaling for help. A water purifying straw or iodine tablets for disinfecting water. Etc.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 29, 2015 17:17:04 GMT -5
Most of my hounding is at the local river-long pants,boots and T shirt...........lots of water and a sandwich..... The kicker is,the local Police Dept. patrol the river twice a day with their boats and know me by sight.............Safe on that river anyhow....................
PS: I always carry my buck knife with me.............
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Post by snowmom on Aug 30, 2015 4:38:03 GMT -5
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Post by jakesrocks on Aug 30, 2015 10:14:51 GMT -5
Gettin too old for long hikes anymore, but a full canteen of cold water, half a dozen energy bars, razor sharp Buck knife, Hand held GPS (enter location every half hour), Heavy gloves, snake gators, Role of sterile gauze, disinfectant of some sort, lighter, A couple of small red smoke bombs, and my trusty old .38. (First 2 rounds are snake shot).
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