OUTDOOR SPORTING GOODS AND BASIC SURVIVAL INFORMATION FOR CAMPING HIKING FISHING

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How to choose the right sporting goods to keep you safe, healthy and alive on your next outdoor fishing, hunting, hiking or camping adventure

The term sporting goods is used to describe a very wide variety of products used for any type of sporting activity, be it baseball, rugby, skydiving or jogging. For our purpose here we will focus on outdoors sports like and equipment.

Most of my favorite activities don’t require fancy or expensive equipment but they can sure make your experience a whole bunch more enjoyable.

There are a few sporting goods that I would consider a must when venturing into the outdoors and off the beaten path.

First thing every person that is going to venture into the backcountry needs to have great footwear . If there is one thing I know it is that it can be a long painful walk down a mountain with an armful of fishing tackle or a rifle and ammunition can get real heavy and awkward fast when you have a busted up heel or sprained ankle.

When walking with gear or hiking up a mountain trail it is important to have the support for your ankles to avoid injury on that rock that rolls your foot sideways or maybe a tree root you just didn’t see.

I like a hiking boot that provides my ankle with good stiff side to side ankle support. A sole with a good tread pattern and larger gaps between the lugs so rocks don’t get stuck in the boot tread. The laces of the boot should travel as far up the boot as possible and be tightly spaced to help seal the outer boot to the tongue of the boot. Pick footwear that is built with high quality and feels comfortable right off the shelf. There is nothing worse than getting 6 hours from home and sitting in a tent or hotel because you have silver dollar blisters on your feet.

A good tent is important when venturing into the backcountry, especially overnight. If you are camping on a hill or mountain you want a tent with double or triple stitches seems, they should have as much protection against moisture as possible. It is an unpredictable world and in the mountains a heavy downpour can soak a person in seconds. So you need a ward dry place to hide out and rest. A good sporting goods store will be able to give you great advise on what tents to purchase.

Setup your tent where the rain is least likely to hit it but also be conscious of where the rain is going to run. I once come across a few campers that set there tent up beside a little trickle of a mountain stream and when it rained overnight that stream got about 6 inches higher and flooded them out of their tent. They hadn’t seen a dry thing in 5 days. These particular people had younger kids with them. It was not much of a camping trip for those little guys.

A tarp is a good way to protect your campsite or your self from wind. I take a few smaller tarps and one big long tarp, about 18 feet long and twelve feet tall. I can string it in between some trees in most places that I go. It can really help protect you from wind or rain. The smaller ones are used above me when I can or to cover my tent. Any rain that you can keep off of yourself is a good thing when in the wild. Take some good quality rope to tie it up with. When your finished don’t leave the rope on the trees it is damaging over time.

If you are outdoors near home or where you can get out of the elements this section is not as important but I recommend always doing the things in the following section.

There are many people that I know who regularly go out to experience nature in one way or another and don’t go out prepared. I always take a travel bag with me in my vehicle that has two blankets in it. One is a heavy fleece style blanket. The second is a knitted or crocheted blanket. And I throw a tarp in the bag with them.

A basic First Aid Kit should be in your vehicle to help repair any accidental damage you do to yourself. You may also come across another person that has an injury and as a good sportsman and outdoorsman you must help your fellow nature enthusiasts, you never know the shoe could be on the other foot.

Even in the summer I take a good insulated hooded sweater or jacket, gloves and a pair of cotton jogging type pants. A fall into water could mean hypothermia in any weather and its best to be prepared. It can be a long walk to cellular phone reception or a long wait for a rescuer and those waits can mean life or death even in the heat of summer. So you want to have some good warm clothing to put on especially if you are fishing into the evening, the night can be very cold.

In any good sporting goods store you can buy a high quality, Stormproof Lighter . Never venture to far from your vehicle with out a quality lighter. If you fall into water, or the weather turns bad, you got disoriented and now must spend the night on an unfamiliar, uncomfortable mountain you are going to want heat and light. I would suggest taking waterproof matches as well. I like to try the matches first; if they do not work I resort to the lighter. Match sticks also make great little bits of kindling to start a fire after you have found dry material to burn.

Even when I am not venturing into nature to fish but perhaps just to go for a hike or for a weekend camping trip with the wife and kids I take a roll of fishing line and a small pack of snelled hooks, If I go out for a hike I take them with me because if by chance I do get lost or disoriented or venture to far. I have a chance of catching something to eat. It isn’t the most glamorous fishing setup but in a pinch, it sure will work.

A hat of some sort should always be taken with you; I have been way up in the Alberta Rockies fishing when the temperature has gone from 5 degrees to 35 in a matter of an hour. If you are hiking up a steep mountain that temperature change could be a real recipe for heat stroke or dehydration.

A package of powdered electrolytes is always in my bag when I go fishing any where. Dehydration can be a real problem in the outdoors and electrolytes are the perfect way to cure that problem. I use regular water unless it is an extremely long steep hike or it is moderately to very hot. If it is going to be hot, I use a camel back style water bag, and I mix my electrolytes right into it. Then I know I am prepared. Electrolytes are what make sport drinks effective.

Although not necessary in most conditions the following will make many outdoors adventures more comfortable. The next few items can be purchased at any good sporting goods store. Some at the gas station, others else where.

Sunglasses really help you see objects and wildlife on a bright sunny day, also polarized sunglasses reduce glare of the water surface when fishing.

Extra socks, cuts scrapes blisters on your feet hold up a lot better when you have a fresh pair of socks on. Moisture can cause some real problems when you have a wounded foot. Socks can also make a great sling in case of a broken arm or can help hold a splint in place if you break a leg. They are light small and easy to pack, they are also one of the most overlooked items on my list.

Whistles and bear spray. Make noise and spray the heck out of that big ole charging beast. I have never had to use either one but I have been closer than my comfort level to a few bears over the last few years. Beautiful creatures but I don’t want one on top of me.

A flashlight , don’t wander around in the dark without a flashlight, even in a campground, there can be animals, holes, barbed wire fences (I know this first hand), and any other countless number of obstacles that are mostly harmless in the daylight but at night can really cause some damage.

Spare gas in a jug. Fuel is mostly required if you are going to venture out to an area that you have not been before. I have come dangerously close to running out of gas on the top of a mountain. That would have been a 5 day hike out of there. Not my idea of a good time in grizzly bear country.

If you are going into the back country where there are going to be less fishermen, tourists, hunters and people in general I would suggest making some calls to the conservation office in the area and getting the two way radio frequencies used in the area. Then pick up a two way. If you get lost or stranded there may be some one else out there that can pick up your voice or you may be able to pick up theirs. Often logging roads are scattered throughout the mountains and you may be able to communicate with one of the truck drivers if there is active logging in the area.

When you go into a sporting goods store and buy a good quality hikers back pack choose it wisely, If you plan on being an outdoor adventurer on any regular basis then I would suggest buying one. You can fill one up easily but if you spend some quality time in the store you should be able to find just the right sporting goods in small sizes. Items can be put into the backpack and if you take all the right sporting goods you can be relatively safe in all conditions, weather you are on a mountain, in a valley, or wandering the prairie.

fun and stay safe!

Click the appropriate link below for more information on my favorite sporting goods for each activity

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Hunting Sporting Goods
Fishing Sporting Goods
Hiking Sporting Goods
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