Wilderness Survival Backpacking Tips

W hy should you learn            is no berry that looks like a      wilderness survival           blueberry, strawberry, or          skills just for               rasberry, that can hurt you from   backpacking? They may save your       one taste. Just spit it out if it  life someday, and for ultralight      doesn't taste right. If it looks   enthusiasts like myself, skills       and tastes like a blueberry - it   replace gear, and therefore           is.                                weight. The best reason, however,                                        may be that it's just a good           3. Fire starter: If you put       feeling to know you can deal with     dried moss or milkweed fuzz in     whatever comes up. It makes you       your pocket as you walk, you'll    feel more at home.                    have dry tinder to start a fire,                                         just in case it's raining later.   To survive means to stay warm and     Experiment with different          dry, hydrated, uninjured, and to      materials.                         find your way out of the survival                                        situation. Eating is nice too,         4. Direction-finding: Mark the    but not crucial if the situation      tip of the shadow of a stick, and  is for a few days. Below are some     mark it again fifteen minutes      more or less random survival          later. The line between the the    tips, just to get you interested.     first and second marks points                                            east. A few techniques like this   Wilderness Survival Tips              can save you when your compass is                                        lost.                              1. Warmth: Sleep with your head                                         slightly downhill to stay warmer.      5. Weather: In the Rocky          This may take some getting used       Mountains you can see the clouds   to, but it works.                     forming just before the afternoon                                        storms. Being able to read the     2. Food: In North America, there     sky can keep you out of trouble.   Lightning kills hikers in                                                Colorado regularly.                    9. Injury: Pop a "blister" on                                           the trunk of a small spruce or     6. Staying dry: Hypothermia is       fir tree, and you can use the sap  the biggest wilderness killer,        that oozes out as an good          and getting wet is the biggest        antiseptic dressing for small      cause. Watch for ledges or large      cuts.                              fir trees to stand under if you                                          see the rain coming.                   10. Fire starter: White birch                                           bark will usually light even when  7. Shelter: A pile of dry leaves     wet.                               and dead grass can keep you very                                         warm in an emergency.                 These are just a few of the                                              wilderness survival tips and       8. Hydration: Fill water bottles     techniques you can easily learn.   every chance you get, and you         Why not practice one or two on     won't have such a hard time with      your next backpacking trip?        any long dry stretches of trail.       About the Author: Steve Gillman is a long-time advocate of ultralight backpacking. Visit his website for tips, photos, gear recommendations, a free book and a new wilderness survival section: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com Read more articles by: Steve Gillman Article Source: www.iSnare.com