Wilderness Survival

You might confuse Wilderness Survival with normal Emergency Equipment and First Aid. There are cross over points but there are also stand alone points in each category. Emergency Equipment and First Aid includes items you should care every day. Some items should be in your car even when just grocery shopping.

Wilderness Survival comes into play when you start exploring off the main highways, be it back woods trails or hiking paths on foot. First and foremost, wear the proper shoes, with thick soles and over the ankle sides to help support your ankles on uneven ground. And major foot care tip, carry at least three (3) pair of socks. Every couple of hours change socks so you are always wearing dry socks. Loop the pair you removed over your belt so they will dry out as you walk. If you must get your feet wet in water of snow, change socks immediately once on dry ground. If you had to cross a stream wading, change your socks the minutes you are across to dry land. This may seem minor, but professional hikers – and the military – will tell you this will prevent blisters and sores better then anything else you might think to do.

When hiking on trails and in remote areas, there pitfalls and dangers with every step. Uneven surfaces; wet or moss covered rocks and ledges; bug bites; low hanging tree limbs; lions, tigers and bears – oh my. Okay maybe not – but you are in their domain. Slips, falls, twisted ankles, even broken legs are more common then most amateur hikers realize. This is when your personal wilderness survival kit may be what keeps you alive. See below how you might use items to save your or someone else’s life.

The first subject that must be discussed is being prepared for the remote places not only in Nevada but also many National Parks and Recreation areas around the country and also many state parks. This can especially true in the West and the North Central, very sparsely populated places. Nevada has several parks and recreational areas that are only a couple hours from towns, but they might as well be on the moon. If you run out of gas, get a plat tire without a spare or get stuck in mud, you will be walking a long way. Large portions of Nevada are not covered by cellphone reception.