Minimalist "Survival" Campout

3 years ago
17

I have often seen the questions, "What if your pack falls in a creek and gets swept away, or it tumbles over a cliff? How would you survive without the stuff in your pack?" Well, when I'm out in the woods I carry some gear on my body, not just in my pack. Besides my belt knife and pocket knife I also wear a drop-leg rig that holds my radio, a backup flashlight, assorted small emergency stuff, and (most recently) a folding saw. While quite confident in my selection of equipment on my person, I had never actually put it to the test without using any of the vast array of gear in my pack.
Last night it was cold and wet late-April conditions, perfect to simulate a survival overnight scenario without my pack. While I had warm, waterproof boots, pants, and coat, I used only a Mylar space blanket and a small candle for additional shelter and warmth. It was not a very comfortable or restful night, but I did stay mostly dry and was never in any danger of hypothermia even after hours of ground contact. If the conditions had been worse I could have used my folding saw to make a raised sleeping platform and build a fire. It wasn't necessary though under the circumstances. No pack? No problem!
Note that at 3:00 in the morning it was actually 36 degrees, not 34. I was half asleep at the time and simply misread the thermometer. The lowest I saw all night was 35 degrees shortly before dawn.

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