Test the plan before you need it.
Clear decisions for bad weather, unsafe water, dead batteries and rushed evacuations. We measure what earns space, weight and trust.
FIELD LOG 001Six decisions to test now
Preparedness advice is only useful when it survives a real constraint: weight, time, cold, rain, contamination or a missing tool.
Cold rain: know when to turn
Check wet layers, hands, speech, balance, daylight and exit time before the group loses its margin.
Run the turnaround check →TEST 05 / COMMSThe range claim is not your range
Test two-way radios at five route checkpoints, then write the missed-contact action before the signal fails.
Run the route test →TEST 01 / LOADThe 72-hour bag audit
A carry-first method for deciding what earns its weight—and what belongs in the home kit instead.
Run the audit →TEST 02 / WATERFilter, disinfect or boil?
Match the treatment to the threat. A filter alone is not a universal answer.
Choose a method →TEST 03 / SHELTERRain shelter starts with the site
Before knots and tarps: identify runoff, falling limbs, wind exposure and rising water.
Read the terrain →TEST 04 / NAVIGATIONLost on a day hike: use the first 30 minutes
Stop the drift, build a location report, and decide deliberately between a safe retrace and seeking help.
Run the decision →Evidence, then a useful test.
- Start with current guidance from public health, emergency management and land agencies.
- Turn the claim into a decision a reader can practice safely.
- State limits, failure points and situations that require official instructions.
- Recheck sources and revision dates when the guide changes.