I do go out alone quite often. I have stuff, First Aid, Tourniquet, radio, cell phone etc.. But have we really thought about what we would do. Certainly some “accidents” are not going to be survivable, so what Do We Do when it’s serious, for real and we’re way out in the middle of nowhere.
Reminds me of my bicycle racing days. I’ve swallowed a lot of bugs out on the road, what would I do if it was a bee and my throat sealed up from a sting.
Really though, it’s something that has attracted my attention.
I am 100% a buddy system type of person, if I am going to shoot by myself I go to the local range and drop the cash, but if I have a buddy I will go out to BLM land and shoot. Same with hunting, I don’t hunt by myself, I either go with friends, family or not at all. I may not always stay with the other person the entire time but we always use radios and maps and stay within a certain area so if something happens we can quickly be located. And if we are moving outside an area we were originally designated to be in, we let others in the group know. But a first aid kit, tourniquet, radio, compass and map are absolutely required.
Now fishing, that is different I will do that by myself all day everyday in any body of water. Even if the farmer tells me there are no fish in his cattle pond, I will still fish it and not care if he let’s me. And if I died fishing, well I died happy.
Accidental discharge occurs when a firearm unintentionally fires due to mechanical failure or unexpected events, while negligent discharge happens when a gun is fired due to carelessness or failure to follow safety rules. Understanding the difference is important for responsible firearm handling and safety.
I LOVE sailing solo!!! When I saw the movie Castaway, my first thought was “Why is this idiot working so hard to leave this place?!?!?!?!?”.
In any case I’m not one to worry much, because as my father always told me worrying is a useless waste of mental energy. Fix the problem to your satisfaction and then leave it behind.
I plan and prepare for the most likely bad things that could happen, BUT in the end, as my good buddy used to say, “If God wants you NOW, there is no power on Earth that can keep you here.”.
So I carry a two IFAKs in the Jeep and a full medical kit if I’m going out for a few days. I also carry emergency supplies in case I need to spend the night in a place I was not planning to. I have tools to procure wood, light a fire, more than enough water and simple packaged food for a few days and basic makings for a shelter. If it’s cold outside I’ll throw a sleeping bag in the back seat. Most of these things live in my Jeep so if I get the itch to leave the world behind all I have t grab is my keys and whatever guns and ammo I want to bring along. Dog and wife optional… and in that order.
I am severely allergic to bee stings, so much in fact, that my very girly girl hippie wife who cries when I kill a spider at the house will go Ninja Spider Monkey on a bee or wasp in the house or truck. If were in the truck, she will tell me to pull over somewhere and get out. She tries to be calm about it. When I am out, it’s on like Donkey Kong.
Anaphylactic shock strikes everyone differently. The bee sting Mike used as an example is probably the most common cause. Most folks will only get a painful bump on their skin where the sting occurs. Others feel the constricting of the airways. Still others, like me, feel our sinuses closing off also, so nose breathing doesn’t work.
Most folks who suffer the more severe levels of Anaphylactic shock can use an EpiPen to help fight off the reaction. EpiPens are expensive and they don’t work for everyone. Like me. If I get stung by a bee, wasp or other flying death type insect, I’m pretty much screwed if I can’t get to a hospital. I keep several bottles of children’s liquid Benadryl around for just such an occasion. I have two at my workstation, two in the glove box in the truck, two in my Bug Out Bag, two in the “Texas Weather” duffel bag in the truck, two in my laptop bag I carry back and forth, two in the IFAK sling bag I carry on the weekends…You see a pattern developing. Liquid Benadryl is needed because once the throat starts closing, there ain’t no way a pill is going down and the liquid is faster acting. It is lower in strength than the pills are, so pop the top and chug it.
I have mounts for both the Yeti 48 oz bottle and the 1 Gallon jug in my Jeep. Their stuff rocks in the desert. A bit expensive but as my dad always told me “Buy right, cry once.”
Good tasting Protein bars last forever and you can store a 3-4 day supply in a gallon ziplock in the Jeep. I just rotate them out so I keep them fresh. But even a bag of chips will keep you alive and the salt will help keeping you hydrated and with the right level of electrolytes. Small packets of Gatorade powder are always in the same ziplock bag as the protein bars.
The funny thing to me is, it’s so simple to do. Around here where driving in winter conditions can get in some dicey situation quite often, we have this stuff plus blankets and a heat source. But still, people still slide of the road, get stuck, car won’t start and they have nothing. I guess it’s the “It won’t happen to me” or “The cops will come save me” attitude.
Where I live a guy died within 1/4 mile away from his stuck car in an area where I was off road the day before. This is a no joke thing. Mother Nature is a real unforgiving bitch in the desert!!!
Food and water has been a winter thing for me up to now, but you got me thinking! I’m ready to bug out to the north wood at any moment except for food and water. I went up a little early a few years ago and found that the bow saw was too much like work to cut my way in. 20V Chain saw took up residence in the go box! Property is a mile and a half off the paved road.
jk
