A common theme that I have been stressing at Boating and Sailing is being prepared. The outdoors offers us wonderful experiences and new opportunities can develop with every trip. Nature is however unforgiving to those who are not prepared. It's not my intention to scare anyone. Concerning preparedness, I'm reinforcing reality. It is easy to carry emergency signals, learn more about your boating or backcountry avocation, and prepare for potential mishaps. Doing so means your on the path to becoming more professional in your area of interest.
One very simple step for any boater or outdoor enthusiast to take is assembling a personal survival kit. If you are separated from your boat or hiking party, having safety gear in hand could prove invaluable. There are many lists for survival kit contents available. No one list will be suited for every person. I have broken my list into functional areas were you can make decisions on how to tailor a kit to match your unique needs. The entire personal survival kit should easily fit in a small waist pack. If you don't carry it, you can't use it.
Personal Survival Kits Contents:
Additional information on building survival kits is available at these sites: