Runner’s Urban Survival Kit Can Be a Lifesaver
by Leon Pantenburg
Survival situations can happen when you least expect it, or in places where such a thing doesn’t make sense.
These items are lightweight, easily-carried and could save your life if you're injured while running. From left: handwarmers, cell phone, flashlight, knife, Boy Scout flint stick, whistle, and firestarter.
Maybe you’ve gotten into the habit of taking a run in the same urban area every evening. Then, one evening, the endorphins kick in, and you decide to double the usual mileage. As darkness approaches, you realize you have to get back to the car before it gets really dark. You slip, twist your ankle and can’t move.
Or you might decide to go for a walk and just take off without thinking to tell someone where you went. You’re strolling along, relaxing and enjoying the iPod, and letting the stress from the office dissipate. Then, as it starts to get dark, you realize you’ve taken a wrong turn and are lost. And pretty soon, it will be pitch dark, and you can’t see the path.
Maybe you have your routine down, and are so set in the pattern that you don’t consider the potential danger. After all, you don’t go that far from your home, and this isn’t some wilderness area…
A similar situation happened to Bend, Oregon resident Karen Johnson. (Click on highlighted word to read Johnson’s complete story.) She nearly died of hypothermia after slipping on the ice and breaking her leg. The area she was running in was a popular, well-used trail. But when Johnson was injured, there was no one around. Only prior preparations, her survival equipment, and being very, very lucky saved her.
Here’s a few tips on what survival equipment to take on a run or an evening walk. These items are lightweight, take up little space and can easily be fitted into a fanny pack or jacket pocket.
- Leave a note or verbal message about where you’re going and when you’ll be back: Even if you’re only expecting to be gone for a little while, nobody will know where to look for you. They might think you went to a movie, the library or some place where you had to shut off your cell phone.
- STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. This survival mindset exercise applies to every survival situation. Know how to use it.
- Cell phone: You can call for help if you need to. Even if you can’t get coverage, leave your phone on. The pings to your phone from the nearest cell tower can be traced.
- Small flashlight: If you end up out after dark, the flashlight can help you get safety out of the dark places. Not to mention, the psychological boost it can provide if you have to stay in one place and wait for help. Princeton Tec Pulsar White LED Key Chain Light
- Whistle: A whistle carries further than your voice, and won’t give out. You can signal for help more effectively, and sometimes a whistle works to scare off potential bad guys. Fox 40 Micro 2 pack
- Flint stick or lighter and firestarter: If you’re injured, you may be able to build a fire for warmth, signaling and as a morale boost. It will help you stay in one place so you can be rescued. Strike It, Matchless Firestarter
- Small knife: I carry a Swiss Army knife Classic everywhere. The blade can be used to strike sparks of a flint stick, whittle kindling, or cut string. The tweezers, scissors, toothpick and file also have multiple uses. Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife
- Lanyard: Combine everything together on a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck or tie it to your clothing. If the gear is tied to you, it won’t be lost.
- Handwarmers: Even if the weather is warm, a runner will cool rapidly if he can’t move. The handwarmers can be placed on the chest or torso to keep the vital areas warm. HeatMax Hot Hands 2 Handwarmer (40 pairs)
- Water: Hydration is always a good idea. If the water gets too heavy, you can always drink it, or pour it out. Platypus Sport Bottle
For more related SurvivalCommonSense.com tips and stories, click on the highlighted words:
- STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
- Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
- Dress with the right fabrics.
- Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
- It can kill you: Hypothermia
- About Leon Pantenburg
Ecclesiastes 1:9 – “…what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun.”
I imagine the cavemen had survival kits, only they called it something else!
Thanks for the input – and stay tuned for more!
Great discussion. And I REALLY like that you practice what you preach. That’s when you can tell a post has come together.
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And I’m also fascinated by how fresh you made the routine [admit it: what you just shared has been regurgitated millions of time.
Ben Johnson said people don’t need taught as much as they need reminding.
Good work.
The site was created by my local web guru – he did a great job, didn’t he?
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Thanks for sharing, great site and keep it up. I will be back!
There are a lot of people out there looking to make a quick buck, and blogging seems to be the vehicle of choice right now!
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I’ll check the Safe-Light out – sounds like a nice product! Keep several in convenient places, and hopefully, a light will be at hand when you need it!
A passing thought – any flashlight is a hundred times better than no flashlight, but there is a fascinating little device called PALight and also ‘Safe-Light”. Sold online, rubber clad, powered by a 9 volt battery, I personally think everyone should have a few. Small, ultra-tough, the light has four modes. In the first mode, the ‘glow’ mode, the LED light is always on, very dimly, It will actually last well over a year in that mode, with an alkaline battery. Makes it simple to find even in pitch dark, or in your pack, or sudden power outage at 2:00 a.m… the next two presses of the side button give you a low-light mode, perfect for looking at a map or compass or searching for something without waking others in the proximity, and a brighter mode, adequate for finding your way along a path or a trail, or doing mundane chores. If you left it in the ‘high’ mode, all the time, 24 hours a day, you would still get 6 months to 9 months out of the battery Final mode is a great strobe-flash, which is very, very visible from a distance, for air rescue, boaters, or search teams on the ground.
No, it’s not a Surefire – no, it’s not the ONLY light that I carry or use. But it IS the only light that I can afford ( around 15 bucks ) to buy several to keep in car, desk drawer at work, first aid kit and kitchen at home. One model even comes with a combination belt clip and magnet, so you can mount it on the fridge or any metal surface in your home, and if the lights go out – there is your little guiding light!
PS – Kids love these things too, makes them feel lots more secure in their room or on camping trips… good stuff!
Good and helpful tips Leon. Thanks for the article. The first tip on your list is crucial, as it’s always a good idea to let someone know where you’re going, and how long you’ll be, no matter what your plan is.