Carry Safety Along With Survival Sling

The snow’s tumbling out of the sky and there’s only about an hour before dark when you spot the fresh track of what appears to be a very large buck that just crossed the forest road.

It’s a lead any serious hunter would have to pursue.

So you park, scramble out of the rig and follow the tracks into the dim timber.

You have nothing with you but the clothes you’re wearing, the knife on your belt and your rifle.

In your haste, you neglected to bring the pack with warm clothes, compass, firestarter, extra ammo and other essentials of wilderness travel.

In such a scenario, you may have cut the margin of error a bit too thin, unless, perhaps, your rifle was equipped with a product produced by Spokane native Eric Ericksen.

“The Survival Sling has a major advantage over storing survival gear in a pack,” said Ericksen. “One thing a hunter never goes without is his rifle. This product forces you to bring basic survival gear into the field. You won’t leave it in the pickup because you just plan to hop over the hill and come right back.”

Erickson, 32, conceived the sling and marketing plan while earning a masters in international business at Whitworth College.

The sling, which attaches to standard rifle swivels, is wide and padded to comfortably carry a rifle on a hunter’s shoulder. But the sling also includes pockets designed to carry basic emergency survival gear, which Ericksen distributes separately through his home-based Northern Wolf Company.

Possible items to pack in the sling include extra ammo, Mylar survival blanket to ward off precipitation and retain body heat, compass, mini-flashlight, cotton balls swabbed with petroleum jelly for firestarter, waterproof matches, small candle, whistle, first aid supplies, signaling mirror, razor blade and a condom - to use as an emergency water bag.

Perhaps the Survival Sling model with two pockets is preferable to the model with one pocket and elastic loops to hold eight cartridges. Smart hunters avoid wearing or carrying anything that could shine or clank.

The sling’s nylon cover won’t be as quiet as a leather sling, and the bright white and yellow label makes it a little less than stealthy looking.

But Ericksen said these are minor deficiencies that keep down costs.

“It would cost another $3 to make the sling out of fleece,” he said. “And I put the logo right on the sling to save a buck in needless packaging.”

Erickson said he’s marketing the sling internationally. In Germany, he said, the manufacturer is responsible for funding disposal or recycling of packaging material.

Ericksen runs his Northern Wolf Company from his Spokane home, 483-6801. The sling is available in some stores for under $25.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo