Campers, RVers, and OHVers are often in remote places. If anything unexpected happens and you get lost or stranded, you may find yourself in a wilderness survival situation. You may have seen wilderness survival shows
Wilderness survival. Its not as hard as you think -- IF you think. The biggest problem isn't as much knowing what to do and how to do it, its thinking about doing it. Just think about it for a while. Mankind lived for thousands and thousands of years without civilization and modern conveniences. I only have to look back 3 or 4 generations in my family to find real pioneers who crossed the American plains in covered wagons and handcarts and had to live off the land. What makes us different from our ancient ancestors? Why can't we survive a few days in the wilderness? You'd think it would be instinctive. True, we've lost a lot of the basic knowledge that sustained our forefathers, but with our more advanced education and fundamental knowledge of scientific principles, we should be able to make it. I submit attitude is the biggest factor. We have been taught or have come to believe that we can't survive in the wilderness, at least not without special training. We have become totally dependent on our modern conveniences, but we don't have remain dependent. Our ancestors got the training they needed the same way our kids learn to walk and talk -- from their parents. Unless your parents are survivalists, you won't have the benefit of home schooling for survival. That's OK. As I have mentioned before, the biggest factor is attitude -- the WILL to survive. A lot of the things you might learn in a survival school are largely common sense, things you can figure out yourself if you have to. After all, somebody had to figure them out the first time. You don't have to be an engineer to work out how to tie some branches together or pile up some leaves to make an emergency shelter. With a little thought, most people can figure it out by themselves. The biggest factor is knowing that you need a shelter in the first place and the will and good sense to build it in time to prevent dangers of exposure.
Situational awareness. In many professions, such fire fighting, personal protection, and law enforcement, applying the concept of situational awareness is a critical skill. It would also be applied to wilderness survival and even regular RVing and OHVing and other outdoor recreational activities. Situational awareness basically means paying attention to your surroundings and constantly watching for things that might affect you. In many cases it means watching out for things that are hazardous or could become hazardous, but it also covers watching for things you can use. Situational awareness in a survival situation might be demonstrated by recognizing you aren't going to be rescued before dark and need to build a shelter and a fire. It might also mean remembering a cave or overhang that might be a good start on a shelter. You can practice situational awareness all the time, at home, at work, while you are shopping and especially when you are involved in outdoor activities. Just look around you. Is there an erratic driver on the freeway that might pose a hazard? What would be your escape route from a restaurant or store if a dangerous situation sprang up? What things might be within your reach that would be suitable weapons if they were needed to defend yourself or protect your family? Where is the nearest fire extinguisher, hose, or fire alarm? These are all things you should be paying attention to everywhere you go.
Wilderness survival situations are often the result of some kind of accident -- a plane or vehicle crash or a hiker or hunter falling down a cliff or steep slope or just getting lost. Even without physical injuries, just finding yourself in a survival situation is traumatic. You and/or your companions are likely to experience going into shock, especially if you are injured, which is going to seriously affect and probably cloud your thinking. And, yes, you can go into shock from the trauma of being lost even if you aren't injured. If you can remain calm and think clearly, you will significantly increase your chance of survival. A useful acronym for surival is STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. Stop moving, Think about your situation,Observe your surroundings and your resources, then Plan what to do. Then is is time for action, implementing you plans in a thoughtful and methodical way to maximize your chances of survival.
So why do people perish in the wilderness? One of the main reasons is panic. They don't know what to do and instead of trying to figure out their best options, they panic. Once panic sets in there is little if any room for intelligent thought. Frightened people often just run which usually only makes their situation worse. They get even more lost and put themselves further from where searchers will be looking for them, get injured or make existing injuries worse. Many injuries are the result of panic. Running from predatory animals is usually a bad idea. First of all, you will never out run a wolf, a bear, or a mountain lion. Secondly, when you run the animal's instinct tells it you are prey. Another dangerous reaction is "negative panic" where you simply freeze and are incapable of doing anything. That can be just a dangerous as running as it leaves you totally vulnerable and unable to react appropriately to any threats. If you feel yourself losing control and feel like running or unable to react at all, hug a tree if there is one around and take time to calm down. Consider your situation. Evaluate your options. Should you stay where you are or move on? Do you have materials to build a shelter? Do you have fuel for a fire? Do you know how to build a fire with what you have with you or available around you? Do you have access to food and water? Do you have any idea which way to go to get help? Does anyone know where you are? These are some of the main things to think about when deciding whether to go or stay. If no one knows where you are (shame on you! You should have told someone where you were going.), staying put may not be your best option 'cause no one is going to come looking for you. If you have no shelter, no fuel, no food, or no water you will probably have to move at least a little to seek them. Whenever you do move, take care not move into a less desirable spot that the one you're leaving. Always seek improvement. You don't want your move to make things go from bad to worse. And exercise caution when you move. The last thing you need in a survival situation is to become injured or to aggravate any injuries you already have. If you feel like running, stop and hug a tree until you calm down a little and can start to think straight. If there are no trees, hug yourself! Of course hugging a suitable companion may be more therapeutic (and enjoyable) for both of you.
Consider this: some people have survived being stranded in the wilderness with absolutely no survival training while some people with training have perished. Why? Panic probably played a significant factor. Those who survived kept their cool and figured ways to deal with the situation until they were rescued, and then took appropriate action. Those who froze or forgot their training, perhaps because of panic or just non-use, perished. One of the first human reactions to a crisis situation is denial: "This can't be happening to me!" or "I can't believe this is happening!" Just knowing that negative panic and denial are likely to occur can help you recognize and combat them. On the other hand, if you're not expecting it, you will very likely fail to recognize it, succumb to it and panic or become immobilized . And that is a sure recipe for failure.
What is the value of survival training? First of all, having some idea what to do in an emergency situation will greatly reduce your tendency to panic and increase your confidence. Secondly, knowing some fundamental survival principles and having some basic survival skills will make things easier, which will further improve your attitude and enhance your chances of survival. Certain skills may be essential to survival, such as making a fire and finding water. But even more important than these fundamental skills is your overall mind set and ability to stay calm and make good decisions. Your brain isk, with out a doubt, your most important survival tool, followed by your own two hands. External tools, such as a good knife and a fire starting kit, will make your tasks easier, but are really secondary. With a little creative thought you can usually find a way to acquire or make the tools you need to survive.
For example, knowing the rule of threes can help you prioritize your efforts. The rule of threes: you can survive about 3 minutes without air, you can survive about 3 hours until your body temperature reaches dangerously high or low temperatures in adverse weather conditions, you can survive about 3 days without water, and you can survive about 3 weeks without food. So, if you're underwater or buried in a snow avalanche, get your head clear so you can breath! If you have an injured companion who is not breathing, make sure their airway is clear and attempt CPR. Then, consider if you need shelter. In cold or wet weather you'll need someplace dry and out of the wind and a way to stay warm. In hot weather you'll need shade. Even in desert areas nights can get dangerously cold, so seek shelter long before it begins to get dark. Then look for sources of water and finally try to find something to eat. We are all too accustomed to eating when we are hungry, and hunger is often one of the first symptoms you will experience, many people think they're hungry when what they really need is water -- but food is the lowest priority in terms of survival. THINK about what you need to do, then plan your activities so you address the most important issues first. Finding food and water won't do you any good if you die of exposure in the first few hours because you didn't have necessary shelter. I have read that the longest anyone survived without water was eleven days, but there wasn't any description of the circumstances. Remember, the rule of thumb, is three days without water before you become dangerously dehydrated. It may be possible to get water from things you eat, but mostly it takes more water out of your body trying to process any food than the water it can provide. You can begin to experience symptoms of dehydration in a lot less than 3 days. Debilitating heat cramps, mental fatigue, and lethargy can begin to set in after just a few hours. Hot weather and physical exertion will accelerate dehydration.
Once you have made plans based on prioritizing your survival needs, take inventory of what you have available and rank the items according to their value toward survival. Begin by collecting everything you think might be useful, then narrow the list down to those things that will do the most toward helping you survive. You don't want to waste time and energy lugging around a bunch of useless junk. As you rate items, consider how they relate to your priorities. For example, in a cold and/or wet climate, staying warm will be one of your highest priorities so anything that will help you stay warm (fire materials, warm clothing, shelter materials, possible insulation for your clothing) should be high on your list. In survival mode you will often find that what you normally consider junk may be useful, so think "what can I do with that" as you make your inventory.
I'm NOT encouraging you to boycott survival training. Quite the opposite. The more training and practice you have the better prepared you will be, the less likely you will panic, and the easier it will be to survive. I just want you to think about what you would do if you unexpectedly found yourself in a survival situation. Try to realize YOU CAN SURVIVE if you have the will to do so and use your head. Just think it through! Then seek all the training and practice you can get. Developing survival skills will make your ordeal less uncomfortable and improve your chances of success. Once you find yourself in a survival situation take stock of your resources, plan your moves, and then carefully implement them.
Campers, RVers, and OHVers are often in remote places. If
anything unexpected happens and you get lost or stranded, you may find
yourself in a wilderness survival situation. You may have seen
wilderness survival shows like Survivorman on TV. Most of us don't
deliberately seek out survival type activities, but we might find
ourselves in a surivial situation sometime anyway.
Wilderness survival. Its not as hard as you think -- IF
you think. The biggest problem isn't as much knowing what to do and
how to do it, its thinking about doing it. Just think about it for a
while. Mankind lived for thousands and thousands of years without
civilization and modern conveniences. I only have to look back 3 or 4
generations in my family to find real pioneers who crossed the American
plains in covered wagons and handcarts and had to live off the land.
What makes us different from our ancient ancestors? Why can't we
survive a few days in the wilderness? You'd think it would be
instinctive. True, we've lost a lot of the basic knowledge that
sustained our forefathers, but with our more advanced education and
fundamental knowledge of scientific principles, we should be
able to make it. I submit attitude is the biggest factor. We have
been taught or have come to believe that we can't survive in the
wilderness, at least not without special training. We have become
totally dependent on our modern conveniences, but we don't have remain
dependent. Our ancestors got the training they needed the same way our
kids learn to walk and talk -- from their parents. Unless your parents
are survivalists, you won't have the benefit of home schooling for
survival. That's OK. As I have mentioned before, the biggest factor
is attitude -- the WILL to survive. A lot of the things you might
learn in a survival school are largely common sense, things you can
figure out yourself if you have to. After all, somebody had to
figure them out the first time. You don't have to be an engineer to
work out how to tie some branches together or pile up some leaves to
make an emergency shelter. With a little thought, most people can
figure it out by themselves. The biggest factor is knowing that you
need a shelter in the first place and the will and good sense to build
it in time to prevent dangers of exposure.
Situational awareness. In many professions, such fire fighting,
personal protection, and law enforcement, applying the concept of
situational awareness is a critical skill. It would also be applied to
wilderness survival and even regular RVing and OHVing and other outdoor
recreational activities. Situational awareness basically means paying
attention to your surroundings and constantly watching for things that
might affect you. In many cases it means watching out for things that
are hazardous or could become hazardous, but it also covers watching for
things you can use. Situational awareness in a survival situation
might be demonstrated by recognizing you aren't going to be rescued
before dark and need to build a shelter and a fire. It might also mean
remembering a cave or overhang that might be a good start on a shelter.
You can practice situational awareness all the time, at home, at work,
while you are shopping and especially when you are involved in outdoor
activities. Just look around you. Is there an erratic driver on the
freeway that might pose a hazard? What would be your escape route from a
restaurant or store if a dangerous situation sprang up? What things
might be within your reach that would be suitable weapons if they were
needed to defend yourself or protect your family? Where is the nearest
fire extinguisher, hose, or fire alarm? These are all things you
should be paying attention to everywhere you go.
Wilderness survival situations are often the result of some kind of accident
-- a plane or vehicle crash or a hiker or hunter falling down a cliff
or steep slope or just getting lost. Even without physical injuries,
just finding yourself in a survival situation is traumatic. You and/or
your companions are likely to experience going into shock, especially
if you are injured, which is going to seriously affect and probably
cloud your thinking. And, yes, you can go into shock from the trauma
of being lost even if you aren't injured. If you can remain calm and
think clearly, you will significantly increase your chance of survival.
A useful acronym for surival is STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan.
Stop moving, Think about your situation,Observe your surroundings and
your resources, then Plan what to do. Then is is time for action,
implementing you plans in a thoughtful and methodical way to maximize
your chances of survival.
So why do people perish in the wilderness? One of the main
reasons is panic. They don't know what to do and instead of trying to
figure out their best options, they panic. Once panic sets in there is
little if any room for intelligent thought. Frightened people often
just run which usually only makes their situation worse. They get even
more lost and put themselves further from where searchers will be
looking for them, get injured or make existing injuries worse. Many
injuries are the result of panic. Running from predatory animals is
usually a bad idea. First of all, you will never out run a wolf, a
bear, or a mountain lion. Secondly, when you run the animal's instinct
tells it you are prey. Another dangerous reaction is "negative panic"
where you simply freeze and are incapable of doing anything. That can be
just a dangerous as running as it leaves you totally vulnerable and
unable to react appropriately to any threats. If you feel yourself
losing control and feel like running or unable to react at all, hug a
tree if there is one around and take time to calm down. Consider your
situation. Evaluate your options. Should you stay where you are or
move on? Do you have materials to build a shelter? Do you have fuel
for a fire? Do you know how to build a fire with what you have with
you or available around you? Do you have access to food and water?
Do you have any idea which way to go to get help? Does anyone know
where you are? These are some of the main things to think about when
deciding whether to go or stay. If no one knows where you are (shame
on you! You should have told someone where you were going.), staying
put may not be your best option 'cause no one is going to come looking
for you. If you have no shelter, no fuel, no food, or no water you
will probably have to move at least a little to seek them. Whenever
you do move, take care not move into a less desirable spot that the one
you're leaving. Always seek improvement. You don't want your move
to make things go from bad to worse. And exercise caution when you
move. The last thing you need in a survival situation is to become
injured or to aggravate any injuries you already have. If you feel like
running, stop and hug a tree until you calm down a little and can start
to think straight. If there are no trees, hug yourself! Of course
hugging a suitable companion may be more therapeutic (and enjoyable) for
both of you.
Consider this: some people have survived being stranded in the
wilderness with absolutely no survival training while some people with
training have perished. Why? Panic probably played a significant
factor. Those who survived kept their cool and figured ways to deal
with the situation until they were rescued, and then took appropriate
action. Those who froze or forgot their training, perhaps because of
panic or just non-use, perished. One of the first human reactions to a
crisis situation is denial: "This can't be happening to me!" or "I
can't believe this is happening!" Just knowing that negative panic and
denial are likely to occur can help you recognize and combat them. On
the other hand, if you're not expecting it, you will very likely fail to
recognize it, succumb to it and panic or become immobilized . And that
is a sure recipe for failure.
What is the value of survival training? First of all, having
some idea what to do in an emergency situation will greatly reduce your
tendency to panic and increase your confidence. Secondly, knowing some
fundamental survival principles and having some basic survival skills
will make things easier, which will further improve your attitude and
enhance your chances of survival. Certain skills may be essential to
survival, such as making a fire and finding water. But even more
important than these fundamental skills is your overall mind set and
ability to stay calm and make good decisions. Your brain isk, with out a
doubt, your most important survival tool, followed by your own two
hands. External tools, such as a good knife and a fire starting kit,
will make your tasks easier, but are really secondary. With a little
creative thought you can usually find a way to acquire or make the
tools you need to survive.
For example, knowing the rule of threes
can help you prioritize your efforts. The rule of threes: you can
survive about 3 minutes without air, you can survive about 3 hours until
your body temperature reaches dangerously high or low temperatures in
adverse weather conditions, you can survive about 3 days without water,
and you can survive about 3 weeks without food. So, if you're
underwater or buried in a snow avalanche, get your head clear so you can
breath! If you have an injured companion who is not breathing, make
sure their airway is clear and attempt CPR. Then, consider if you need
shelter. In cold or wet weather you'll need someplace dry and out of
the wind and a way to stay warm. In hot weather you'll need shade.
Even in desert areas nights can get dangerously cold, so seek shelter
long before it begins to get dark. Then look for sources of water and
finally try to find something to eat. We are all too accustomed to
eating when we are hungry, and hunger is often one of the first symptoms
you will experience, many people think they're hungry when what they
really need is water -- but food is the lowest priority in terms of
survival. THINK about what you need to do, then plan your activities
so you address the most important issues first. Finding food and water
won't do you any good if you die of exposure in the first few hours
because you didn't have necessary shelter. I have read that the longest
anyone survived without water was eleven days, but there wasn't any
description of the circumstances. Remember, the rule of thumb, is
three days without water before you become dangerously dehydrated. It
may be possible to get water from things you eat, but mostly it takes
more water out of your body trying to process any food than the water it
can provide. You can begin to experience symptoms of dehydration in a
lot less than 3 days. Debilitating heat cramps, mental fatigue, and
lethargy can begin to set in after just a few hours. Hot weather and
physical exertion will accelerate dehydration.
Once you have made plans based on prioritizing your survival needs, take inventory of what you have available
and rank the items according to their value toward survival. Begin by
collecting everything you think might be useful, then narrow the list
down to those things that will do the most toward helping you survive.
You don't want to waste time and energy lugging around a bunch of
useless junk. As you rate items, consider how they relate to your
priorities. For example, in a cold and/or wet climate, staying warm
will be one of your highest priorities so anything that will help you
stay warm (fire materials, warm clothing, shelter materials, possible
insulation for your clothing) should be high on your list. In survival
mode you will often find that what you normally consider junk may be
useful, so think "what can I do with that" as you make your inventory.
I'm NOT encouraging you to boycott survival training. Quite the
opposite. The more training and practice you have the better prepared
you will be, the less likely you will panic, and the easier it will be
to survive. I just want you to think about what you would do if you
unexpectedly found yourself in a survival situation. Try to realize
YOU CAN SURVIVE if you have the will to do so and use your head. Just
think it through! Then seek all the training and practice you can
get. Developing survival skills will make your ordeal less
uncomfortable and improve your chances of success. Once you find
yourself in a survival situation take stock of your resources, plan your
moves, and then carefully implement them.
Some useful survival skills to learn and practice:
- Fire building
- Map reading
- Emergency shelters
- Finding food and water
- Emergency medicine (first aid
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