mountain survival pack?

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

ArcherandShooter

Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
348
Location
Llano, TX
OK all you mountain-folks, I have a question. (I looked in the forum history and couldn't find quite this one before.)

I'm going on a horseback hunt for elk in Wyoming this September. We'll be in the Bridger National Forest, operating out of a 6,000' drive-in base camp, making day-trips up as high as 10,000' and returning to base camp each night.

I haven't done much wilderness hiking or anything in many many years, so I'm not gonna depend on my memory as to the kind of things you want in a survival pack in those kinds of situations.

There will be three of us in the party, myself, my brother, and a guide.

Here's what I'm planning:
- sidearm
- two knives
- fire-starter (striker and tinder)
- emergency blanket
- signal mirror
- camel-back of water
- basic first-aid kid with dressings, antibiotic cream

What else do I need?
 
One of the straws that will filter water is always a good idea. I drank out of mtn creeks for well over 30 years but finally got some Guardia (SP?). Believe me you don't want to be caught on a trip dealing with that stuff.
A small diamond steel or small stone to sharpen knives can come in real handy.
Tiny flashlight can be nice gutting something after dark.
If your going to be on your own much a GPS can be a lifesaver to a fella not familiar with the area. It is amazing how easy it is to get turned around and a little bit is all it takes.
Whatever you choose keep it small, light and easy to bring along, and good luck.
 
Topographic map of the area, compass/gps. I'm assuming you will have adequate clothing. I always dress in layers, avoid cotton clothing as it will wick heat away from your body use wool clothing instead, good hat, gloves etc.

I was taught the rule of 3's if you found yourself lost and try to plan accordingly.

3 hours without shelter.

3 days without water.

3 weeks without food.
 
I would add to your list:

compass/map? (Nothing so annoying as walking down the wrong ravine on your way back to camp.)
rain gear (trash bag will do and has other uses)
LED flashlight (so you can see to make that fire with your striker and tinder)
Fleece jacket or vest (you Texicans can freeze up there at 9,000 ft in a hail storm and you may be wise to wait out a thunder storm under a ledge before hiking back to camp)
Fleece or wool watch cap and gloves (leather gloves make hauling or chopping more pleasant)
asswipe/handsanitizer (many uses)
surveyor's tape (find that elk tomorrow after you walk down that other ravine)
Some kind of energy food: power bar/ gorp/jerky (may not save your life but may make you feel better about spending the night in that other ravine rather than breaking your leg in the dark.)
Para cord: 20-50 ft (shelter, splint)

HTH
 
Eli, only because you asked, it's "Giardia".

Personally, I would save the weight of the sidearm, given that your already going to be carrying a rifle thats plenty powerful enough to deal with whatever might assault you up there, but thats just me. I would also probably only haul one knife, unless your talking about a hunting knife and a pocket knife, and even then I might only take one knife. Should you lose your, the guide will have one and your brother will have one, and even in the unlikely event that you all three lose your knives, you can always go back to camp.

I would make that weight up by packing layers of clothing. It could be perfectly nice, it could be ungodly cold. The key for you is to have layers on hand. Some gloves, some articles of woolen (or Goretex) outer clothing, some water, and some high energy snacky-snacks will serve you much better in the bush. Let me bold this to insure you understand: LAYERS ARE KEY

Past that, a general survival kit will do you well. Don't forget a lighter, matches AND a magnesium firestarter, make some firestarters out of cottonballs and petroleum jelly (PM if you need instructions on how to make them). Make sure your guide has let someone know where your base camp is going to be and when your coming back (extremely important). The LED Flashlight is a great idea, you can carry a good 50 feet of 550 cord with no problem whatsoever, and a compass really wouldn't be a bad idea as long as you know how to use it. The first aid kit can actually be pretty simple, but others can tell you about what you might want more than me.

Your survival gear and your extra layers should be able to fit into a daypack pretty easily. Remember, your going to be operating at a much higher elevation than your used to, so weight is a major consideration. Between your rifle and your actual hunting gear, you should be able to get by with a total load of only around 25-30 pounds or so, and even that is going to feel like a ton at elevation once your tired.

Aside from that, let me remind you to break in your boots well before your head up there, make sure your bring spare eyeglasses if you wear them, and make sure your running and/or doing some regular cardio workouts now. Trust me, I am a very fat guy, and the more fit your are, the more fun your hunt will be.
 
I swear by the under armour stuff, too. Get a balaclava, trust me.
Click to expand...

I am far too fat to wear an underarmour shirt, but I bought one of their little watchcap hats, and that thing is awesome. It really wicks the moisture away. The balaclava idea is a very, very good one.

You can get them heavy or light. I recommend a lighter one (goretex or a similar material), but Waffentomas is correct in recommending one, for sure.
 
Its been covered pretty well, but...
Be sure you KNOW HOW to read a topo map AND use a compass!
GPS is great if you know how to use it also. I prefer a GPS as a backup to a good map and compass.
I would recommend checking out an orienteering course and do some geocacheing.
Know what you are doing before you hit the brush. Have a plan in, have a plan out.
Have fun:D
 
If it's been years since you've done anything like this, then you probably aren't in as good of a physical condition as you could be.
Your knees, ankles, groin, and core will all be stressed in different ways walking and moving around on the uneven ground in the mountains.
Sure, you'll have a horse, but there's not exactly horse parking where you get out, walk in, and shoot your quarry.
The likelihood of you twisting an ankle, tearing an ACL, or pulling your groin are pretty high if you don't exercise regularly.

Adding a pack full of stuff on your back will only exacerbate this potential.

So, start working out to assess your fitness level. Get an idea of your limits so you don't find out on the trail.

There's great advice here on what to pack.

Good luck and have fun.
 
If getting separated / lost from the others in your party is a big concern, there is one (recent, high-tech) item I would suggest, and which I've considered getting for the same purpose, which is a green laser pointer. They're incredibly bright, visible at very long distances, and under many circumstances you can see the BEAM of the laser, leading anyone looking to you to your actual location.

Such a pointer weighs just a few ounces. However, I realize that once you start adding up everyone's "must have" items, you end up with a pretty heavy bag ;)

timothy
 
My set up is a gun belt. I use it mostly on day hikes, but has things like canteen with water tablets and filters, multi-tool, sharpening stone, bic lighter and metal match, plastic trash bags, space blanket, compass, a few small hooks, sinkers, and some line (too much Rambo or "survivor man" I guess), ammo pouch, flap holster for 4" K frame .357, snake bite kit (thinkin' about nixing this one), tape, mini mag flash light and spare batteries. I rarely go out for an overnighter and haven't in years, so YMMV. This sorta fits my needs and worries, though, for day hiking. A signal mirror is something I probably should add. And, I normally have some fire starter in a pack if I have a pack. Toilet paper makes great tender and is tender on the, well, better than leaves.

I usually take a GPS with me, not in the belt. Also, I can remove the holster easily or the canteen. The canteen gets a little heavy on the hip, so if I've got a pack, I'll put it in there. The holster is not desirable in a national park, of course, and I have hiked big bend and wanna do some in Guadalupe Ntl Park before I'm too old. Been to the north edge at the head of McKitrick canyon before on the New Mexico side, beautiful!!!! I got my old GoldWing all tuned up and running great the other day, so I may get out there, yet, even at 4 bucks a gallon. :D
 

Attachments

  • PICT0176.JPG
    PICT0176.JPG
    104.1 KB · Views: 442
Your most important asset is the ability to walk!!!! If something happens, no map or compass will get you out if you can't walk. I have sprained my ankle during a hunt, and I only got out because I was able to crawl 200 yards to my truck.

Get a good pair of boots with ankle support, even consider ankle wraps.

wool pants

+1 on dressing layers

bring a headlamp not a flashlight. If you need light, you need your hand too usually.
 
Good boots, the kind with a fairly rigid sole. The sorest my feet have ever been is from flimsy soled boots that flexed badly while scrambling over scree trying to make my way in and out of the ravines. Make sure they fit properly and get good wool socks with liners if needed.Then pack some camp shoes so you can relieve those feet once you get back to camp. Your only as good as your feet.
 
Well covered, but I always carry braided picture-hanging wire . . . has a multitude of uses, weighs next to nothing, but also makes excellent self-locking snares if the "unexpected" occurs. Include Steri-strips (I buy mine from veterinarian suppliers ~ sterile IS sterile) in your first aid kit . . . beats hob out of suturing yourself (which I have also done, clumsy oaf that I can be). Good luck & enjoy the mountains.
 
Good advice from above posters.

To add: I would also have a pair of warm, waterproof boots on the order of the Caribou Sorrels, or equivalent. BROKEN IN!!!

I don't know what part of Wyoming you are going to be hunting, but I've hunted the Pinnacles area n.w. of Dubois, in Oct., and there was snow on the ground and snow in the air. If I'd not had my Sorrel Caribous in addition to my regular insulated leather hunting boots, I would have been extremely uncomfortable with wet, cold feet.

If you buy a pair, be sure you get an extra pair of inserts. That way, if you get one pair damp one day, you can put a fresh dry pair in for the following day while the first pair is drying in camp. You might not need them, but if you do, you'll be a very happy camper that you brought them along.

I would also suggest you either buy, or if you can borrow, a good saddle scabbard. Outfitters and guides usually have scabbards... but I've found many of them to be lacking in protecting your rifle. (I've owned my own saddle scabbard for 34 years, and never regretted having it on many outfitted hunts.)

Here's something I started carrying in my saddle bags many years ago. A couple of standard road flares. If something happened where you were in trouble and needed to build a fire right now in wet, cold conditions, that road flare will start a fire without any trouble! I've had to use mine twice.

If you are not a "horseman," do your best to not only be in shape, but rent a horse as often as you can before the hunt and get used to riding. When the hunt comes along, you won't be sorry.

Best of luck.

L.W.
 
Not sure what I'd want in Wyoming for fall footwear. My hiking has been done mostly in west Texas and New Mexico where it's pretty warm to hot. I've hunted at 17 degrees in the snow in NM before, but Wyoming can make that feel warm. LOL But, just to say, water proof, warm, and plenty of ankle coverage, but make SURE it's LIGHT. Heavy boots can be a REAL pain! Spare no expenses if you have to on footwear IMHO, the most important thing in hiking/hunting comfort. Several hundred bucks can be justifiable. I never spent that much on hunting boots and have some I really like for around 100, can be had, but forget Walmart's shoe section, put it that way. LOL
 
well looks like with all that stuff you must be one heck of a guy,,,LOL

i would think unless you are already acclimated to altitude,, that you should if you can go a few days early,,,just to give your body time to adjust,,always seemed to help me

other than your rifle and ammunition,,good pair binocs,,,maybe a hand gun,,,everything you add is weight you will be carrying

as for what the pack needs to have in it,,,water or purifier,,you need more water up there than you think,,,stay hydrated,,,,clothes you can layer,, good broken in boots,,,good protein snacks,,good knife,,,some fire stuff(the cotton balls and petroleum jelly stuff really works well),,GPS with extra bats. or compass,,space blanky,,extra pair of socks,,, some 550 cord

i get all this stuff in a small day pack that is attached to my pack frame,,,,light is your friend,,,,everything on your pack frame,,,way easier to carry,,,coarse i don't have the horse luxury,,,,but you may not have the horses close at hand when the meat hits the deck

get you a cheap pack and put some rocks or bricks in it and carry it around,,,a little training goes a long way

just thought i would throw my .02 in the pot,,,,YMMV

ocharry
 
I never venture out without my multi-tool. I can't count how many times its come in handy.

In addition to some of the suggestions above, the other item I've started carrying is one or two of the throw-away back heating pads. Thermacare is one brand, there are generics as well. Amazing how warm you can get if you have one over your kidneys. They would go a long way to help make an unexpected night in the woods comfortable, and they are very light and easy to pack.
 
The TEN ESSENTIALS!

http://www.backpacking.net/ten-essl.html

A compass is worthless without knowing how to use it.
A map is worthless without knowing how to use it. (well, almost. Firestarter I guess)
A GPS is worthless without knowing how to use it.

That said, My daypack is packed year round. Ready for any hunting excursion. What's in it?

  • LED head lamp. + extra tripple A batteries. NOT the rechargable ones. They don't last in the cold.
  • Compass
  • Para cord
  • Emergency sleeping bag, or my Bivwack sack. Bag is much better than that emergency blanket.
  • Water
  • Purifying straw
  • Rain hat with full brim
  • Balaclava
  • Gortex/wool gloves. The leather gloves you wear riding would be left in the saddle bag if you leave the horse.
  • 2000 ft signal flare pen gun. Four flares.
  • Garmin GPS. And I know how to use it.
  • Food. Jerky, Granola/chocolate bars, trail mix. What you like to eat that has calories/protien.
  • Most of the time I carry a small butane camp stove, metal cup and a couple of Cup O' Noodles with 6 ounces of water reserved for the soup. I like a warm lunch.
  • Fork!
  • Extra ammo. Separated from the cartridges I'm using to hunt with.
  • Edit... Yeah, a lighter in my pocket, another in the day pack.

That's about an eight-ten pound day pack. Where I go, the cell phone is usually usefull if I climb a mountain. I like to check my work voicemail or call mamma to tell her I'm still alive and not to keep bugging agent that sold me the life insurance plan.

That said, I wear wool and a very light Gortex jacket/over pants. I carry a good ole Swiss Army pocket knife and a very lightened hunting wallet. Some cash, DL, Debit card, Medical insurance card, hunting tags/licenses. In the shoulder holster is one of my Ruger .44mags if I'm in Bear country. Holding up my wool pants is a quality LEATHER belt. None of that syntetic or nylon crap. On my hip is a PUMA White Hunter. http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/puma/images/116375b.jpg
It will chop wood, chop bone, gut and skin large game.

I don't carry first aid stuff. I've usually got a bandana in a pocket, and a couple bandaids in the wallet for those little nicks. There's enough 'in' what's around you to handle most first aid needs.

-Steve
 
Last edited:
What dagger dog said.

And I would recommend something that offers good ankle support. Not only do high tops support the ankles, they protect them from rocks and other hard, sharp ground hazards. It is worth spending as much as you can afford on good boots, and the less they weigh the better; a few extra ounces on each foot will tire you out far quicker than several extra pounds on your back.

Extra socks - at least one pair.

Silk underwear top and bottoms. Silk weighs next to nothing, packs extremely small, can be washed easily and dries quickly, and has an insulating value out of proportion to it's thickness.

A good compact binocular or monocular.

-------------------------------------------

http://searchronpaul.com
http://ussliberty.org/oldindex.html
http://www.gtr5.com
http://ssunitedstates.org
 
Silk underwear top and bottoms. Silk weighs next to nothing, packs extremely small, can be washed easily and dries quickly, and has an insulating value out of proportion to it's thickness.
Click to expand...

Thats true, but I would argue that some of the newer fabrics (like Under Armour) can beat it's performance at the cost of a very slight amount of additional weight. Still, silk bottoms are pretty comfy.

Bringing a small campstove along on the actual hunt isn't a bad idea, particularly if it's got a piezo ignition. There is something to be said for the value of being able to whip up a cup of hot coffee or hot chocolate or tea on your lunch break. I have an MSR stove that packs very small and light and it has served me well for a good 5 years now. The fuel bottles that it requires are a bit bulky, but for just boiling up cups of water, one should be sufficient to last for some time, although I forget off the top of my head how many minutes of burn time the smaller bottles have. If anyone happens to buy my particular stove, I will warn you that the Piezo ignition isn't foolproof, and it can be a bit tippy owing to the design. Matches solve one problem, and just being careful solves the other. Past that, this little stove is great.

Here is a link to my stove: http://www.rei.com/product/653565

and to the fuel: http://www.rei.com/product/695264?cm_sp=prod*desc_rel_item*element
 
few things I would add...

survial blanket
some thin rope/ cord
water proof matchs
"sruvial" or plumbers candle.
pancho
knife sharpener
super glue( can be used to close wounds as well)
small roll of duct tape( almost empty roll smashed flat in a vise works great)
hachet

If you can't tell I was a boy scout...
 
Winchester243, you forgot the two most important rules:

A person can often survive:
-3 weeks without food.
-3 days without water.
-3 hours without shelter.
-3 minutes without air.
-3 seconds without thinking.

For stoves, I favor the little Svea. I pulled one out of the river about thirty years ago and I still use it regularly.

Beyond that, the other folks cover most that's important. I'd add another space blanket and one odd thing: a short roll of stretch wrap. Super-handy stuff. Better than duct tape for most things. I keep a roll in the car, the boat (I've actually made a kayak out of the stuff), and I keep about thirty layers wrapped around my pack frame for emergencies.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
Bear defense in the Rockies
Replies
22
Views
935
danweasel
D
I
  • Locked
Survival/Medical/Fishing /BOB List
Replies
4
Views
671
CWL
C
J
  • Locked
Survival System
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL
G
MachIVshooter
  • Locked
Emergency kit (wilderness survival)
2 3
Replies
51
Views
3K
MCgunner
M
G
  • Locked
Survival Tin
Replies
13
Views
966
kahr404life
K
Back
Top