OH SH...T!!!! NOW WHAT?!!

[Guest]

Any trip that is more than two hours from my house is what I consider an extended trip. And when you get away from home waters, you need to be as prepared as possible. Taking the time to get together a "trip kit" may just save your outting.

 

Trip kits are just a gathering of things that will pull your ass outta the fire should something go wrong ( and it will...you know it will! ).

 

First, make sure you have Duct tape. Duct tape has saved my ass more than once on a trip. We used duct tape to fix a PVC pontoon on a two man float boat in the middle of a 800 acre lake in Tennessee a few years back. The pontoon kept air, and we kept fishing. The patch lasted the entire weekend until we could get it home and fix it properly. Ted Knott, a contributing field editor for Canadian Flyfishing Magazine recounts how he patched a pair of waders with duct tape in the Summer 2002 issue. Saved his trip, and he stayed dry. Duct tape can also be used to do minor rod repairs like fixing a guide or even a broken reel seat. Duct tape...never leave home without it!

 

Sunscreen. I never, ever, leave for a fishing trip without it. Even in the winter. Even when the weatherman is calling for rain or snow...and here's why. First, you cannot predict conditions....rain may give way to sun, and even on a cold day, sun can do its damage to unprotected skin. Sun screen is also waterproof ( at least most are) and are great for holding in moisture and preventing wind burn, chapping, and cracking of exposed skin. UV light is a dangerous thing...protect yourself...especially on overcast days. Clouds magnify UV light and even though you don't realize it at the time, you can come away from your trip with a nasty sunburn!

 

Spare rods/reels. This is self explanatory. You among us has not shattered the tip of a rod with a car door or tail gate? Even just dropping a rod can do irrepairable damage. Don't get short handed...have extra tackle and gear just in case something does go wrong!

 

CA Adhesives and One Minute Epoxy. These two little items have saved many a trip for me. I have used both for everything from gluing a tip back on to closing a nasty wound on my forehead. The one minute epoxy is a bit trickier to work with, but I once fixed my only pair of eye glasses stream side with it one day. I was 200 miles from anyone I knew and legally blind without them. If I hadn't been able to repair them, I would still be sitting in the backwoods of West Virginia waiting for someone to drive me home!

 

Flashlights and batteries. Even if you don't plan on fishing after dark, take along a flashlight or a headlamp. Many times I told my gal or family that I would be back well before dark, only to get into a hatch or some nice fish. Trust me, trying to hike out of Elkhorn Canyon in the dark is no fun! Don't take the chance. I carry a small but bright and reliable slim line Maglite on every trip. Came in handy on our last trip to erie when Pauley Dog needed a little light to hike up Walnut on our last night.

 

Water and snacks. Nothing is worse than being out in the backwoods and getting dehydrated. Carry along a bottle or two of water. YOu never now when you will need it. Also carry along a few high sugar snacks. I fish with a fella who is diabetic. If it hadn't been for my Jolly Ranchers and an oatmeal cream pie, we would have lost him one day on the Clinch River.

 

First aid kit/Cell Phone/Radio. In today's modern world, you can get into contact with someone with a CB radio/phone. They come in handy in emergencies and you should not be without one or the other...especially if you are on unfamiliar waters or by yourself. The first aid kit is self explanatory.

 

Now, I'm sure there are a lot of things that I have omitted from this short list. And to some, this list may sound like a lot, but I can carry everything I need for long trip in a vest and one small fanny pack. Sure, you don't want to lug around a bunch of stuff that is useless, but there may come a time when your life or your buddy's life may depend on you prepared for the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

this came as an after thought.....on Forum outtings we seem to have a hell of a time keeping up with keys.....last time it was me...this time it was Will and Pujey Baby....make sure you have an extra set in a safe ans secured place....nothing worse than being stranded a million miles away from home!

[Guest]

Boy, that last one's got Chromium AND Forsterhunter written all over it

[Sippy 0]

Does it ever!!!! Floating out after dark and the keys missing really stick out in my mind!

[Foersterhunter 0]

LOL Well men that key problem is now solved

[johnnyquest 0]

Wait are you telling me that Chromium has misplaced his keys more than once? I seem to remember a surf outing where a certain someone lost his keys.... wonder who that was.