Have you guys ever been out on a long trip?
If you're asking if I've even been on an extended trek alone, then I'll answer your questions with another question: how many experts on wilderness survival, mountaineering, or backpacking recommend traveling into the backcountry alone? My guess is: none.
To me it isn't so much how far you are off the trail as it is how far you are from the trailhead. You could be right on a trail and still several hours from any roads.
Perhaps I wasn't clear. When I was describing how far we were from a trail, I really meant to convey that we were in no danger of getting lost. You're right, of course, that the distance between camp and trail is irrelevant if you're still in the middle of nowhere.
As for carrying several days worth of water, what do you think about new backpacking water filters? While I'm always a bit hesitant to rely totally on complex technology when in the bush, they're still pretty nifty. Of course, water filters only work if you can find water, which relates back to my earlier post about knowledge. In a desert, carrying lots of water is never a bad idea though (Rover did mention he lived in phoenix)
Sorry if they hijacked the thread at all,
I just picked up a signal mirror from REI the other day, I was kicking myself for not having one after all this time
