Emergency Kit

Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
26
Seeing as I am new here and this is my first post I guess I should introduce myself. I am 27 from Utah and mostly hunt elk and mule deer. I mostly hunt archery with the occasional rifle hunt and am a self proclaimed gear nut that has been lurking on this page for a while. Anyways to my question.

What is everyone running as far as emergency equipment goes? I want to put together a little kit that will keep me alive if I ever get in a pinch and stick it in a Marsupial pouch on my bino harness since I never take it off, even on a stalk.

So far I am thinking of:
Emergency Blanket
Some TP/Wipes
Small light
Lighter/Matches
Wet fire fire starter
Lucotape
Ibuprofen
Benadryl
AA batteries
Water purification tablets
Compass
Tweezers
Misc bandaids and some gauze
Quick clot gauze

Anything you think I'm missing?
 
Joined
Jan 15, 2016
Messages
403
I also carry a mini road flare for fire starting, a large garbage bag, some duct tape wrapped around my match case, and a Whistle for signaling.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

fishdart

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
202
A blade of some sort. Small SAK models will have a blade and tweezers.

I like to carry a single-dose size of crazy glue. Works for slice-type wounds and some gear repair too.
 

Laramie

WKR
Joined
Apr 17, 2020
Messages
2,649
Additions - I carry a few feet of strong, lightweight twine- 30lb+ braided fishing line works great. You can make a pretty decent shelter with sticks, twine, and an emergency blanket. I would skip the light and batteries and go with an LED headlamp as mentioned above. Mine is rechargeable and lasts a very long time on one charge.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
1,810
Location
Colorado
A bit of cordage and or zip ties help with attaching tags to your animal.
A small sharpie for signing your tag or leaving notes.
Biodegradable flagging tape for marking a blood trail.
Havalon or similar scalpel knife with a couple of blades, and ditch the tweezers.
A section of a bic pen with a couple of needles inside and some spiderwire fishing line wrapped around the outside for a quick sewing kit.
InReach Mini.
 
OP
E
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
26
A blade of some sort. Small SAK models will have a blade and tweezers.

I like to carry a single-dose size of crazy glue. Works for slice-type wounds and some gear repair too.
I forgot about the crazy glue. Thats good stuff. Meant to have a blade in there just forgot to list it. Thanks!
 
OP
E
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
26
Seems like a tight fit kit list to get it into your Bino harness/pouch
Yeah. The more I think about it, it might not work. I'm gonna give it a go though and see what I can do. The pouch will sit next to the actual bino harness. Im going to compile a list and then wittle it down to bare essentials.
 
OP
E
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
26
A bit of cordage and or zip ties help with attaching tags to your animal.
A small sharpie for signing your tag or leaving notes.
Biodegradable flagging tape for marking a blood trail.
Havalon or similar scalpel knife with a couple of blades, and ditch the tweezers.
A section of a bic pen with a couple of needles inside and some spiderwire fishing line wrapped around the outside for a quick sewing kit.
InReach Mini.
Great ideas thanks!
 

Pootros

FNG
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
75
A tourniquet is a solid idea and a literal life saver. The Combat Application Tourniquet is the cat’s pajamas. Mine fits in the misc pouch below my AGC bino harness.
 

mtwarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
10,585
Location
Montana
for a small pouch to hold emergency gear I'd whittle that list way down and concentrate on things that would keep you alive if somehow separated from your pack

here's what I keep on my person adventure racing (lots of dicey fords, lots of dicey off trail stuff, etc) just in case a separation from myself and my pack

1 person heatsheet poncho or blanket
small fire kit
cordage

I have Swiss Army knife on a lanyard in one pocket, small compass on a lanyard in another, small lanyard around my neck with a whistle & microlight

P5MkeAX.jpg
 

fwafwow

WKR
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
5,648
Your list and the suggestions are all good. I agree with @TBHasler on space considerations. FWIW, I try to think of the risks of concern, then group the corresponding gear into buckets - both for importance and location:
  1. What do I want on me that I might need immediately?
  2. What do I really need to save my life but wouldn't be as urgent as #2?
  3. What would I like to have that would make life much better, but I wouldn't die without?
For me #1 is my trauma kit - CAT tourniquet (agree with @Pootros) and Zfold Celox - and a knife (both kept in pockets).

#2 would be a good bit of what is on your list (including some redundancies for #1), but #3 would probably be my "boo boo kit" with some meds, bandaids, etc. The lines may blur, or I may choose to leave out an entire category, depending on my circumstance. If I'm in the backcountry, I've got all of those, #1 on my person, some of #2 perhaps on my body (Inreach), and #3 all in my pack. Deer hunting tomorrow at a buddy's farm? Just #1 (plus 2 flashlights in my bino pack).

Welcome to RS!
 
OP
E
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
26
for a small pouch to hold emergency gear I'd whittle that list way down and concentrate on things that would keep you alive if somehow separated from your pack

here's what I keep on my person adventure racing (lots of dicey fords, lots of dicey off trail stuff, etc) just in case a separation from myself and my pack

1 person heatsheet poncho or blanket
small fire kit
cordage

I have Swiss Army knife on a lanyard in one pocket, small compass on a lanyard in another, small lanyard around my neck with a whistle & microlight

P5MkeAX.jpg
This is an awesome suggestion. I’ll have a better kit in my pack but really only want what will keep me alive on my person.
 

Chirogrow

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
271
I keep some trioxane and a lighter in my pouch. The tablets are really slim and you only need a spark to light it
 

Mosby

WKR
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
1,939
I always have a hank of cordage, fire starter, trail tape, compass, small first aid etc., in my pack.I take less on day trips and a bigger kit for overnights. If I am hunting by myself or overnight trips, I carry a Kifaru sheep tarp and a emergency blanket I can crawl into. I have my plb and my gps attached to my bino harness. I always have a couple of lighters on me.

One of the big things I did this year is I added Life flight insurance for emergencies. It covers multiple states that I hunt in or frequently travel to. Also covers my wife, which makes it a much better deal.

I know a kid that had to be life flighted to a burn unit and they sent his dad a $75,000 bill. I don't want to deal with that type of cost if I get injured. Mine is through AirMedCare network fwiw.

I am 61 and by myself a lot. A small kit to get through the night, a PLB to get help ASAP and life flight insurance to cover the cost to get me out. Less for me to worry about if it ever hits the fan.
 
OP
E
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
26
Your list and the suggestions are all good. I agree with @TBHasler on space considerations. FWIW, I try to think of the risks of concern, then group the corresponding gear into buckets - both for importance and location:
  1. What do I want on me that I might need immediately?
  2. What do I really need to save my life but wouldn't be as urgent as #2?
  3. What would I like to have that would make life much better, but I wouldn't die without?
For me #1 is my trauma kit - CAT tourniquet (agree with @Pootros) and Zfold Celox - and a knife (both kept in pockets).

#2 would be a good bit of what is on your list (including some redundancies for #1), but #3 would probably be my "boo boo kit" with some meds, bandaids, etc. The lines may blur, or I may choose to leave out an entire category, depending on my circumstance. If I'm in the backcountry, I've got all of those, #1 on my person, some of #2 perhaps on my body (Inreach), and #3 all in my pack. Deer hunting tomorrow at a buddy's farm? Just #1 (plus 2 flashlights in my bino pack).

Welcome to RS!
Great advice! Thanks! I’ve always had a small first aid kit with me and a good one at the truck but the Boy Scout in me says I need to be more prepared for the catastrophe that might happen.
 
Joined
Feb 21, 2017
Messages
1,810
Location
Colorado
Great ideas thanks!
I’ll add that I have 3 levels as mentioned above. My pockets, my bino harness, and my pack.
I made a small pouch similar to the smallest Kifaru ultralight pullout for my pocket gear. I’ve always got my wallet, chapstick, and a pocket knife. Then I add this little pouch to a cargo pocket to carry a days worth of TP, a mini petzl headlamp, lighter, fire starter (a few Vaseline soaked cotton balls in a zip lock), and a folding havalon with a couple of blades. I’m never without these things.
The bino harness carries most everything else.
 
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