What can kill you in the bush...................!!

With winter upon us in full force, some of us are out and about in the bush for our winter camping, hiking, fishing and other varied activities. With this in mind, were going to concentrate on winter survival and the elements that go along with this season. One thing that has occurred to me is all the ways you can die in the bush. Even if your paying attention, lord knows what can happen. We take this as a matter of course in our daily travels in/out and about the world outside the cities.
Here is just a short list of some of what can get you. (Feel free to ad to it if you like)
*Extreme cold (hypothermia, exposure)
*Extreme heat ( Heat stroke)
*Falling off a mountain
*Part of a mountain falling on YOU. (or rocks, trees,......etc)
*Drowning
*Heart attack
*Avalanche
*Lightning
*Flash flood
*Poisonous spiders/insects
*Snakebite (We DO have Eastern Diamondback's in these mountains)
*Predators (Black bears have been more aggressive here of late)
*Other people (People that should not have guns, and cast members of "Deliverance"
*And my favorite: Panic! Someone gets lost,..panics, and fails to make proper decisions about their situation due to the stress of the situation. THIS ONE may very well be the most common and the most fatal mistake made in the bush.

Panic is the most dire and life threatening effect of being lost or "turned around" that there is.
Your out for a day hike and find yourself lost. Concern gives way to worry, then stress, then panic sets in. You blindly forge onward in denial of the fact your lost, and manage to do nothing more than get even more lost. You panic more, forge ahead more, and use up valuable energy resources that are better utilized in improving your situation with night coming on. This makes you panic even more.......etc........etc. It's a circle of problems to say the least.
The letters S.T.O.P need to come into play at this point.
S. -STOP!
T. -THINK!
O. -OBSERVE!
P. -PLAN!
S.--Stop forging ahead........YOUR LOST ENOUGH ALREADY!
T. --Think. What needs to be done to get through the night in some form of comfort and safety.
O.--Observe. Where can you make camp for the night. What dangers should you
be aware of around you? Will someone find you before nightfall?
Does your cellphone work where you are?
P.--Plan. If your not getting out tonight, where to camp? Take stock of the
supplies you have with you.
More than one lost individual has spent the night outdoors while lost by using this simple four letter plan, and in the type of cold we've had over the last few week's, the simple act of thinking can mean the difference between a cold night out and being hypodermic in the bush alone.

The shot on the left is the bare minimum that I carry while "out and about".
On the right is a small E.D.C bag (every day carry) that I have on my belt during outdoor shoots, hunting, fishing or just out in the woods for the day.

We managed a short photo-shoot today to gather some more shots for our up-coming website. The site was several miles of shoreline and forest's along one of our local lakes. Not bitter cold, but a bit brisk and windy. The area should be around freezing with a slight wind tonight. Combined with the dampness, not a very comfortable night outside.
This photo is a prime example of your first line of defense against the elements. It is always said that your best survival item you have on your person at any time is the clothes on your back. I have a Gore-Tex outer jacket over polar fleece, fleece lined upland hunting pants, and comfortable Gore-Tex hiking shoes. My E.D.C (every day carry) bag is under the coat on my belt. With what I have on, and the contents of my E.D.C, I could spend the night out on a 32deg. night with wind and stay fairly warm. You may not be snug as in your own bed, but you won't have to worry about freezing.
There has been several times in past years, that I have spent the night out; equipped just like this photo, in weather just like this, just to "push the limits" and see how the night goes. I can safely say that over those years, this method of equipping for survival has proved itself time and time again. With just a bit of thinking in how your dressed, and what your carrying on your person, you can endure a night out without to much difficulty.

We are at present, gearing up to launch our dedicated website of survival tool, kits, and other outdoor supplies. While gathering all that is necessary to launch a site, one problem is plaguing us more than any other. ...........Who to host the site. If anyone has ANY suggestions on hosting that does not cost an arm and a leg, and is at least fairly simple to use; then please drop a line and sound out. Were close to being up and running with the exception of a few simple issues and hosting is one of them.
Stay tuned and stay warm.................................................
The Staff.

Back in the saddle.

Hello kiddies.
We have had a hiatus for a bit due to...............well....................a bunch of stuff. Exodus Survival is back and will be returning to the forest and streams soon. We have located more gear and survival equipment of late and will be presenting our finds soon. Thanks to everyone that contacted us over the last few months, we are still doing well and are eager to get back to the basics. Keep your eyes open for more to follow.........were back.

To all.

Our great thanks to all....... Based on the popularity of our line of survival products and our presence on the show circuit, we are responding to a common request.
It has been brought to our attention that many of our clients would like a location to visit from time to time for tips, discussion and just a place to hang out. We have responded to this by setting up this blog.

We are currently expanding and reorganizing to bring the various segments of our business under the wing of one respective firm;... The Exodus Survival group. You will still find us selling and visiting with everyone on weekends, and we are still producing our signature survival kits and providing other survival related items. We also are currently building a new site on the net to answer the ever increasing call for internet orders. We invite all of our clients and everyone interested in the art of survival to join us not only in the shows, but here on our blog. If you have requests, tips, or just want to make your voice heard; this is the place and now is the time. In the uncertain days we are facing in our world today, the term "Survival" has taken on new meaning. Wilderness survival is only one definition.
We are also faced with the meaning of survival in our jobs, our mortgages, our bank accounts and a myriad or other areas of our day-to-day lives. We all need to maintain the balance within as well. In over 23 years of fascination with survival techniques, one tactic of the survivor has stood out like a beacon in the night. The mental balance that the true survivor maintains. This is one of the main reasons we have increased our presence on the web.
Here is the place to come after a long day. To touch base with others that practice the art of wilderness survival can provide a vital part of that balance. We all have others to stay in contact with that can trade hints on how to "zip-up" that shelter against the cold night air. Others that may have found a way to improvise a bedroll that we may not have thought of yet, or may have bought that new survival knife we've been putting off. As we at the Exodus Survival Group pull a part of ourselves out of the woods, and into the inner space of the web, we are learning the true value of the time we have in this life to learn and to teach.
If you have any suggestions of new products you would like to see, or of specialty items to include in our already popular line of kits, please take a moment and let us know what you would like to see. Watch for us in the shows and on the web.

Again, our thanks to all of our valued clients for helping us to grow and for patience while we update and expand ourselves and our company.
Ken "Sarge"
C.E.O and basics instructor.

Would you know what to do?

If you were lost in these mountains, would you know what to do?