finnished work early today and the wife was out visiting friends,so i went to the woods for some scouting and some small game.Missed a grouse.saw three porcupine and some deer sighn.

As dark approached I started back to the truck,only to find my self a little off course. My compase was back in the truck and not going to be of any use to me.I stumbled onto an old skidder trail [literally fell into the deep ruts hidden by thick weeds].after thinking what would i do if i had broken my leg,First aide kit and emergency fire kit are in the same bag as the compase.I followed the skidder trail out of the woods by moon light and the sound of coyotes.
IF i had my compase I would have saved my self two miles of walking and god only knows what if i had gotten hurt. This was supposed to be a short trip less than two hours in the woods.

REMEMBER YOUR EMERGENCY KIT ALWAYS

what do you keep in your kit?
fire kit
first aide supplies
compase
extra clothes

Same as you except the clothes.

I have a first aid kit, fire starter with a lighter and waterproof matches, compass and gps and a survival knife with a snare and fishing tackle in the handle, hand and foot warmers and a space blanket.

In my pack I carry:

space blanket
Fire starter
water proof matches
wistle (dont Know why)
first aid kit
compass
energy bars and jerky
water (during hunting season I store a case behind the seat)
socks
disposable camera (for a good emergency)

A host of other things I can't remimber right now.

Good advice thanks for posting.

Shawn

Extra batteries
Fire kit X 2 or 3 (Which would also include a lighter)
Duck tape
Compass and whistle
Hand saw and pruners (for making splints with the Duck tape and trimming stands)
Extra blade
Beef jerky
Water bottle x 2
First aid with snake bit kit
A box of extra ammo.
A spoon and fork.
Chap stick
Pencil (Very important)

And the most important one is the greatest survival manual of all time. The…
B asic
I nstruction
B efore
L eaving
E arth.

I usually take my phone and two way radios and I don’t like going by my self. I have taken this hiking several times with the Church group and I have impressed the trained hikers every time. The most important think I have encountered is knowing when to stay put. A fire can literally be a lifesaver and a beacon all at the same time. Especially when you are in a fire ban!!

Duane

Glad you go out without much trouble. My brother and I go bear hunting each year up in the Adirondacks. We make day trips back in quite a aways. In our day packs are;

Compass and topo maps
Water & hi energy snacks
First aid kit
Emergency blanket
Matches in waterproof container

A good firearm and My buck knife are all you need acording to my Dad!!!

Lars

Good advise - I read an article on things going wrong a while back and there was a common saying that resonated with people having unfortunate experiences. "I'm just going..." Fill it in with down the hill, around the corner, across the creek, whatever. One individual was just going down the hill from camp after seeing an elk. They found him several miles away a few days later but too late. It certainly rang true with me.

Currently I have a friend of a friend that is missing his brother-in-law after a boating incident. 3 of the 4 have been found but as of 10 this AM one is missing and at this point it's probably a recovery mission due to the water temps. The other 3 are in critical cond. You can never be too careful.

I carry alot of the stuff that I carry in my big back pack. I can pretty much live for several days with what I carry in a day pack. It only ways about 10lbs.
I have water filter with a drinking jar.
Candles 9 hour burning
fire starters couple of diff. kinds
lighter
water proof matchs
magniziam fire starter
space blanket
wire saw and wyoming saw
parachute cord
jacket
stocking cap
hunting knife and pocket knife
map
compass
pencil and paper
orange ribbion
water perification tablets
energy bars
whisle
mirror for signaling
wind up flash light
stocking cap
first aid kit + a couple of womans pads for large bleeding wounds.
2 way radio
I think that's about it. maybe a couple more small things.
The above stuff doesn't weigh that much and I once spent the night out in the woods and had nothing but a lighter, map and a piece of rope about 10 feet long. It was sunny when I left camp and it got down to frost on the ground at night. I used the map to start a fire and kept it going all night. It sucked and I told myself that would never happen again. I wasn't lost, it just got dark on me before I made it out of the woods. So now I go prepared for as much as I can.

This is a great post/subject. I never leave my vehicle without at least a small backpack with emergency supplies. I always have a long-term, large backpack with extra supplies in the vehicle. Both packs have energy bars and water bottles in them. I usually hunt alone in isolated areas with no cell phone coverage, so I tend to carry a litte extra gear, just in case. In the pack I always carry, I have the following.

-Swedish Fire-Steel
-Lighter (2)
-Waterproof Matches (50+)
-Fire Starter, cotton balls, saturated in Vasoline in a film canister (3)
-9 Hour Emergency Candle
-Space Blanket (2)
-Large, Heavy Duty Black Plastic Trash Bag (2)
-Bandages in various sizes and styles
-Suture Kit (can substitute with super glue)
-Moleskin
-Duct Tape (approx 3')
-Rolaids (other than the obvious use, it helps with AMS or altitude sickness)
-Aluminum cup from a mess kit
-LED headlamp with spare batteries
-Whistle
-Aspirin
-Water Purification Tablets
-T.P. (about 1/2 roll, no core in a zip-lock bag)
-Knife (in addition to knives I normally carry)
-Sharpening stone
-Fishing line (approx 30')
-Fishing hooks (5-10)
-Rain Poncho

That sounds like a lot of gear, but most of it fits in a Fieldline brand belt pouch designed to carry turkey hunting accessories. I put that in a daypack along with extra clothing consisting of at least a jacket/coat, stocking hat, gloves and extra socks. I also always carry a map and compass in my pack. No matter what my primary hunting gun is, I always carry my Ruger Single-Six in .22lr with at least 100 rds of ammo.

For anyone who thinks an emergency won't happen to them, read the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston. You might remember him as the hiker who had to cut off his own hand/forearm a few years back. He was trapped in a slot canyon when a boulder shifted and pinned his hand against the canyon wall. He did not have emergency gear with him and failed to tell anyone where he was going let alone when to expect him back. This guy was a very experienced climber, who had even worked on a search and rescue team, but still often went out without adequate gear. He acknowledged in the book that he had this coming for a long time.

I think that just as important as carrying emergency gear, is knowing how to get the most out of it. The following books are great sources of information.

-How to Survive Anywhere by Christopher Nyerges
-Edible & Medicinal Plants of the Rockies by Linda Kershaw
-98.6 Degrees, The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin
-How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier

Ron Hood also has a great emergency/survival DVD series. His Survival Basics I & II (on one disc) is loaded with good basic information.

No it’s not! If you pack right and use the right equipment it is not bad at all. I carry most of what you do which is funny. My first aid kit has all sorts of goodies that can and have been useful. Super glue and Moleskin are musts.

I tried to list the basics that I never leave home without. Depending on the time of year, this list will grow. A lot of people think I'm paranoid for packing all this gear. Its good to hear that others go out prepared too!

I carry much of what is listed above, although no fishing tackle or duct tape. I spent two years in the jungles of Papua New Guinea as a missionary, and we lived in the deep bush, and I hiked to a lot of remote villages for days at a time. One thing I learned the hard way is to be VERY familiar and confident in your emergency fire starter equipment. The magnesium bar with built-in striker from Wal-Mart? You better be sure and have tested it and KNOW you can make it work in the rain. I would say that goes for everything in your pack. Sometimes it is not enough just to have something in your pack because someone else does, if you don't know if everything works, how it works an when it works.

VEry true, I tend to play with my stuff to see if it works or not. I then end up having to buy it again so I have one that isn't opened. LOL Boys and thier Toys!

I have also been teased about all the stuff I take and even if I'm only going to do a 1/2 mile drive, I grab my dayback. If you slip and hurt yourself it's really nice to have those basic things with you and don't have to depend on someone else.

I forgot a couple of other things that are on my list and in my daypack. DEETS 98 to 100% in a small bottle, Large garbage bag, small wet stone, small multi purpose tool.

I agree 100%. Its important to be familiar with all the gear you carry and know how to use it. You don't want to be trying things for the first time in a stressful or life threatening situation. I practice and learn new survival skills in a variety of weather conditions. This is also why I carry a variety of fire starting devices. If one method is not working, you have other options. The 5-6 cotton balls in vasoline I mentioned will burn in wet conditions for about 15 minutes which is very useful for starting damp tinder. The 9-hour emergency candle is also great for starting a fire in difficult conditions. One thing I didn't mention is that all of my supplies are carried in zip-lock bags to keep them dry. The bags are also usefull for water storage and water purification.

My eight year old son also carries emergency supplies when we go out and knows how to use everything in his pack. He has known how to start a fire with a flint and steel since he was six. If something ever happens to me while we're out, or if we get separated, I want him to be able to provide for himself until help arrives.

I will be repacking my bag this week taking into consideration some of the suggestions given here and my possable needs.

will be including
food
small container to cook with/boil water
and checking fist aide kit

I also think it has to do with where you are hunting. Many people hunt in their backyard or 50 to 100 acre properties. Don't think much is needed on these hunts. I hunt mostly the National Forest here in Georgia and where I hunt, there are roads through and around the forest everwhere so most of that stuff would stay in my truck. Someone always knows where I will be even though I usually go hunting by myself. If I hunt an area that is as vast as the Adirondack Mountains as I did when I lived in NY or out west, then I can see taking most those items.
Vin

Thanks for the ideas that you all carry. I will be adding a few things this week. One thing that i do carry extra that my dad always carried is a 6'x 8' plastic you can fold it and it is great protection in bad weather.

If I'm leaving my "back yard" and need to take a bag, I'll usually take...

1. a ziplock bag of deer jerky
2. water
3. a surefire flashlight
4. toilet paper with no cardboard roll, and in a ziplock bag as well
5. Fire starter (a lighter and a couple of tea candles have worked out best for me)
6. space blanket
7. knife
8. pistol and extra ammo
9. a few feet of parachute cord.

If I cannot survive for a few days with this, I should just stay home and curl up with a good book. When I was living and hunting in Alaska I usually added extra socks, gloves, a bucket hat and long underware in case I got wet, either from breaking through a hidden creek or from sweat. But I don't carry that now here in TN. I realize, however, that in differant parts of the country the requirements are differant, so I am in no way saying my pack is sufficient for everyone.

After my unsuccessful bear hunt yesterday, I got thinking about this post. I figured it had been a while since I had practiced starting a fire in wet conditions, so I took a break and gave it a try. A squirrel started barking so I decided to add him to my lunch. I was not having any luck getting the tinder I collected to catch a spark from my Swedish Fire Steel, so I cheated and used a few squares of t.p. It was a fun exercise and the squirrel was delicious!

pab its good to know you will not be in too bad of shape if stranded in the woods for a while

pab1 Looks like a good fire to sit around and get warm eat a little squirrel and plan your next move.

Roasted Squirrel, YUM!!

you got that right tigger been a long time sence i did that
good very nice.
larry

Sorry guys but I dont think I could bring myself to eat squirrel unless I was in a survival situation. I believe they are in the rodent family. I know they eat nuts and all natural and healthy stuff but I have seen way too many rats in NYC that remind me of them. I used to think the same thing about rabbit but they aren't in the rodent family. Then I tried it and it was great. Would eat rabbit again without hesitation. Squirrel is probably very good too, just a mental thing I guess.
Vin

hunting season is here have you checked your bag this year?