There is a lot of good advice here. Internet web searches can give you a lot of comparisons between the ever-evolving gear. I am working on a book that speaks to the emotional, motivational and self-reliance side of hunting alone in the wilderness. I have hunted alone for two to three weeks every year since 1994. And it seems that during every trip there comes a point where I say to myself, ”I’m not doing this “solo thing” ever again.” But every year I find myself on some new adventure in the west or Alaska. The allure is very powerful. The following are few lines from the book that may help some of you prepare.
“…..I used a pump with an attached filter to remove any infectious bacteria or parasites. My main concern was the Giardia species. This lovely little organism brought me days of gaseous diarrhea after a previous hunt. On this prior hunt, I primarily used iodine pills, but sometimes I was so thirsty I didn’t give them enough time to dissolve sufficiently in the ice cold water. I wanted no part of that again, so I was very careful, even down to the detail of how I handled the “dirty” tubing and the clean post filter end. I stored them in separate Ziploc bags….”
“…. The 12,000 foot altitude had a strangle hold on my lungs. At night, my heart seemed to race, but it really wasn’t. My head pounded and I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t too alarmed at first, because it is customary for me to have sleepless nights prior to the start of a new hunt, especially on the ground in a mountain range and state I had never been in before. I would expect such anxiety. But wait, this feeling was different; even in my sleeping bag where there were no excessive exertions it seemed at times I couldn’t catch my breath. This went on nearly all night. It was kind of scary. Of course I had heard the stories about altitude sickness, but I had no idea how it would affect me personally. I hoped I would acclimate to this elevation and I drank a lot of fluid throughout the night. In hindsight, I should have considered staying in town for a day or two at 7,000 feet prior to going to the trailhead to acclimate to the altitude. Also, instead of charging ahead to try to "work" thru my pain/symptoms, I should have taken it easy in my camp for a day in addition to the extra fluids. My previous experiences with the Rocky Mountains were in Montana, but the highest elevation I achieved there was 9,000 feet above sea level. I felt no ill effects from that elevation, and did not know how my body would react. If you are going over 9,000 feet, do yourself a favor and research Acute Altitude Sickness. Know the symptoms and how to react; it could save your life….”
Mike
Topic: DIY Colorado Elk (Read 1309 times)
