5 TINY LIFESAVING ITEMS NEVER TO LEAVE AT HOME

If you’re heading off on a hike, here are 5 tiny lifesaving items that should always live in your bag

On adventures, space is usually limited. Don’t leave behind these tiny but lifesaving items.

You already know the major safety tips for heading out on a hike. Things like letting someone know your route and when you expect to reemerge from the trail, bringing extra food in case of delay, carrying a basic first aid kit, and hoping for the best while planning for the worst.

Here are a few tiny lifesaving items that should always be with you when you hike. They don’t take up much space or have much weight, but if you get into trouble, they can mean the difference between life and death.

Personal Locator Beacon

Keep your PLB somewhere within easy reach, like the outside of your pack.

Personal Locator Beacons (or PLBs) come in all sorts of levels and variations. They can be as basic as a device that has a single button which when pushed sends a distress signal with your GPS to emergency responders, or as fancy as a device that allows you to send and receive texts, post on social media, and get weather reports alongside its ability to send a distress signal. Should the unimaginable happen and you or someone else on the trail needs help, a PLB will get you found and rescued ASAP, which in the outdoor adventures can make a world of difference.

Emergency Blanket

The great thing about emergency blankets is that you can get the basic ones for just a couple of bucks and they come in a tiny and lightweight package, so it’s definitely an easy decision to carry one. Imagine you get lost and didn’t expect to spend the night outdoors, or you get hurt and are waiting for rescue, or even something as minor as it’s a bit colder than you expected and your sleeping bag isn’t warm enough. Now if you have your little emergency blanket, situations like these are much less dire than they would have been, and you’re pretty stoked you brought it with you.

Whistle/Compass

The path isn’t always clear and easily navigable. Having a compass can help you stay on track.

I know this seems like two things, but technically you can get whistles with a little compass built-in. In that case, neither the whistle nor the compass are the best versions, but they’re better than nothing.

If you’re out on the trail, having the ability to navigate is going to be a game-changer if you get lost or disoriented. Even if you’re not a seasoned backcountry navigator, you probably know vaguely what direction you had been heading in, and you can use the compass to keep yourself oriented in the right direction to regain the trail or town.

Being able to make noise on a trail is a definite necessity. Not only does making noise help stave off animals by letting them know where to avoid, being able to call attention to yourself is going to save valuable time if you’re hurt and a search and rescue team is trying to find you.

Knife

I’m not talking about the massive bowie knives you see on the belt of an outdoorsman. I’m talking something as simple as a good quality (I want to re-emphasize GOOD QUALITY) folding knife. Personally I love my steel Opinel knife, having used it for everything from cutting tomatoes to whittling a spoon it’s still sharp. This isn’t an ad for them or anything, I just really love that knife.

Fire Starter

Being able to build a fire can mean delicious baked potatoes. It can also mean keeping warm in an emergency.

Waterproof matches, a lighter, a flint, take your pick. Anything that can get a fire going is going to be potentially vital in case of an emergency. That being said, you want to be very careful when making a fire – the last thing you want is to start a forest fire and add to your emergency. Whether you need warmth, to keep animals away, or to have an (albeit weak) signal, the ability to make a fire can be lifesaving, and I doubt any of us can rub two sticks together fast enough to start one that way.

Don’t be frightened away from getting outside and exploring. You’re not likely to need lifesaving items but accidents happen. It’s best you’ve been carrying them around for years unused than to not have them at all when the need arises. So pack smart, be prepared, and then get out and have an adventure.