The time is upon us soon at least in our part of the country in the Mountain West for the big hunts. It’s a pretty big deal around here, when I was a kid the opening days of the deer hunt were practically state holidays, school was conveniently out. We had enough weaponry out in the field hunting that were our state hunters counted as an army, we’d rival most countries.
There are lots of memories of the past, and of all the things that don’t really change is the news stories of lost hunters, stranded hunters, unprepared hunters, bad turns in the weather with rain and snow. This year will likely be like all the rest that I can remember, same things, different people.
Nothing will ever change unless people change, you can’t change the earth, it’s going to do what its going to do. It’s guaranteed that equipment and transportation will fail for a good number of hunters, that’s not going to change, odds are a certain amount of that will happen.
“Don’t worry about everything, just the things you can control, the rest will take care of itself”
The only way we get an edge up on the things beyond our influence, is by preparation. We get ourselves ready for the eventualities by preparing. When Mr. Murphy comes calling we have an option, we have a plan.
All summer long I’ve seen people out sighting in their rifles, and shooting round after round, so as to be in practice. The sad thing is so many will go to all that trouble with the gun, then for everything else it’s just throw it in the trailer, hardly any thought given.
Some suggestions:
Have some personal gear that you always have on you while hiking around
- Personal Survival Kit with items like in our Off Road Survival Kit
- Personal Shelter such as a tarp or our 3 function PSS Personal Survival Shelter that is a Poncho, Tarp, and Hammock all in one, (available now via email on contact page, soon to the website). Video
- Water and means of procuring more
- Have a knowledge of the area you are in, where roads are and some general directions
- Travel safe, most people that wind up in serious trouble don’t have on their person the things they need for survival.
Remember Sir Edmund Hillary’s goal to be the first to climb Mt Everest, his goal was not simply to climb it, it was to climb it and return safely. Have the same goals for yourself, above all to return safely.
Look for us at the Self Reliance Expo, booth 303, in Sandy, UT Oct 7&8, 2011
Until next time this is Perry Peacock, “Simplifying Survival”