If you’re planning a long wilderness hike, you need to work on your endurance and strength. However, don’t neglect packing! Some survival gear always needs to be by your side to make your adventure safer and more comfortable. But since there are so many things available in camping and hunting stores, one can get confused about what they need to bring with them. Luckily, the internet is here to help you choose only the essentials you will certainly use.
Survival radio
If you’re venturing deep into the wilderness, you will need a way to communicate with the world and call help if need be. Being stranded somewhere dangerous in the dark without service is definitely not fun, so you’ll be glad you have a survival radio in your backpack. These things will never let you down when it comes to service and you can rest assured you’ll be able to contact authorities in case of an emergency.
A compass
This is a device that you must have even if you have GPS and survival radio with you. It will come in handy in many situations, no matter if you’re going hiking, camping or road tripping in the wilderness. Before you put this gadget in your backpack and call it a day, you need to learn how to use it since it’s not an easy process. However, once you learn how to read the needles and signs, your compass, GPS and radio will definitely get you back home no matter how lost you get.
Rope
When camping or hiking, especially far away from civilization, you will find out that rope or paracord is your best friend and your greatest survival ally. Even if you have all the assembly equipment for your shelter, cooking gadgets and sleeping gear, you will still find so many uses for rope. Here are just a few things this piece of equipment can assist you with: building a shelter, hoisting food and equipment from wildlife, tying things, making splints and bandages, climbing, setting traps, fishing, repairs and many more, so always have about 25 meters of rope with you (more if you expect to come across some proper climbs).
A knife
Every serious outdoorsy person knows how important it is to have a good knife with you while on your hike. No matter what you’re doing, a knife can make it safer, quicker and easier. When choosing your knife, you want something easy to carry, keep close and use in case of emergency. That’s why many people choose automatic knives since they are easy to keep in your pocket and you can activate it quickly with only one hand. If you need to cut a rope that’s stuck or defend yourself from predators, this piece of equipment might save your life.
Firestarter kit
No matter what kind of hiking style you prefer, you will most definitely need fire. It’s great for keeping warm, fending off predators and cooking food. However, getting your fire started outdoors isn’t always easy, so make sure to have a good firestarter kit with you. Your kit needs to have waterproof matches, flint (learn how to use it at home), a lighter and some tinder. When buying matches, get those that are rated for the outdoors, since the standard matches might be too flimsy. The best ones come with a thick and long handle that’s easy to hold until your tinder ignites.
First aid kit
A first aid kit is certainly one of the most important items you need in your bag during every wilderness hike. If you get an injury, this thing will be your first line of defense and it will provide you with quick medical attention before your injury gets worse. A first aid kit is created for immediate medical needs so you can treat your wound completely or provide it with some attention until you get to a hospital. It needs to contain bandages, ointments, painkillers, disinfectants, antidotes, rags, gauze, scissors and other necessary things.
It’s best to have a first aid kit with you on every outdoor hike, and there’s no reason not to since they are light, compact and easy to pack. Before you embark on your adventure, make sure to look at your kit and familiarize yourself with component placement so you don’t have to dig around in case of an emergency.
These survival items will not take too much room in your backpack, but they will certainly make a huge difference in comfort and safety on your hike. Pick only the best quality items and you can enjoy your wilderness adventure knowing you will reach your destination and come back home safe and sound.
