Accessories with day pack
Which Watch to Watch for...
For the winter holidays, I received one of those fancy watches that hangs
from your beltloop, or where ever you want to hook it on, with a small clip.
The hanging strap even has a small compass on it. I was ecstatic. I kill watches,
both wind-up and electric, and so I thought perhaps this one would last a
little longer. So far, I was right.
I have it either hanging from my purse strap or my ‘day pack’, depending
on what I am doing, and if I remembered to change over. I have even hung it
from my belt loop on my jeans, but that causes problems.
The way the watch is positioned on the strap (at the bottom), I have to turn
it around so that I can see the correct time. Anyone else looking at it while
it is hanging can tell the time, no problem. So it wasn’t the really
expensive one, but I find it is more than adequate.
I try to get myself lost on occasion. It is interesting to see if I can do
it, and how I get back out. It is easy to loose ones self when hiking and
trying to get somewhere, but try to get lost, and you will invariably not
be able to do it. But when I succeed, I like having just a little bit of direction-finding
ability. The watch is great for that, and because it is a multifunction tool,
I am less likely to loose it. I recommend getting one.
To use a watch with hands, commonly called an analog watch, you will have to know about what time it is. This sounds silly, but at Dawn, the sun is in the East. The sun is in the West at Dusk. At noon, the sun is 'straight up'. At any of these times, you can pick out the cardinal directions. At night, on the other hand, it can be more difficult. If you know any astronomy at all, though, you can find the big dipper, little dipper and the north star. Now, the North Star is usually not on the horizon, so take your analog watch, put the 12 at it and 3 should be East. Or, get a watch like mine with a compass on it...
A watch can also be used to measure the distance between hill and mountain
peaks, time how long you have been going along the trail, and let you know
when it is time to find a place to camp for the night.
Whistle for your thoughts...
Anyone who is going to be going out in the ‘wilderness’ needs to
have some sort of signaling device. I use a whistle that is easy to blow and
easy to replace. It has a high-pitched tone that can be heard for about 1/2
a mile. I tested it.
Mirrors, whistles and other signaling devices are essential, but consider
where you are going and why you would need to signal before having one of
everything in your pack. I try to keep it down to just the minimum(if you
call the kitchen sink minimum...), and the whistle meets the situations I
have been in.
When using a whistle for an emergency signaling device, the common way to
signal is to use three blasts in a row, then pause. Keep doing the three and
pause until you are found. A mirror works well for flashing an attention getting
light to people far away or on airplanes.
What else is in the Daypack?