Communications Equipment in the Wilderness For Hunting,
fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds of weather By
David Leonhardt
Communication in the wilderness is a matter of survival, as well
as convenience. Before even leaving home, communications must
begin. In fact, our first two communications tips do not even
require equipment or gadgets.
"Make sure that somebody knows when you leave, when you expect
to return (or get to your destination)," advises Chad Brown,
owner of Farm And
Field Outdoors Equipment Auctions, a website geared to
hunting, fishing and farming. "Provide as much information about
your route as possible.
Things can happen. Rocks can fall on your head while hiking.
Boats can tip over while fishing. Firearms can malfunction while
hunting. Somebody needs to know that you are late in
arriving...and where to send search parties to go hunting for
you. In fact, this is the same advice I used to give drivers in
winter weather when I was spokesperson for CAA Ontario.
The second tip is to never head into the wilderness alone. Just
as one should never go swimming without a swimming buddy, nor
should one go long-distance cycling or hiking, nor hunting,
camping or fishing in a remote area without a buddy.
My wife's uncle took the business end of large falling branch on
his skull while out in the forest, knocking him unconscious and
cracking his skull down the middle. Eventually his skull will
heal, but only because he had companions to get him into town.
Otherwise, he might still not be found.
Here is another report, this one from the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation about a fall from a tree stand: "The subject
had no communications equipment with him. No phone or radio. If
the subject had left word of where he would be and approximate
hour of return, a response may have been quicker. Cause of
Death: The subject suffered a broken shoulder, multiple broken
ribs on one side, a punctured lung, and a punctured spleen."
This is hunting equipment?
Assuming you are still conscious, it helps to have some
communications equipment while out hunting, fishing or camping.
Of course, there is the ever popular cell phone, which brings
instant communications to almost everywhere in the world. Except
maybe your wilderness trek.
But there are many places where cell phone range covers your
fishing lake or hunting woods. The best part about a cell phone
is that, even in the wilderness, you can have utterly normal
conversations with pretty well anybody.
"Yes, nice weather we are having lately. OK, darling, on my way
back into town I'll pick up some milk and peanut butter
and...wait! Was that a whitetail? Gotta go." Click.
Not only that, with a cell phone you can even catch up on your
email while crouching in your tent or scaling a cliff, with an
email to phone service.
A two-way radio is a much surer piece of equipment, because it
does not depend on the cellular phone network to connect. The
downside is that you get to speak to a much narrower range of
people: other two-way radio owners.
"Hi there, Big Bear, do you read me? Can you get a-hold of my
wife to see if I have to pick up milk and peanut butter on my
way back into town? Do you copy? Oh yeah, you got the weather
forecast there, by any chance?"
Before you leave on any outdoors trip, it is wise to check the
weather forecast. But
the weather forecast can change quickly, so a cell phone or
radio serves another purpose.
"Whaddaya mean thunderstorms and hail?!? I just got here,
darling, I don't want to come home just yet. Oh...alright..."
Of course, you could just have someone email the weather
forecast to you on your cell phone.
Chad Brown also suggests another piece of hunting equipment -
keeping a very loud whistle hanging from your neck. If you are
trapped under a tree, pinned down by a boulder, or wrestling a
grizzly bear, you might not have the reach or the attention span
to dial a number. If anybody is within earshot, they will come
running...if not to help you, at least to capture the scene for
America's Funniest Home Videos.
Our final tip might seem obvious, but make sure you know where
to call. Have the emergency number taped to the back of the cell
phone (ignore your wife's idea of tattooing it to your forehead;
where would you find a mirror in the middle of a ravine?) and
make sure you know what frequency to call for help on the
two-way radio.
There you have it. You are prepared to go out into the wild and
communicate. Make sure to prepare, to have the right hunting
equipment or fishing gear for communicating, and know how to use
them in an emergency.
And if the animals don't understand what you are trying to
communicate to them, you might not be any worse off than in the
city.
About the author:
David Leonhardt is a prof
essional SEO & website marketing consultant. Get your
new & used hunting equipment or
fishing gear & tackle.
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