Claire N. is an avid hiker who’s been backpacking and hitting the trails for as long as she can remember.
Early one morning, Claire set out for Joshua Tree National Park from Palm Springs, CA.
Once there, she began her hike on the Lost Palms Oasis Trail.
The 7.5-mile trail is popular, but on this particular day, Claire said she only ran into a few people.
About two hours into her hike she fell…
She had sat down to rest on a large rock and drink some water.
As she was climbing down from the rock, she lost her footing and slipped about 15 feet.
When she hit the ground, she heard a crack and screamed in pain.
She grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911, but there was no signal.
Then she started to panic.
She was unable to sit up and as she moved, she could hear her pelvis cracking.
For the next four days, Claire had the same routine:
She would yell for help in the morning and spend the afternoon trying to shade herself from the sun.
To stay positive Claire said, “I started telling myself, ‘I’m going to survive this.”
She began thinking of things she wanted to do and people she wanted to see again.
For four days, all she had to eat was a protein bar, bagel, and a hard-boiled egg.
She had plenty of water for the hike and had about 2 liters left when she fell.
She ran out of the water about the end of the second day, so she began urinating into her empty water bottle and drank it.
“I had no survival training. It was mostly common sense,” she said.
Claire’s friends became concerned when they noticed she hadn’t posted on social media in a few days.
The friends knew she had planned to hike Lost Palms Oasis, so they went to the trailhead and found Claire’s car.
The friends contacted the police, and a multi-agency ground and air search began.
A few hours later, a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department helicopter found Claire.
She was flown out and taken to an awaiting air ambulance.
There is no question that Claire is lucky to be alive.
The fact is, whether you are going camping or bugging out, besides water, food is one of the main priorities to survival.
Yet, like Claire, a lot of people only take protein bars, or other ready to eat food to give them energy.
But having the ability to heat good food and water can make a big difference.
For example, if you need to melt snow for water or even boil water you would need cookware.
With that being said, here are the top cookware sets you may want to add to your bug out gear.
Lixada Camping Titanium Cookware Set.
This is a 4-piece titanium set that includes a 1600ml pot, 750ml pot, 420ml cup, and a spork.
The full kit is made of durable titanium, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant.
The pots feature round edges, a lid with tabs, and foldable handles.
This set provides ideal capacity for camping or hiking.
The cookware doesn’t leave any taste or odor on your food or liquid.
It is also efficient for heating since it has a lid to prevent heat loss.
The Lixada set sells for $50 new.
Trekology Backpacking Cookware Set.
This 6-in-1 cookware is small and compact.
It includes a 450ml titanium pot, lid, spork, stove, 30ml fuel container, and a heat-resistant silicone gripper.
Everything fits perfectly in the pot and weighs only 7.4oz.
You can eat directly from the pot with the silicone gripper to protect you from burning your hand.
Titanium cookware is lighter than stainless steel and more durable than aluminum.
The Trekology cookware set sells for $70 new.
MalloMe Camping Mess Kit.
The MalloMe is a 10-Piece cookware mess kit. It is compact and collapsible.
The kit includes a 1-liter non-stick pot, pot cover, non-stick pan, two bowls, folding spork, soup spoon and a spatula.
The kit is made from FDA approved, non-toxic anodized aluminum.
It heats quickly and is easy to clean.
The 10-piece kit collapses into a small bundle for easy storage.
Altogether, the set weighs approximately 0.9 lbs.
It is very light and durable, so it’s perfect for hiking.
Many folks just tie it on or toss it into their bug out bag.
The MalloMe mess kit sells for $30 and comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
These three kits are small enough you can bug out with them, and inexpensive enough that they won’t break the bank.
If you don’t have cookware in your kit, pick some up today.
