Checkout my new eBook Surviving A Day Hike All Night

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“Nothing bad ever happens to me…” Have the ability to spend an unexpected night or two in the wild if something goes wrong on your day hike or other outdoor adventure. Do this by establishing your Systems of Survival. Use this book as a guide to help you get prepared.

Let someone know before you go! After 25 years of Search and Rescue volunteer service in Pierce County, Washington. I know how important having good information on a Search and Rescue mission can be. Reflecting back on the hundreds of missions, many of which I was the Operations Leader (OL) for my Group, I know how having accurate information plays an important roll in a successful Search and Rescue operation.

I’m on a mission to bring awareness to wilderness and backcountry travelers that being “alone” may cost you your life. I’m not talking about being a solo adventurer here. I’m talking about letting a responsible, trusted person know when and where you’re going and when you will return. So, if you don’t return, they can call the authorities and report you overdue. In addition, taking items with you that can help save your life. At least then you’ll have a chance at survival and rescue.

Realize that a Search and Rescue mission is an emergency and time is of the essence. I know from experience that driving for hours and hours just trying to locate a vehicle of a overdue hiker so Search and Rescue has a Point-Last-Seen (PLS) is an incredible tragedy when you could have conveyed in writing to that “responsible person” which trailhead you parked your vehicle at. Search and Rescue could have spent those hours searching for you, not your vehicle. That sucks if you or a loved-one is injured and needs medical aid. As a former Search and Rescue volunteer I have participated in this exercise of insanity many times. These stories of Search and Rescue are either going to have happy endings or sad endings. How do you want your adventure story to end?

Do yourself and Search and Rescue responders this service; take a few minutes to fill out a Wilderness Trip Plan Form. If not my form, then someone’s form and leave it with someone you trust. Your life may depend on it. Attach a copy of the map you’re going to use with your route highlighted. These simple steps can shave hours, even days off your potential rescue. Have the “Advantage” of “Survival” be safe and be prepared. Know that you can survive a day hike all night.

Out for at day trip to test the new harness for pulling the pulk sled. I'm also cooking lunch using my Solo Survival Stove. The trip starts out with a oversight on my part. This small malfunction turned my leisurely snowshoe trip into a hill climb that I did not plan on.

Out on a day-trip snowshoe adventure with Marc and some Moose Drool. Sometimes you got to go out and have some fun. I carried a pretty heavy load on the pulk and I did that on purpose. I would never carry firewood in most cases but this time I wanted to loaded up and have some dry wood for a nice fire. Moose Drool taste best next to a fire. And I would like to think Big Sky Brewing for the delicious beer. I would also like to note that they did not pay me to say that.

Today I'm sharing with you some of my Systems of Survival, Part 1 Shelter Systems. I consider this my number one priority when I prepare for a backcountry trip. I always review my shelter systems from what I'm wearing, to what I can hunker down in, if I have to spend an unexpected night in the wilderness.

MTTA's FB Group Page

MTTA"s Site

NWS Seattle

NWAC

Advantage Survival

KÖPPEN Men’s Frostig Grid Fleece

SmartWool Socks

OR

Let someone know before you go! After 25 years of Search and Rescue volunteer service here in Pierce County Washington. I know how important having good information on a search and rescue mission can be. Reflecting back on the hundreds of missions, many of which I was the Operations Leader (OL) for my Group, I know how having accurate information plays a roll in a successful search and rescue operation.

I’m on a mission to bring awareness to wilderness and backcountry travelers that being “alone” may cost you your life. I’m not talking about being a solo adventurer here. I’m talking about letting a responsible trusted person know when and where you’re going and when you will return. So, if you don’t return, they can call the authorities and report you overdue. At least then you’ll have a chance at rescue.

Realize, that a search and rescue mission is an emergency and time is of the essence. I know from experience that driving for hours and hours just trying to locate a vehicle of a overdue hiker so search and rescue has a Point-Last-Seen (PLS) is an incredible tragedy when you could have conveyed in writing  to that “responsible person” which trailhead you parked your vehicle at. Search and Rescue could have spent those hours searching for you, not your vehicle. That sucks if you or a loved-one is injured and needs medical aid. As a former search and rescue volunteer I have participated in this exercise of insanity many times. These stories of search and rescue are either going to have happy endings or sad endings. How do you want your adventure story to end?

Do yourself and Search and Rescue responders this service; take a few minutes to fill out a Wilderness Trip Plan Form. If not my form, then someones form and leave it with someone you trust. Your life may depend on it. Attach a copy of the map you’re going to use with your route highlighted. These simple steps can shave hours, even days off your potential rescue. Have the “Advantage” of “Survival”, be safe and be prepared.

This is a look at my EDC and my Sustainable Survival Kit. The items in the EDC are items that I will have with me when I leave my house everyday. The items in my Sustainable Survival Kit are the items that will be on my body when I head out into the backcountry.

Today we take a look at the cooking systems I'll be using on a backcountry snow camping trip. I will be pulling a ski pulk so weight isn't a huge issue. So join me for the decision-making process on my backcountry cooking system.

My Backcountry Cooking Systems

Here is my first attempt at a do-it-yourself ski pulk. It took me about three hours to build and the cost was under $60. Check out my YouTube video on my DIY Pulk for Snowshoeing.