What's Holding You Back?

Is lack of knowing what to expect keeping you from exploring the great outdoors? Let's start with the basics. Make a mental plan of where you're going and what you might want to do when you get there. (You can write it down if you're like me. My mental notes tend to erase themselves when I'm not looking.)

Which brings me to the moral of todays ramblings.....Here's a few basic things you should know before you venture away from civilization.

No matter where you're traveling, you'll need some basics. Start with how you dress. Common sense is really useful when you're headed to the outdoors(you may want to leave your heals at home.....they tend to sink in soft dirt and mud). Also just as handy is all this new technology in outdoor clothing that has surfaced in the last few years. You can go basic, or extreme, but be careful....over packing for a situation is always a danger. Of course...if you aren't packing it on your back for 5 miles....then no harm done...pack away!!

Basically, check the weather, dress for it, and then be prepared for it to change. If you're going on a day trip, it doesn't take much to throw a hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants in your back pack...just in case it gets too cold for the shorts and tank top that you left the house in. An important note here is, be prepared to pack what you've packed....simply put...those sweats aren't going to do you much good if you left them in the car, and the temperature drops and you are 3 miles away.

Water is probably the next on your list of things to pack. On average, a person can go up to 3 weeks without food....although....I wouldn't recommend it, but you'll only last about 3 DAYS without water....and not even that long if you're already dehydrated. (Like when you're hiking through the mountains looking for water....you're using the water storage that your body has saved up....you're probably not going to last 3 days...)However, hopefully, you threw in a few extra bottles to get you by.

Fire is not always the difference between life or death, but it serves several purposes besides the obvious heat factor. Have you have noticed that WHENEVER there is a fire near by....we tend to turn around and back right up to it...IT CAN BE WARM OUTSIDE, and we still back up to a campfire. It's heat when you're cold, comfort when you're lonely, and can double as an oven if you have some tin foil stowed away in you're pack.

Next on MY list of needs is First Aid. Something simple is good to include. I doesn't have to be a big fancy first aid kit, but some bandages and anticeptic are a good start, and you can  taylor it to your needs. (If you'll be in rattle snake country, throw in a snake bite kit, if the weather is unpredictable throw in a light rain poncho...things like that) The most important thing in this department is that you have some first aid knowledge. You don't have to run out and take a crash course on becoming an EMT, but everyone should know how to treat shock, tie a splint for a broken bone, apply pressure to a bleeding wound, even a basic idea of how to do CPR. One of the biggest causes of death in the outdoors is hypothermia, so you should know the signs and how to prevent it.
 You may never have to do any of these things, but if you ever need them, you probably won't be sorry that you knew how to help someone.

In todays' world, electronics are a standard. Seriously....how many people do you see without a cell phone in hand. This is probably one of those common sense items, but being able to contact someone for help if you need it can mean the difference between life or death. One very important thing I want to mention here is DO NOT TOTALLY RELY ON YOUR CELL PHONE TO SAVE YOU. Though technology has evolved tremmendously over the years, it does have a few bugs. For one thing, there is almost always no cell service when you're surrounded by cliffs and ledges, and...the batteries tend to die quickly after spending a night camping in cooler temperatures.

So, along with your trusty cell phone, you should pack a 'back up' plan, which brings me to the last item on my list of must haves EVERY time I leave the house. Tell someone where you're going...and if you don't have someone to tell, leave a note on your counter. Basic info of where you went, why you went there, who you're with, and when you plan on returning could be the difference between spending a few hours, or a few days in a situation where you need help.

Hopefully, you'll never be in a situation that warrants needing any of the things I've metioned in order for you to stay alive, but sometimes, knowing that you're prepared for anything, is enough to make you conscious of all the possibilities, which in turn makes you a little more cautious, which in turn again, will keep you from putting yourself in a bad situation. For example, 'maybe I shouldn't go for that hike, it looks like rain and I left my rain coat home'. Many bad situations can be prevented with common sense. Stop and think about where you're going, what you need, and what could happen while your there....and then prepare for it. I don't really think there's such a thing as being 'too prepared'.

If you insist on packing too much into the backwoods....'just in case'....let me just give you some advice....get a mule. They work Great! Kind of like a big walking suitcase. Mine's name is Johnny! If I plan on packing in for more than 2 days....Johnny will likely be loaded with everything but the kitchen sink, because no one ever said that being in the outdoors had to be time spent being miserable because I didn't have room for my air mattress....