“Three Things”: If everyone who ventured out into the wilderness, desert, snow or mountains carried these three items, they would add to their survivability: a whistle for signaling, a knife and a lighter to build a fi re.
understand the underlying principles. Once again, get professional training.
Think! Once you are out of danger and
have patched yourself up, sit down and think. Figure out where you are. Get your bearings. What happened? What time is it? How far are you off course? Take an inventory of things you have with you that can help you survive. Do you have a knife, dry clothing, matches, a cell phone that
In arid environments, water is scarce and hard to fi nd. This rock held about a pint of water in a pocket for weeks after the last rain. Be creative in your search for water.
works? Start making a plan. Unless you know you are right by a road, or people, it is best to stay put and let your rescuers come fi nd you. Moving around will only make their job hard- er since they typically search by grids. You could potentially travel into a grid they already searched. Prioritize! There are actions you
should take in proper order depend- ing on your circumstances and the climate. Universally, the single most important thing to maintain, in any
Your ultimate goal of course is to be rescued. Redundant means of signaling to search parties will greatly increase your chance of rescue. Here is a good selection of signaling devices, both auditory and visual, day and night. Carry at least three of these in the backcountry and your stay will hopefully be shorter!
situation, is your core body tempera- ture. If it is cold, you really need to stay warm. If it is hot, you need to stay cool. After breathing and blood loss, this is more important than anything else. If you get too cold, you will make bad decisions and start a downward spiral to your demise. It really does happen this way and it’s ugly. If you get too hot, you will slip into a coma and never wake up. Not a pretty way to go either. So protect yourself from the elements. That means the next most impor-
There is a large and varied selection of high quality fi rst aid and trauma products out there. QuikClot, the “H” bandage, CAT tourniquets and various commercial or military fi rst aid kits are some of the options available to the outdoorsman. Anyone going to the woods should car- ry the resources to stop severe bleeding and treat other life threatening injuries.
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tant thing is shelter. If it is cold, make sure you have dry clothing and lay- ers. Your clothing is actually shelter that you wear. So be smart when it comes to outdoor clothing selection. Wet cotton kills. It wicks heat away from your body. Take it off. Wool, and polypro are good materials. Go- re-Tex is awesome. If your clothing is wet, dry it in the wind or near your fi re if you have one. Stuff leaves inside to insulate your clothing. Get off the ground. The ground robs you of heat through conduction. Build a pile of leaves, or other insulating material, to sit on. Build a lean-to shelter to block the wind or lay down behind a rock ledge or large tree. Wind takes heat away from your body through convection. A shelter will help hold in heat, block the winds and keep you off the ground. If it is hot, it will shade you and keep you off the hot sand and rocks. There are plenty of natural ma- terials available around you to build a rudimentary shelter: pine branches, downed leaves, bark off dead trees, old dead logs, rocks, dirt, mud, snow, cut branches with large leaves, palm fronds, pine needles and so on. You can make a lean-to, an A frame, a trench shelter, an igloo or just place a poncho over you, sitting Indian style with a candle between your legs. Keep in mind that if you are huddled inside a shelter made from natural materials, you will be camoufl aged and nearly impossible to be seen by searchers. If
REALITY CHECK • 2012 SPECIAL EDITION
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