The Boy Scouts have it right, especially when referring to travel in wild, remote locations where help can be many, many miles, and many hours, away. It’s imperative to be able to take care of yourself should something unfortunate happen.
We travelled with a shotgun, primarily as a defense against the prospect of nosy bears; you sleep better knowing you can protect yourself if needed. A satellite phone meant we could call for assistance if the situation demanded, and a GPS ensured we were always aware of our location and could describe it to others, if required. A well-stocked first-aid kit is another obvious necessity that we had along.
Being prepared means travelling with all of the gear and safety equipment required to get you safely through any situation.
We had anticipated the warm, high pressure system that is typical in that region most summers, but brought plenty of warm clothing in case "typical" didn’t happen; needless to say, we wore it all at one time or another! Meanwhile, the bug spray and mosquito netting proved to be little more than ballast.
A JetBoil portable stove proved to be a godsend, allowing us to pull onto any point or island and prepare a quick batch of tea or soup to ward off the cold whenever we wanted. And while we expected to live predominantly on fish, we brought along extra "just in case" food that served us well when high winds and waves kept us off the water.
