She Survived, But Hopefully Learned A Lesson

22-year-old Lindsey Pfundstein became lost in Pisgah National Forest in the North Carolina mountains on what she thought was a short loop trail.

When she realized she was off her original trail and too far to return to her car by dark, she used a trail map to locate a shelter, and improvised a sleeping bag by stuffing a hammock with leaves. She walked out the next day and met rescuers.

Ok, what we have here is a smart hiker who knew what to do when she realized she would be caught by darkness in the mountains. She had a map with her, and knew how to use it to find shelter. She had a hammock with her, probably a mesh backpacker's hammock, and was able to improvise a sleeping bag from it using leaves. Much easier would have been including a space blanket in her kit, which would have been warmer and taken up no more space than the hammock.

The article doesn't mention her making a fire, but including a butane lighter or matches in a waterproof container would have provided even more warmth in the shelter that she found, and allowed her to make a hot meal or drink, if she included food in her kit.

To summarize: if you're going into the wilderness, either as a hiker, a backpacker, a hunter or even as a fisherman, you need to be aware of the Ten Essentials and take them with you. Chosen wisely, they can be carried in a waist pack or small daypack.