Tactical Trail Hiking
Wilderness Survival and Safety
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Where is It?
Keep Everything at Hand
Very early in my career, I worked for the U.S. Forest Service doing timber inventory and surveys. Worn was an army-green “cruiser vest” that contained tools of the trade (Silva Ranger compass, increment bore, d-tape, clinometer, distance tape, and bright-colored flagging ribbon). Carried in-hand was a short-handled axe.
During breaks, we’d take the vests off and lay them on the ground. Much time was wasted looking for the vests once it was time to again start work, since they had an irritating habit of blending in with the understory. Ditto any other tool that either unhappily escaped the vest, or was left sitting on the ground. The axes especially had a habit of losing themselves.
Looking for stuff soon got very old.
The solution was simple. Lengths of flagging ribbon were tied to everything, especially the axes. We never left the vests anywhere, and if they came off, they were always within arm’s reach. If we got up to take a personal break, the vest went with. Tools were never left on the ground by themselves, and always went with the vest. Complete hands-on, or reach-area, control was essential. End of problem.
Bright is Best
Fast forward to the present. Vests, packs, and most other gear can be obtained in a variety of bright colors (even cruiser vests!).
Blaze orange is required by most states during hunting season, and much blaze orange gear intended for hunters can be used by non-hunters during the hiking season. A side benefit is the added safety for hikers during the hunting season (think about it!).
The hands-on, reach-area control rule is still essential, since in spite of bright colors, items can (and will be) hidden from view behind trees, rocks, brush, and so forth.
Consider Flagging Ribbon
I still carry a medium roll of flagging ribbon as part of my Tool Kit. Still handy for tying pieces to easily-lost items. Many other uses as well.
Pocket Carry May Not Be Secure Carry
I learned this the hard way while with a ground team in the field during a search for a missing hunter. The terrain was mountainous with stands of mixed-density timber. I was doing routine compass work, and had my Silva Ranger compass in my unbuttoned front shirt pocket, with the lanyard hanging out. Seemed a lot easier with the back and forth use.
Our helicopter spotted smoke from the victim’s campfire, but we couldn’t see it where we were at. We beat feet to a place where we could see the smoke; a simple matter to shoot a bearing to the smoke, giving us a line of travel even though we were going to dip into the trees off and on and would lose sight of our victim’s location.
We were given a lat/long for the GPS, but it was common practice to obtain a bearing if one was available as a manual backup. We also customarily used a compass to march with the GPS-displayed bearing.
Imagine my chagrin when I realized the compass was no longer in my shirt pocket! Time was short, and I came within a pistol-barrel-length of just leaving the compass behind. But, that’s no way to treat an old friend who’d been with me since the early days, so I raced back in an effort to re-trace my steps.
Much to my luck, I rather quickly spotted the compass hanging by its lanyard on a dead lodgepole pine tree branch, pocket-height, waiting for me to collect it. It was obvious the lanyard had caught on the branch as I hastily ran by earlier.
Moral of this story: Beware of stashing items (compass, GPS, gloves, etc.) in open pants or coat pockets. Things can fall out unnoticed, or get snagged on terrain features and pulled away. Take care lanyard loops are secure inside pockets, and not left hanging out.
The only secure pocket carry is zipper or button-down carry. Period. Same with packs…anything tied to or hanging on a pack is easy to lose. Secure items inside your pack. Zip or snap everything.
Really valuable, essential stuff gets tied or secured inside my pack in addition to the above! That way it won’t fall out when digging for something else.
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