SurvivOutdoor SKILLS TO SURV& STAY ALIVE THE O
FUELED BY FUELED BY val IVE OUTDOORS AT YOUR DOORSTEP
SurviOutdoor
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Molly ASurvivOutdoor Skills to SurvStay Alive Photographs by
Absolon val vive and y Dave Anderson
Copyright © 2010 by Morris Book PublishinALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this boin any form by any means, electronic or merecording, or by any information storage anbe expressly permitted in writing from the should be addressed to Globe Pequot PresDepartment, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06Backpacker is a registered trademark of CrFalconGuides is an imprint of Globe PequoFalcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your MindBook Publishing, LLC. Text design by Sheryl P. Kober Page layout by Melissa Evarts Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicatAbsolon, Molly. Backpacker magazine’s outdoor survival :Absolon. p. cm. — (Falconguides) Includes bibliographical references and in ISBN 978-0-7627-5652-0 (alk. paper) 1. Wilderness survival. 2. Outdoor life. I. Bsurvival. GV200.5.A29 2010 613.6’9—dc22 Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The author and Globe Pequot Press ahappening to, or injuries sustained byactivities described in this book. The health information expressed on the personal experience of the autmedical manual. The information shotreatment, or as a substitute for profand publisher urge you to consult witto beginning any exercise program. FALCONGUIDES®
ng, LLC ook may be reproduced or transmitted echanical, including photocopying and nd retrieval system, except as may publisher. Requests for permission ss, Attn: Rights and Permissions 437. ruz Bay Publishing, Inc. ot Press. d are registered trademarks of Morris tion Data : skills to survive and stay alive / Molly ndex. ackpacker. II. Title. III. Title: Outdoor 2009046679 assume no liability for accidents y, readers who engage in the in this book is based solely thor and in not intended as a ould not be used for diagnosis or essional medical care. The author th your health care provider prior
Contents Introduction: Outdoor Survival Chapter One: Preparation Chapter Two: When Things Go Awry Chapter Three: Survival Threats Chapter Four: Survival Skills Chapter Five: Basic Wilderness First Aid Chapter Six: Special Considerations for tResources Index
1 5 21 45 51 61 the Solo Traveler 82 85 88
vi Outdoor Survival Planning ahead is one way to avoid
d survival situations.
Introduction Outdoor Survival I stared at the dead tree inup back here? Maybe it knew I was deluding mysing the fingerlike grey branSomehow I’d circled backmy steps, to get back ontoward our cabin, but I keon the tree. It was as if it hsiren song that kept luringconfused I had no idea whThe sky was overcastthat the mountains trendnot know if I was facing othat roads paralleled the went down, I would hit onof the mountain I descenonly alternative. Time to quickly, fighting to stay cspend the night out if nestill my racing heart. I wawas immediately. I wanted
1 n disbelief. How had I ended was a different tree. But I self. There was no mistaknches of this particular tree. k on myself. I tried to retrace nto the ridge that led north pt finding myself homing in had some pull on me, some g me back. By now I was so hich way was which. t, obscuring the sun. I knew ded north-south, but I did one way or the other. I knew ridge on both sides, so if I ne regardless of which side nded. That seemed like my go down. I started moving calm. I was fine and could cessary, but it was hard to anted to figure out where I d to be found.
2 Introduction When Things Go Wrong I was a professional outdofound myself disoriented ontain in eastern West Virginigroups in the wilderness anmy skill and sense of directfind myself so completely what had started as a shotunately, most backcountrylike mine: A casual stroll or ewhen you make a wrong turtrapped in a storm. My personal experiencescalate to a level where I’dbut it might easily have led mI was assisted by knowing me get out of the predicama wounded ego. This book together your own bag of tpected happens, you can tstay healthy and safe—or aarrives. What Does Outdoor SurWilderness or outdoor survibuilding fires using bow drilboughs, of collecting wate
oor educator at the time I n top of North Fork Mounia. I’d spent years leading nd was pretty cocky about ion, so it was humbling to and utterly confused on rt afternoon walk. Unfory incidents start out just easy trip turns into an epic rn, fall and get hurt, or are ce that afternoon did not call it a survival situation, me to spend the night out. a few tricks that helped ment with little more than is about helping you put tricks, so when the unextake care of yourself and at least survive—until help rvival Mean? ival conjures up images of lls and shelters from pine r drop by drop in a solar
still, and gathering food plants or killing small rodeskills—also called primitiving to know and challengireal relevance for most bthose facing a so-called sAccording to the dmeans “to live through sothing” is vague, but whenit usually means an ordeaand knowledge. You survemergencies, tragedies, ssurvival means living thrlenge in the wilderness, whelp and you may be forchours, even days. Most modern outdoofrom human errors: You your head. The focus of ting how to avoid these etheir negative effects whebow drill to light a fire is a stuck out overnight, you aa lighter safely bagged inpocket to get a blaze goiing that you can eat cattasome variety and flavor tbut when you are tired, huness, your tummy rumbl
Introduction 3 by harvesting wild edible ents in deadfall traps. These ve-living skills—are interestng to perfect but have little backcountry travelers, even survival situation. dictionary, survival simply mething.” The word “somen associated with survival, al that tests one’s fortitude vive trials and tribulations, cary situations. So outdoor rough some difficult chalwhere you cannot call 911 for ced to fend for yourself for or survival situations result get lost, injured, or in over his book is on understanderrors and how to minimize en avoidance fails. Using a cool trick, but when you are are really better off having n plastic and stored in your ng quickly. Likewise, knowails can be fun and may add to your backcountry meals, ungry, and lost in the wilderings will be satiated more
4 Introduction readily by pulling an energyout of your pack rather thanplant to eat. The best possible waemergency is to avoid one, by being prepared and knleave home, you begin theappropriate gear, writing apotential hazards or obstacproperly trained, and devOnce you are on your trip, yalert for hazards and takeentire team is rested and wmaking errors in judgment dThat said, no one is peyou may run into trouble at slot of time in the wildernessto be ready both mentally aIn this book we outlintake before you go on your we also identify tricks you cavoid preventable mistakesdo go awry, we provide youyou stay comfortable, calmarrives.
y bar or chunk of cheese n by trying to locate a wild ay to survive an outdoor and you can avoid many owledgeable. Before you e process by packing the a travel plan, anticipating cles, making sure you are vising contingency plans. you are constantly on the e care to make sure your well cared for to prevent due to fatigue or injury. erfect, and it is likely that some point if you spend a s. For those times it helps and physically. ne the steps you should trip so you are prepared; can use during your trip to s. Finally, for when things u with techniques to help m, and healthy until help
Chapter One Preparation Before You Go: PlanniThe first step to avoiding aing a trip that is approprioften people get into troutimate the challenge of ttheir individual capabilitieand with your teammatesa rope before, you shouldence doing so on a 12,000wilderness. If you haven’tyour life, planning to covertrip out is unrealistic. Take time in town to evaluate yteam’s abilities so you can chootrip that will be appropriate for
Trailside Navigation 5 ing Ahead a survival situation is choosiate for your skill level. Too uble because they underestheir route or overestimate es. Be honest with yourself s. If you have never tied into d not have your first experi0-foot mountain deep in the t hiked more than a mile in r 20 in two days on your first your ose a r all.
6 Outdoor Survival Self-Assessment To help evaluate the approtive, each member of your tfollowing questions: a. What kind of physicDo you work out? Iyou hiked with a pamileage have you hb. Have you done a trso, what, if anythinparticular plan? If nevant experience thate your potential pc. What skills will thedemand? How do ycompetency at theyou need further trad. Does anyone on thfirst-aid training? Once everyone on your trip him- or herself, you are readdata and make a plan.
opriateness of your objecteam should consider the cal condition are you in? f so, for how long? Have ack on? What kind of hiked in a day? ip of this sort before? If g, is different about this not, do you have any relhat might help you evaluperformance? e trip you rate your ese skills? Do aining? e trip have has evaluated dy to pool your
Physical Conditioning Wilderness trips can be cainto the mountains and lowhile a cook prepares mplan to hike 20 miles or entire range. You need to demands of the trip you the reality of your physicathe treadmill three times awell with hiking uphill fopounds on your back. If you have the time need a few weeks to rea
Trailside Navigation 7 asual—you may ride horses ounge around for five days meals for you—or you can more a day to traverse an be realistic about how the are considering align with l ability. Twenty minutes on a week doesn’t really equate r five hours with thirty-five to train for your trip (you’ll ally harden your body), do. A little training will help you enjoy your trip more and may prevent accidents due to fatigue.
8 Outdoor Survival Your best bet is to load up aStart slowly and build up tbody gets used to the weignot have access to a place a pack and get on the stair cPeople may look at you stralike training specifically for you’ll be in shape when youWhat does physical cwith outdoor survival? A loshape, you are more likely sick. Tired people fall, makeing attention to their surrouented and lost. Also, if you alousy time, so why go into tsomething that is way oveChoose an objective that isfor your team. Experience Do your research and makeof hazards you may encouhonest about your experiepush yourself—you never ddon’t try something new evis stupid to put yourself intohave no training or knowleding trip, the skills required abe able to keep yourself w
a backpack and go hiking. ime and distance as your ght and motion. If you do to take day hikes, load up climber at your local gym. angely, but there’s nothing an activity to ensure that u begin the trip. conditioning have to do ot, really. If you are out of to get injured or become e bad decisions, stop payndings, and end up disoriare miserable, you’ll have a he mountains attempting r your head? Be realistic. s appropriate for you and e sure you know what kind unter during your trip. Be ence. It is appropriate to develop your skills if you very now and then—but it o a situation for which you dge. For a basic backpackare rudimentary: you must warm, dry, fed, and found.
Depending on your routeadvanced skills such as beread maps or specializedrock, snow, or ice. If you are a novice to ing a class or finding sometrip who is more experiepractice skills at home, hirare all sorts of ways to gayour way blindly into a badTeam Composition Before you head out on ysit down with your compyou want from the expeMany outing clubs and wilderneclasses on basic outdoor skills.
Preparation 9 e, you should include more eing able to cross rivers and d techniques for travel over the outdoors, consider takeone to come along on your enced. Read some books, re a guide, join a club. There ain skills without bumbling d situation. your trip, take a moment to panions to talk about what erience. Shared values and ess adventure schools offer
10 Outdoor Survival desires are critical to ensurfunctioning and that you haYou should be aligned in terto work, how much risk you what you want to achieve. Dmistakes and tend to fall apand fragmentation. Choose an Appropriate Trip With the information you haprepared to choose a trip thskill level, your physical cosonal goals and objectives.be garnered from any numbmagazines, the Internet, loand outfitters, and outdoor to find out about trips of atance, length, and location. Equipment Many backcountry emergebeing poorly equipped to packers succumb to hypotto bring appropriate clothinmaps and end up lost. Propnavigating through and livindoors. Proper equipment iswith emergencies.
ing that your team is well ave a good time out there. rms of how hard you want are willing to accept, and Dysfunctional teams make part, which lead to discord ave gathered, you are now hat is appropriate for your onditioning, and your per. Information on trips can ber of places: guidebooks, ocal outing clubs, guides shops are all great places all levels of difficulty, dis encies result from people meet conditions. Backthermia because they fail ng. Day hikers forget their per equipment is critical to ng comfortably in the outs also essential to dealing
Coming Up with an EquipmIt can be daunting to pacadventure. You want to mbut not too much gear, bcarry sixty pounds on yoyou are ready for any and carry gear that can serve bottle can be your coffeecloth, hair band, or sunshanote what you do and dotrips you can fine-tune theI like to divide my geand group gear. Persoclothes, toiletries, sleepinggear is everything you wResearch the area you plan to vineed to be safe and comfortabl
Preparation 11 ment List ck for your first wilderness make sure you have enough, because you don’t want to our back just to make sure every potential need. Try to multiple functions: A water e cup; a bandanna a washade. Make detailed lists, and o not use so that on future e packing. ear lists into personal stuff onal equipment includes g stuff, and so forth. Group will share: shelters, cooking isit to determine the gear you will le.
12 Outdoor Survival equipment, first-aid supplsuch as a climbing rack. Your gear will be dicconsiderations: 1. Length of trip 2. Elevation, season, w3. Specific goals (climbirding, etc.) It can snow almost every month oso bring layers of clothing that caweather conditions change.
lies, and technical tools ctated by the following weather mbing, skiing, fishing, of the year in the mountains, n be added and subtracted as
BASIC GEAR Personal Gear 1. Upper body layers (base layeT-shirt made from polyester hot, dry climates) 2. Lower body layers (base layeoptional pair of shorts made 3. Raincoat and pants (can be conditions) 4. Breathable wind gear (top a 5. Warm hat,sun hat 6. Gloves or mittens,socks 7. Hiking shoes,camp shoes (o 8. Eating utensils (bowl,spoon 9. Sleeping bag and pad 10. Toiletries, bug repellent,suns 11. Backpack 12. Water treatment (filter, haloGroup Gear 1. Cooking gear (stove, 1–2 potcontainer,spatula or serving 2. Shelter (tent or fly to hold al 3. Spade for digging catholes, t 4. First-aid kit 5. Hand sanitizer or soap 6. Maps,compass, GPS (option 7. Communication device (cell devices, etc.)
Trailside Navigation 13 GEARLIST er, insulating layer(s), and one ror wool; save cotton for trips in er, insulating layer, and one efrom polyester or wool) used as wind gear in winter and bottom) optional) n, water bottle, lighter) screen ogens, etc) s,channel-lock pliers, water gspoon, frying pan [optional]) ll participants) toilet paper, trash bag nal) or satellite phone, SPOT tracking
14 Outdoor Survival Emergency Gear In many books you’ll see aemergency gear you shouldall times. If you are carryingprepared to be out for a fewcarry extra emergency geathing you require to be combackpack. But there is oneoutdoorspeople advocate lighter in a plastic bag. Wityou can start a fire to stay pens; for example, you get lonear camp or your pack fadownstream. In these kindsturns into essential emergeFor day hikes into the leave your camp for a fewyou to carry a few essentiacase the weather changes oanticipated. These include: >> Extra layer >> Warm hat >> Rain jacket >> Water and watertreatment capability >> Snack >> First-aid kit >> Lighter
a list of ten essentials, or d have on your person at g a full backpack and are w days, there is no need to r. You should have everymfortable available in your e item many experienced carrying separately: a th a lighter in your pocket warm if something hapost going to the bathroom alls in the river and floats s of situations, your lighter ncy gear. mountains or when you w hours, it does behoove als in a small pack just in or you are out longer than A hat provides a lot of warmth for very little weight.
Just remember, carrynot prevent emergencies.outdoors are your preparability to think clearly uthings, you can survive almKnow Your Gear Search and rescue professout to look for lost people GPSs but don’t know hohelp to have all the right gcan’t operate it. Take timequipment before you leaset up your tent, practice tion with a map. If necessyour competency. Have a more experienced friendgear if you are a novice.
Trailside Navigation 15 ying emergency gear does . Your best weapons in the ation, common sense, and nder pressure. With these most anything. sionals are constantly going who are carrying maps and ow to use them. It doesn’t gear in your backpack if you e to learn how to use your ave home: Light your stove, using your GPS in conjuncsary, seek training to ensure d help you learn how to use your
16 Outdoor Survival You should also avoidto isolated places with untequipment you bring along to do. If you haven’t used a pstove, ask around or read rensure that you’ve chosen ayour purposes. If you are using old gearcheck to make sure it is in ing. Carry a repair kit so youto fix your gear if somethistove gets clogged or a tenfor instance. Withcan
d going out on long trips tried gear. Make sure the does what it is supposed particular brand of tent or eviews on the Internet to a model that will work for r, pull it out of storage and good repair before leavu have the tools you need ing breaks down—if your nt is torn in a windstorm, h the right equipment, camping be comfortable and relaxing.
Contingency Plans: PlCompetent wilderness trathemselves “what if” whencountry, but the questionEmergency planning ensufor the unexpected, thatwhen to look for you, and nal and predictable in spitassociated with any kind oHere are the steps yoleave home: a. Research outside>> Where is the nearphones work wheyou carry a cell phcommunication dpersonal locating>> What agency do yemergency situatlocal sheriff’s depManagement, Unand so on)? >> What are the logithe wilderness (eto civilization? Cathem?) >> Are there any locaable to find help, s
Preparation 17 lanning for the Worst avelers are constantly asking n traveling through the backning should begin at home. ures that you are prepared t people know where and that your actions are ratiote of the emotional trauma of emergency situation. ou need to take before you e resources. rest telephone or do cell ere you are traveling? Will hone or other emergency device (satellite phone or g beacon)? you contact for help in an tion (National Park Service, partment, Bureau of Land nited States Forest Service, cal “escape routes” out of e.g., do the rivers flow out an you reasonably follow ations where you may be such as an outfitter camp, a
18 Outdoor Survival ranger cabin, or a pyou are likely to encb. Create a detailed it>> Write out your trip pdates, and travel ropossible alternativeand contingency plunable to complete>> Identify an approxiexpect to be hometime—a time whenlooking for you. >> Explain what your aemergency occur. In the continental United States, rivers eventually will take you to cdownstream, but it may take you
opular destination where counter other campers? tinerary. plan, with camping spots, outes identified. Include es, potential obstacles, lans in case you are e your desired route. mate end time when you e, and a second “freak” n you want people to start action plan is should an you can be confident that all civilization if you follow them a while to get there.