Adventure Magazine

" If the weather had

turned...we would have

had no choice but to

try and make use of the

resources we had."

walk to the helicopter landing site, and although we quickly

warmed up, we were far from comfortable.

We made it with about an hour to spare and took shelter among

the forest canopy, shivering and counting down the minutes.

We listened intently for any sound of a helicopter, but in such a

steep valley with gushing water, it was hard to pinpoint a noise.

Then all of a sudden, the machine burst out above us over the

trees, turned to face us, and touched down. We were safe,

alive, and would soon be warm.

As a guide, it was usually my responsibility to be prepared

for such a situation, and luckily I still had all my gear in my

pack. So I quickly dug into my backpack to find my survival kit.

We both stripped off our top layers of clothing and wrapped

ourselves in emergency mylar blankets before checking our

bags for dry clothes. Luckily, our bags had stayed mostly

above the waterline, so we both had relatively dry jackets.

We sat there to calm our nerves and slowly warm up, grateful

that we were still breathing. We weighed our options and

decided to start moving towards our designated pickup spot.

I had a lighter ready, but as the surrounding foliage was

drenched from the night's rain, it would have taken more

energy to start a fire than it was worth, so we just packed up

and got moving.

The walk was punishing. We started to realize that the water

that had made it into our waders had seeped down to our feet,

and we heard the slosh with every step. It was around a 3km

We were lucky that day, no doubt about it. If the weather had

turned and the helicopter been delayed, or if the event had

occurred earlier in the day, we would have had no choice but

to try and make use of the resources we had. From that day

on, it changed my view on what gear I carry and how I carry it.

That's why I eventually created my own brand of survival kits

and outdoor gear to help us better prepare for our adventures.

Our flagship "KEA KIT" products take all the guesswork out

of creating your own survival kit, and with version 2 launching

soon, we're looking to take this ethos to the next level.

You can see more at www.keaoutdoors.com

The things we did wrong that day were numerous but

inconspicuous. This, coupled with my familiarity with the

weather and location, allowed some complacency to creep in.

Since then, I can say that I am more cautious than ever and

only cross rivers that I am comfortable with. The key is to be

aware of your limits, know when the risk is too great, and take

care, no matter what adventure you are on. Stay safe out there!

DESIGNED FOR ANGLERS

BUILT FOR

ATHLETES

For more information visit www.kilwell.co.nz