[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

I’ll begin with one step that is common to most fires started: gathering the fuel. Before I pull out my ferro rod and dryer lint, I gather my fuel, and prepare my fire site. I like to have a double handful of twigs about the thickness of pencil lead, as well and a double handful of kindling about the thickness of pencils. Next I want an armload of dry branches about the thickness of my thumb, and a pile of of branches about the thickness of my wrist that I can barely hug my arms around. I don’t generally burn anything much thicker than my wrist, but you certainly could.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by  Barred-Rock-or-Brahma. Reason: Reworded

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

So which is it?

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

For many lays, I’d recommend setting up some sort of windbreak. Downed trees, logs, rocks, or even a dirt berm will work. This is helpful not only for lighting your fire, but also for limiting dangerous sparks and for directing heat.

If lint isn’t cutting it for you, roll a few cotton balls in vasoline and stick them in a plastic bag.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

I don’t do anything with my lint except store it in two ziplok bags. I can’t think of a good reason to cover it in wax as that would make lighting it with a spark much more difficult, and a couple plastic bags give better water protection, are more easily removable, and reusable. With a propper lay, a golf ball sized lint nest feels like cheating. My tinder weighs almost nothing, and takes up very little space.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

The Mormons aren’t going to run out of food any time soon, but if things get real they might stop selling to the public. Their online store webpage seems to be down, but maybe check and see if they have a public store in your area.

https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations-map?lang=eng

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

I’d argue that many of us are charitable to a fault. So focused on giving, and so hesitant to take, that we overlook how much it might mean to someone to allow them the dignity of paying in their own way.

I tend to refuse anything that I can’t pay for, but at the same time I generally refuse payment for anything that I give. You’re certainly right about how we can easily fail to think about the perspective of others if we’re not careful, and I guess this can be especially true when we’re sure that we’re doing a good thing.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

That last part…wow. I never thought of bartering as a way to allow someone to ask for help without making them humiliate themselves.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

Those file types contain no imagery themselves, they are just overlays built on Google Earth, Garmin’s website, or mapmyfitness.com applied to online or downloaded imagery. The AllTrails app, Avenza, and I’m sure onX can do the same thing. Use whatever you like best, so long as you share it with an emergency contact that isn’t going with you.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

Oh it exists, and you had better have a tax stamp for that can, sir.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

Yes!

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

Happy to help, and thanks SelfReliancePepe for the tip (if you ever find your way here).

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

I forgot to mention how to use marking tape. Always write your name or initials, the time and date, and your direction of travel.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

This is the way.

[Barred-Rock-or-Brahma]

That is some beautiful country up there!

Ok, beacons. I have a couple at work, but I don’t own one personally for the same reason as you, the subscription cost would make my hobby much more expensive. Rather than pay for a fancy tech doodad, I plan around it. I’m happy to share a few tricks that I use to assist a SAR Team if I ever need one.

1. Route. Plan a route. If Special Operations Forces don’t leave the wire without planning, building, briefing, and sharing their route, you shouldn’t either. Create a .kmz or .gpx or similar folder for each trip, with checkpoints, and share it with a friend or family member. Also load it into a GPS device to take with you for emergencies. When before I step off, my wife gets a digital copy of my route, and knows my expected mileage per day, where I expect to camp every night, and how long to wait between texts before contacting EMS. Basically, I give her a GOTWA.

2. Comms. A lack of cell towers won’t stop a Ham radio. I’d recommend getting a Technician Licence, but no one is going to come after you for making an “illegal” emergency call. That said, if you don’t know enough to get the licence, chances are that you don’t know enough to use the transceiver anyway. A much easier option for herding cats is a GMRS tranceiver. The license used to be $70 for 10 years for the whole family, but the price was supposed to have dropped to $35 a while ago. GMRS tranceivers are significantly more powerful that a Wal Mart walkie (FRS), and are compatible with a variety of manufactured and fieldcraft antennas. Everyone in your party should have one with spare batteries. Also, those ridiculously loud survival whistles won’t run out of batteries until you do. PACE plans are your friend.

Signal: Think of this is visual comms. Carry some things with you to make the SAR team’s job as easy as possible. I carry a small roll of bright orange marking tape to mark my trail if I go off trail. I also pack a signal mirror and a IR/Visible strobe. My wife knows to inform EMS of the GMRS channel that I will monitor in case of emergency, when I’ll be monitoring it (to conserve battery), and that I have an IR strobe.

This might seem like overkill, but backpacking with a survival mindset provides a unique opportunity to practice and refine skills and techniques that can save your life.

Remember, Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance.