2. Worst case scenario: having to spend a night in wilderness situation What should you have in your packs to prepare for this situation?

3. Simple, light, essential items Ask yourself the “What if” questions

4.  Shelter  Fire  Water  Food

5.  Matches, lighter, metal match  Clear plastic sheeting  ‘Contractor’ trash bags  Gallon ziplock bags  Lightweight cooking pot  Cordage  Knife  ‘Space blanket’  Water purification  Duct tape  Try to think of items which either have MULTIPLE uses or are NECESSARY

6.  Always have more than one way to start a fire  Never rely on just one method  Your life may depend on it!!

7.  Inexpensive  Widely available  Easy to carry  Downside: needs some fine motor movement

8.  Waterproof matches  Waterproof container

11.  Can coat cotton balls with vaseline  Untreated will burn about 30 seconds  Treated can burn for 3-5 minutes

12.  Protection from: Wind Rain Snow Able to have a fire for warmth

13.  Clear plastic sheeting 10 to 20 feet in your pack Hardware, Walmart, etc  Uses: Ground cloth Shelter building Rain / snow poncho

15.  Contractor Trash Bags Home Depot, Lowes, etc 4 or 5 in your pack  Uses: Ground cloth Shelter building Rain / snow poncho

20.  Large enough to boil several cups of water  Small enough and light enough to carry in a pack

21.  Dehydration can occur quickly in cold weather  Can purify water  Calories for warmth! Soup Hot chocolate Etc.

22.  Stainless 1 liter water bottle  Get the ‘wide mouth’  Unscrew lid before boiling…

23.  Tin foil can be easily shaped into a bowl  Take a large sheet, fold it many times into a small space  Not durable

24.  A few different types  Usually a tablet or liquid drops  Small, fits easily into a pack

25.  Keep tinder (or other supplies) dry  Can be used to hold water  3 or 4 in your pack

26.  Water purification  Can have 2 or 3 gallons of water ready to drink  Difficult to carry

27.  Parachute cord best  Comprised of several threads  50 to 75 feet

28.  A knife that can chop if needed  Full-tang fixed blade is best  A sturdy lock-blade good too

29.  Dry soup mix or dry rice mix  Hot chocolate packets  Peanut M&M’s or Snickers  Whistle  Red / Orange surveyors tape  Small flashlight / Headlamp  Tin Foil (folded)

30.  Cotton: Worst  Loves moisture!  Loses 90% of insulating value when wet and wicks heat 25 times faster than when dry

31.  Polypropylene  Good base layer  Wicks moisture from the skin to outer layers of clothing

32.  Goose down  Light, great insulation when dry  Sucks up moisture worse than cotton  Loses all insulating value when wet

33.  Wool: my favorite  Will wick moisture, but slowly  Maintains its insulation value even when wet  Downside: can be heavy

34.  Polyester: Not just for the 70’s anymore  Resists water  Retains a lot of insulating value even when wet  Lighter and more compact than wool

35.  Base Layers:  Designed to trap warmth against the body  Remove moisture to outer layers  Polypropylene good  Insulating Layers:  Can be added or removed to control sweating

36.  Environmental Layer  Windbreaker  Waterproof layer or water-resistant layer  Fairly loose and easy to vent out moisture  Multiple thin layers is much better than one thick one  Can be adjusted to prevent sweating

37.  “When you’re lost, smoke your pipe”  Sit down, relax  Think  Observe / Options  Plan  Act  Walk Out?  Stay Put?