Build a Survival Kit for your Hunting Pack

Hunting can be a lot like camping. There is camping and there is glamping; there are also minimalist endeavors that are a bit more spartan. Hunting has tiers too. In this article, we are going to explore the concept of survival kits in your hunting gear.

Even if you're taking the guide-led, or otherwise luxury-route for a hunt, you'll still be wise to have an emergency kit with you. If you prefer the more difficult hunting approaches, then you would be even better off with a kit that helps in case of an emergency.

Anything can happen, especially in rough terrain where animals roam. So, we'll suggest three levels of survival kits for your hunting packs.

As the team guys say: two is one, one is none. Redundancy is very important in a survival situation, and planning is the only way to achieve this type of backup, because if it gets to survival, you'll need the forethought to help you out.

A survival kit for when you have a lot of room to pack

I love survival kits

·Something to make shelter with (a tarp and paracord is an excellent choice)

·Extra cordage

·Fire starters (a Bic lighter is fine, but a lighter, matches and a mechanical Firestarter is best)

·A compass and map + great understanding of the area

·A fixed blade knife with a heavy-duty blade profile and a full hilt

·A flashlight and an extra battery or two

·A couple of MRE's or other high calorie, shelf stable foods that will get you at least 3-5k calories

·A water filter or reasonable substitute (including pills)

·Some heavy-duty clear plastic sheeting (4x6 feet or so)

·A decent first aid kit

·Some duct tape wrapped around something (a pencil or pen; flashlight or other object)

·A small amount of fishing line and a couple of hooks (this doesn’t necessarily have to be for catching fish)

·A cord saw or small folding saw

·A bivy sack made of a radiant barrier material that doesn't breathe

·A metal bowl or cup

·A rescue beacon, or GPS messenger as applicable

 Survival kits are the best for hunting

A survival kit for small hunting packs that need to remain mobile and lightweight

·A small kit of basic first aid items including an ace bandage and some top quality band aids

·A compass

·Multiple fire starters

·50 feet or paracord

·A knife (preferably fixed blade, but a top-quality folder will work too if needed)

·A trash bag

A survival kit for when you can split between other hunters

·All the items in the first list

·A JetBoil, or similar (like an MSR Whisperlite)

·A couple of tent poles or hiking poles

·A legitimate tarp or other lightweight shelter

·A legitimate water filter and backup pills or other treatment

·More paracord

·A legitimate multitool

·Possibly a hatchet if you can justify the extra weight

·More food

I always take my survival kit 

Having a way to treat water, start a fire and treat basic wounds is enough to get you by for a couple of days. If you planned well, no matter where you go, it shouldn't take more than a few days to find you. Let your family and friends know your approximate location and game plan, and that will work in your favor for times where a rescue might be necessary.

Exposure and dehydration are your two biggest concerns. If you are hunting, you are likely able to procure food, or at minimum, have protection against predators. Having multiple sources of heat and shelter; treatment for water, and you will be ok for a little while - several days.

It's important to note that even though the tools in these kits will help you survive in brutal conditions, especially if you know how to use them based on an experiential basis, the understanding of your surroundings along with the tools you are using is exceptionally important. Prior planning and a clear head will help more than any tool on the market.

Buy the best quality you can afford that ticks all the boxes for a given item, but there is no need to be frivolous. Frivolity is a moot point in a survival situation, but practicality is a very important factor.

Use your tools and get familiar with them so if the time comes, you will be able to handle yourself competently and make it out alive, regardless of the twists and turns your situation might encounter. Above all else, maintain a clear head and trust your judgment in bringing gear and preparing for anything.

--

Field Dressing 101

What many hunters dread, can actually be one of the simplest and easiest parts of the hunt, and offers more opportunity for artistry from the perfectionist’s perspective. Field dressing game animals is also one of the most important aspects of the hunt and is a practice that must be flawless to avoid concerns with meat safety.

First, preparation is key. You’ll need the right tools, mindset and timing to make it easy and smooth.

Here is a list of tools you’ll want to have in the pack, back at camp or in the back of the truck:

·Gloves (latex are best for dexterity and cleanliness)

·A sharp knife

Optional:

·Cordage or a wire rack

·A bone saw or hacksaw

·Game meat bags

Most game animals are simple to field dress: The guts are all in one spot, conveniently bagged up for you; it's easy, as long as you don’t get overzealous and puncture an organ. The animal's skin is easy to remove with a little bit of force and the right separation cuts and forethought.

Forethought, planning and restraint are the focal points.

Steps to field dress a deer or any similar animal:

1.Pull the tail area tight, and exercise extreme restraint, as you cut at 2 inches or so deep cut around the anus, being careful not to nick the colon. you can go deeper but it may not be necessary and may cause difficulty with avoiding the colon. Any mistake here can have consequences from a meat safety perspective and can cause difficulty in the dressing scenario.

You will want to make a ring about a couple of inches deep and spaced about ¾-1” away from the edge of the anus all the way around. You’ll need to make sure the colon is separated from the connective membrane. Be careful to control the spillage if it occurs.

2.If you have a friend with you, having the animal laying flat on back and positioning the legs apart will get the interior area of the carcass easier to extract the guts from. You could alternatively position a log underneath the sides of the animal and pull legs apart with cordage around a tree or wedging the legs with props.

With the legs apart you’ll notice a distinctive “V” shape that will denote where the testes or milk sac are. Cutting through the soft spot below it will allow you to remove the testicles and start your cut to separate the skin from the carcass.

3.Using the plunge cut you made, run your sharp knife straight up the center of the belly up to nearly the middle of the neck, past the front legs, until resistance increases, and you have a strong backing of breastplate bones.

You will need to make sure you are not able to miss with your knife, use your fingers to keep the skin separated just ahead of your cut. You can use your fingers to separate the skin from the membrane that contains the guts. After this skin cut is made, you’ll be able to find the diaphragm, which separates the abdomen from the chest area. It’s thick, slippery, but relatively easy to cut. Push down to the backbone to make a clean separation. Cutting the windpipe is the last step before you can remove the sack.

4.The cut of the windpipe should happen above the heart and lungs and liver. The liver and heart are good to go if preserved and chilled properly. The lungs should be discarded along with the now disconnected entrails sack. Just be careful as you pull the colon through to finish the process. You can discard the gut sack in the woods where you dress the animal, unless your jurisdiction says you cannot.

You can turn the animal over and let any blood that has gotten pooled inside the cavity out. You can tie the cavity closed if you will have to drag the animal, to make it easier to move and less susceptible to debris and dirt. Temperature is crucial. If you are in a hotter area, you’ll need to get the carcass to below 40 degrees within a couple of hours. If you’re in a cooler area, you won’t have too much longer.

The optional items listed will help with further processing, and in the field can help if you have extra time or the right conditions. But you only need a knife and some gloves to do the Field Dressing.

Butchery and preservation are up to you once you can get the carcass hanging, (washed) and drained, and chilled. There is no reason why you can’t nearly fully process a carcass at a truck or camp, though, you should be careful of predatory animals, and process away from the sleeping areas to avoid problems. With a wire rack or enough paracord and some trees, you can grab a significant portion of the meat from a carcass, and pack it out in bags and ice chests.

What you’ll need to remember is that it comes down to doing it right a few times before you are basically an expert, and the old rules still apply: it’s all about forethought, planning and restraint.

--