Talking to Strangers

This post is about discussing how you you train your children to deal with stranger dealing with strangers in the backcountry.

I clearly remember my parents telling me that I was never to talk to strangers.  Strangers just weren't safe.


It was a different country in 1958.  A parent could tell their child to walk to the corner market with a list of items to purchase.

Sadly, today we read/hear about the abduction of young people all to frequently.

Let's frame the discussion.

Perhaps you are on a camp out at the local state park. After lunch your two boys can not be found.  Finally, the park Ranger calls the county Sheriff who in turn calls out/activate the Search and Rescue (SAR) team to find and rescue the boys.

In my county (in Oregon) SAR is maned by roughly 70 volunteers and a hand full of paid staff (deputies).  It can take20-50 minutes for those volunteers to respond and report to the SAR facilities.  For a large search that require assets from surrounding counties a large scale search For the volunteers to respond and rendezvous at a specific locations.

Every SAR team member wants the lost hiker to be rescued.  And, every one of the SAR team are strangers.  Should your boys not respond to the SAR voices or whistle blast.

I'd recommend that you and your children have and carry the "Ten Essentials." which includes a whistle.  Practice what you want to have your hikers do.

Ten Essentials:Ten Essentials

The Essentials For Your Day Pack

Always Carry The Right Gear

On a warm afternoon in July, a family leaves a trail head with the goal of summiting the South Sister Mountain in Central Oregon.  It was a rough hike as they took a path not frequently traveled.  By evening it became obvious that this group would not make it to the summit and the glacier they were attempting to cross was icing up; it just wasn’t safe to press on.  911 was called and a local SAR team reached them after midnight.  The temperature on the glacier dropped below 40° (F) and the hikers were getting cold.

When the SAR team reached them, they found that the group had some food and water but no other gear.  The hikers’ clothing selection was questionable too.

So what is the right stuff to carry in the outdoors?  What is the minimum?  What should you consider before hitting the trail?

A climbing group in the 1930s, The Mountaineers from Seattle authored the “Ten Essentials” describing ten items that should be carried in the back country. 

“The Ten Essentials” has been modified by different groups over the years.  The following is the list that REI recommends:

1. Navigation
2. Sun protection
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire
7. Repair kit and tools
8. Nutrition (extra food)
9. Hydration (extra water)
10. Emergency shelter
1. A space blanket is fine to carry but it is a poor shelter.

This is the minimum that one should carry; it is a starting point.  The key is to always carry your kit with you.  I have a day hiking kit that fits into a fanny pack.  It is only limited by its poor ability to carry extra clothing.

Ten Essentials - Include a Whistle

The Ten Essentials is a list of ten very basic items that a hiker or hunter should carry in a day pack; visi tThe Mountaineers Ten Essentials to get their traditional list. 

Consider this to be the foundation of your pack.

While sitting at a desk the backcountry hiker would consider this a very slim list.  Many of the essentials can be carried in a fanny pack.

One item I'd add to the list is a whistle.

Each year, lost hikers a located by using a whistle.  Of course one can yell.....for a short time; until one's voice is worn out.  Whistles require no batteries, can be really loud and take up little room. Ten essentials whistle.  I like the Fox 40 and I like to have a whistle made of plastic and is florescent/hunter orange.

Keeping it simple, here is what  is on amazon.com.  Sportsman's Warehouse has them too.