Survival Kit?

You all forgot duct tape !!!! I never go anywhere with out some in my pack or car. Has saved the day more that once. Hell I bet you could use it for a climbing rope. It can fix shoes, rods, waders. cars. I have used it for a bandage. As we all know too many uses to list.

I would also add a small flash light to the kit. I never leave without the flashlight as well.


I cell phone is a must as well. Most have GPS now. So if ya get lost they will be able to locate you. Leave it on.
 
Tim,
Alcohol? lol C'mon now as a PSU alum you should know that's a day-to-day survival item for me... not a specialty survival item!

Good point about telling friends.
But knowing my cohorts, if I didn't show up they'd probably figure I just stopped at a bar somewhere for a bender.

acristic,
I love the MTO sub idea. That's enough calories to power me full speed for about a week!!!

rising fish always
schrec
 
All you need to survive in the woods around this part of the country (provided you are not out in winter) are:

1: multi-tool
2: waterproof matches
3: small first aid kit (add snake antivenin if your concerned about it)
4: water purification tablets
5: lightweight fleece
6: cap
7: fleece gloves
8: rain jacket
9. Topographical map of the region
10: Compass

thats less than 10 lbs worth of equipment and it covers all your basic survival needs.

A shelter can be made with or without the use of the multi-tool, fires can be started with matches and a multi-tool, water can be made drinkable with the tablets, you are prepared for wet/cold weather with the fleece clothes, you are prepared for minor emergencies with the first aid kit. If you want food, look in some books on plants and berries that are edible in the region, or use the multi-tool to construct dead-falls to catch rabbits, squirrels, etc (don't forget that you have fishing equipment on you, and trout can be eaten raw!). You can use the map and compass to ensure that you don't get lost in the first place.

Also, if you're really concerned with survival when you fish, never wear cotton clothes. That goes for any outdoor activity.
 
The most important things to me when I bushwhack in the boonies are:

1) Writing down my fishing plans and leaving those with my wife. That way I have a better chance of being found should the need arise.

2) Water filter bottle. You can last a long time with just water.

3) Extra food.

4) Lighter

5) Clothes to handle most weather conditions and an overnight stay.
 
Bill, I think Larry should write a post on the skills that he used to survive a night on Abrams creek in the Smokies :lol:
 
I just fished the Smokies this year... Did Larry actually survive a night out there? Pray tell. :-o
 
He got lost at the horse shoe at abrams and ended up having to spend the night there on a big rock...... :lol:
 
i say just add Les Stroud to your packpack.
 
Fredrick,
Abrams is the only creek I didn't fish — I hit Little River, Pigeon and Porters — the park ranger told me you need a full day to fish the horseshoe... apparently Larry didn't heed the advice? I'd be nervous as hell out there. When I was there, they actually had a Black Bear attack a car. No injuries, but the thing tried to rip a car apart. It's teeth actually puntured the sheet metal on the front fender of the car! Apparently the drought this year has made the bears unpredictable.

rising fish always
schrec
 
i say just add Les Stroud to your packpack
Click to expand...


I rather take Bear Grylls :-D :pint: :pint: :hammer: :hammer:
 
i dont think you need a Survival kit with him,from what i read in the paper he was staying in fancy hotels while on the job..
 
No reason for me to be worried about bears on my overnight on Abrams, there wasn’t a garbage can for miles around, so I knew I was safe. You won’t find any waste receptacles on the horseshoe. And it was April, so the annual human food waste migration from the valleys up to the mountains had yet to begin. The bears so look forward to it each year. It’s only the bears that get exposed to our over abundance that get in trouble with the law.

Bill is very right about the water filter bottle. I wish I had one that night, as I got dehydrated.

The most important survival tool is your head. Have situational awareness and stay calm. I lost track of time, got seduced by a coffin spinner fall, looking for big browns slurping, was in unfamiliar territory, didn’t have a map, forgot how quickly darkness comes on in the mountains (which is really dumb since I had the great good fortune to have lived in Colorado for 13 years) and had the great misfortune to have run into a large, impenetrable rhododendron forest. So again, allow yourself extra time for the unexpected.

And, in case I ever return to Smokey Mtn Park and fish Abrams again, to be prepared I’ve been testing my bolo knife on cutting the rhododendrons in my backyard to make sure I can get through them. Ain’t, much left of those suckers!

Schrec, it’s really unfortunate you didn’t fish Abrams at all, as God couldn’t have built a finer trout stream. It’s a limestone with structure, gradient, pocket water, and deep pools. Just like the streams in the park and with limestone water. The insect life is abundant and all the trout are wild. They just need to get bigger. And it’s just beautiful. But all the rocks are slippery, so you definitely need a wading staff and studded soles. I had the Korker convertible wading shoes with new studded soles. Before I left home, made sure that all the studs were screwed down tight into the soles. Yet that day wading the Abrams, I pulled out 1 stud on each boot and loosen the rest. It’s tough wading but worth it

This little story should make Fredrick happy.

Tight lines,
Larry
 
Well said Larry. Funny, but I didn't think of your adventure when I made my post. You hit the nail on the head about using your head. The park ranger said that it's common for people to get disoriented on that stream. People have gotten lost and spent hours slipping upstream in the darkness, following the stream upstream to the parking area. You made the right move staying put.

Also, schrec, next time make sure you try Abrams, you won't regret it. It is a slippery pain in the tail, but the rewards outweigh the peril big time. Larry and I ventured back a few days later, and Larry got the biggest 'bow of the trip on lower Abrams.


Bill
 
Larry and beeber,
Cool story, Larry. I'll be sure to try Abrams next time, it was just a bit too far for me. My girls were dancing in Gatlinburg and I had to stay fairly close, I couldn't make a full day out of any of my fishing trips. I ended up at Greenbrier most of the time. Drop-dead beautiful water everywhere, but like LArry said size of the fish was lacking. Biggest I caught that week was maybe 13 inches. (The day back, I went to the Yough and got 3 fish around 20!)

rising fish always
schrec
 
You guys are forgetting something very important. Toilet paper. Freakin leaves can be abrasive. On the other hand, you are along a stream, and If you are lost, I guess we can assume nobody is around to see you wash your arse in the crick. Been there, done that. ;-)

I have to agree with Tim Murphy on this thread. My first thought is why would anyone need a "survival" kit while fishing anywhere in PA, unless they get washed out to sea. You are along a stream for Pete sake. Streams don't typically end abruptly or move to a new location on the map without an ice age. If you know where you are going to fish, you should also know where the stream ends up, and what is along the stream. There is no reason to get lost for more than a couple hours, even if you do go away from the stream. The most common survival advice isfind a stream and follow it downstream. You already found one. Start walking.

OK, all that said, I can think of one reason one might need to have a “survival kit”, and that is if there is a sudden downpour and you can’t get out because of high water. You aren’t lost, you just can’t get out right away, or can't get out the same way you got in. Still, you really don't need much IMO. I almost always carry a knife anyway, and usually have a rain poncho in my vest. If it gets cold at night, I would add a lighter, and the toilet paper also ends up being a good idea. It takes almost no space, and can be used for starting fires, too. That's it. Nothing else needed. anything more would be deminishing return. Total added weight is a couple ounces. I usually carry something to drink, or a snack anyway when I will be away from the car for more than a few hours, so that is already covered. One can get carried away with too many fishing gadgets let along the survival gadgets.
 
We didn't forget the paper we just assumed everyone carried two zip lock bags.
one for the wallet and
one for the toilet paper.
Fact is there are many reasons for not being able to make it out,most of us are lucky not to have found out what they are.
 
Pete, No doubt there are more than one reason, I just mentioned the first one I thought of that didn't involve medical treatment.
 
I never spent the night out but got turned around many times hiking-lol
Top of the mountains in Montana and get off on a side ridge can be a 20 miler.The snakes in Pa. mountains pretty much stop that kind of wandering.
 
I didn't hear that rumor about Bear Grylls. However, it did only took one show for me to realize Bear is a phony. But i guess city people eat up that stuff. :-D
 
FarmerDave,

I consider toilet paper a convenience, not a survival item. I do carry a few moist towelettes and tissues at all times. A convenience that's nice to have, for sure.


There once was a bear in the woods having a conversation with a rabbit. The bear asked the rabbit if poop stuck to his fur. The rabbit replied that it did not. So, the bear picked up the rabbit and wiped his rear with it!

Har har hardee har!

Bill
 
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