Emergency kit for day hikes

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Jimr
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by Jimr »

It seems to me there are only two critical factors for a true 24 hour survival. 1) elements. 2) water. Everything else seems situational for stabilization, comfort, signaling. Understanding the elements you will be traveling through seems to dictate everything other than stabilization (whatever level you want to bring that first aid kit to). I think the first aid you decide to prepare for is the only part of a kit that can be standardized. Maybe the quantity of extra water you carry as well. No matter how much water there is in an area, if you can’t get to it, it may as well be dry.

So, if you can standardize water and first aid, then you’re only left with one variable and that requires one to actually think about the “what if I need to bivy overnight” scenario and adjust accordingly. Of course, everyone will have unique comfort levels regarding how much first aid and how much extra liquid they are willing to carry, but for them, it would become a standard package.
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rlown
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by rlown »

An advanced topic (note that it's not for the squeamish, but a good skill to know) :

[youtube_vid]<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6P0rYS6LeZw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube_vid]

Guess what I'm not eating tonight.

[youtube_vid]<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NC9XwH3aXKA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube_vid]

Yes, I carry a couple.. It's good to practice on something as shown first. My fishing hemos match what the first video shows, but it also has scissors built in for other uses. The "patient" gets either all the 151 or ibuprofen desired if used. For some reason, I can't carry lidocaine.
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by maverick »

Jimr wrote:
It seems to me there are only two critical factors for a true 24 hour survival. 1) elements. 2) water.
The Big 3's of survival: 3 hours without shelter (exposure), 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Obviously the times vary accordingly, to each individual situation, and yes, the first two, but especially the first one, is the most important for a 24 hr survival situation.

Dealing with exposure becomes even more dire when temps drop, one is wet, wind is present, and/or an injury, any or a combo of these, can reduce ones survival times.

Something I carry in my kit is some cotton balls dipped in vaseline, in an old film canister, they stay lite for quite some time, and make a good fire starter even in rain.
Water-proof matches definitely over a lighter, difficult to light in cold weather if one is shaking, or if one has sustained a hand injury.

When leaving a base camp, on every day hike, I always include a tent/pancho combo, sleeping bag, clothes, food, first-aid kit, headlamp, and other items, not only for myself, but in case someone else gets injured.
I have had to us my emergency gear, not for myself, but when I have found other hikers who were in need assistance, so it is always good to be prepared. :nod:
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by Jimr »

I hear it say that you sometimes carry chains as well ;-)
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

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I hear it say that you sometimes carry chains as well ;-)
Yeah, those are the 40+ lbs workout chains, used mostly for dips and pull-ups, and yes, they do make it into my local day hiking packs, as do large, warm blankets, for some of the others members in our hiking group for when we reach the summit on our local peaks. :unibrow:
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by AlmostThere »

The true necessity for any day hike is a five foot crosscut saw, wedges, a hard hat and leather gloves... It's what I'm taking tomorrow anyways.
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by maverick »

The true necessity for any day hike is a five foot crosscut saw, wedges, a hard hat and leather gloves... It's what I'm taking tomorrow anyways.
For building a log cabin. :)
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I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by AlmostThere »

maverick wrote:
The true necessity for any day hike is a five foot crosscut saw, wedges, a hard hat and leather gloves... It's what I'm taking tomorrow anyways.
For building a log cabin. :)
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by Wandering Daisy »

If you feel the need for overnight gear on a day-hike, then perhaps you should buy the UL gear and just become a UL backpacker. That certainly is an option nowadays with the gear advancement. It cost $$$ but you will be set up for overnight with a 10 pound pack. Since my shelter and sleeping bag are not UL, clothing is a better choice on day-hikes, because it is multi-purpose- I can also wear it while hiking if the weather simply turns bad. A 3-oz space blanket then covers most survival situations.

When solo day-hiking I draw the "gear line" on the risky side (minimal) and my "hiking style" on the very conservative side. Not saying that works for everyone, but that is my solution. When solo day-hiking, I have rarely been injured, and nothing life-threatening; for the few nights out when solo day-hiking, I was fully functional and not injured- simply ran out of daylight and deemed it safer to stay put until daylight.

Not such a huge issue when with a group, because within a group you can usually put together enough clothing for the injured person to keep them from getting hypothermic. Injury on a solo day-hike is a more tenuous situation. That is a tough one. This perhaps is why, when solo, I tend to plan my trips with more daily backpacking and do fewer day-hikes. I have always felt day-hiking is more dangerous than backpacking.

AT- if it is trail work you are doing with that saw, then thanks! I am so thankful for all the trail crews out there. Particularly this year!
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Re: Emergency kit for day hikes

Post by AlmostThere »

Yep, we are working a section of the Theodore Solomons route tomorrow. We'll be working some of the Dinkey trails the weekend of the 15th from Willow Meadow to Rock Lake, and from Cliff TH to Cliff Lake on the 22nd.

Sunscreen and a hard hat with extra brim and a cape on the back to keep the sun off me, that's the necessity of the day. I anticipate a plunge of the head into a river at the end of the day... perhaps a buffalo burger at Mono Hot Springs. (the 13th essential being the burger on the way home)
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