When trekking off into the wilderness for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking or whatever, the last thing you might think of is communications. It should be the first thing.
Communications Equipment in the Wilderness For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling 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 & Field hunting and fishing auctions. "Provide as much information about your route as possible.
Things can happen. Rocks can fall on your head while hiking. Boats can tip over. Firearms can malfunction. Somebody needs to know that you are late in arriving...and where to send search parties to find 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."
