I was trying to look for a thread but wasn't having much luck. Let's say you are hunting solo and you injured yourself on a hunt or Maybe you're lost in the woods and cell phone is dead (or bad service) for both scenarios. What tips or gear do you always need to carry for the "just in case" scenarios I hunt solo on my lease a lot especially on Sundays during the season. I always make sure I at least tell someone where I'm going to be just in case, but if something happens I never really carry anything extra to help me. Curious to see what everyone has to say.
it all depends on your location, here in PA Flashlight,first aid of some sort, maybe a whistle and fire starter are probably all you need,(you don't even really need the last two here.) this is obviously not taking basic things into account that you should have on a hunting trip already such as a knife, zip ties etc. you can't walk a mile in pa without hitting a house. If your planning a hunt in any of the western states however you would probably want a satelite phone or gps/beacon. again your location will dictate what you need. If I was hunting in the Dakotas in the dead of winter, I would make sure I had a way to stay warm should I need to spend the night. that isnt as much of a concern however if you live in Florida XD I carry a water bottle with purifier. Cuz it's cool to drink out of a crick in the woods. It would come in handy if I was lost though. I also have a few packets of trail mix or protein bars in my pack that I try to stay out of In my unexperienced opinion, if you have a map/gps and someone knows where your at(roughly) you don't need to bog yourself down with 20 extra pounds of survival gear that you don't need. In fact all that gear might make you more susceptible to injury. Your most important survival tool (besides your noggin) is letting people know where your at. if you get service where you hunt, and have an iphone, the app "find my iphone" is great. I am sure samsung has something similar. Just have a family member set up on the same account as you and you see where their phone is at.
I carry my IFAK from the army that has compressed bandage, chest seals, hemostatic granule packet, tourniquet, med tape, bandages I threw in some waterproof matches and a lifestraw water purification straw.
Get a Garmin GPS. The eTrex is a good one that is not expensive. You can find them very cheap online or at a Pawn shop. Carry a flashlight always! Know which direction is North. (The bark is ALWAYS thickest on the North side of the tree.) Remember the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Walk in a straight line when you start trying to find your way out. Pick the tallest tree you can find in the distance and walk straight towards it. Or just walk with the Moon in front of you at all times if it is not cloudy.
Most important is water. It's simple but so important. The obvious, knife, food, I always carry some paracord. Small first aid kit. Multi tool. Fire starter ( lighter, fire stick etc.). That'll get you out of most jams Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I don't go into the woods without one typically. I've walked up on a couple wild boars that didn't like me sneaking up on them. Once you hear their growl it'll make your hair on your neck stand up.
One thing I carry is an extra light in my bag usually. Never know if your headlamp will crap out on you and having a backup can be very beneficial.
If you're solo and it's dark you better have two or more lights and fresh batteries. Even during full camo hunting I have a couple blaze orange reflective tabs on my stuff so I can be seen by humans.
When I am hunting I am way deep in the woods, probably 50 yards from the mowed grass, heck the wifi signal from the house is non existent. I don't carry a flashlight, knife, or any survival gear. It is just me against the elements.
As mentioned here by others; It really depends on where you hunt, that area's geography/climate, and how far civilization is. My Must carry items for large parcels/wilderness areas are: Water & Purifier or purification tablets ( I prefer a steel water bottle, so I can boil water inside of it, need be) Printed map, in waterproof bag, compass & GPS. Orange flag tape Orange heavy duty plastic sheet/refuse bag Flint/Stryker/kindling (Vaseline/cotton balls) Electric tape If hunting in bear/cougar/wolf areas-sidearm Flashlight (preferably hands free-headlamp) Knife & sharpening tool at least 20ft of Para chord Extra pair of clean/dry wool socks Advil/anti-inflammatory tablets Two or three extra plastic zip lock bags. I keep one, one gallon freezer bag and two sandwich sized bags. As a sidenote: I always print maps of all my hunting locations prior to the season, laminate them and hang them on my fridge. My hunting location of the day will be noted on the fridge for my wife to see. I will add some basic text if need be to the map for areas without service, nearest access roads, or landowner name/contact details.
I'm simple. I like having water, some snacks (usually sunflower seeds, nuts, granola bars), paracord, knife, compass, a flashlight, some matches, and the rest of my hunting gear. I don't need a side arm as I have been know to take down 400 pound black bears with my fabulous good looks and my sense of humor!
Les Stroud doesn't hold a candle to you! I'd suggest starting up your own show! You could call it "Sota is naked and afraid in his backyard!"
I don't carry anything special, but I don't really hunt remote areas. I'll let my wife know where I'm going if I'm hunting anywhere besides my property. If I were hunting wilderness areas or somewhere that is really remote, I might carry a SPOT or similar satellite messaging system.
My just in case equipment includes first aid kit, a compass, a .357, a lighter and a pack of cigarettes.
Do carry GPS, compass, food, water, first aid kit, etc and see no issues getting myself out of predicaments. But normally hunting alone several hours from the house one can't beat a satellite tracker(SPOT Gen 3) as that last ditch emergency tool if injured and in dire straights.
