Preparing for the Weather – Top Ten

With 1st rifle season right around the corner, lots of guys are getting ready to hit the woods.  Problem with our sport is unlike going to the stadium to watch your favorite team and maybe them selling out of your favorite hot dog, when things go south in the backcountry it has the potential to turn your favorite past time into a life or death situation.

With the all too nice weather we’ve been having the past several years this season was a wakeup call that the weather still gets nasty in the high country and you’d better not let your guard down.

1. Leave camp everyday like you might get 3″ of water or a foot of snow while you’re out hunting.
2. Tents properly secured, rain fly’s in place and properly guyed out.
3. All loose camp gear properly stowed away under tarps or in tents.
4. Pack your raingear in your daypack.
5. Even if sleeping in tents, a Gore-tex bivy for your sleeping bag is great insurance.  Ever come back to a small river in your tent and a not so dry sleeping bag?
6. Dry bags for all your gear, especially a spare DRY set of clothes you can change into after a day’s hunt.  http://www.rei.com/category/4501503
7. Spare clothes in a dry bag (is that redundant?  Good).
8. NOAA weather radio to keep you updated on changing weather conditions.
9. Hunting rain suits that don’t make a ton a noise when walking thru the woods.  Cablea’s MT050 doesn’t do too bad but will also reach a saturation point if you’re caught in an all-day downpour.
10. Widow Makers – watch out for standing timber near your camp.  When those trees get waterlogged either by snow or rain they’re much more susceptible to collapse.  Make sure you scout out the area around your camp for standing timber.