Are you someone with a sense of adventure? Do you plan trips that are a far cry from a day at the beach? If you are an adventurer who likes to get lost in the wild, then it’s extremely important to pack the right gear so that you are protected and safe throughout your journey.
Preparing to survive in remote locales can be an expensive undertaking, but there are a few simple tweaks you can make to your current supply of survival gear that will improve the efficiency of your gear and that will help you out in times of distress.
No hiker or adventurer wants to get to the end of an arduous day only to find that her firewood is too damp to light or that his water is undrinkable. Those are just a few of the common mishaps that occur for many adventurers.
Follow our guide of the top 10 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Survival Gear, and you’ll be on your way to staying safe, happy and warm on your next trip. Here’s what to do:
1. Keep Tabs on Your Steps
It’s easy to get lost when you are navigating unfamiliar territory, and that’s why it’s important to keep tabs on your steps. With each step you take, you should be noting your surroundings.
Mark landmarks in your mind and via your watch so that you have an idea of how long you have been trekking. If you don’t have a compass, buy one. Carry maps with you and place them in resealable plastic bags to help keep them readable even if they get wet.
2. Know the Forest
Every adventurer has turned into a scavenger at some point in his or her journey. It’s inevitable if you are a thrill-seeking adventurer because you will end up off the beaten path somewhere far from a river where you can fish or in a rain-soaked countryside where there is no chance of starting a fire to cook a hot meal from your provisions pack.
That’s where it can really help to know the kinds of plants you can find and eat in the forest. Of course, not all forest plants and fungi are edible. Some, in fact, can be the end of you, and that’s why you should educate yourself now. So make sure you pack a lightweight booklet that identifies forest plants and fungi that are safe to eat.
You can use these plants and fungi as a backup when you aren’t able to cook on an open fire or when you run out of your emergency supply of energy bars.
Recommended Read: 20 Websites To Visit If You Want The Best Survival Gear
3. Protect Your Water Supply
Water is the most important item you can have on an adventure. You need to be drinking at least eight glasses a day — and even more when you are venturing into the wilds of the world. Without proper hydration, you are likely to get sick and dehydrated — and who knows if someone will find you on your trail.
Protect your water supply by investing in packs of water purification tablets or a purification wand. You want to be able to take any freshwater water source and make it safe to drink. It’s that important, so grab a packet of those tabs and slip them into your pack.
4. Pack Strike-Anywhere Matches
It’s likely that you will encounter a campsite that recently has been doused with a good amount of rain. At that point, you aren’t going to get wood to burn at all. So make sure you’ve packed some strike-anywhere matches and a small batch of dry kindling. It may not produce a huge fire, but it will produce enough warmth to help you dry off a little.
5. Waterproof Your Shoes
If you don’t have waterproof shoes and you don’t want to invest in them at this time, then at least purchase a waterproofing spray. This will give your boots a weather-resistant coating. Your feet are going to be happy at the end of the day if you are traveling through rain-soaked countryside.
6. Pack Hand and Toe Warmers
Adventurers who are trying to survive in extreme temperatures really do need to invest in the proper sub-zero clothing, tents and sleeping bags. But if you are traveling in cold temperatures that are above zero, make sure you’ve got several packets of hand and toe warmers in your pack. These packs are very convenient.
Usually, you just shake them and them insert them into your shoes and gloves. Many packs provide a good amount of heat for at least four or more hours. That’s enough to get you through at least half a night of sleep, and it will make a daytime trek all the more comfortable and enjoyable.
7. Refill Your First Aid Kit
After every trip, make sure to pull out your first aid kit and refill the items you used. A good rule of thumb for a first aid kit is that it have basic items for sanitizing and bandaging small scrapes and wounds and it also have some supplies for triaging a freak accident.
Brush up on your emergency triage skills and carry a small booklet of emergency medicine instructions with you. It’s always better to be prepared with the right items in case something goes terribly wrong while you are on your trip.
8. Put New Batteries in Your Gear
Before heading back on the trail, make sure you have replaced all of the batteries in your battery-operated gear. Some of those gadgets might include a headlamp, a flashlight, your Personal Beacon Locator (PBL), a handheld radio, your electric toothbrush and so on.
Carry extra batteries with you, as some of these gadgets you will be using for many hours a night. In addition, consider upgrading some of your gadgets to solar-powered ones. A headlamp, for example, can get powered up for the night if you are walking around with it on your head during the day. You’ll be green and efficient at the same time.
9. Remember a Memento
If you travel alone, you know how lonely it can get out there. That’s why it’s always a good idea to make sure you have a memento or personal item that reminds you of the people you care about and love.
If, for any reason, you find yourself fighting to survive out in the wild, a memento has the powerful psychological effect of motivating you to keep fighting and to try to continue to live. This may sound morbid, but psychiatrists have proven that a personal connection to the world is perhaps the most motivating factor in willing someone not to give up in the midst of excruciatingly painful circumstances.
10. Prepare an Odds-and-Ends Kit
Finally, make sure you are prepared for the unexpected. Put together an odds-and-ends kit that is complete with things like a hunting knife, rope duct tape, safety pins, carabiners, and other small tools and supplies that might make the difference in a situation in which your gear malfunctions.
For example, if there is a sudden rip in your tent, then duct tape could be a temporary fix to at least keep the inside of your tent dry. There are many different uses for odd-and-ends supplies, and your job simply is to have them available when the occasion rises for them.
