Last week our family was tooling around some truly beautiful country in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. We had planned to do a bit of camping so our tent, sleeping bags, and other supplies were in the back of the truck, along with a couple of ice chests.
About halfway through our 2,745 mile journey I realized that we had all the essentials of survival with us. We had been making on-the-spot decisions about which direction to go, which campground we should stay in each night, and debating how many miles could we push the kids before they rebelled! What gave us so much freedom and empowerment was that we were completely equipped with everything we needed for survival.
- Shelter: We had a sturdy tent with an effective rain fly to protect us from the elements. We also had a couple of tarps and plenty of rope if we’d needed to set up another shelter or a wind block.
- Water: We had an ice chest filled with water bottles and could have used the melted ice for drinking. (Next time I’ll pack our SteriPEN.)
- Food: Our ice chest was kept full with fruit, veggies, meat, cheese, yogurt, and a lot of other good stuff! We also had an additional crate with foods that didn’t need to be kept cold.
- Security: Both my husband and I had packed our pistols with an extra magazine and ammo. This wasn’t a resort vacation, and we had no idea where we would be staying each night. If four-legged critters posed a danger, or two-legged ones for that matter, we wanted to be prepared.
- Warmth: Considering we were camping in August, we felt pretty certain we wouldn’t run into any blizzards. Our heavy-duty sleeping bags and air mattresses kept us up and away from the cold ground during the night. However, I also had hand and foot warmers in the 72 Hour Kit and I made sure everyone packed a jacket. We also had everything needed for starting a fire.
It’s no wonder my husband felt empowered enough one day to say, “Let’s not spend a second night here. Let’s head over into either Oregon or Wyoming!” We had everything we needed, so why not?
