G’day to all
of you.
The newsletter
this year is coming out a bit earlier than usual—September rather
than November. The reason for this is that I have been invited
to speak in New Zealand in December and consequently Mary and I
have decided to spend the whole month there and celebrate the Christmas
holidays with longtime friends. You may recall that December
in the southern hemisphere is “summertime.” You may also recall
that we love to fly fish. But you get the picture! We also
wanted to give those of you that are shopping for Christmas a chance
to place your orders and for us to get those orders out to you before
we left.
I’d like to
also draw your attention to our new email addresses. My address
is peterk45@attglobal.net.
Mary’s is Maryk46@attglobal.net.
The company address is outdoorsafe@attglobal.net.
I am phasing out all previous emails over the next few months and
would appreciate your using the new addresses when contacting us.
Speaking of emailing. I would also appreciate those of you
that have an email address to let me know what your address is so
that I can send you the newsletter via the internet. There
are so many of you now that want to receive my newsletter that the
costs of printing and then mailing it out have become prohibitive.
It’s been a
great year for Mary and I and OutdoorSafe. We began the year in
Dallas, Texas and will end it in Auckland, New Zealand with stops
in England, Canada and Mexico in between! During the year
I spoke to thirty different groups—to about 5,000 people.
Mary’s survival kit business is thriving and her kits seem to disappear
out the door quicker than she can assemble them.
Our
thanks to all of you who have helped to make our year a great success.
Peter & Mary
Survival Myths and Misconceptions
It is unfortunate that 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and surviving is based on material that is outdated and in some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 early authors have created
a problem for those interested in learning how to survive a wilderness
emergency today. Techniques and procedures that were once state-of-the-art
are no longer valid. Some of what was once thought of as an appropriate
method is now not only inappropriate but in some cases dangerous.
The times have changed. The needs of
the weekend camper who gets lost are different from the needs of
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 have devoted sufficient time to practicing survival
skills; is unlikely to have clothed and equipped him or herself
adequately; and, consequently, is unlikely to be able to spend a
night out without great discomfort. Skills that were second nature
to those that preceded us can no longer be counted on when difficulties
arise. Even a once commonplace skill, such as striking a match to
light a fire in the kitchen stove, is no longer common place. We
would like to think that we could build a fire and ignite it with
a match or cigarette lighter but often we fail because we have forgotten
(or never learned) the steps involved.
If you were to open 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 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 advice
given is still in printed form implies that the information must
still be valid. In many cases it is not. New and better procedures
have been learned. New equipment is available.
The result of all of this is that inexperienced people who find
themselves in trouble today 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!
A survival situation is not an extended camping trip that takes
place under more arduous conditions. While there is certainly some
cross-over, a survival experience is going to test a person’s ability
to maintain life at a very primitive level and unless that individual
has devoted some time to preparing for the experience the odds of
being rescued alive are not good. Surviving is a cold, dirty, demanding
business from which only those that are well prepared (physically,
mentally and spiritually) can have any hope of surviving.
Many current, popular outdoor press writers perpetuate the problem.
Much of the rubbish that is published would never be published if
the writer (or the editor) first went out and tried to do the tasks
they write about. Instead they go to their bookshelf, remove a survival
or woods lore book written fifty years previously, extract from
it 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! Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes
people survive despite what they did. They got lucky!
The bottom line to all of this is that many myths, misconceptions
and misunderstandings exist today and as a result, the inexperienced
outdoor person who, when confronted with a night out in the bush
experiences unnecessary discomfort, hardship, injury (and sometimes
death) because of their reliance on antiquated information and procedures
that no longer apply.
The following is a short discussion of some of the more blatant
myths and misconceptions commonly found in print today.
Firecraft. Building and maintaining a fire is fundamental
to surviving. Were you to believe the advice given in most survival
literature the ability to produce heat and light is an easy one.
Simply rub sticks together and presto you have fire. Nothing can
be further from the truth. Without considerable practice and prior
preparation producing fire by rubbing sticks together is impossible!
Even with practice and preparation starting a fire by rubbing
sticks together is very difficult! When rubbing sticks together
was the primary way to produce a fire the necessary pieces were
carried by the user much as we today would carry a BIC lighter or
a match.
The use of a magnifying lens is another fire starting method that
is more myth than reality. The writers of the articles would have
you believe that tinder can be ignited using the lens from your
eye glasses. Or that you can remove the glass lenses from your camera
or binocular and using the lens, focus the beam of sunlight onto
the tinder until it ignites. The writers talk of “shaving and shaping
a piece of ice into a lens” and then using it to ignite the tinder!
This begs the question “When do you need a fire?” Not on a bright
sunny day in the middle of summer but on a cold wintry day when
the sun is low on the southern horizon or as the sun is about to
set or the storm about to break and your spouse or child is dying
from hypothermia! Carrying a magnifying glass to start a fire makes
no sense when there are other much more reliable devices that can
be depended on.
Cigarette lighters have been touted as a piece of equipment that
should be carried in your survival kit. Cigarette lighters are difficult
to light when your hands have lost their dexterity, they do not
perform well under cold conditions or at higher altitudes and if
dropped into a fire accidentally, they explode!
Matches come in many forms and to the unknowing they may all look
alike. Another trap! What do the words “safety,” “strike anywhere,”
“stormproof,” and “waterproof” really mean? In each case there are
significant survival ramifications. “Safety” means the match can
only be ignited using the striker on the side of the box from which
the match was removed – not another match box. The words “strike
anywhere” would lead us to believe that the match could be literally
“struck anywhere! Nothing could be further from the truth. While
these matches do not need the matchbox striker to be ignited, finding
a suitable substitute is not always possible “Stormproof” matches
are less susceptible to wind and water than other matches but are
often hard to light and quickly wear the striking surface out. “Waterproof”
matches are coated with a lacquer-like material which must be worn
through before the striking surface of the matchbox comes in contact
with flammable material on the match head. Every time a match head
is scraped across the striking surface the lacquer is deposited
on that striking surface and will eventually (before you run out
of matches) so contaminate the surface that other matches will not
light.
Sheltering. Here once again confusion exists about
the kinds of shelters that were built to protect those that ventured
in the outdoors in times gone by and those needed by a survivor
today. It was once appropriate to build lean-tos from natural materials
and then build a fire in front. The pictures shown in books and
magazine articles portray a smiling survivor leaning back against
a tree, pipe in hand, with a dead deer hanging nearby waiting for
rescue to arrive. Is this your typical survival scene? Not at all!
Most survivors first become aware of the need for shelter as a storm
is about to break or as the sun is about to set. Most survivors
are dehydrated and possibly hypothermic as they begin their survival
experience! Building a shelter from natural materials is possible
if time allows, if there are plenty of natural materials available,
if the survivor has practiced building an emergency shelter previously;
if cutting tools (knife or saw) are available and if the survivor
is uninjured! But lacking time, skill, natural resources, tools
and the use of both hands building a windproof, waterproof shelter
from natural materials becomes impossible.
It is wiser to carry waterproof material with you that you can crawl
into or crawl under to protect yourself rather than plan on building
one of the many survival shelters shown in the books. There are
many commercial emergency shelters available. Bags or blankets made
from Mylar are the most commonly carried and the most useless in
an emergency! These plastic bags are difficult to remove from the
pouch they are contained in; they are difficult to unfold; (especially
if you were injured and only have the use of one hand) they are
generally too small to adequately protect an adult; they require
two hands to hold the bag around you; they are very noisy when the
material is pulled over your head (you can’t hear the rescuers)
and they tear very easily when the Mylar is nicked or punctured.
Heavy duty, orange plastic DOT trash bags are the best value for
your money. While they are not always easy to find these bags can
serve as a shelter, to store equipment and firewood, to signal,
as floatation, to collect and carry water and for many other survival
uses. Household trash bags can also be used but they are generally
thinner and colored green, brown or black which tends to make you
blend in to your surroundings and difficult to see.
Signaling. In addition to staying alive, a survivor’s
greatest need is to be rescued as quickly as possible and to do
that they must be able to indicate to others that they are in trouble
and need help. Once again the books, manuals and magazine articles
are full of nonsense. Three fires placed in a triangle, wetting
a slab of wood to form a reflective surface and other labor intensive,
less-than-effective procedures commonly feature in survival literature.
With the equipment available today inexpensive, effective devices
are available with which to signal. Always carry a good glass mirror
and a whistle. For long range signaling consider using some of the
electronic devices that are available.
Survival medicine, defined as the medicine that survivors
would administer to themselves or to others that were with them,
is another area where many myths, misconceptions and misunderstanding
exist. Unlike the medical community who are required to attend Continual
Medical Education training annually, those who recreate or work
in the outdoors have no such requirement. Their knowledge of medicine
and medical practices is based on first aid courses and once again
on what they read in the popular outdoor press – which may or may
not be current. For example, there are many who still believe that
“cut and suck” is the standard treatment for snakebite! Some still
think that the treatment for a frostbite injury is to rub the frozen
tissue with snow! Still others are reluctant to render aid to a
lightning strike victim for fear that they will be electrocuted!
Much confusion exists over how long water should be boiled before
it can be consumed safely! The treatment of hypothermia is another
area where the knowledge of the non-medical community lags far behind
the standards of practice advocated by the Wilderness Medical Society.
Remember survival begins with being able to take care of your medical
needs - get some training! You may be the patient and your own doc!
To survive an emergency is difficult but not impossible if the survivor
is prepared. That preparation must be based on good information,
selecting your clothing and equipment carefully and practicing your
survival skills. Read widely and compare the recommendations that
are given. What worked for one may or may not work for you. Select
procedures and techniques that work under a wide variety of conditions
– procedures and techniques that work for you. Just because you
are told something works don’t accept it until you have tested it
in the field.
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Your attitude determines your wellbeing more than your circumstances.
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US Forest Service/OutdoorSafe Survival School
For the first time this year the Forest
Service and I hosted a 3 1/2 day survival training program in Missoula,
Montana. The Forest Service provided the training location and my
brother Ron and I provided the training. The program consisted of
one day of classroom training followed by two and a half days of
hands-on training in the field. The students, who came from Idaho,
Montana, Washington and California, learned sheltering skills, fire
craft, knot tying, signaling procedures, navigation techniques and
many more techniques that they hope they will never have to use.
Based on the feedback of those that attended it was a resounding
success. This program will be offered again in 2004. The tentative
dates are June 1-4 and once again I expect the twelve student slots
to fill quickly so if you are interested please call the Forest
Service at (406) 626-5201 to register or call me if you have questions
(719) 593-5852 or email at peterk45@attglobal.net.
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GOOD BOOKS:
Terrorism Survival Guide by Juval Aviv
98.6 degrees—The art of keeping your ass alive by Cody Lundin
Essential Bushcraft by Ray Mears
The Survivor Personality by Al Siebert
The Secret Knowledge of Water by Craig Childs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click Here For My 2004 Speaking
Schedule.
Call or email me if you’d like more information on any of these
programs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COLD WATER SURVIVAL
In August Mary and I visited the Royal
Navy Institute of Medicine in Gosport, England. We went there at
the invitation of Dr. Mike Tipton who heads up Portsmouth University’s
and the Royal Navy’s research into the effects of man in cold water.
You may recall in last years newsletter I recommended the book “The
Essentials of Sea Survival” written by Mike Tipton and Frank
Golden. We spent two fascinating days learning from someone who
really understands the impact of cold water on a person’s ability
to survive. For instance, people who end up in cold water don’t
die from hypothermia they drown long before they become hypothermic!
Immediately upon being immersed in cold water the “gasp reflex”
often causes the ingestion of water into the lungs. Cold water quickly
impairs a persons ability to use their hands. Cold water reduces
your ability to swim—even short distances! Most Personal Floatation
devices (life jackets) lack a face shield that helps to prevent
waves from splashing into your face and compromising your airway.
The legs and feet of unconscious people work like a sea anchor and
in rough water turn the victim face into the oncoming waves. Read
“The Essentials of Sea Survival” —it might save your life.
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Stranded
The very word brings to mind the story
of Robinson Crusoe’s lengthy stay on his tropical island or the
plight of the Donner Party. The experiences of the Uruguayan rugby
team who survived a crash landing in the Andes as told in Piers
Paul Read’s book “Alive” also comes to mind. If the truth be told,
you can become stranded in far less exotic places than the South
Pacific, the Andes or the Sierra Mountains of California. If the
truth be told you can become just as stranded, and find yourself
having to survive, in the woodlot behind your home. You can become
stranded when driving to work or as a result of many other scenarios
where suddenly you are unable to continue - or to return to safety.
Weather, the onset of darkness, mechanical breakdown or other accidents
can all result in your having to utilize survival skills and procedures
to insure that you see the light of the next day. It happens all
the time. Unless you have experienced the emotions of finding yourself
stranded a long way from help it is difficult to explain in words
the gut wrenching fear you feel when all of a sudden you realize
you can’t get back, you’re cut-off, you’re alone without anyone
to help – YOU MIGHT DIE! Let’s look at “becoming stranded” objectively,
identify the problems faced by the victim and then identify some
practical solutions to those problems.
WEATHER
Most commonly it is the onset of inclement weather that strands
people. Motorists are stranded in their cars on the highways when
driving conditions become too dangerous to continue - or more commonly
they continue driving until an accident happens. Those recreating
outdoors suddenly find themselves unable to return home because
the snow gets too deep, the water in the river rises and crossing
becomes too risky or fog obscures the landmarks and the navigation
becomes impossible. It is often weather that causes an aircraft
to crash land or ditch – particularly light aircraft and helicopters!
It is the weather, or more accurately, the lack of awareness of
how quickly that the weather can change, that precipitates a person
into a survival situation! Never assume anything. Select the kinds
of clothing that will keep you warm and dry and will keep the wind
out. With good clothing the need for a fire and even the need for
additional shelter may not be necessary.
MECHANICAL FAILURE. Unfortunately most people have
an unfounded faith in their vehicles ability to perform forever!
It should be a given that if man made it, it can and will break
down! It should also be a given that if it’s likely to fail, steps
should be taken to be able to fix the problem or at the very least
you should be able to contact others for help in the event you become
stranded. When traveling to places where help is a long way off,
prepare your vehicle accordingly. Often the malfunction is not something
catastrophic. It’s usually the failure of some part that, had the
operator performed a simple visual check; the situation could have
been prevented. Simple steps like checking the fluid levels – all
fluid levels not just the oil, checking air pressure in the tires;
checking the condition of belts and hoses is often all that is necessary
to complete an uneventful trip. While it may not be possible to
eliminate all mechanical failure it is possible to minimize the
likelihood of becoming stranded because of mechanical malfunction
by thoroughly inspecting your vehicle before a trip and equipping
it with sufficient emergency gear to keep the occupants safe until
found.
MISCOMMUNICATION. As the pilot flew back to Fairbanks
after dropping my sheep hunting partner and I off, I was left with
some misgivings regarding his understanding of when we were to be
picked up. My misgivings became reality ten days later when our
ride home failed to show up. While I was waiting for the overdue
transportation strange thoughts occurred. Such as: “I wonder
if the plane that dropped us off crashed on its way back to base.”
“I wonder if the pilot told anyone else where he had taken us.”
“I wonder if anyone will come looking for us!” Several days
passed before we finally heard the drone of the Super Cub, our ride
home, coming across the tundra. In this instance it was confusion
between “picking us up ten days later” and “picking us up on the
10th” that led to the miscommunication. Had we not planned on “weather
days” and a delayed pickup, our hunting trip might have become a
survival experience. Critical communications should be written down
not verbally communicated! Plan for delays.
CRASHES (car, plane, boat, snow machine, motorbike,
etc.)
The problem with modern transportation is that in a very short period
of time you can find yourself a long way from help after an accident.
In a couple of hours an ATV traveling at 12 mph can put you 24 miles
from the trail head. How long will it take you to walk 24 miles?
You can find yourself many miles from the marina when the boat that
you were speeding across the lake in collides with a semi-sunken
log and sinks. How far can you swim? A light aircraft flying at
100 mph places you even further back in the wilderness – usually
too far to walk out. Regardless of the mode of transportation you
are now a long way from home – you are stranded and must survive
until rescue arrives. Will you be able to survive until you are
found and rescued? Did you leave a trip plan with two reliable family
members or friends?
DARKNESS. Suffice to say that once the sun sets a
person can be just as stranded as they are when their car breaks
down miles from sources of assistance. Traveling on foot at night
is not generally recommended .. Stay put and wait for the sun to
come up and then decide what should be done.
Becoming stranded is not the end of the world! If you have told
others of your travel plans they will become worried when you don’t
show up and will initiate the rescue process by contacting the authorities.
As the one who is stranded your job is to keep yourself alive until
they show up.
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