whistlecreek

I like to think of myself as a sensible person but do I always take a first aid kit with me on backpacking trips? Well, no. I
might have a few odd bandaids stashed in the pack here and there but my first aid kit is more tools and tricks than
supplies. The only pharmaceutical I'm sure to carry is a tube of Rolaids. I really should add a Whistle Creek Survival Kit
with basic first aid supplies and emergency gear. Some of it isn't the best, some of it would be redundant, but there's
good stuff here that you can't mess with until you actually need it. What's inside won't be ruined by humidity or the
accidental drippings from your trash bag and you won't be tempted to use it up just for practice.

A friend I learned a few useful things from back in the 70's told me that the first thing he'd do with a first aid kit for boat
or pack is dump all that crap out of it and put things in it he'd really use. Lots of first aid kits go heavy on the bandaids
and hardly offer much for a serious injury, so he recommended concentrating on supplies for the real emergency. The
Whistle Creek Survival Kit isn't big enough to hold a couple of rolls of Ace bandages and enough adhesive tape to
splint a leg together, but it does have 25 essentials you could use for more than first aid. You get alcohol pads, which are
supposed to be first aid packets but make even better tinder and start easily with just a spark. You get a firestarter cube
which burns hotter and longer, some book matches, a compass, acetaminophen and antibiotic ointment. Everything
else is useful in at least some circumstances and the scope of the kit is broad enough to have something of value in it no
matter what. You even get treats like tea, sugar, chewing gum and an "energy nugget." Now that the kit's open, it's all at
risk to the weather, so you also get a waterproof bag to use afterwards.

One reason this minimal kit is so good is that you can carry it in a jacket or pants pocket. Surprisingly, many people who
get lost don't have their backpack with them. If you wander too far from camp once you get where you wanted to be, it
doesn't take much to cross that line between knowing where you are and being totally confused. Taking a basic kit with
you at all times just makes good sense, and the Whistle Creek is an easy one to keep around.

Of course there's not enough in this 2.1 ounce sardine can to outfit a stranded hiker for a long trek home, but there is
enough to do the sensible thing that you're supposed to do when you first realize you're lost. Stop, make camp, break out
the Whistle Creek Survival Kit and have a cup of hot tea. You can use the can for that. Don't wander around in circles
looking for the way out, just sit around and stay warm and wait for help. I hope you'll have a good knife with you, but at
least stuff this kit in your pocket and you'll have more than most people do who vanish into the woods.

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