Things I Don't Leave Home Without

<strong>A multi-tool</strong><br>"While I'm in the wild, I find that a pair of pliers, a file, a saw, and an assortment of screwdrivers are essential for keeping gear tuned and ready for action. Like my dad always said: You take care of your gear, your gear will take care of you." ' Steven Rinella

<strong>Heavy-duty belt with D-ring on the buckle</strong><br>'No matter what I'm doing, I'm wearing a climbing harness that could support my weight even if I was hanging half-dead by a rope from a helicopter. This hasn't come up yet, but I like knowing that I'll be ready if it does!' ' Steven Rinella

<strong>My lucky plastic mug</strong><br>'I've been carrying it for about 14years. My brother pulled it from a pile of debris that had washed up near his hammock in the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. I'd been drinking for a week from a cup that I'd made out of a coconut shell, so Danny took pity and gave me his find.' ' Steven Rinella

<strong>Merino wool base layers</strong><br>'Because they stay warm even when they're wet; because they dry quickly; because it takes a long time for them to start smelling bad when you're in a place where you can't do laundry; because they're comfy as hell; and because they last a long time.' ' Steven Rinella

<strong>Hand-held GPS</strong><br>'Technology doesn't need to be the enemy of the wild. In fact, quite the opposite is true. GPS gives you the necessary information to find the wildest places out there; and, almost as important, it helps you find your way back home.' ' Steven Rinella

<strong>Parachute cord</strong><br>'I don't go into the wild without 25 feet of it. Or, better yet, 50. My tent has come untethered and blown away, my sack of food has tumbled from the heights of a tree and been consumed by bears, half my gear has come loose from my pack, and my boots are unlaced and falling from my feet.' ' Steven Rinella

<strong>Rabbit squealer</strong><br>'This is a mouth-blown animal call that mimics the blood-curdling yelps of a dying rabbit. I like to blow my rabbit squealer just to see what might come running. It seems that a lot of people these days are worried about running into large predators in the woods. I worry about not running into them.' - Steven Rinella

<strong>Heavy-duty leather mountaineering boots</strong><br>'I mean the kind that are stiff as ski boots with rigid, sharp-edged soles and padded uppers that cover your ankles. If you're wondering why, just spend a week climbing on a cactus- or snow-covered mountain with one foot in a good boot and the other foot in a so-called `trail shoe'.' - Steve Rinella

<strong>Backpack</strong><br>'You need something to carry your gear, and wheeled luggage is of little use in any place that's actually worth going. I prefer a good, heavy duty backpack for general travel. This one is nearly indestructible.' ' Steven Rinella

<strong>Saw</strong><br>'A bone saw comes in handy all the time. I use this one to saw everything from bear femurs to coconuts. What's nice about this saw in particular is that it's full tang; that is, the steel extends through the handle. That makes for more stable cutting and a more durable tool.' ' Steve Rinella

<strong>Homemade venison jerky</strong><br>'Jerky is the original road food. Light, durable, nutritious and tasty, mankind has been drying meat for long-range travel for perhaps 50,000 years. And what better way to power a hunt than on the calories obtained from a past harvest.' ' Steven Rinella