Near Misses

There have been many times in my life, and I suspect in yours, that something has happened where your life was placed in danger but you managed to avoid a catastrophe by sheer luck.  Perhaps, just in the nick of time, you realized what was about to happen and you stepped back from the brink of disaster.  Or, more commonly, someone else recognized what was about to happened and intervened.  These are the “near-misses” in our lives that we all experience from time-to-time.  When an accident happens, especially a serious accident where people are injured and sometimes killed, an investigation usually follows.  An accident investigation board is convened. Witnesses are called.  Experts testify as to how the accident happened and how it could have been prevented.  Then recommendations are published hoping that a similar situation can be avoided in the future.  Seldom does the same train of events take place following a “near-miss!”  But it should!  Read more

Finding North to Help You Stay Found

It is easy to find yourself a bit disoriented and, lacking a compass or other navigational equipment, being unable to figure out which way to travel to go home!   One of the fundamental skills that an experienced outdoors man or women relies on is the ability to determine the cardinal directions (North, East, West and South) from the sun or from Polaris - the North Star.  Blake Miller of Outdoor Quest has done a great job of showing you how to use Polaris to determine North and then based on knowing where North is,  determine East, West and South.  Check out his blog   But what about during the daytime when you can't see Polaris?  What can be done then to help you determine your way back to your truck?

It easy assuming you have a clear sky and can see the sun.  Cut yourself a thin stick, 1/4 inch works well, 15 inches in length and sharpen one end to a point.  Find an area in the sun and clear away any debris from a circle about 18 inches in diameter.  Drive the stick into the ground while pointing the opposite end of the stick directly at the sun in such a way that the stick casts no shadow.

Let twenty - thirty minutes go by and then observe the shadow that the stick now casts.   Regardless of latitude, the time of day or the hemisphere you happen to be in, the shadow that is cast points East.  Depending on the time of year it may not point exactly east but it is accurate enough to give you a general easterly heading and again, knowing where east is you can determine the other cardinal directions.

So how does this help you.  For the sake of argument let's say you parked your truck on a generally North-South road and walked away from the truck to the west to spend the day hunting.   Let's say  that you didn't pay as much attention as you should have and you find yourself "a little disoriented" when it was time to return to your truck.  Lacking any landmarks to guide your way you have no idea which direction to go but you do know that you are west of the road. If you just had a way to figure out which way east was you could at the very least get back to the road on which you left your truck.

Find a sunny spot, cut the twig, drive one end into the ground and wait for the shadow to develop.  Since it is difficult, lacking a compass,  to maintain a straight line when walking through the woods it may be necessary to repeat this process several times before you reach the road.  You probably haven't navigated right back to your vehicle but you are at least on the road where you parked it!

So you now have two tools to use to help yourself "stay found" when next you become, as Danial Boone is supposed to have experienced "a mite befuddled!"

My Top Twenty Favorite Survival Books

Winter is a good time to do some reading and if you are interested in expanding your knowledge of survival and surviving here's a list of some of my favorite books.  These are books that I go back to time and time again. They are my references for much of what I teach in my seminars.  Some are of the "been there, done that" variety.  Some are of the "here's what you need to be able to do in a survival situation" genre and others are scientific studies of the psychology and physiology of humans in extreme conditions - survival conditions.

In previous times the survival literature was based on the anecdotal accounts of those unfortunate souls who had been in a survival event and returned to tell about it.  "They survived therefore what they did must be correct!"  Not necessarily so!  Some people survived in spite of what they did!  Fortunately, scholars, many in the medical community, have in recent years studied why some people survive and yet others, under similar conditions die, and have written some very good books on the subject.  Read widely.  Compare the advice given.  Test the recommendations and find out what works for you.

Survival Psychology - John Leach
Deep Survival - Laurence Gonzales 
Everyday Survival - Laurence Gonzales
Life at the Extremes - Frances Ashcroft
Surviving Extremes - Kenneth Kamler
The Survivors Club - Ben Sherwood
Alone - Richard Logan
Last Breath - Peter Stark
The Unthinkable - Amanda Ripley
102 Minutes - Dwyer & Flynn
The Essentials of Sea Survival - Golden & Tipton
Desert Survival Skills - David Alloway
Out of Captivity - Gonsalves, Stansell & Howes
Touching the Void - Joe Simpson
Survive - Peter Deleo
Wilderness Medicine 6th Edition - Paul Auerbach et al
Endurance:Shackleton's Incredible Voyage  - Alfred Lansing
Northern Bushcraft - Mors Kochanski
Staying Found - June Flemming
Angels in the Wilderness - Amy Racina

Humbly, I might add my own book "Surviving a Wilderness Emergency" to the above list.


Notice there aren't any books on this list that are titled "The Complete Book of.........." because they never are!  Nor are there any books titled "The Encyclopedia of.............." because once again they never are!  The other titles that are noticeably missing are books based on military survival training, both the American and the British military.  Skills taught to the military, regardless of nationality, do not necessarily cross over into the civilian world.  I measure the value of a potential survival reference book by whether or not the book recommends the use of space blankets, a bow and drill for fire starting, solar stills and living-off-the-land!  If they do I conclude that the author has not done his homework!  Remember, when reading, there's a big difference between the skills needed to survive an inconvenient night out and bush craft skills needed to live in the back-country for prolonged periods of time.  Granted there is some cross-over but more typically you need to know how to survive a night or two out until you are found.

Teaching Children What to DO When They Get Lost

There's not a lot of reliable guidance around for parents to refer to when teaching their children what to do if they were to get lost.  Gaye Grabill's book Jace Gets Lost goes a long way towards providing parents of younger children the knowledge they need.  The fifty-five page book begins with the story of Jace's experience when he walked away from his home and got lost.  The story, written at a young child's level of comprehension, with accompanying pictures, is a story that every parent should read to their children.  The story serves as a springboard for further discussion with your children on what they should do in the event that they ever become separated from family members on a outing.  Grabill even provides a list of topics to cover.  I recommend this book.  It is the only one of its kind that I know of. 

As Gaye says on her website "I decided to write my first book “Jace Gets Lost” when I looked for a safety book for little children telling them what they should do if they get lost in the woods - and could not find one.  With the generous help of North Oregon Regional Search and Rescue – NORSAR and Clackamas County Sheriff I put together Jace Gets Lost.  

As parents we hope that we will never be faced with a situation where one of our children is missing but it would be comforting to know that, if this were to happen, the child has been taught what to do.  Go one step further than just reading Gaye's book and talking about what to do.  Take your children to the woods and have them practice building a nest.  Make sure they understand the concept of staying in one place. Take them out at night, a dark night, and sit under a tree with them.  Let them hear the "night sounds" and then explain those sounds to them.  There's nothing more terrifying than a sound in the dark that can't be identified!  It is also a good idea to provide each child their own survival kit.  Parents should take heart in the fact that kids are a lot tougher than we sometimes give them credit for.  Spend some time with them now before a crisis happens and then, if it should happen, the outcome of the event can be a happy reunion.


For a copy of Jace Gets Lost and other books in the  Jace series contact Gaye Grabill at www.gayegrabill.com

Fire under survival conditions may save your life by Leon Pantenburg

Review: Peter Kummerfeldt’s ‘A Better Way to Build a Fire’

Posted on November 13th, 2011 by Leon in Make a Fire, Peter Kummerfeldt: Tips, 

I met Peter Kummerfeldt several years ago at the Deschutes County Sportsmans Show, in Redmond, OR after I dropped in during his “Myths of Survival” presentation.  With no idea of who this guy was, or his abilities, I sat in on the seminar out of curiosity. (After all, I had a survival kit, and had been knocking around the backcountry for decades while backpacking, hunting and fishing. I knew what I was doing…I thought!) At the end of the hour-long session, and numerous “ah-ha” moments, I followed Peter back to his booth and plied him with questions.
Later, Peter became an expert source for a winter survival guide I wrote for the Bend, OR “Bulletin.”  Since then, Peter have become my friend, mentor, guest contributor for SurvivalCommonSense.com and my main go-to source for any question about wilderness survival. Peter is also on the short list of people I like to hang around with.  Read more

Getting Yourself Rescued/

This morning I listened to the hospital interview of an elderly man who had just been rescued after spending five days stranded in his car in the Arizona mountains.  He survived – his wife did not!   The couple, both in their eighties, had become stranded when their car broke down while taking a short-cut on their way home between Chandler, Arizona and Albuquerque, New Mexico.   The road, a US Forest Service Road that is not maintained in the winter, is seldom traveled at this time of year.  They stayed with the car until it ran out of fuel and then, after five days, decided to walk out.  Mrs. Davis collapsed and died shortly after leaving the car.   With the electronic equipment that is currently available Mrs. Davis’s death could have been prevented.  If they had had a SPOT ™ beacon or one of the other brands of beacons that are easy to use and very effective for alerting family members, or the authorities that they were in trouble they would have been found quickly and rescued.  Read more

Surviving Lions and Beetles

My wife and I spent the past month in South Africa and Zambia participating in a photography safari.  Had a wonderful time.  Also had a few "interesting times" too.  One of which is describe below.  Typically, when you are on one of these photo-safaris, you go on two "game-drives" each day.  One in the morning, often leaving before sun-up, and then returning for a late brunch. And then one in the late afternoon that extends into the night.  After the sun sets one of the guides, "the spotter" brings out a large spotlight and, as you travel slowly down the road, he searches for the eyes of any nocturnal animals that might be out and about.  When he sees the reflections the vehicle stops and for a few moments you watch the nighttime activities of whatever animal you have discovered.  A good spotter, once he has detected the animal never shines the light in the animal's eyes again but illuminates it using the edge of the beam of light - plenty to see the animal without disturbing it. 

It was on one of these evening drives that the following happened:

The evening started rather unspectacularly with not much being seen except a few impala.  Long after dark the spotter saw some eyes that turned out to be two, and then three lions about fifty yards away.  When turning off the road to get closer the driver didn’t see a very large warthog hole into which the front end of the Land Cruiser disappeared!  The lions came closer.  The driver got out to see what could be done about the situation while the spotter tried to keep tabs on the lions and at the same time illuminate the hole so that the driver could see what needed to be done. What was hilarious was watching the antics of the two staff trying pay attention to the whereabouts of the cats while at the same time fend off the insects which were attracted to the headlights and the spot light.  It had rained earlier in the day - the flying ants were swarming and the air was thick with beetles and other assorted insects that crawled all over the driver and his helper.  It got so bad they had to cease their efforts to get us unstuck and go into the dark and strip off their clothing to rid themselves of the insects.  For the four of photographers sitting in the back of a completely open vehicle in the dark it was both scary and hilarious at the same time.  Because we were mostly in the dark the bugs didn't bother us as much as the others.

After finding out that digging with a jack handle (no shovel was available) wasn’t going to cut it and that the small bottle jack (that might have allowed a tire to be changed but I’m doubtful) wasn’t going to work we came to a standstill.  Meanwhile the three lions, two male and a female were even closer and now lying under a bush watching the goings-on!  Long story short – Mark and I eventually got out of the vehicle and, assisted by the spotter, grasped the bumper bar and lifted the front-end out of the hole!  I think the lions were disappointed!

We watched the lions for about another thirty minutes and then made our way back to camp.  By now we were late for dinner and the camp staff were wondering where we were.  The four hyenas and the porcupine we ran into along the way made us even later for dinner!

It is the unexpected situations like this that make our annual trips to southern Africa memorable.

Iodine or Chlorine?

There are still far too many people using iodine tablets to disinfect their water when there is a much better product on the market - chlorine dioxide.  There are also too many people drinking water that has not been disinfected simply because they don't like the taste of iodine not knowing that there is a new product on the market that doesn't leave an after taste.

Chlorine dioxide tablets made available by the Katadyn Company and also by Potable Aqua have been around for several years now but have not been embraced enthusiastically by those who recreate or work in the outdoors.  Old habits die hard I guess.  Or perhaps it's just ignorance!  Either way you are putting your health at risk by drinking water that has not been disinfected.

If for no other reason you should consider using tablets that release chlorine dioxide because of its effectiveness in killing cryptosporidium, an organism commonly found in water - something that iodine was never able to do effectively.

Regardless of the manufacturer the tablets are individually packaged in sheets of ten tablets per sheet and are sold in containers of twenty or thirty tablets for $10 - $13.

Disinfecting your water is easy.  Simply drop a tablet into a quart or liter of water and the chemical will destroy viruses, bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium leaving no chlorine after taste.

For more information on Micropur tablets go to Katadyn.

A Better Way to Build a Fire

This ebook is available now!

I attended the Photographic Society of America conference last week here in Colorado Springs and learned a lot. Also met some great people.  Always fun to interact with like-minded people!  One of those that I interacted with was Mike Moats (www.tinylandscapes.com) who, in addition to being a wonderful photographer was willing to share his "lessons-learned-along-the-way."
 It seems like the three hours we spent together over dinner one night flew by.  Of all the topics we discussed "eBooks"  and how to produce them really caught my attention.  To that end I have spent much of my time since the conference developing my first eBook titled "A Better Way to Build a Fire." 
This seventy-two page book is now finished and will be available on my website in the next week or so.  Initially it will only be available as a CD ROM.   My website manager (Brian Hinderberger of Buzztouch Designs) is setting up a way to download it directly from the shopping cart.  Stay tuned.

The eBook takes you through why a fire may be needed, the tools both good and bad that are available to facilitate fire starting, a way to build a fire that is different from anything you've seen before and one that works better than any method you've used before.  The eBook finishes up with a look at the many myths and misconceptions surrounding fires and fire craft.
I'm happy with this first of what I want to be a series of eBooks covering the most important practical aspects of surviving a wilderness emergency.  Check my website from time to time and if you decide to buy "A Better Way to Build a Fire" please let me know what you think.  The beauty of an eBook is that it is easy to go back into the book and edit it.  Easy to correct mistakes and easy to add new information!  I want to provide an informative, easy to read book not another bookshelf space filler! (To read a review of the ebook, click here.)

NEVER SAY "I AM JUST....................."
 
I spent this past weekend roaming around Rocky Mountain National Park photographing the glorious fall colors and the antics of the elk in the early stages of the rut.  I also spent time observing the thousands of people from all over the country there to participate in what has become an annual ritual.  With regard to the people I came home with two impressions.  Firstly it amazed me how few people of those in the park over the weekend actually set foot on the ground and walked anywhere other than the few manicured walkways around two lakes. The mentality seemed to be "If I can't drive there I ain't going there!"  Secondly, of those that did get out of there car how few had given any thought to the possibility of how quickly the weather can change in the Rockies.  Other than those that were obviously headed out to climb the tall peaks the rest of the weekend warriors were under dressed, under equipped and under skilled to cope with a weather change - or any other emergency situation that might have occurred.  Slip-on shoes, shorts and a tank tops were the name of the game.

I have long maintained that the most dangerous trip that you can go on is the spontaneous "Let's take the kids for a walk this afternoon" type of trip.  Little thought goes into the possibility of something bad happening and even less goes into the preparations needed to cope with an accident or incident that place people in danger.  They fall into the "I am just............."  trap! We're just going to drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park this afternoon and walk the loop around Bear Lake.  What could possible go wrong?  The sun's out.  We won't be very far from the car and if we get in trouble we'll just call the ranger for help!  A lot can happen and sometimes people die before help can arrive!  Never say "I am just" going to do anything!  Again, you are setting a trap for yourself.  Instead, in anticipation of a trip stop for a moment and consider all of the "what ifs."  Think about the things that might go wrong and ask yourself if you're ready to cope with the consequences of a walk-in-the-park.  And if not then don't put yourself or the lives of your family or friends at risk. 

Survival Myths and Misconceptions

Much of the information available to people who want to learn more about survival and surviving is based on material that is outdated and in some cases totally incorrect. Unfortunately the early outdoor writers created a problem for those of us interested in learning how to survive a wilderness emergency today.  Techniques and procedures that were once state-of-the-art are no longer practical.  What was once thought of as an effective procedure is now not only inappropriate but in some cases dangerous.

The times have changed.  The needs of a hunter who gets lost today are different from the needs of the mountain-men who trapped beaver in the American west and lived off the land while doing so.  The individual who gets in trouble today is unlikely to be able to spend a night out in the open without great discomfort.  They will not have devoted sufficient time to practicing survival skills - skills that were once second nature that could be counted on when difficulties arose.  Even a once commonplace skill such as striking a match to light a fire is no longer commonplace.    

If you were to read some of the currently available “how-to-survive” books you would find techniques and procedures that date back to those who survived by manufacturing what they needed from the natural resources on hand.  The question is “How appropriate are these techniques and procedures today?”  In many cases they are not!   However, despite the passing of time, the fact that the material is still in print implies that the information must still be valid. In many cases it is not.  New and better procedures have developed.  New equipment is available.

The result of all of this misinformation is that inexperienced people finding themselves in trouble  still believe that they can rub sticks together and start a fire.  They believe that a waterproof, wind proof shelter can be built from natural materials.  They believe that they can live off the land until they are rescued.  It must be so – it’s in the book!

Many current, popular outdoor writers perpetuate the problem.  Much of the rubbish that is published today would never be published if the writer (or the editor) first went out and tested the procedures they write about.  Instead they “Google” the topic or go to their bookshelf, remove a survival or woods lore book written fifty years ago, extract from these questionable sources some procedure used by Jim Bridger to build a fire and present it once again as if the procedure is still valid today.  Sometimes it is but most often it isn’t

More confusion results from the contemporary experiences of those who survived traumatic incidents.  They quickly become the newest “survival expert!”  They survived therefore what they did to survive must be valid!  Again - sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.  Sometimes people survive in spite of what they did.  They got lucky!  Choose your role models carefully! Read more

New class graduates

Another class graduated yesterday from the US Forest Service/OutdoorSafe Inc. Survival and Navigation training program.  Seventy-two hours of intense training in the methods of surviving an unexpected night out followed by seventy-two hours learning how to use a map, compass and the Global Positioning System to navigate around the back country effectively.   After five days the students walked away from the US Forest Service Heritage Center, Huson, Montana much better equipped to enjoy the outdoors and to survive in it should the need arise.

Here's what they said about the training:

"Very good course.  Teaches real world, practical skills."
"Very good training.  Used simple techniques that anyone can learn and use."
"Fantastic.  A very practical program which will save your life.!"
"Great.  A lot of practical application."

Contact Linda Carlson for information on next years class to be held 31 August - 4 September  2012

Ninemile Ranger District
20325 Remount Rd.
Huson, MT  59846
(406)626-5410  Fax: (406)626-5403

Email: lrcarlson@fs.fed.us

Blue crinkly tarp emergency shelter

Which way's home?

Instructor and student in plastic bag shelter

Platform and brace Fire

Learning the shortcomings of a space blanket!

Staying Found is Better than Being Lost!

All outdoor users should carry and know how to use a map and compass before they go off into the backcountry.  The first step in staying found is locating your position, and marking that position on your map, before you leave your vehicle or camp.  Then identify the boundaries that surround the area in which you will be traveling.  These boundaries could be prominent roads, railways, power lines or large rivers.  Preferably you should identify boundaries on all four sides of the area you will be in.  Having located yourself on the map and knowing the boundaries, you can then leave camp with the knowledge that, if you get lost, all you have to do is determine which boundary is closest and walk a straight line to it.  Then relocate yourself and return to your vehicle or camp.  Sometimes this can be a very long walk out! Read more to see how to "Stay Found."

Signal Mirrors – an often under appreciated piece of your survival gear

There may come a time when you will need to attract the attention of a rescuer.   It could be because your car has broken down and left you stranded miles from help.   You might be injured and unable to get back to family and friends.  You might be lost and have no idea which direction to take to get back to your vehicle or perhaps your camp.  In situations like these you need to be able to draw attention to yourself, to signal quickly and effectively.  Not being able to do so could place your life in danger.   With emergency signaling several things must be remembered.  First, if you haven’t left a trip plan with a couple of reliable family members or friends indicating what your intentions are, where do those who will be looking for you, search?  Second, if no one knows you are in trouble, your attempts to signal for help may be totally ignored.  Third, even if search and rescue personnel are looking for you it may still be very difficult to locate you unless you do something to increase your chances of being seen or heard. A good signal mirror can make your stay a short one!  Read more.

Survival Christmas Island Style

The guide catching our lunch

Tony preparing a fire

Lunch being cooked

It doesn't get much better than fresh fish for lunch!

I spent a week in the Republic of Kiritimati earlier this month.  If you don't know where this republic is look at a map of the Pacific Ocean, travel 1300 miles south of Honolulu to a position two degrees north of the equator and there you will find a coral atoll called Christmas Island or "Kirimati" which, by the way, is pronounced "Kiri- bass."  Kirimati is one of thirty-three small islands scattered over two million square miles of the Central Pacific Ocean which make up the Republic of Kiritimati.  Enough geography.  I went there for two reasons: one to fly-fish for bonefish and trevally and secondly to photograph seabirds both of which I manages to do successfully.  So what does all of this have to do with survival and surviving?

During the week that I was there I witnessed an exercise in "survival food procurement."  While out fishing one day the truck that was transporting us from one place to another didn't show up at the appointed time with lunch!  While this was not truly a crisis the guide and I were hungry and thirsty after a long morning of stalking bonefish on the flats and were ready for some food!  After an hour of waiting the guide took matters into his own hands, asked to borrow my fly rod, walked down to the nearby coral reef where he promptly caught a snapper and a small grouper.  Returning to where I was sitting under a tree in the shade he gathered up a pile of coconut husks and some dead palm fronds and built a fire.  As the husks were burning down to coals he found a piece of old sheet metal, propped it up on rocks and couple of pieces of pipe over the fire and then, when it was hot, put the two fish on it to cook.

Ten minutes later he pronounced the fish done and they were served to me on a platter made from a nearby broad-leafed tropical plant.   At that moment nothing could have tasted better!  They were delicious.

This certainly was not a survival situation but it was a "survival vignette" that reminded me that often the survival resources we need are present all we need to do is know how to exploit them!