If you’re considering two weeks outdoors, you need to go prepared. In nature, things can go wrong quickly. Fortunately, improvements in survival tactics and gear have been tremendous over the last twenty to thirty years. Brands are really getting on top of the problem and providing fantastic solutions to those who love the great outdoors.
But what should you do if you’re spending two weeks outdoors in the wilderness? Here’s our advice:
Make Sure You Stay Dry
The biggest problem for people who love to travel in the wilderness is staying warm and dry. Unfortunately, rain can come at any time, causing you to get soaked miles from home.
The best way to prevent this is to take advanced fabrics with you that can protect your body and gear. For instance, you can now get Dyneema jackets and trousers that prevent water from soaking through and leaving you and your stuff cold and soggy.
You can also take a quick-pitch tent with you and set it up whenever you think a shower is on the way. Staying inside with your bags keeps nearly everything dry except the shelter itself.
Bring Your Morning Coffee With You
The next step is to pack drinks that will keep you energized. These will help you push through the tough times and recreate the experience of being at home.
These days, brands like Contact Coffee Co make all sorts of products designed to cope with the rigors of outdoor adventures. It seems you can take your coffee whenever you like, no matter where you are (even if you are a long way from a coffee machine or your favourite coffee house). Add hot water and away you go!
Consider Your Water Situation
Because you can’t carry two weeks of fresh water in your backpack, you will also need to consider your water situation in the wilderness. You need to have some way of collecting it from the environment.
One approach is to take a filter bottle with you. These filter water from a tank into a container under the influence of gravity. Filters are highly effective, as long as you replace them regularly.
Another approach is to take water purification tablets with you. These are okay, but they taste bad and don’t remove the water’s original contaminants.
The final option is to rely on public springs and faucets along the way. These are available on some routes, but usually not in the wilderness.
Bring Bedding To Stay Warm At Night
You also want to bring bedding to stay warm at night. It can get cold in the wilderness in the small hours, even in the desert.
If you are going somewhere frozen, you should bring four-season equipment with you. Three-season might look warm, but it may cause you to become too cold at night.
You should also bring a shovel and some method for lighting a fire for your adventure. You can survive in icy wildernesses by digging shallow pits, burning wood inside them, and then removing the ash once burnt to heat the rock below, providing you with heating.
