Hiking

Image by Jeff Hester via Flickr

Top Emergency Survival Gear To Pop Into Your Backpack

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”  -
John Ruskin 

Backpackers and hikers spend their free time pitting their own wits against the wilderness, well, some of them do anyway. Some hikers are happy to walk along the well trodden hiking trails for a couple of hours exercise on a sunny Saturday afternoon, others are a little bit more adventurous. I’m not dissing anybody for that, (wow, that was a little experiment, but no, it hasn’t been marked out for a mispelling, “dissing” is a real word . . . you see, that’s what I like about this type of work, I can learn as I go along . . . you’ve got to learn a little every day, and today I did, right, where was I?) yes, I’m not dissing anybody for being a weekend afternoon hiker, hiking is great however well trodden the trail you choose, but some really adventurous back country hikers and ultralight back packers like to go well off the beaten track, and it’s those types of people who really do pit their wits against the elements and all that mother nature can throw at them. If something goes wrong when you’ve hiked deep into the back country you can only rely on your self, your hiking buddies or the emergency service to get you out, which is why hiking emergency survival gear is an important part of your back pack contents.

Best Emeregency Hiking Gear

As far as hikers go, the best gear for any purpose has to be lightweight and small enough to fit in their back pack without adding too much weight. For this reason, one of the best pieces of emergency hiking gear which many hikers carry is . . .

• Hikers Safety Whistle – brilliant idea. Whistles are small, they’re inexpensive and they’re so lightweight that you’ll hardly notice them . . . why not wear one around your neck like your old Phys Ed teacher! “Peeeeeep, foul, what a dirty trick, go and wait outside my office and I’ll deal with you later . . . .” Anyway, hikers safety whistles really can help to keep you safe if you get lost or into any difficult situations. We can only shout for so long you know, and surprisingly enough the sounds from many of these hikers whistles carry for great distances.

Couple of apologies . . . first of all she obviously wasn’t hiking, and second of all I’m not totally convinced about this guys sense of humor, but it clearly shows the power of an emergency whistle, so that’s why I’ve included this clip here . . . okay?

• Hikers Emergency Blanket – they’re lightweight, they pack up real small and are often in nice bright colors so that the emergency services can easily spot you if necessary. A little bit of protection from the cold, wind and water if you find yourself in an emergency situation whilst out hiking. Some of these emergency blankets are actually suitable to make an emergency shelter until help arrives.

See how tiny and cheap they are? Why not pack one in your back pack before your next hiking trip just in case . . .

• Hikers Emergency Hand or Foot Warmers – in my experience, a hiker with cold hands or feet is an incredibly grumpy hiker, but emergency hand or foot warmers can warm up those tootsies in no time at all and keep them toasty for a few hours. If getting cold is an emergency in itself then pack up plenty of warmers, if not then just pack up enough to cope with a potential emergency situation. It’s important to keep any injured hikers warm and hydrated until professional help arrives.
• Emergency Lighting for Hikers – flashlights and lanterns are great, but what about when you need some other form of emergency lighting, either to light up your location for a rescue situation or just so that you can see what you’re doing to help yourself. Glow sticks are the answer to that one my friend, they’re a bit like the ones the kids buy at the fairground, but burn much brighter and last much longer. They’re small, they’re lightweight, they’re inexpensive, they’re essential emergency hiking equipment.
• Emergency First Aid Kit for Hikers – all hikers need to have a basic knowledge of first aid, and a basic first aid kit. Time is of the essence in very many emergency situations, and if you have the basic knowledge and equipment available to make any injured hiking buddies (or strangers you may have come across on the hiking trail) more comfortable and secure before professional help arrives, all well and good. First aid kits are also essential for non emergency hiking situations . . . blisters, bee stings, snake bites, sun burn, cuts and bruises. Yes, we hikers come across most of those very regularly so make sure that you have at least a basic first aid kit safe and sound in your backpack.

How does he get all that stuff in that little bag? Is he joking me . . . let’s keep watching . . .  wow he did it and it only weighs a few ounces . . . amazing.

• Duct Tape is the Hikers friend – you’ll be amazed at what even your average hiker can achieve with a roll of duct tape and a few twigs . . . mend things, make things, fasten things together, hold things up, hold things down . . . but you can’t do these things if you don’t pack some duct tape in your back pack for emergencies.

Let me make this quite clear . . . DUCT tape is an essential part of your hiking emergency gear . . . DUCK tape is not!