In January 2025, 15-year-old Levi D. planned a hiking trip on the Red Mountain Trail in Dammeron Valley, Utah.
It’s located in the Southwestern part of Utah and is known for its beautiful red rock scenery.
Before leaving on the hike, Levi stocked his backpack with essential gear such as food, a first aid kit, and other emergency supplies.
Levi knows the area, but he soon found out that the terrain can be deceiving.
“Looking at the map, it seems flat, which it’s not,” Levi said of the trail. “So, anyone else, do not try this.”
Not long into his hike, he climbed a steep ravine and then became stuck. He spent one night stranded on a ledge.
At one point, Levi threw his backpack full of gear to a different spot.
Eventually, search and rescue crews located Levi and brought him back safely.
But he had to leave his fully stocked backpack behind.
“I kinda just had to leave it there, which was a bit frustrating because I think at the time it was 200 to 300 bucks worth of stuff,” he recalled.
Levi’s $300 worth of survival gear was a complete waste.
Or so he thought…
About a month later Julian H. and his son planned a hike in the same area.
During the hike, the two soon realized they were not prepared for the hike or the environment.
“We didn’t have the proper things,” Julian said. “The first thing that came to my mind was to find shelter.”
Cold and anxious, the two started looking for shelter.
That’s when they found Levi’s backpack.
“The moment we found the backpack — it was lovely,” Julian said.
The backpack was the miracle that the father and son needed, because it was fully stocked with all the gear they needed.
The missing hikers consumed the Pop-Tarts and Clif bars, and even used the emergency tent.
“We found some food in there so that kept us pretty well. Also, he had a water jug,” Julian said. “It kept us pretty well into the morning.”
As for the teen who put the survival backpack together, he’s “glad it could help someone.”
“You have to have faith that God’s working. … Sometimes he’s using a backpack that sat for a month and a half for some guy that needed help at that moment — in the dark and cold,” Levi’s mother said.
Afterwards, Levi and his mother picked up his lost backpack from the Sheriff’s office, albeit a bit lighter than when Levi stocked it with gear.
While we all may not have this type of experience there is no question that people place survival caches in remote locations.
So, if you become lost in a remote location you can’t give up hope.
Survival training, instincts and a positive outlook and attitude can help you overcome anything.
As this story proves, if you find yourself in a survival situation no matter where you are it’s worth looking for places where others may have stashed survival gear.
So, next time you are on a hike, here are ways you could find your miracle.
Look for natural hiding spots:
Most people hide survival caches in places where they won’t be easily found.
But they aren’t impossible.
So, if you are looking for a cache, look where it could naturally make sense to put gear.
For instance, pay attention to large rocks, fallen trees, or even caves.
In addition, elevated locations such as ridgelines are popular spots for hiding caches since they offer good vantage points and are relatively easy to find.
If you get lost in the wilderness one of the first things you might do is try to find a water source.
And this is another place where it makes sense to hide survival gear.
Of course, you won’t put it right on the edge of a river.
But look for trees or other places on the side of the water source where it would make sense to put a survival cache.
Human activity:
Another way to look for a place where people might hide caches is to pay attention to areas where there has been human activity.
For example, if you come across a tree, rock, or cave and you notice that the ground has been dug up or moved it could be a sign that someone buried items nearby.
When people bury a cache, it can be hard to remember exactly where it is.
Even the person burying the cache could forget the exact spot so they will likely mark it somehow.
So, folks might arrange rocks in a unique way or place tree branches in a pattern.
Cut trees or vegetation can also be a sign that someone has recently been active in the area.
As you go about your next hike look for human activity that could lead you where you need to go.
Outside the box:
When stashing a survival cache, you likely don’t intend for others to find it.
So, if you are searching for a survival cache don’t overlook secluded areas.
Whether it’s hard to get to rocks or dense trees, don’t assume no one would hide anything there.
In addition, think outside the box such as under hollow trees or rocks.
When you are walking around act like you are the person hiding the cache.
Ask yourself, if you are going to hide something where would it be?
Finding a cache isn’t going to be quick or easy.
Chances are that people take time to hide them.
But if you put a little effort into it you don’t know what you might stumble upon.
Also, if you are hiking with a dog, pay attention.
If there is a survival cache with food your dog will likely find it, or wild animals will have probably disturbed it at some point.
These ideas can increase your chance of finding survival caches in remote locations.
It’s not uncommon for there to be remote shelters or survival caches in places where people are often lost.
So, during a survival situation don’t give up hope, you might just find your miracle like Julian and his son did.
But there’s another lesson in this story as well…
Julian and his son wouldn’t have needed a miracle if they’d brought the right gear in their own packs to begin with.
