Did I Pack Enough?

Every time I go out into the wilderness, I have the same dilemma. Do I really have everything I need?  I know that it is possible to survive with a very bare minimum of supplies or even none at all but in order to properly effect wilderness survival, you must use a large amount of the natural resources that are around you. So for the sake of being a conservationist and leaving as little sign of my passing through the back country as possible, I try to be complete in my preparations.

Actually, planning and packing for a trip is almost half of the fun.  I really enjoy gathering my gear, picking and choosing what items I will be using on that particular trip.  After many years of being in the outdoors, I have a fair amount of gear to choose from.  However, it is always possible to bring too much.  So, having just the right amount for the trip takes a bit of skill.  You do have to be be careful not to fall into the “What if” scenarios.  You simply cannot pack enough for every contingency.  This is why it is so important to have survival and bushcraft training.  When things don’t go as planned, you can fall back onto your wilderness skills and training to fill in the gaps.

There is a conundrum that exists in the outdoor world.  Comfort in camp often means misery on the trail because you’re carrying more weight in gear, like a camp stool for instance. But, comfort on the trail can mean a little ( or a lot of) misery in camp because you are carrying too little gear, like opting for a smaller, lighter sleeping bag and then you sleep cold all night etc.  So, being able to overcome the many variables that you face in the outdoors and being able to both be comfortable in camp and not struggle on the trails is the real challenge.  And there is a difference between survival training and just going out to enjoy the wilderness.

Knowing yourself and your skill level is of utmost importance.  Being able to make do with less is important. Willingness to endure a little hardship is important. Having a cheerful attitude is important. And, being able to eat well, sleep well and travel well is the goal.

Spiritually speaking, we are all preparing for a journey. All of life is a journey to a destination that we all travel.  We will all die someday.  One of my favorite quotes is, “Given a long enough time frame, nobody survives.”  We will all spend eternity somewhere.  And there are only two choices available, Heaven or Hell.  The truth is, that we will leave this world empty handed.  As 1 Timothy 6:7 states, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” As Job also stated in Job 1:21, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb and naked shall I return thither…”  We come into the world with nothing and we will leave the same way.  So how are you packing for eternity?  You see, we can’t take things with us into when we leave this world but we can take our good deeds and encourage others to go with us.  Jesus said that we should “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” Matthew 6:20  So even though we cannot fill up a backpack and journey to heaven, we can send our treasures on ahead.  And it is true that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Set your heart on Heaven, experience the love and forgiveness of God and begin preparing today for your eternal journey.  You can’t pack too much, but it is certain that you can prepare too little!

Thanks for reading!

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James B