Story…

I have had many adventures in the great outdoors. I grew up in a rural area of South Texas near a large lake called Falcon Lake. Growing up, I would go to the lake and go camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, boating, and even hunting. I would do these things and was pretty good at it. From starting a campfire to pitching a tent when I was camping, from building a duck blind for hunting, to repairing rods and reels for a fishing trip. I learned how to do it all in the outdoors. Just like picking a camping spot is crucial to a successful camping trip, packing the right equipment is an essential part of going on an outdoor adventure. If you don’t have something that you need while you’re stuck out in the middle of nowhere, you can’t just say, “hey wait a minute I don’t have my fire starter flint, I’ll be right back.” Packing for the adventure must be checked and double-checked, the essential equipment that is needed must be packed and accounted for, if you don’t pack it, it’s getting left behind, and because you’re going to be gone for a while and no way of just running up to the house for something when you need it.

Now, there are different essentials needed for every occasion too. But there are a few items that you will always need, regardless of the goal of the outdoor trip. You can be camping, fishing, hunting, or just hiking, and you want a tent, sleeping bag, survival knife, fire starter, and the list goes on depending on how light or heavy you want to pack, and what your ideas of essential is. This also goes without saying about “dressing for the occasion.” Camouflage clothing, hiking boots, head wear, and an orange safety vest so that hunters don’t mistake you for a deer, would be the ideal outfit. If you’ve ever shopped for outdoor outfits at a sporting goods store, you would know the endless variety of men’s and women’s outdoor clothing. These things are the most important part of the adventure, and it is pretty much just common sense that you’re not going to wear a business suit to a camp out, any more than you’re going to wear hiking gear to the office, right! Being prepared with the right equipment for an outdoor adventure is no different than having the right tool for the job when something needs to be fixed. Not only necessary but lifesaving in a dangerous situation, situations that certainly could occur during an outdoor adventure.