Last Updated on October 25, 2020 by Lisa Vargas
Every time I start planning a wilderness survival challenge, the thought crosses my mind. “What am I thinking?” Each year my injuries add up, my joints hurt a bit more, and I become a bit grouchier.
I am almost 40 years old and my body is not what it used to be. I have a torn rotator cuff, an umbilical hernia, several bad discs in my back, and countless other aches and pains.
This would be challenge number 16 for me, and it has been a blast. That being said, I risk my life every time I head out into the wilderness alone.
The Survival Challenge- Testing My Bug Out Bag
For this survival wilderness challenge, I wanted to hike 41 miles over four or five days with my standard bug out bag. I completed a 27-mile challenge four years ago but brought a much smaller pack with less gear.
For this one, I wanted to have all of the normal survival gear I would expect to have if I was forced to leave my home with my standard bug out bag. While giving me more tools for survival, it also made my pack much heavier.
I was also venturing out on a trail system with which I was not familiar. I wanted to be able to review with you the uses for all of this gear while also attempting what might have been my last long-distance survival challenge.
Here is how everything went down.
Planning And Preperation
As often happens with these wilderness survival challenges, it just started with an idea. I did not have a lot going on around the house and wanted a reason to get in better shape and enjoy nature.
Instead of hitting the gym and going camping, I decided to consider the option of another challenge. Just for the fun of it I decided to search “longest trails in Missouri”. Up popped the Ozark Trail System.
This is a chain of trails totaling over 140 miles and it was only a few hour drive from my house. I have hiked lots of trails in the Ozark Mountains, and while hilly they normally were smooth and easy to navigate.
I knew on my best days I could hike about 10 miles, so I thought 41 miles in four days was just about right. I found a section of the trail that claimed to be one of the most scenic in the state and started thinking about the weather.
Typically, there are a few weeks in October around here during which nights are in the 50’s and days are around 70F. This is ideal for a challenge with lots of hiking involved.
The idea behind this challenge was to simulate a scenario in which you need to leave home and hike 41 miles with your bug out bag, but you have a little flexibility on when you can leave.
Obviously, you want the best weather possible. Rain is always in the forecast in October, but I can manage some rain if needed. This would require me to get a few clothing items such as new hiking pants and boots.
I put the word out online that I was considering the challenge to see if any companies wanted me to document my experience. I got a quick response and now the challenge was officially on the calendar.
Updating My Bug Out Bag
Now came the tough part. Every year I go through my bug out bag two or three times to adjust the items inside. Sometimes I need to update expired items like manufactured tinder, and sometimes
I just need to swap out clothing for something lighter or heavier. I would need to go through this process again for this challenge.
Assessing Your Health
In addition to updating my bug out bag, it had been months since I did any heavy hiking. I would need to spend a few weeks getting my legs and back ready for the journey.
I put together a training plan and started considering the gear in my bag. Now it was time to take some action.
I started hiking six to ten miles a day on a very hilly section of trail. I was confident that the practice hiking up and down these steep inclines would help me with the trails in the Ozark Mountains.
I started out hiking in sandals to toughen up my feet. When my new boots came in, I waterproofed them with bee’s wax and started wearing them to break them in. Breaking in boots is painful at first but is worth the effort.
Within a few days the boots were very comfortable. I chose to go with a tactical style high ankle boot this time to be sure I had the traction and ankle support needed.
However, these had a softer sole for a flat, clean trail. On my first long distance challenge there was lots of gravel and the rocks bruised the arches of my feet. I was hopeful that the trail would be less rocky this time.
Putting Together My List
The next thing I did was put together a list of what I had in my bug out bag and what changes I wanted to make. This particular pack is a 65 Liter internal frame pack that I have used to travel all across the country and 17 other countries as well.
It is a little on the heavy side, but perfect for this purpose. After I put together my list and made adjustments, this is the gear I ended up with.
For water purification I had a vial of iodine tablets and a filter bottle. I had to buy a new vial of tablets because I was running low. I did not plan to bring any water with me, so I was relying entirely on the water sources listed on the trail website. It was a leap of faith.
I typically like using a filter bottle as I can drink right away, but the iodine tablets were a backup in case the filter got clogged. You always want to blow backwards through the filter to push out any crud before you let it dry out after use.
Related Articles: What Is The Best Way To Purify Water?
For food, I only brought dry oatmeal and meal replacement bars. These items are light and take up little space, but they could give me calories and carbohydrates while allowing me to keep moving.
I had paracord for building snare traps if time allowed. My preference is 550 paracord because it can support 550 lbs of weight and can be split apart to use the interior strands.
I also brought my pocket fisherman. It is a folding fishing rod that extends out to 18 inches long and holds five lures in the handle.
In the past, I have brought in fish that were as large as six lbs on this little rig with no issues. I was hoping that some of these creeks and ponds would have some fish.
One tough decision I had to make was to take my survival .22 rifle with me. It is an extra 3.5 lbs but gave me another way to go after food. I hoped hunting would be an option. I actually asked some of my peers on a survival group if I should bring it… they all said yes.
Fire was a bit more complicated. I like to have lots of different ways to start fire since hypothermia is the number one reason people die in the wilderness.
I always bring a few Bic lighters and a zippo since it is windproof. I also brought two ferro rods. These little guys are windproof, waterproof, and require no fuel.
I always bring two types of manufactured tinder. One is Wetfire cubes which are waxy cubes that will catch a spark when shaved thin and stay lit for a few minutes in any weather. I also bring Fire Liters which will stay lit for more like 20 minutes but require a flame.
Finally, I like to bring a pocket stove and gas tank with me for emergencies. If I am in a hurry to boil water or cook food, this setup can get it done with little effort.
Shelter
For shelter I had a few different options. I always have a big tarp style emergency blanket in my gear. It can be used as a shelter itself or can be used just to wrap up. The reflective side will reflect 90% of the body heat you give off, and it is waterproof.
In my standard bug out bag I also keep a one-person tent, a small hiking sleeping bag, an inflatable pillow, and an inflatable sleeping mat.
Often these items stay in my pack unless I feel I really need them to get some sleep. Sleep is vital in a survival scenario. As stated above, I always have some paracord to rig up a shelter when needed.
Other Useful Survival Gear
Now that I had the four pillars of survival covered, it was time to move on to other items. I had two compasses in my pack with one having an emergency whistle.
I also printed out maps of the area and laminated them so they would not be destroyed if they got wet. While I did not have any cell reception or GPS, I did bring a few battery packs for my cell phone in case I ran into a service area.
I had a tactical flashlight and a headlamp in my pack for extra light if needed. I brought a few toilet paper tablets as well. These are the size of a large mint but spread out into a large sheet of toilet paper when water is added.
I had two knifes with me in case one got lost or broken. I also brought a folding saw to help with firewood or shelter building.
I brought a metal cup for boiling water or cooking. I also brought a trekking/sight pole. This gave me more points of contact while hiking steep terrain.
Finally, I brought a pocket poncho in case it rained and a roll of duct tape to tape up my legs if I needed to wade through a creek.
Final Wrap Up Before I Hit The Wilderness Trail
After a couple weeks of training on hills and breaking in my new boots, I loaded up my pack. It was a bit heavier than I would like but should have been fine.
I called and spoke to the parks department about the trail and outside of the first few miles they said the trail was pretty flat and clean.
They also said there were four water sources in the first 10 miles and even more after that, so hydration should not be an issue.
It is always a good idea to call and talk to someone that knows the area before you ever go out in the wilderness. Based on what they told me, I was assured that I could complete the challenge.
I constantly watched the weather, and the temperatures seemed reasonable.
As a final step I loaded up my pack and trained with it on my back. This allowed me to make some adjustments to the pack so the weight was balanced.
It was finally time to head out and put myself to the test.
Day 1: Koinania Cottage in Black, MO
This was an unusual challenge for me in that I was actually starting the afternoon prior to my hike. I found a wonderful little retreat called Koinania Cottage in Black, MO.
They were close to the trailhead and let me set up camp on the creek near their cottages. The valley was gorgeous, and we look forward to doing a wilderness survival retreat there sometime this winter.
There was a large sand bar that looked ideal for setting up camp. In this case it was getting dark and I wanted to be sure I got lots of sleep. I decided to break out my tent, sleeping mat, and pillow to be sure I was rested.
The beautiful part about tools like these is that I had my camp set up in about 10 minutes. That gave me time to get a fire going and to sight in my rifle.
My survival rifle is an interesting tool. It is a standard .22 rifle when assembled. However, it breaks down into three pieces and everything is stored in the stock.
This breaks the rifle down to about 18 inches long, and I can assemble it in about 30 seconds. The stock is also designed to float. If I were to drop it in the creek, it would be just fine.
My trekking pole doubles as a shooting stick, so I used that to sight it in at 30 yards. After a few adjustments I was shooting a one-inch group at that distance.
This is perfect for the squirrels I planned to see along the trail. With two clips, I still had plenty of ammo for hunting.
I should mention that camping on sand or gravel is a risk. You think it will be softer, but often that sand or gravel gets very cold at night.
The only reason I chose to set up here was because I had the sleeping mat to get up off of the ground. I started looking around for driftwood. This was a large creek, and it was obvious it flooded from time to time.
Driftwood gets super dry which makes it ideal for starting fires. I got a good stack put together and broke out my fire kit. It was a little on the windy side, but with my ferro rod and Wetfire cube I was able to get the fire started quickly.
I settled in and ate one of my meal replacement bars to get me through the evening. After several trips to the creek for water I planned be fully hydrated the next morning.
The rest of the time I just relaxed and listened to the sound of the running water. There was a beautiful sunset with lots of reds and oranges, and my evening could not have been more peaceful. With everything going on, it was nice to get away from society for a while and enjoy the fall colors for a while.
Day 2: Setting out On The Trail
I woke up bright and early at 4 am to be sure I had time for some breakfast and to break down my gear. While my gear sets up in 10 minutes, it takes more like 30 minutes to break it down and shove it back into the compression sacks.
Compression sacks just make your gear smaller in your pack so it all fits better. I got some water boiled and cooked up some oatmeal for breakfast. The thing I love about oatmeal on survival challenges is that it gives you a carbohydrate burst and also warms your insides.
Once packed up I headed to the trailhead. I made some final adjustments to my pack and noticed the windows smashed out of one of the cars parked there. This always makes me a bit nervous, but I decided to move forward anyways.
It was a foggy morning and I worried if I would have any good views for pictures, but I appreciated the cool weather.
The first thing I did was take off my jacket and stow it in my pack. I knew I would be sweating soon. It then became apparent that with the amount of weight in my pack that the straps may be a bit too short for a guy my height.
There was more weight on my shoulders than I expected. The trees were just starting to change, but up on the mountain it was beautiful. I knew I would be climbing up to the peak of Bell Mountain which is 1706 ft above sea level.
The trail was well kept and clearly defined, which was exactly what I had hoped for. I got a good pace going and was really enjoying the hike.
I also noticed I had cell service, so that gave me hope that communication with the outside world would not be a problem.
However, I also knew that there was no water for the first five miles according to the park service.
As I started to ascend the mountain, I noticed large rock formations completely lichens. Lichens can be eaten or used to make a medicinal tea, so it was a good resource to see.
There was a cool breeze with the sun starting to peek through the fog. I pushed through with no breaks and made it to the peak after about 3.5 miles. The view was breathtaking.
From the top you could see for miles including the peak of the tallest mountain in the Ozarks, Tom Sauk. I noticed a few campers near the peak but hoped that these would be the only other hikers I saw. The whole point was to be isolated. I took a short break to snap some pictures and got back on the trail.
Challenges
This is where things started to go wrong. I hiked for a while longer and found the first stock pond listed on the map. I had planned on hydrating at this point, but the pond was completely dry. Time to keep pushing on.
After a few more miles I ran across more hikers and found the second stock pond. It was also dry. Stock ponds rely entirely upon rainwater to stay full and it had been weeks since it rained in this area. Now came the really tough part.
I started descending down the other side of the mountain. I had noticed that the trail was rougher near the peak, but I expected that.
However, on the way down the trail was entirely comprised of loose rocks. That means that foot placement was incredibly important. One false step and I could roll down the mountain with my heavy pack dragging me along. I was forced to slow my pace.
I started to notice some wildlife, and still optimistic I decided to consider my options for dinner. There was a small snake crossing the trail. It was not really worth the effort of cleaning it and cooking it for a few calories.
There was a good-sized box turtle, but I knew from previous challenges that it would require cooking for a long time. I decided to let it go and knew that my son would appreciate the gesture.
Finally, I found a medium sized snake that was moving slowly. I used my trekking pole to pin it down and cut off its head. I now had some good protein for dinner.
Just when I caught my snake, I noticed more and more hikers on the trail. The weather was nice, and the trail was now getting crowded.
As I approached what should have been the third water source, and it was dry. I knew I was in trouble. I’m a big guy and cannot hike up and down mountains without water regular hydration.
I had trusted the parks department that there would be water. You must keep in mind that most parks departments are incredibly understaffed and overworked. They just do not have enough people to keep the office running and get out in the park to check on things like water sources.
The trail became steeper, and I became wobblier with my dehydration. There were a few times I almost fell on the loose rocks, and they took their toll on my ankles, knees, feet, and hips. It turned out that I should have brought different boots to handle the rocks.
Final Water Source
I came to the final potential water source. This was a creek that should have water year-round. There were a few small puddles and the rest was mud. I didn’t want to do it, but I got out my filter bottle and iodine tablets and drank the puddle water.
The problem with stagnant water is that even when purified it can upset your stomach. I drank two or three bottles and was ready to try and finish descending the mountain.
Just then my back went out. I had shoulder problems all day because of my torn rotator cuff and the weight of the pack on my shoulders.
However, my back going out was a killer. I have had a bad back for almost 20 years and it can completely shut me down. Several hikers stopped to ask if I needed help, but I kept pushing.
Time To Back Out
I finally made it to the bottom of the mountain and found another trailhead. I had an important decision to make at this point.
I made it 10.6 miles with a 45 lb pack with almost no water. However, if the parks department was wrong about these four first sources of water, what was to say that they wouldn’t be wrong about the rest of the hike.
In addition, there were no other trailheads for me to get help in the next few days. I could have kept going and hoped that water was there, but without cell reception, I could have died of dehydration.
I never like to tap out of a survival challenge, but I had a family to consider. I sat down at the trailhead and waited for help.
I couldn’t call transportation to get me to my car, so I was forced to rely upon the kindness of strangers. I had my doubts.
Hikers To The Rescue
The first hiker that came through had no cell reception but was willing to give me two bottles of water and electrolyte tablets. It was nice to know someone was willing to help.
I rested for a while and another hiker came along. He said that he often had to hitchhike back to his car when hiking and was more than happy to give me a ride.
I was skeptical of his kindness but decided to go along. With no GPS signal we were driving around with no idea where my car was.
This man drove me around for almost two hours until we found my car. He would not accept cash for his time.
He simply said that he has been in my situation before and enjoyed the adventure. Thank God for good people.
In The End
I would love to say this was a story of triumph, but in this case it was not. However, I am forced to keep everything in perspective. I rarely see survivalists do long-distance challenges for this very reason.
If you watch popular survival shows you may have seen one or two legitimate solo long-distance challenges, but they don’t happen often.
There are just too many uncertain variables. I fully believe that if the terrain and water sources were in line with what the parks department told me I would have been able to finish the challenge.
That being said, my back going out was a curveball I did not expect. If I had known that the trail would be mostly steep with loose rocks, I would have packed a lighter pack and would have brought boots with a steel plate in the sole to protect my feet.
If I knew that the water sources were dry, I would have brought at least a gallon of drinking water to get me through.
When you finish a survival challenge like this, there is much on which to reflect. I am disappointed in the information I was given.
I am disappointed in myself that I trusted this information and was not prepared. I am also encouraged by the help I was given from total strangers.
While I tend to rely upon myself for survival, in this case I was forced to rely upon others. This makes me think that maybe long term survival would require the support of other like minded people.
The gear I brought did its job for the most part. I most certainly could have kept going, but at what cost?
Wilderness survival is no joke. People die in the wilderness all the time. Despite years of experience testing my skills, I am still learning and growing.
If you take anything from this account of my experience, please let it be this. You can never learn too much. You can never be too prepared.