Bug-Out Gear: False Sense of Security?
“Lots of folks think they could throw a minimal pack on their back and disappear from civilization and live happily ever after. … An argument could be made that the wise woodsman could make a living following these folks and using what they left behind after they expire.—Dave Morelli, “Bug Out Gear,” Living Ready, Winter 2012
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Sadly the statement is true. While many of us think we could manage in truly primitive conditions, no matter how we pack, things will run out or wear out and after that is when we’d find out about the extent of our skill sets.
Of course, all that would be left for the “wise woodsman” would be multiple sets of the same hardware – knives, axes, pots, guns, maybe clothing, maybe some medical gear but likely not much. All the food would be gone, all the drinks. And Mr. Wise Woodsman wouldn’t need all that hardware, so it would just be dead weight to stash somewhere.
In other words, it was a statement to make a point, but the point is only useful to those whom he expects to die – if you want to live, you need a good kit and you need to able to actually use it effectively. Practicing your primitive skills on weekends will help. E.g. – go camping nearby some Friday after work – and see how well you do with a knife, a tarp, some trail mix and a bottle of water.