Finding Peace In The Storm

When the lightning strikes the distant clouds and the thunder rolls across the wilderness, there is nothing quite like it to stir the heart of the outdoorsman to action.  Immediately you begin to look for a suitable shelter and your mind begins to search for what options are available to you.

Do I have a garbage bag that I can make a poncho out of? Do I have an actual poncho? Do I have a waterproof jacket?  Is my pack waterproof?  Is there a ledge or overhang under which I can shelter?  Am I in a large open area vulnerable to lightning strikes? How far away is the storm exactly?  How much time do I have to prepare for wet conditions?

Getting wet is one of the most dangerous problems for anyone who is away from civilization.  Most of the time, there are limited resources, basically what you have in your pack or what you can find immediately available to you in your surroundings.  Hypothermia occurs when your body core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius.  As your normal body temperature is on average 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius, this is only a temperature drop of a few degrees.  Getting wet is one of the primary ways this occurs.  So, staying dry is of utmost importance when in the wilderness.

Being prepared with a few articles of extra clothing, a poncho or makeshift poncho, a tarp or a rain jacket can make all the difference in the world.  In all but the smallest of pocket kits, a contractor grade 3 mil garbage bag will fit and should be carried at all times.  Even when only carrying a pocket kit, another pocket should be utilized for a single, folded garbage bag.  The 42 Gallon size will work, but the larger 55 Gallon bag is much better.  By making a diagonal cut in one corner to make a cap and then tearing a hole on each side for your arms, it will not only shield you from inclement weather, but also provide enough room in the other corner to go over a small daypack on your back.  (You tear the hole for the arms to keep it tight around your arms as well as because tearing the bag is better as sometimes a knife cut can keep traveling and the arm holes will get too big)  You can even make a small roof out of a garbage bag by slitting down the sides and rolling a stick into each end, pegging one end to the ground and lashing the other between two trees or even one if you tie it right.

When you are properly prepared for a storm, you can walk through the wilderness with a deep sense of ease and security.  Peace in the storm comes from knowing you are able to face whatever nature throws at you.  The key is to never set out, even on a simple day trip, without the basics.

Spiritually speaking, when you have God on your side, you can rest assured that no matter what storms life throws at you, you can weather it just fine.  As the old song says, “The Lord’s our rock, in Him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm.”  When things get tough and you feel the pressure building, don’t wait until you are wet and shivering from the coldness of evil to run to Him!  At the first sign of the storm, begin to pray and seek shelter from the harmful and damaging effects of Satan’s attack.  Then, while the storm rages around you, you will truly know peace in the midst of the storm!

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James B