By Buck Tilton

Not all snow is created equal—it can be soft and dry, heavy and wet, hard as rock—but most snow can be shaped into a quick shelter and, in an emergency, a shelter may save your life.

Make Use of What the Terrain Offers

Question:

I really love the products you present. There are many to choose from regarding first aid. That is my problem. I am a hunter and fisherman in the state of Alabama and have never strayed from this state in for my hobbies. I know Alabama is not Africa in terms of large carnivores, but I have had some scraps with a wild hog (hawg, in Alabama), and once was pinned by several coyotes. The hog I killed bare handed, not unscathed mind you, and the coyotes I fought off with a homemade spear i fashioned out of my hunting knife and a long branch while in a pine tree. That stuff was funny then after it was over, but now that I am a father I am thinking differently.

Dear AMK,

I am happy to report that your survival kit helped me to survive an unplanned night in Point Reyes this past January. A friend and I went hiking around Abbott’s Lagoon. At the end of the trail, we walked along the beach. It was an overcast, cold day and we didn’t realize how late it was and so it was almost sunset when we headed back towards the trail. It seemed simple enough to follow the beach along until we saw the trail that went around the lagoon. But we got completely disoriented and were not sure where to pick up the trail. We tried to follow close to the lagoon to pick up the trail but this didn’t work (In the morning we realized that had walked to a much further end of the lagoon.) We were lost. And it was already cold.

Question:

What are some good components for a survival kit to put in a medium hydration pack?

Thanks, Zach

Answer:

When I am going light and space is tight, I carry The Pocket Survival Pak and Heatsheets Bivvy. The Pocket Survival Pak has everything you need but a shelter, hence the addition of the Heatsheets Bivvy. I carry this setup whether I am backcountry skiing in the winter or mountain biking in the summer.

BE SAFE,

Frank Meyer, Marketing Director/Co-Founder

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