The sad fact is that many, many of us embark upon journeys into the wild without enough preparation for the unforeseen.

Years ago I found myself under dressed and far from shelter with the temperature dropping rapidly. My traveling companion began to notice (as I did also) that my sentences began to make less sense than usual. Hypothermia was becoming a reality. Fortunately, we reached shelter before things got to be too serious. From this misadventure, I learned to plan ahead for such things.

Now, I never venture out on even a brief hike or paddling trip without a small day pack (in a waterproof bag when canoeing) containing extra clothing, a first aid kit, a small tarp, the makings for a fire, some candy and some dried foods, a knife, a bottle of water, and a few other "survival" items. Yes, I probably appear to others as being over packed. But I really don't care. There have already been numerous times when I have been glad to have these things at hand - most especially the tarp.

I keep this bag in my car when I am not using it otherwise. In the colder months I also keep a sleeping bag in the car. I haven't needed it yet, but it is a comfort to me just knowing it is there. I know that in some of the western states it is the law to always carry a shovel in the car. States vary as to what else is required besides that. Some want water; some want sand. These are for the purpose of getting your car unstuck and for the possibility of putting out small fires. Seems like a good idea to me.