Backcountry Essentials

This will probably be a quick thread, but I thought it might be of help if someone was traveling this winter with the chance of getting stuck in a wilderness area

http://www.backpacker.com/ultimate_surviva...gn=newsletter01

A list of items you should have to survive the unexpected in the back country. This was a pretty decent list, from a respected source. A few things not on the list, perhaps because they are too obvious. Actually fill the canteen. Water is far more important than food. Food is more a moral booster than a physical necessity. You can survive three weeks without food but only about 3 days without water.

File a trip plan with someone with when to call for help. I can't stress this enough. It will save your ass more times than not.

Maps. Have them that extend beyond your expected travel area. I can't count the number of times someone has gotten in trouble when they wandered "off the edge of the map".

If you are just interested in this stuff, and not wanting a science lesson, http://www.amazon.com/98-6-Degrees-Keeping...e/dp/1586852345 here is a fun read 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive