Hunting can be an incredibly rewarding and exciting experience, but it can also be very dangerous and isolating. Any hunter knows that being prepared for emergencies is critical, no matter the length, difficulty, or weather predicted for your hunting trip.
Our hunting experts at R & K Hunting have carefully compiled the following comprehensive list of vital hunter survival tools that every hunter should carry with them on each and every hunting trip.
Take care to read this list and assemble your own hunter emergency kit so that you can be prepared and rest assured that you’re ready for whatever comes next on your big hunting trip.
So What Should Every Hunter Should Carry For Emergencies?
- First Aid Kit – Most hunters understand the need for a first aid kit, and may even carry one already. But do you know what’s in your first aid kit? Small and cheap first aid kits often carry only band-aids, triple antibiotic, and a bandage wrap or two. Figure out exactly what is in your first aid kit. Make sure alcohol wipes and triple antibiotic hasn’t leaked or dried out. Supplement your first aid kit with anything you might personally need.
- Communication – How will you call for help if you need it? Consider a backup or satellite phone, radio, and a hand-crank charger so that you’ll never be without contact if you need it. You may also want to include flares or a whistle so you could attract attention if stuck.
- Defense – Of course you plan to use your hunting weapon, but what if it malfunctioned and you needed further protection? Carrying a backup weapon or at least a small and useful knife is critical for hunters. We always recommend carrying a small, sharp knife on your person for a variety of uses.
- Batteries & Flashlight – There are so many occasions that you’ll need quick light when hunting. Keep a flashlight within arm’s reach at all times, and always carry backup batteries since battery life and status can be difficult to determine.
- Firepower – We don’t actually mean bullets. If you were stranded, would you be able to start a fire for warmth, light, signaling, or cooking? Disposable matches are a great option, and hunters should also carry a lighter. Keeping several options for starting fires on your person, in your pack, and at camp is always a good idea, as long as they’re safe and protected.
- Identification – If you were to be injured or incapacitated in the wilderness and someone else found you, would they know where you came from, or even what to call you? Keeping a form of identification on you is as easy a nametag on the tag of your jacket or the label of a coat. It’s also a good idea to identify where your camp is and/or a number for someone to contact in an emergency.
- Cash – It’s hard to predict when you’ll need money on a hunting trip. You can be stranded, break down, or have any other number of surprising circumstances. Keeping cash hidden in your pack or on your person can help you in an emergency, just in case.
At R & K Hunting we know almost everything there is to know about hunting, and we want to help you have the best hunting experience possible. We hope your hunt is successful and exciting!
