What I Take With Me On A Hike
If you venture out into the unconfined primitive wilderness unprepared, your chances of coming out alive, or coming out in one solid piece is slim. Over the years I have picked the brains of hunters and outdoorsmen. I have read dozens of books by some of modern times greatest hunters and outdoorsmen. Along with books by and about some of America's greatest hunters and outdoorsmen, Daniele Boone, John Colter and Teddy Roosevelt. I have dug deep into survival methods and defense tactics by some of the deadliest forces on earth, American Special Forces/Operators. The knowledge I have harvested over the years is collected and packed into a short blog with links to the individuals I have studied and the products I use. Along with trial and error, this all seems to work for me and those whose lives depend on it.
On every trip, I bring my Battle Belt/War Belt/Survival Belt. It's a belt that Special Operators and so on wear while in combat or training. It not only gives me easy access to my gun and other accessories, it also allows me to change what I have on my belt with ease. Aside from my gun and bear spray, the most important item on my belt is my trauma kit. It is easily accessible not only to me, but to anyone that may come across an injured or unconscious me. I also have a med kit in the top pocket of my hiking bag. This is the most common place for hikers to carry their med kit, so keep that in mind while packing your pack or if you stumble upon a situation. I pack some extra things in my med kit, super glue, needles and dental floss, those are a quick solution to torn clothing or open wounds. I also have neosporin and a small container of hydrogen peroxide for cleaning wounds.
When gearing up, I have a routine to ensure that I have everything I need. The first thing I put on is my Combat Belt where I have all of my survival gear attached so I can grab anything at a moment's notice. On my right side, I have my Safariland holster that is fitted for my Springfield Armory XD9. I chose this holster based on the recommendation of Mike Glover, former Green Beret and owner and operator of Fieldcraft Survival, and John Lovell, former door kicker of the Army Rangers and founder of Warrior Poet Society.
Aside from fitting my pistol like a glove, this holster has a thumb release so if I fall, get into a fight, or by chance am attacked by a large animal, the pistol will not come out unless I engage the thumb release. To the left of my front center is my fixed blade knife that I can grab with either hand. To the left of that is my bear spray in its holster that is securely attached to my belt. Then the last two things I have on my belt are my Bear Bell and my trauma kit.
People often ask me why I carry Bear spray and a sidearm while hiking. As any experienced outdoorsman will tell you, Bear spray is not full proof and the sidearm is a last ditch effort for defense. Say a Brown Bear or Mountain Lion is charging at you and the wind is blowing left to right, the spray may not reach the charging animal or may not be as effective. Or say you're down wind of the Bear, the wind blowing at your face, the spray could not make it to the Bear, or worst case scenario, you end up spraying yourself. Then there's the scenario of you spraying the Bear and it does nothing but anger the Bear.
When it comes to sidearms and Bears or large game, there is a heated debate on what works to stop them. Clay Newcomb from Meateater and the podcast Bear Grease, did a great video on Bear defense and what caliber and type of rounds work best for defense on Bears and other large game. Again, this is a highly debated issue, however, the more rounds you can get off accurately, the better.
Do not, I repeat do not use hollow points. The bullet may have to travel up 6 inches to get to vital organs. The bullet will have to pass through a thick hide, layers of fat, dense muscle and dense bones. A hollow point round will expand on impact, doing little to no damage to the threatening animal. One tip I can say is, low recoil, high velocity, repeated consistent rounds and accuracy, all while the adrenaline is pumping. With that advice, you can figure out what caliber works best for you.
Hydration is key! I always keep my camelbak filled. That's 2 liters of water. More than enough for the day of hiking. If you run out of water, I always have a Life Straw. A hand held straw like tube that I can use to drink any water I want and not get sick. While many of us rely on our cell phones for navigation, as do I, there's a need for backup. Don't get me wrong. I love using All Trails, OnX Hunt and my GPS to help me navigate. But if your phone dies, breaks, no signal, or at times you can't tap into your GPS, you'll want and need a compass. Like with your medical gear and self defense gear you need to learn how to use a compass. A pocket poncho is your friend. I imagine one day I will come across weather that even my woobie hoodie can't handle. The poncho will not only keep you dry, it will help keep you warm.
One thing I never leave home without and have attached to my Go Bag/Bug Out Bag (an emergency bag) is a watch with a firestarter, compass, and whistle on it. That's not one, but two compasses, just in case. The whistle is far louder than I can scream and the human ear hears higher pitches better than lower pitches. Then there's the firestarter. Aside from the one on my watch, I also carry emergency firesticks and a lighter wrapped in duct tape. The duct tape is for emergency repairs and so on. Having some wrapped around my lighter minimizes the space it would take up if I just took a roll of it.
As for light, again, I have two options. I have a head lamp that works great and it even has an emergency flashing setting. Of course I have a handheld flashlight, a tactical one to be exact. My flashlight and headlamp both take the same size of batteries, which I carry spares of. They both are also LED, so they're very bright.
Have you noticed a trend in my emergency supplies? I have double everything, sometimes triple. Why? Things go wrong. When you're in the woods, you are at the mercy of Mother Nature. She is loving and beautiful, but she is also ruthless, and will break you and your gear at a moment's notice. You have to be prepared if you want to return home safe and sound. I had to reiterate this to the folks I met on my trip to the UP. They were ill prepared.
The last thing anyone wants to happen to them is to get lost in the wilderness. Every year I hear new stories of well seasoned individuals getting lost, injured, or worse, dying in the wilderness. Recently, a retired National Park Ranger and retired Navy SEAL were reported lost in Yellowstone National Park, a few days later their bodies were recovered. Clearly, these were well experienced individuals and yet, even they had succumbed to the elements of the wilderness. Be ready, be prepared.
