Great idea for a thread!

I pretty much carry all the things you've listed above, with the addition of 100' of paracord and a lightweight tarp.

 

GPS
Small bone saw
Dont forget the tag and how to secure it to the animal. I use a small piece of wire to secure the tag to horns.

 

Thanks for bringing up the question Vanilla.

I don't get that far from the vehicle anymore these days, so I'm not going to go over my "survival kit" in a pack.

What I do have in ALL the vehicles that hasn't been mentioned, is a water filtration system. If anyone has gotten sick from bad water, it can feel like your dying. I have a small dry pack that has the basics of simple survival items. Those packs are what's in the vehicles. That reminds me, I need to check all the packs and replenish expired items, and change out batteries.

I'm happy that I have never had to use a pack in the last 20 years. I did use a few items in the 80's when we spent a night on the mountain in whiteout snowstorm. That is a story in itself for another time.

 

Good topic! I have a nearly identical list. My additions:

First aid: Bleed Stop powder

Game processing: Cut resistant gloves. It's saved me from myself more than once. I wear one on my non-dominant hand while I'm butchering.

Emergency: I always keep enough in the pack that I could survive a night or two away from camp in just about any weather.

• Poncho that can be used as a temp shelter
• Emergency blanket
• Backpacking stove + fuel + Mt House or other freeze dried meal
• Compass/whistle
• Steripen and LifeStraw for water purification. 2 is 1 and 1 is none mentality.
• Emergency beacon

My daypack always ends up a little heavier than I'd like, but I'm good to go in just about any emergency scenario.

The emergency beacon is a must, IMO. Having used both the Garmin InReach and iPhone for sat communications, I would not want to rely on them for SOS if I got in a bad situation. PLBs are supposed to be better at communicating through tree cover or out of valleys, though I hope to never have to find out.

 

You guys are putting me to shame and making me realize I need to up my game. Although I have stepped my game up since the days I was a teenage punk who would often head out with nothing but the shirt on my back which would often come back without sleeves and sometimes even down a sock or two.

About 14 years ago my brother and I killed a bull in the deep creek north wilderness area and severely underestimated the amount of time it might take us to get in and out of there if we were successful and we ended up having an unexpected overnighter. Some water purification methods in the pack would have been a great addition, but since we didn't have any we just drank straight from Crystal Creek and by the grace of God didn't come down with a severe case of the squidgits. This is a good topic that is giving me some food for thought. I have started carrying a tow strap and a jump pack that can jump a dead battery or inflate a tire. I bring a shovel as well when I know the roads might be sketchy.

 

My sense of mortality has greatly increased since having kids lol. The things I did in my 20s I wouldn't do now...

Stories like the hunters in CO from last week make you think. Packs in the truck and bad weather. Sounds like hypothermia got them.

Gear for the truck is a good idea too. This was the first year I carried an inflator/jump pack and tire plugs. Shovel and chainsaw have been recent additions as well.

 

Gear for the truck is a good idea too. This was the first year I carried an inflator/jump pack and tire plugs. Shovel and chainsaw have been recent additions as well.

The truck stuff is super necessary these days. Not just for ourselves, but I constantly find myself running into greenhorns in the mountain that I have to yank out of places because they tried to take their tourist rig with street slicks to some place a sensible person wouldn't have.

 

I have pretty much been a minimalist on all my day hunting trips.

Even when I started using a day pack about all I had in it for survival was some water, matches, some PVC cement (very flammable), a baby diaper, a roll of Scoch 88 electrical tape, and of course something to eat and headlamps, and don't forget 100' of para cord. That diaper could serve a dozen different task from using it as a wound covering to starting a fire. The electrical tape also served a dozen different task from holding logs together for a shelter to holding that diaper onto what it bleeding. There were also a couple of contractors plastic bags. Than can be used for a shelter, to a improvised rain jacket. Most of the other stuff in my pack was dependent on the time of year and weather forecast.

Basically I took what I needed to survive a night if not two in the wild.

A lot of it proved it's worth when one year a hunting buddy and I took off on a grouse hunt right around this time of year. While we were not lost we did get off track. Around noon he asked me if I had ever shot a ptarmigan and since I hadn't we were off up above treeline. We got a couple of birds and since we were so close we decided to summit a 14,000' peak here in Colorado. Mind you all this was before GPS and cell phones. Once on top we decided to join a group who had actually hiked up the trail to the top of the peak. We headed down but since we were getting further away from my truck we headed over to a pass between two peaks. On our way down it was getting dark so we set up a camp for the night. We ate the birds and the next morning we were on our way out. When we got home his wife was about to kill him.

Since then the two of us have headed out on a number of adventures, perhaps a little bit more prepared but still getting caught out after dark.

A little bit off subject but since they were mentioned here is my speculation on the two hunters in south west Colorado. Their packs were still in their vehicle, and there is no mention of other packs that they might of took with them for the day. If they were on the wrong side of the hill they could of got caught real fast in a heavy rain and lightning storm where they may of decided to hunker down until the storm was over. I'm betting on that it was lightning that struck nearby. Not directly to where their will be evidence but close enough that either the shock or static charge did them in. Neither one of those scenario would of left any physical trauma to their bodies and would of been quite quick. I've been caught in a couple of those type of storms and they are quite scary.

For my truck, I always have a shovel and a high lift jack when I'm on a dirt road. Behind my seat is a tire plug kit with way more plugs and cement than I'll ever use in one trip, I came close once but still had some left. That along with a Viair 12 volt air pump. I gave up on those Walmart specials and got one that will actually work. I also pack a gallon of vehicle oil and a gallon of ATF even with my truck being a manual, I have given it to others to get them off the mountain. Tire chains and tow strap along with a chain are a no brainier. I'll also have my traveling tool set that I could come close to rebuilding my engine if needed.

 

Just saw a update on the two Colorado hunters, according to the coroner they were struck by lightning.

 

Wowzers. Good call, Critter.

 

What ever you have with you is not going to help with out using your brain to start.
I've been in too many situations with weather going bad and the consequences.
Unfortunately we as hunters are particularly prone to ignore risks because of artificial limitations put on us from season dates to other obligations we have on any given day.
Today was a perfect example. Wet muddy roads for the opener of the Muzzy LE elk hunt. How many stayed home or in camp? Not many. If you are not prepared for the weather then you may want to adjust your expectations.
Lightning is probably the least understood hazard in the mountains.

Know how to make a shelter with whatever you have.
Proper clothing will certainly make a difference.
Fire is mostly to make you feel better.
Water is important but you can survive awhile without it.
Food is aways down the list. Most successful recoveries happen within 3 days.

 

I'm weak now. I don't leave without Grime Boss hand wipes. Come in a small 5 pack from Amazon. They have a textured side and a soft side. They clean everything up. Everything. Almost as good as a bidet, but not quite.

Out here on the prairie, there isn't much pack in type stuff. So, a pack has light source, rope, tape, some food, and first aid supplies.

However, snowstorms out here can be no joke. Be prepared if traveling in weather. The wind can get whipping and one can get turned around easily. I've been turned around before because you can't see the road from the ditch. If you go off the road into the ditch in a snowstorm, the drifts can get nasty. There's usually a pretty good bank from dirt road and most of it is sandy, so getting out of a the ditch can be a chore.

There is some REMOTE country out here where neighbors are counted in miles and traffic is minimal. If you get in a pickle, it can get pretty spooky. You can't drive out of it, and can't walk to a neighbor farm. Tractors usually drive along at some point checking critters.

Tow rope. Water. Some food. I have pictures of drifts taller than my truck, where they cut a trail through it to fit a vehicle but couldn't fit two.

 

I have a no-su patch that always travels with me, ducktape around a golf pencil, bandana, and a multi-tool. Other than that, your list covers the rest! Edit I also always have a glowstick, compass, and small mirror with me. If I am backpacking or camping I'll take a glowstick for each night just in case.

 

I always have super glue it stop bleeding and keep cuts clean, in my first aid kit.

 

Some of the comments made me take inventory (figuratively, since I already knew I didn’t have it) of my emergency preparedness in my pack. I made an Amazon order and now I am a little more prepared. So thanks to those that have chimed in!

Pictured are a couple different bleed stop options and the vacuum sealed packs are Rhino Rescue emergency bandages. They basically weigh nothing and I think would come in handy for a bad cut on a limb. One will stay in my pack at all times along with 2 bleed stop packets.

 

• Navigation & safety – map/compass or GPS, headlamp + spare batteries, whistle, first-aid kit.
• Survival basics – water + purification, snacks, fire starter, knife/multi-tool, cord/paracord.
• Hunting gear – extra ammo, field-dressing kit (knife, gloves, game bags), binoculars/rangefinder.
• Comfort & weather – rain gear, insulating layer, hand warmers, small tarp or emergency blanket.
• Misc. useful items – electrical tape/zip ties, flagging tape, license/tags, packable seat pad.

 

I didnt see anyone list "horse wrap". It can be used for many things as it sticks to itself but nothing else

 

Not much you can do about lightening short of getting low.

As a waterfowler, lightening storms on the marsh scare the hell out of me.

My day pack is small. First aid, knife, paracord, electric tape, lifestraw.

Truck: tire plug, comressor, shovel, hatchet, low rope, WINCH( for getting out, only), garmin, toolbox.

But, its 2025. 3 weather apps on my phone, and nws on my 2 way. Severity of storms may vary, but ZERO chance your "caught" by a storm. Chosing to ignore the warning, or deciding "it wont be that bad", is honest.

Late afternoon thunderstorms happen on the mtn in summer, early fall. Have since before man.