ThePocketOutdoorSurvivalGuideTheUltimateGuideforShort-TermSurvival

J.WayneFears

Copyright©2011byJ.WayneFears

AllRightsReserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanymannerwithouttheexpresswrittenconsentofthepublisher,exceptinthecaseofbriefexcerptsincriticalreviewsorarticles.AllinquiriesshouldbeaddressedtoSkyhorsePublishing,307West36thStreet,11thFloor,NewYork,NY10018.

SkyhorsePublishingbooksmaybepurchasedinbulkatspecialdiscountsforsalespromotion,corporategifts,fund-raising,oreducationalpurposes.Specialeditionscanalsobecreatedtospecifications.Fordetails,contacttheSpecialSalesDepartment,SkyhorsePublishing,307West36thStreet,11thFloor,NewYork,NY10018orinfo@skyhorsepublishing.com.

www.skyhorsepublishing.com

10987654321

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Fears,J.Wayne,1938—Thepocketoutdoorsurvivalguide:theultimateguideforshort-termsurvival

/J.WayneFears.p.cm.

97816160805011.Wildernesssurvival.2.Outdoorlife--Safetymeasures.I.Title.GV200.5.F462011613.6’9--dc22

2010036070

PrintedinChina

PHOTOGRAPHYCREDITSC.W.Brown/PhotoResearchers,Inc.p.84L.West/PhotoResearchers,Inc.p.86ScottCamazine/PhotoResearchers,Inc.p.92AlexBowersp.113

Tothosededicatedsearch&rescueprofessionalsandvolunteerswhofindcountlesslostandstrandedpeopleeachyear.Manyliveswouldbelost

withoutthem.Thankyou.

TableofContents

TitlePageCopyrightPageDedicationINTRODUCTION - Survival Is Usually an Unplanned Night in theWoods1.SEARCH&RESCUE-ModernSearch&RescueWorksforYou2.BEFOREYOUGO3.SURVIVALKIT-AssembleYourOwnSurvivalKit4.WEATHER-EquipYourselfforLocalWeatherConditions5.TROUBLE-YouAreinTrouble—Stop!6.SIGNALS-PrepareYourSignals7.SHELTER-ConstructaShelter8.BUILDAFIRE-BuildaSurvivalFire9.SLEEPING-SleepingWarm10.INSECTS-DealingwithInsects11.SAFEWATER-MakingWaterSafeforDrinking12.FOOD-Food—NotaNecessity13.HYPOTHERMIA-AvoidHypothermia

14.FEAR-DealingwithFear15.WILLTOLIVE16.MISSINGPERSON-WhenaMemberofYourGroupIsMissing

INTRODUCTION

SurvivalIsUsuallyanUnplannedNightintheWoods

North America still has lots of backcountry in which it is easy to get lost orstranded. Even in themost remote country, however,mostmissing people arefoundwithinafewhours.

Each year dozens of American outdoor enthusiasts find themselves in anunexpectedoutdooremergency.Theygetlost,injured,orstrandedandsuddenlyfind themselves depending upon survival skills to survive. For most people,

thankstomoderncommunicationssuchascellphonesandtwo-wayradios,itismerelyasoberingtwo-orthree-houradventure.Infact,withtoday’smethodsofsearchandrescue,themajorityofmissingpeoplearefoundwithin72hoursaftertheyhavebeenreportedmissing,mostevenless.However,forsomewhodonottaketheproperprecautionsordonothavesurvivalskills,suchanexperiencecanendintragedy.

Thepurposeofthisbookistohelpyouprepareforthat“unplannednightornights in the woods.” Keep it with you to help you make it through theadventure.Withproperpreparationforanyoutdooractivity,thereshouldbelittlereasonforanunplannednightinthewoods.But,shouldyoufindyourselfinasituationwhereyouwillneed to surviveseveraldays, thisbookwillhaveyoupreparedtodoitwithstyle.Survivalknowledgeandtrainingpaysoffwhenthechips are down. Remember the acronym, “LOST” — Lean On SurvivalTraining.

Asuddenspillinacanoecanleaveyoustranded.

SurvivalTrainingPays

Several years ago, when I was working as a wildlife manager in Georgia, Ihelped lead the search foramissinghunter in the ruggedmountainsalong theGeorgia-North Carolina boundary. We were told that this hunter had littlehunting experience but had received extensive survival training. In a blindingrainstorm, it tookus twodays tofind the losthunter.Muchtooursurprise,bythetimewefoundhimhehadvirtuallyestablishedacomfortablehomestead.

Whenhefirstrealizedhewaslost,hestoppedwalkingandpickedanopeninginthedensewoodstoestablishasurvivalcamp.Heimmediatelyputoutground-to-air signals.Realizing badweatherwas on theway, he built a shelter undersome overhanging rocks that kept him dry and out of the wind. He gatheredplentyoffirewoodandstoreditinhisshelter.Next,hebuiltafirecompletewithareflectortokeephisshelterwarm.

Itwashisfirethatledtohisbeingfound.Thehunter’ssurvivalcampwassocomfortable that those of us in the search party used it for an overnight restbeforepackingout.

Whenyoufirstrealizeyouarelost,stop.Donotwanderaroundaimlessly.Foreveryhouryouwanderthesearchareagrowsfourtimes.

Due tohis survival training, he lived comfortably through a two-day storm.He stayed positive andworked toward being found.He used the resources at

handtomakeasurvivalcamp.Willyoubelikethishunterifyourtimecomestospendanunplannednightortwointhewoods?

HowtoUseThisLittleBook

1.Whenyoufirstgetthisbook,sitdownandREADit.Thinkaboutwhatyouarereadingandhowitcanapplytoyouandyouroutings.2.Rereadthechapterentitled“SurvivalKit”andmakealistoftheitemsyouneedtopurchasetoputonetogether.3.Onaweekendyouwanttodosomethingthatisfunandeducational,takeyoursurvivalkitintothewoodsandspendthenightusingtheitemsinthekit.Upon completion of theovernight test, be sure to replace any itemsthatmaybedifficult to repack intoacompactpackage.Thisexercisemayalsohelpyoudiscoveritemsyouwillwantinyoursurvivalkitthatmylistdidnot include.Remember it isYOURsurvivalkit, somodify it tomeetyourneeds.4.This book does not go into navigational skills. I feel this requirestraining that, likefirstaid,youshouldhavebeforeyoustartexploring thebackcountry.Ifyouhaven’thadtrainingintheproperuseofyourGPSormapandcompass,getitASAP.Thatalonecankeepyoufromeverneedingthisbook.5.Thisbook covers only themostbasic first-aid skills. It ismy beliefthateveryonewhoventuresintothebackcountryshouldhavesuccessfullytaken aRedCross first-aid course.Also, thosewhohave specialmedicalconditionsshouldbeskilledinmanagingthem.6.Placethisbookinyoursurvivalkitsoitwillbethereif,andwhen,youneed it to guide you through a survival situation. It was designed to besmallenoughtofitintoyourkit,andconciseenoughtobeaquickandeasyresourcewhenyouareintrouble.7. Be sure you always read, then practice the information found in thechapter entitled “Before You Go.” This will help keep your time in asurvivalsituationshort.8.Ifyoufindyourselfinalostorstrandedsituation,stop,sitdown,think,remain calm, don’t panic and plan to stay put. By gaining control of

yourself in these first few minutes, you have increased your chances ofsurvivalby50percent.9.Whenyoufirstrealizeyouarelostandintroubleisthetimetodigthisbookoutanduseittoguideyoutowardasafewaituntilyouarefound.10.As aMaine gamewarden once said, “Even in today’smodernworldtherearemanytrappersandguidesthatspendthenightinthewoodswithlittlemorethanwhatisfoundinabasicsurvivalkit,theyspendtheirlivesdoingit.Relax—youmayevenenjoyyourunplannedstayinthewoods.”

Takeafirst-aidcourseandkeepyourtraininguptodate.Youmayhavetotreatyourowninjuriesinasurvivalemergency.

1.SEARCH&RESCUE

ModernSearch&RescueWorksforYou

Ifyouhavetakenthe timeandprecautiontofilea tripplanwitharesponsiblepersonbeforeyourouting,thenshouldyounotreturnontime,youwillnotgounnoticedforverylong.Thiswillbeginaseriesofeventsthatwillresultinyourbeingrescuedquickly.

Manymissingpeoplegiveuphopequicklybecausetheythinknooneislookingforthem.Modernsearchandrescueisusuallyonthesitewithinafewhours.

Oneofthemostcommon,anddangerous,fearsmostlostorstrandedpeoplehave is thatnoonewillknowtocomelookingfor them.Ifyouhavefollowedthe steps in the next chapter of this book, then you can put this fear to rest;trainedpeoplewillbelookingforyousoon.Ifyoustayputonceyourealizeyouare lost, then it will take even less time to find you. Trying to walk out,

panickingandrunningwillworkagainstyou;and itwill takemuch longer forrescuerstofindyou.Foreveryhouralostpersonwalks,thesearchareagrowsfourtimeslarger.Youshouldstayputandwaittobefound!

HereIsHowItWorks

A search starts quicklywhen you are reportedmissing to local authorities. Inmost cases, this is the county sheriff, district forest ranger or conservationofficer.InCanadaitisusuallytheRoyalCanadianMountedPolice.Today,manyoftheseofficershavereceivedformaltraininginsearchandrescueorganizationandknowhowtorespondquicklytoamissingoutdoorsmanemergency.Whenamissingoutdoorsman report is turned in, the first thing thatusually

happens is a “search boss” is designated. This is someone with a lot ofexperience and training in backcountry searches. He organizes the search andestablishespriorities.Hewillensurethatthesitewherethepersonwaslastseenis quickly protected, set up a search headquarters and interview those peoplewhowerelastwiththemissingperson.

Protecting the “last seen” area keeps wellmeaning people from destroyingtracks andother important signs expert trackerswill need for tracking the lostperson.

Theinterviewwith themissingperson’sfriends/family ismost important,asthisiswherethesearchbosslearnsmuchaboutthemissingperson.Ifatripplanhas been left with someone, it will cut down on the time it takes to get anorganizedsearchstarted.Theywillhaveagoodideawheretobeginlooking.

The search director will quickly establish the “area of probability” and thesearchwillbecenteredthere.

Early in the search, specially trained dogs may be used to trail the missingperson.Twotofouraircraftareusedtoquicklylocatemissingoutdoorsmen.

The interviewer will be looking for detailed information on the missingperson.Theperson’sname,address,description,clothingworn,boottype(soleinformation is important to trackers),age,equipmenthehaswithhim,medicalconditionsincludingmedications,experienceintheoutdoors,physicalcondition,personality traits, etc. All of this information is important to experiencedsearchersbecauseittellsthemalotaboutwheretolookforthemissingperson.

Usually the first searchers to hit the trail include trackers with dogs and ahastyteam.Thehastyteamismadeupofhighlyspecializedpeoplewhogointothe most likely areas the missing person is believed to be. This is why it is

importanttostayputwhenyoufirstrealizeyouarelost.

At the same time, lookouts and road check teams are posted. Lookouts arelocatedatobservationpointsinthesearchareaandroadsearchteamsrideroadsnearthesearcharealookingforthemissingperson.

Asquicklyaspossible,aircraftwillbebroughtintothesearch;oftenaircraftwithspecializedequipmenttoelectronicallyhelpfindthemissingperson.Atthatpoint,thesearchbossmaysetupgridsearchessupervisedbyprofessionalsandcarriedoutusingvolunteers.

Manypeoplewhoarelostfearsearcherswillonlylookafewhoursthengiveup, thinking themissing person is dead. This is not true.Most search bossesestimatehowlongthemissingpersoncansurviveundertheconditionsandthenplan to search three times that long, if needed. Search efforts go far beyondreasonableexpectations.

Lost and strandedpeople shouldnevergiveuphope.The searchwillgoonuntilyouarerescued.Howfastthatsearchbegins,however,dependsuponhowwellyoupreparedbeforeyouwentintothewoods!

Aircraftareusedtoquicklylocatemissingoutdoorsmen.

2.BEFOREYOUGO

Fileatripplanwitharesponsibleperson.Lethimknowexactlywhereyouaregoingandwhenyouplanonreturning.

Aquickrescueactuallybeginsbeforeyougetlostorstranded.Itbeginswithyoutakingsomeprecautionsbeforeyouleavehome,camporyourvehicle.Hereisachecklistofprecautions:

1.Studymapsandgettoknowtheterritoryyouwillbegoinginto.Takethemapandnavigationalequipmentthatyouknowhowtousewithyou.USEITFROMTHEBEGINNINGOFYOUROUTING.2. Learn the area’s weather extremes. Know what to expect in suddenweatherchanges.Dressforit.3.ListentoanNOAAweatherreportfortheperiodyouexpecttobeinthearea.4. Carry a freshly charged cell phone and/or a two-way radiowith freshbatteries.5.Packasurvivalkit.6.Carryaknifeonyourbelt.7.MOST IMPORTANT: FILEA TRIP PLANWITHARESPONSIBLEPERSON!!!!

AlwaysuseaGPSand/ormapandcompassonalloutings.Makethisapractice

andchancesaregoodyouwillneverneedtousesurvivalskills.

SampleTripPlan

❒Name:❒Address:❒Emergencyphonenumber:❒Coordinatesofdestination:❒Furtherdescriptionofdestination:❒Purposeoftrip:❒Modeoftransportation:❒Departuredateandtime:❒Returndateandtime:❒Nameofotherswithyou:

If you are departing from a vehicle, be sure to park the vehicle in an area

where it canbe foundeasily.Leavea slipofpaper in a clearplasticbagwithyourname,emergencyphonenumber,dateandtimeofdeparture,descriptionofdestination and expected return date and time. Place this bag under thewindshieldwiperof thevehicle.Thiswillprobablybethestartingpointof thesearchwhenthepersonyouleftyourtripplanwithnotifiestheauthoritiesyouare missing. Also, this serves as a backup in case something happens to thepersonyouleftresponsibletomonitoryourtripplan.Taking these precautions are as important as packing a survival kit. If a

responsible persondoesn’t knowyou are overdue fromyour scheduled return,regardlessofhowshortthetrip,thennoonewillknowtostartlookingforyou.Peoplehavebeen lost fordaysbeforeanyonerealized therewasaproblem.Inthese cases survival ceased to be a short-term emergency and became a long-termnightmare,oftenwithadisastrousending.

DON’TFAILTOTAKE

THESEPRECAUTIONS!

3.SURVIVALKIT

AssembleYourOwnSurvivalKit

The individual survival kit weighs only two pounds and contains the itemsnecessarytosurviveanunplannednightinthewoods.Itwillkeepyousafeifyouknowhowtouseitandtakeitwithyou.

Goonoutdooradventurespreparedtospendthreeextra,unexpecteddaysinthebackcountry.Todothis,youneedtotakewithyouitemsthatwill:

1.Providequickprotectionfrominclementweather.2.Retainbodyheat.3.Helpstartafire.4.Providesafedrinkingwater.5.Offerprotectionfrombitinginsects.6.Providetwomethodsofsignalingforhelpbeyondacellphoneortwo-wayradio.

These itemsmakeupyourpersonal survival kit.Whencombinedwithyour

beltknifeormulti-tool,map,compassandGPS, theygiveyoutheedgeyou’llneedtosurvive.

Thesurvivalkitisimportantnotonlyforitslifesavingmerits,butforcomforton those outings when a night must be spent unexpectedly in the woods orstreamside.Ihavebeenforcedonmanyoccasionstospendanightortwointhewoods I didn’t planon, because anoutfitterwas late pickingmeup, climbingdownamountaininthedarkwastoodangerous,amotorconkedoutonmyboat,etc.Eachtime,mytwopoundsurvivalkitprovidedmewithacomfortablecamp.Withoutitthewaitwouldhavebeencoldanddangerous.

SuggestedItemsforthePersonalSurvivalKit

❒Tubetent❒Strike-anywherekitchenmatchesinwaterproofmatchsafe❒Flashlight❒Firestarters❒Signalmirror❒Policewhistle❒MPIEmergencySpacebag❒Parachutecord-50’❒Aluminumfoil-36”x36”❒Insectrepellent❒Waterpurificationtablets❒PocketSurvivalGuide❒FirstAidKit

SHELTER—Thefirst itemnecessaryforasurvivalcampisshelter.Youcanread all you want about a lean-to, brush shelters, etc., but few shelters arequickertoerectandgiveasmuchprotectionasaplastictubetent.Yousimplytiea strong cord between two trees, stretch the tube to its full 8-foot length andcrawlinoutoftheweather.IusetheCoghlan’sTubeTent.Itiscompact,weighs18ouncesandisabrightorangecolor,servingasasignalthatcanbeeasilyseenfromtheair.NotonlyhaveIusedatubetentinasurvivalsituation,IhaveusedoneonseveraloccasionsforprotectionfromasuddenrainorhailstormwhenIdidn’thavearainsuitorotherprotection.

SLEEPWARM—Tostaywarminyourtubetent,youwillwantoneofthe36”×84”MPIEmergencySpacebags.Thisbag,which foldsup to1½”×3”andweighsonly4ounces,will reflectand retain90percentof radiatedbodyheat.

Youwillneedtobecarefulusingoneofthesebagswhenyouarewearingbootswith aggressive soles as they can cause the blanket to tear. But, with a littlecautionwhen getting into the bag, it will keep youwarm all night.When onguidedhuntsIcarryanextrabag;Iwantmyguidetoberestedinordertogetmeoutsafelythenextday.Also,anextrabag,whileweighinglittleandtakinguplittlespaceinmysurvivalkit,givesmeabackupifIshouldtearthefirstone.

MATCHES— To build a fire you will need fresh strike-anywhere kitchenmatchesinawaterproofmatchsafe.Iusethefull-sizewoodenmatchesbecausetheyareeasytoigniteandburnlongerthansmallbookorboxmatches.Ikeeptheminaweathertightsafetyorangeplasticmatchsafe.Replace themoftenasmatcheshaveashortshelflife.

FIRESTARTERS—Sincestartingafirecanbedifficult,especiallyinwindyor damp conditions, a package of fire starters is amust. Campmor’s has a 4-ouncepackageof20FireLighters,eachofwhichburnsevenminutes.Thesecanbeusedforboilingwateraseasilyasstartingacampfire.

SIGNALMIRROR—Twomethodsofsignaling,beyondacellphoneortwo-wayradio,shouldbecarried.Isuggestasignalmirror,suchasStarFlash,andahigh-qualitywhistle,suchasaFox40whistle.Thesignalmirroriseasytouseandcanbeseenmorethan60milesaway.

WHISTLE—Thewhistlerequiresverylittleenergytouse,canbeheardmuchfarther than the human voice and lastsmuch longer. Get a whistle that has acontrastingcolor,suchasyelloworbrightorange,andalanyardsothatitmaybewornaroundtheneckforfastusewheninasurvivalsituation.

INSECTREPELLENT— For protection againstmosquitoes, ticks, chiggersandotherbitinginsects,Icarryasmallpacketofinsectrepellent.Duringwarmweather it isworth itsweight ingold,especiallyatnightwhenmosquitoesareflying.

FLASHLIGHT—Iincludeasmallflashlightinmykit.Iliketheonesthatuselithiumbatteries due to their 10-year shelf life.The flashlight canbe used forsignaling and is a must for doing camp chores in the dark. Select a qualitycompactflashlightsuchastheStreamlightTwin-TaskorSureFireE2Executive.

ALUMINUMFOIL—Oneof themostversatile itemsIcarryinmysurvivalkitisa36”×36”pieceofheavy-dutyaluminumfoilfoldeduptoabout3”×3”.It can be used tomake a vessel for boilingwater or cooking food, tomake areflectorforafireandasasignalmirror.

WATERPURIFICATIONTABLETS—Whilefoodneednotbeaconcernforthe72-hoursurvivalordeal,waterwillbenecessary.Sincesafedrinkingwaterhasbecomescarceeveninthemostremotewildernessareas,itisagoodideatotakealongasmallbottleofPotableAquatabletstotreatdrinkingwater.Besuretofollowinstructionscarefully.

GALLON-SIZERESEALABLEPLASTICBAG—Packyoursurvivalkitinaone-gallonresealablebag,suchasZiplock.Itcanbeusedtoholdwaterwhiletreatingwithwaterpurificationtablets.

PARACHUTECORD—Carry a 50-foot length of parachute cord.Youwillfind it servesmany purposes, especiallywhen improvising a shelter. If small,strongstringisneeded,theparachutecordcanbecutopenandthemanysmallstrings,whichmake up the core of the cord, can be used separately to repairclothing,closeanendofthetubetent,etc.

POCKETSURVIVALGUIDE—Don’tforgettoplaceacopyofthisbookinthekit.Itcanbeaninvaluableresourcetorefertowhencaughtinanunexpectedsituation.Thissurvivalkitwill fit intoacoatpocketordaypackandcostfrom$40 to $100, depending upon the cost of the flashlight. It is not sufficient topurchase all these items and put them in your daypack, tackle box or huntingcoatpockettobetherewhenyouneedthem.Likeanyspecializedoutdoorgear,you need to give them a field test. Actually use them overnight, so you arefamiliarwiththemwhenyouneedthemmost.

OTHERIMPORTANTITEMS—Ifyourequirespecialmedications,suchasinjections tocounteractstinging insects, thenbyallmeans include this inyourgear. Some people include a Power Bar in their survival kit. I always carrybottled water in my daypack on outings. Don’t load yourself down withunnecessaryitems,butincludethosewhichyoudeemnecessaryforyoursafety.Whenyouuse items fromyour survival kit,make it a highpriority to replacethemASAP.

SOURCESOFSURVIVALKITITEMS—

Mostsurvival itemsmentionedcanbefoundingoodcampingsupplystoresorbygoingtothefollowingWebsites:

www.campmor.comwww.foxridgeoutfitters.comwww.epcamps.comwww.cabelas.comwww.mpioutdoors.com

POCKETFIRST-AIDKIT

•Steriledressing•Gauzerollerbandageorelasticrollerbandage(AceWrap)•Adhesivebandages(Band-Aids™)•Woundclosurestrips(heavy-dutybutterflyadhesivebandages)•Adhesiveorducttape•PolysporinorDoubleAntibioticOintment•Tweezersandsafetypins

BASICSURVIVALFIRSTAID

Thefollowingrecommendationsarebasedontheassumptionthatthesurvivorisaloneandwillhavetotreathimself.

BLEEDINGYoumustcontrolseriousbleedingimmediately!

ArterialBleeding—Arteries carrybloodaway from theheart.Blood fromacutarteryappearsbrightredandcomesindistinctspurtsthatmatchtherhythmoftheheartbeat.Arterialbloodisunderhighpressureandacutarterycanresultinthelossofalargevolumeofbloodinashortperiodoftime.Arterialbleedingmustbecontrolledimmediatelyordeathmayresult.

VenousBleeding—Veinscarrybloodbacktotheheart.Bloodfromaseveredvein will appear dark red or bluish in color and will come in a steady flow.Venousbleedingismoreeasilycontrolledthanarterialbleeding.

Capillary Bleeding— Bleeding from capillaries, small vessels that connectarteries and veins, commonly occurs as a result of small cuts and abrasions.Capillarybleedingiseasilycontrolled.

DirectPressure—Themosteffectivewaytocontrolexternalbleedingisdirectpressureappliedoverthewound.Thepressuremustbefirmenoughtostopthebloodflowandshouldbemaintainedlongenoughtoclosethedamagedsurface.Wheneverpossible, thebleedingpartshouldbeelevatedabovethelevelof theheart—forexample,byraisingalimb.

PressureDressing—Ifbleedingcontinuesafterpressurehasbeenappliedforabout30minutes,youshouldapplyapressuredressing.Thisshouldbeathickdressingofgauzeorothermaterialapplieddirectlyoverthewoundandheldinplaceby a tightlywrappedbandage.Thebandage shouldnot be so tight as torestrictcirculation.Keepthedressinginplace.

Tourniquet—Usea tourniquetonly in casesofmassivewoundswith severebleeding orwhen direct pressure cannot control bleeding.A tourniquet shouldonlybeplacedontheupperlegorarms.Placeatourniquetbetweenthewoundandtheheart,neverdirectlyovertheinjuryorfracture.Useasticktotightenthetourniquetjustenoughtostoptheflowofblood.Bindthefreeendofthesticktothe limb.Cut-off blood flow can result in the loss of a limb.A lone survivorshould not release the tourniquet. Under normal circumstances a tourniquetshouldbeloosenedevery10to15minutestorestorebloodflowtothelimbbutthiscanberiskyifyouarebyyourself.

WOUNDSInmostsurvivalsituationsitisbestnottotrytocloseawound.Leavethewoundopentoallowdrainagefromanyinfectionthatmayoccur.Coverthewoundwitha cleandressingandbandageandchange thedressingdaily if possible. In thecaseofagapingwound,youcanclosetheedgeswitha“butterfly”adhesivestripmadefromadhesivetapeoraBand-Aid™.

SPRAINSSprainsarethestretchingortearingofligamentswhenajointistwistedbeyondits normal range of motion. Ice or some form of cold should be applied, ifpossible,totheinjuredareatoreduceswelling.Heatshouldnotbeusedsinceitwillencourageinternalcapillarybleedingandincreaseswelling.Acompressionwrap, made by placing some form of padding over the injured joint andwrappingwithanelasticbandage,willpreventswellingandgivesupport.Wherepossible the injured joint should be elevated above the level of the heart toreduceswelling.

FRACTURESRelocatingorsettingboneswillbedifficultforalonesurvivor.Asimplefracturecan be treated by immobilizing the injured limbwith an improvised splint toreducepainandpreventfurtherinjury.

The above procedures are recommended in the U.S. ARMY SURVIVALMANUALFM21-76.

4.WEATHER

EquipYourselfforLocalWeatherConditions

Beforegoingafield,listentoacurrentweatherreportanddressfortheworstoftheexpectedweather.Expecttheunexpected.

Badweatherisoftenthecauseofpeoplegettingstrandedintheoutdoors.Oneofthemostvaluabletoolsanyoutdoorsmancanhaveinhisbasecamp,vehicleorwhile on an outing is a small NOAA (National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration) weather-band radio. They can be purchased at many outdoorstores and electronic stores such as Radio Shack. The NOAAWeather RadioSystembroadcaststimelyweatherinformationforlocalareasacrosstheUnitedStatesona24-hour-a-daybasis.Thenetworkiscapableofreaching90percentofallAmericans.CanadahasasimilarsystemcalledWeatheradioCanada.

Someweather-bandradiosareequippedwithanalarmfeaturesothattheywillautomaticallyturnonwhensevereweatherthreatens.Mostoftheweather-bandradios operate on a battery, making them convenient to carry into thebackcountry. Make a weather-band radio a must-have item of equipment foryourbasecamporvehicle.Use itprior toeveryouting!Beforegoing into thewoodsforanyperiodoftime,takeafewminutesandlistentotheweather-bandradio for forecastsof theweatherduring theperiodyouwillbeoutside.Then,dressfortheweather.

DRESS FOR THE UNEXPECTED — Even in areas of mild weather thetemperaturecanchangedramaticallyasthetimeofdaychanges.Desertsthatarehotduringthedaycanbecoldatnight.Suddenrainshowerscanchangeamildday into a cold one. Climbing steep mountains can cause a person to sweat,makinghisclothingwet,whichcanthenmakehimfeelcoldinthewind.

Thepointis,alwaysexpecttheunexpectedwhenplanninganouting.Itdoesnottakemuchspaceinadaypacktoincludealightweightrainsuit.Itmayevencomeinhandyonadrydayasawindbreaker. Ifyouget lostorstranded,youcouldbeoutadayor two longer thanexpected.During that time, theweather

coulddramaticallychange.

Dressfortheexpectedweathertemperatureextremesfortheperiodyouintendto be out. Dress in layers so that you can remove clothing and put in yourdaypackasthetemperaturewarmsuporyouexertyourself.Asthetemperaturedrops,oryouslowyourpace,youcanputthelayersbackon.Mostimportantly,don’tgooffwithoutahat.Duringcoolorcoldweather,as

muchas75percentofyourbodyheatlosscanbethroughtheuncoveredhead.Thiscanbecriticalduringaperiodofsurvival,especiallyduringthenightwhenyouaretryingtorest.

Wear clothing tomatch the climate and listen to theweather-band radio forchanges.Don’tpushyourluckinbadweather.Adayspentincampduringdensefog, snowstorm, thunderstorms, etc., ismuch better than a night in a survivalcampwishingyouhadcanceledtheouting.

5.TROUBLE

YouAreinTrouble—Stop!

Whenyoufirstrealizeyouarelostorstranded,STOPthenandrelax.Yourmindisyourbestsurvivaltoolifitiscalmandthinkingrationally.

Yourmost important survival skill isyour ability to admit thatyouare lostorstranded.Thatisnotaneasydecisiontomake.Mostpeoplewillnotadmitthatuntiltheyhavewanderedaroundforlongperiodsgettingintoaworsesituationthan they would have been in had they recognized their predicament at thebeginning.

Onceyouadmitthatyouarelostorstranded,sitdownandthink.Ifyouhaveacellphoneortwo-wayradio,nowisthetimetocallforhelpandawaitthehelp.Get controlofyourself, avoidpanic and staycalm.Mentally,youmust acceptthechallengeyouarefacingandmakethebestoftheadventure.Ifyouleftatripplanwitha responsiblepersonbeforeyou left, chancesare thatpeoplewillbelookingforyousoon.Youradventurewillbeshortlived.EveninremoteregionsofNorthAmerica,99percentofthemissingpeopleonoutingsarefoundwithin72hoursorless.Youwillbetoo.

Let’sfaceit,avoidingpanicisdifficultwhendealingwithyourselfor,ifyouare not alone,with those people around youwhen fear begins to set in.Mostpeoplewhogetlostorstrandedpanictosomedegreebutthosewhofarebestgetcontroloftheirthoughtsquickly.Inextremecases,thosewhopanicmayforgetwho they are orwhere they are. Some even hide from searchers. This erraticbehaviormakes it difficult for searchers to find them.Here is a goodway tomanagepanic:

STOP

Thefirstthingtodowhenyouadmittoyourselfthatyouarelostorstrandedistoresistthetemptationtowalkorrunyourwayoutofthesituation.STOP!Thisistheacronymfor:

SitThinkObservePlanFollowthissimpleplanofcontrollingpanic.

Sit — The act of sitting down will help keep you from getting into deepertrouble.Thisoneactalonecanalsojump-startthethinkingprocess,andithelpssuppresstheurgetorunortomakehasty,foolishdecisions.Youwillneedthistimetogetovertheshockthatithashappenedtoyou:YOUARELOST.

Think—Survivalisthechallengetostayalive.Yourmindisthebestsurvivaltoolyouhave.Insuchasituation,youareatthemercyofyourmind.Inordertosurvive,youmustkeepincontrolbythinkingofpasttraining,bymaintainingapositivementalattitudeandbydevelopingthedeterminationtosurvive.

Thinkaboutyourpriorities.TheprioritiesofsurvivalareknownastheRulesofThree:

1.Youmaybedoomedinthreesecondsifyouletpanicrule.2.Youcannotlivemorethanthreeminuteswithoutoxygen.3.Youcannot livemorethanthreehours in temperatureextremeswithout

bodyshelter.4.Youcannotlivemorethanthreedayswithoutwater.5.Youwillneedfoodinthreeweeks.

These priorities tell you that you need to think of the real and immediate

dangers, not those conjured up by your fears.Yourmost immediate danger isyourownmind.Don’tletfeartakecontrolandcloudclear,resourcefulthinking.

Observe— Observe your surroundings to discover what problems must besolved and what resources you have to solve them. You will need shelter,signals, fire,waterandacampsite that iseasilyspotted.Selectacampsite,getout your survival kit and set about getting ready to be found. If you arewithothers, make job assignments. Get everyone involved. Keep everyone busy.Keepeveryonepositive.

Plan—Now thatyouare settleddownand ready to live theadventure,makeplanstosettheminmotion.

1.Selectasurvivalcampsitenearanopenareaoryourstalledvehicle.2.Setupasetofsignals,withbackups,andkeepthemreadyforinstantuse.3. Erect your tube tent or construct shelter making it reasonablycomfortablewithoutwastingenergy.4.Gatherfirewoodandstartafire.5.Maintainapositivesurvivalspirit.6.Dispelfears.7.Boostthewilltolive.8.Getcomfortable,enjoytheuniqueexperienceandgetreadytobefound.Itwillnottakelong.

6.SIGNALS

PrepareYourSignals

Wavingbrightclothingorothergearinanopenareacangettheattentionofasearchaircraft.

Youneed tobeable tohear the searchers, so try toavoida survival campsitenearnoisywaters.

Whetheryouarelostorstranded,thefirststeptobeingfoundistoleaveatripplanwitha responsibleperson.Next,youneed tobeseenorheard.Assumingyouhaveletsomeoneknowwhereyouaregoingandwhenyouexpecttoreturn,itwon’tbelongbeforesomeonewillbelookingforyouintheareainwhichyouarelocated.Yourfirstconcernshouldbetopreparetobeseen,orheard,bythe

rescueparty.

Trytoavoidmakingyoursurvivalcampnearawaterfallorroaringcreek.Youneedtobewhereyoucanhearsearchersandasurvivalcampintheselocationsdrownoutsoundsmadebysearchersandsometimesyoursignalstothem.Signalingisasurvivalskillthatnooneshouldtakelightly,especiallysincewe

nowhaveexcellentsearchaircraftthatcanbeintheairoverthesearchareasoonafter a person is reportedmissing.Also, hasty teams of experienced searcherscanbeonthegroundlookingforamissingpersonwithinafewhoursafterheorsheisreportedmissing.

Herearesomeofthebestsignalingmethods,secondonlytoaworkingtwo-wayradioorcellphone:

SIGNALMIRROR—Most survival experts consider the signalmirror tobeoneof thebest signaldevicesavailable.Theyare smallandeasy tocarry inasurvivalkit,coatordaypack. Itamazespeoplehowfara reflectionfromtheselittlemirrorscanbeseen.

UnitedStatesAirForcerescueplaneshavespottedasignalmirrorfromasfarawayas100miles.Distancesof30to40milesarecommon.Severaltimeslostpeoplehaveusedasignalmirrortoattracttheattentionofrangersinaforestfiretowerorsearchersmilesawayonamountainsideorinaflatdesert.

ATexaspilotwasflyinghomefromAlaskawhenhishelicoptercrashedinathickspruceforestinBritishColumbia.For14dayshesurvivedatthecrashsite.Hewasfoundduetousingapieceofshinymetalasasignalmirror toget theattention of a search and rescue plane as it flew over.Many downed combatpilotsandmilitaryspecialopsunitsinSoutheastAsiaduringthe1960sand70sowetheirlivestoasignalmirror.

Thesignalmirrorisoneofthemostvaluedsignals.Aircraftpilotscanseeitformiles.

SignalmirrorsmaybepurchasedatmanyoutdoorsupplystoresandtherearenumeroussourcesfoundwhenyousearchtheWeb.Today,mostsignalmirrorsare made from tough plastic and have instructions on the back. While the

instructions are easy to follow,noone shouldwait until theyget in a survivalsituationbeforetheylearnhowtouseitproperly.Practiceuntilyouunderstandtheproperwaytousethemirror.

Thesignalmirrorisquickandeasytouse.Practicetheaimingandcorrectuseofthesignalmirrorathomebeforegoingafield.

Most signalmirrors have a hole in the center for aiming. They are used toreflect thesun,moonoraircraftsearchlighttosignalanoverheadaircraft,boator other target such as a search party that is within view but a long distanceaway.Hereishowtousethesignalmirror:

1.Holdthemirrorinfrontofyoureyesoyoucanseethroughthehole.2.Makesuretheshinysideistowardthesun,moonorsearchlight.3.Takeyourotherhandandholditoutatarm’slength.4.Reflectlightontotheextendedhand.5.Whilelookingthroughtheaiminghole,turnthemirrorinordertoswingthereflectedspottowardthetarget.

6.Keepyoursignalmirrorwithyouandbepreparedtouseitfast.

Signal mirrors may be improvised from almost any shiny object, such as

aluminumfoil,acarmirror,thebottomoutofatincanwithaholeinthecenterorevenaCD.Infact,aCDmakesanexcellentsignalmirror,duetoitshighlyreflectivesurfaceandtheholeinthecenterthatcanbeusedasanaimingdevice.

POLICEWHISTLE—A loudwhistlesuchas thoseusedbypolice,coachesanddoghandlersmakesanexcellentsignaldevice. It iseasy tocarry, requireslittle energy touse, canbeheardmuch farther than thehumanvoiceand lastslongafterashoutingpersonbecomeshoarse.Thewhistlemakesagoodsignalwhenagroundpartyisconductingthesearch.Thewhistleiseasilyheardandiftrackingdogsarebeingused,theycanhearitfromgreatdistances.

Touseawhistleeffectively,staycalmanddonotblowthewhistleuntilitisthoughtthatsomeoneiswithinhearingdistance.Toblowawhistlecontinuouslyfor hours when no one is around only wastes vital energy and brings onfrustration. When you think enough time has gone by and people are likelylookingforyou,trygivingafewblowsonyourwhistleevery30minutesjustincasesomeoneisoutthere,andthenwhistlethemin.Whenyouhearsearchers,stayputandletthemcometoyou.

FIRE—Oneofthebest-knownsignals,bothdayandnight,isafire.Atnight,abright campfire in an opening can be seen for miles from the air and a fairdistanceon theground,especially inmountains.During theday, the same firecanbemadetosmokewhenwetleavesorgreenvegetationispiledonit.Smokeduringthedayisanexcellentsignal.

Remembertobeextremelycarefulwhenmakingandusingasignalfire.

Thesurvivalcampfirecanbeagooddayornightsignalifproperlyused.

When in a survival situation,most people are upset and excited andmistakescomeeasily.Youareinenoughtroublealreadywithoutgettingcaughtinaforestfirethatyouhaveset.

Carrykitchenmatches inawaterproofcontaineranda fire starterwithyou.Knowhow to start a fire even inwet conditions.Building a fire in a survivalsituationismoredifficultthanmostpeoplethink.Mastertheskilloffiremakingbeforeyouactuallyneedit.

FLASHLIGHT—Oneofthenewgenerationsofultrabrightflashlights,suchas those bySureFire or Streamlight,makes an excellent signal at night. If theflashlighthasanon-offswitchthatallowsyoutosignal“SOS”inMorsecode,somuch thebetter.Threeshort flashes, three longflashes,and threeshort flashesarethe“SOS”signalknowntoallrescuepersonnel.Evenasmalllightoutintheopencanbeseenalongwaybyaircraftatnight.

BRIGHTCLOTHING&EQUIPMENT—Thebrightorangeclothingmanyhunterswearworkswell as a signal, especially if aircraft is used in a search.EvenawhiteT-shirtoryellowrainsuitcanbeusedasasignalpanel.Brightlycoloredequipmentsuchasaredtubetentororangepackhasbeenusedtosignalsearchers.Thebottomlineistofindsomethingthatstandsoutfromtheterrainyouarein.

GROUND-TO-AIRSIGNALS—Searchpilotsareallfamiliarwithground-to-airsignals.ThesearelargesymbolsthelostorstrandedpersonformsoutintheOPENwhere theycanbe seenby searchaircraft.Theymust contrastwith theground tobeseen.Dark limbsonsnowor lightcolored rocksondarksoilareexamplesofwhathasprovenuseful.

The signalmust be large to be seen from the air. For example the “X,” theuniversalsignalforhelp,shouldhavelegsthatare3feet inwidthandasingleleglengthof18feet.

Ground-to-airsignalsshouldhavelinesthatare3feetwideand18feetlongtobeseenbysearchaircraft.

Ground-to-AirSignalsHerearethesymbolssearchpilotsrecognize.Rememberthe“X”istheoneusedmostoften:

GUNSHOTS—Gunshotscanbeagoodsignal,andtheycarryalongdistance;however,theymustbeusedattherighttimetobeeffective.Ifyouareintroubleduringhuntingseasonyourshotsmaybemistakenasshotsfromhunters.Saveyourammunitionandwaituntilwellafterdark.Thenfirethreeshotsintotheair.Listenforthreeshotsinreturn.Ifyoumakecontact,fireonlyoneshotwhenyouhearyoursearchersshoot.Saveyourammoasitmaytakeseveralshotstoguidethemin.Ifyougetnoresponse,saveyourammoanddon’tshootagainuntilyouhear sounds from your searchers. If there is no one near enough to hear yourgunshotsor if theyareconfusedwithhunters, itwillonlybeawasteofammoandbringnohelp.

It is important to know how to use signals properly, and that you have thesignalsreadyforuseonshortnotice.Also,itisimportanttochooseanopenareatodoyoursignaling.Manysignalswillnotbeseenfromtheairifyousitunderathickcanopyoftalltreestoawaitrescue.Selectanopenarea,ifpossible,towaitforyourrescuersandhaveyoursignalsready.Areas,suchasoldroads,fields,sitesofoldforestfires,sea-orlakeshoreoranyothertypeofopeningwillhelpyoubeseenearlyinthesearch.Remembertostaywhereyouare,anddon’tgiveintotheurgetotravel.Signalingwillbringhelptoyou.

7.SHELTER

ConstructaShelter

Shelterisoftenthefirstpriorityofsurvival.Inthiscase,shelterfrom120-degreeheat is sought by digging into the ground under a disabled truck. The truckbecameanoveninthisheat.

Shelter is defined as a “place affording protection from the elements.” Everysurvivor,facedwiththeproblemofprotectinghimselffromtheelements,mustconsiderusingeveryconceivableplacealreadyexistinginhisimmediateareaorusing every available material at hand to improvise a place that will affordmuch-neededprotection.Whendecidingwhattypeofsheltertobuild,youmustfirstconsiderwhattheshelteristoprotectyoufrom,i.e.,rain,cold,insects,heat.Asanexample,wheninhot,aridareas,protectionfromthesunduringthedaymaybetheprimeconsideration.Infrigidareas,extremecoldaggravatedbyhigh

winds or, in some seasons, swarms of insectsmay be the dangers that dictatewhattypeofprotectionthesurvivormustseek.

In addition to protection from natural elements and conditions, an adequateshelter also provides the survivorwith psychologicalwell-being, so necessaryfor sound rest.Adequate rest isextremely important if thesurvivor is tomakesound decisions. The need for rest becomes more critical as time passes andrescueisprolonged.Restcontributestomentalandphysicalhealth,andadequatesheltercontributestosoundrest.Becauseofthesefactors,adequatesheltermustbeplacedhighontheprioritylistifsurvivalistobesuccessful.

Constructingshelterforyoursurvivalcampmayormaynotbearushmatter.If theweather ismildwith no rain, youmay postpone constructing a shelter.However,iftheweatherisbadorsubjecttogetworse,thenshelterconstructionmay become very high on your list of priorities. One plus for shelterconstruction, assuming you are in good shape, is that it keeps you occupied.Constructingagoodshelterwhereyoucanrestcomfortablyoutoftheelementstakestimeandsomework,butthiswillhelpkeepyourmindoffyourtroubles.

The location of your shelter site will depend on several things. The firstpriority is that it be in a location where search aircraft or ground parties caneasily see you. Iwas once leading a ground search party looking for two losthikers.Ittookustwodayslongerthanitshouldhavetofindthehikersduetothehiddenlocationtheyhadselectedtosetuptheirsurvivalcamp.

Ifyouare strandedwithavehicle,plane,boat, snowmobileor canoe, try toeither use the craft as a camp or set up your shelter nearby due to their highvisibility.Theexceptiontothiswouldbeifthecraftwerehiddenbythickbrushortrees.

Ifyouarewalkingorskiing,selectanopenarea,ifpossible,inwhichtosetupyour survival camp.Thismay require that you cut some brush or small trees.Avoidconstructingyourshelterinalowswampareaorinadrycreekbed.Yourpredicament is bad enough without getting caught in a flash flood or rising

groundwater.Also,inwarmweather,mosquitoesmaybeaproblem.

Lookupbeforeselectingasheltersite.Don’tbuildyourshelterunderstandingdeadtreesordeadlimbsorbranchesheavywithsnow.Thesecouldfallonyou.Avoidthickoverheadvegetationthatcouldblocktheviewforaircraftaswellasconceal your distress signals. Avoid avalancheprone slopes. Try to constructyoursheltersothatyoucansleepcomfortably.Selectalevelornearlevelsite.Removestonesandsticks.Yoursleepisvitaltoconserveenergyforsurvival.

Setupaground-to-airsignalassoonasyouhaveasurvivalcampsiteselected.If the weather is not too bad, set your signals up before you construct yourshelter.Waitingmaycauseyoutomissachanceforearlyrescue.

Ifpossible,findanopeningandsetupyourshelternearasourceofwatersuchasaspring,creek,riverorlake.Notonlydoesthissaveenergyingettingwater,butitalsoisagoodplacetofindanimalsandplantsforfood.Otherpeoplevisitareas near water more frequently, thus increasing your chances of beingdiscovered.

Thetypeofshelteryouselect touseinyoursurvivalcampwillbebasedonseveralfactors:

1.Whatsheltermaterialdoyouhavewithyou—tubetent,vehicle,canoe,airplane,tarp,emergencyblanket,sheetofplastic,etc?2.Whatequipmentdoyouhavetoaidinshelterconstruction—axe,saw,knife,rope,etc?3.What naturalmaterials are available for shelter construction— rocks,trees,poles,snow,cave,etc?4.Whatistheweatherlikenow?Whatkindofweatherdoyouexpect?5.Whatistheseasonoftheyear?

How effective your shelter will be will depend upon what you have to

constructitwithandwhattheweatherislike,plusyourabilitytoimproviseandanyprevioustrainingyouhavehadinshelterconstruction.

TubeTent

Ifyouaretravelinginthebackcountrybyfoot,ATV,vehicle,plane,snowmobile,canoe, boat, horseback or skis, youwould be smart to take a tentwith you. Ilearnedwhileworking innorthernCanadaandAlaska tohavea tube tentwithmeatalltimes.Ihavespentmanyunplannednightsinthewilderness.Thetubetent is easy and quick to set up. You simply run a rope or cords through theplastictubeandtieitbetweentwotrees.Sincetheyblowlikeasailinhighwind,itisagoodideatoweighdownthefrontandrearopeningswithrocksorheavylogs.

The tube tent you pack in your survival kit is one of the best quick sheltersavailable.

Alean-tomadefromaSpaceblanketortarpisaneffectiveshelterandissimpletoerect.

Lean-to

Atarp,oranemergencyblanket,especiallyoneinabrightorangecolor,makesanextremelyversatileshelter. Itcanbestretchedoveranopenboat tomakeacozyshelter.Itcanbestretchedalongsideanoverturnedcanoetoformalean-to.Youcanalsostretchitfromawingofaplanetothegroundorfromthesideofavehicletotheground.Itmakesagoodlean-to,especiallywhentryingtoescapedesertheat.Arainprooflean-toisgoodincoldweatherbecausewhenusedwithareflectorfire,thesheltercanbecomfortableintheworstofweather.

SpaceBlanket

TheMPISpaceblanket,whichissoldinmanycampingsupplystores,isagooditemtocarryinapersonalsurvivalkit.Thisblanketismadefromaverythinbutstrongspace-agematerialthatcanreflect90percentoftheheatthrownagainstit.Itiscompact,aboutthesizeofapackofcigarettes.Itcanbemadeintoalean-to,andwhenusedwithareflectorfire,isverywarm.Thisblanketmakesawarmsleepingbagwhenfoldedproperly.

Any type of plastic that is large enough can be made into a lean-to. Thisincludescuttingplasticgarbagebagssothattheymakeasquaresheet.

NaturalShelters

Arockoverhangorcavemakesoneofthebestnaturalshelterstobefound.Infact,duringthe1700s,thelonghunterswhowereexploringthewildernesswestof theAppalachianMountainsspententirewinters insurvival-typecampstheymade under rock overhangs.By building up rock or logwalls aswindbreaks,theseshelterscanactuallybecomfortable.Onedownside, though,due to theirlocations: They are usually difficult to spot from the air or from any greatdistanceontheground,makingrescuemuchmoredifficult.Locatingground-to-airsignalsnearbyisamustwhenusingthesetypesofshelters.

Manytimes,freshlyblown-downtreescanbemadeintoasurvivalshelterbycuttingawaythe limbsnear theground.If largepiecesofbarkarearound,usethemtoimprovetheroof.

Anaturalshelter,suchasthisrockoverhang,maybefoundinthesurvivalarea.Due to itbeingsomewhathidden from theair,ground-to-airsignalsshouldbesetup.

SnowShelters

Inthewinterthereareseveralsurvivalsheltersthatcanbeconstructed.However,shelterssuchasthefamoussnowcavetakealotofenergyandskill.Thehole-in-the-snowshelterisoneofthesimplersheltersifthesnowisatleast4feetdeep.

Hole-in-the-SnowShelter— Find an evergreen tree that has limbs extendingdowntosnowlevel,thendigoutallthesnowarounditstrunkrightdowntotheground.Next, trimall the insidebranchesanduse themto line thebottomandfinish the top. Since this shelter is hidden, be sure to keep your ground-to-airsignalsoutandcleanofsnow.

SnowCave—Asnowcaveisanexcellentcoldweathershelter,butitrequiresalot of energy, a shovel or similar device, and some skill. Begin by finding apackedsnowdriftthatisabout7feethighand12feetormorewide.Thenstartdiggingalowtunnelintothesnowbank.Afteryoudigthetunnel2feetintothesnowbank,hollowoutanopeninglargeenoughforyoutoliedown.

Next,pushastickthroughtheroofata45-degreeangletomakeaventhole.In the back of the cave, build the bed platform at least 18 inches high. Toconserve heat, the cave should be built just large enough to sleep, dress andundresswhile lying in the sleeping bag. If desired, the sleeping shelfmay bewalledin toconserveheat. Inadditionto theventilationhole throughtheroof,thereshouldbeanotheratthedoorifyoupushsnowintotheopeningtoblocktheoutsideelements.

Ahole-in-the-snowsheltercanbeduginsnow-coveredareasbydiggingapitatthebaseofevergreentreeswithlow-hangingbranches.

Since they cannot be heated many degrees above freezing, life in snowsheltersisrugged.It takesseveralweekstoacclimateyourself totheeffectsoflivinginsuchacoldatmosphere.Youwillrequiremorefoodandhotdrinks.

Regardlessofhowcolditmaygetoutside,thetemperatureinsideasmall,well-constructedsnowcaveprobablywillnotbelowerthan-10ºF,andwithacandle,it can be heated to 32°F. Snow caves are difficult for searchers to find.Good

signalsareamust.

There aremanyother crude shelters that canbemade.The secret to shelterconstruction is simple—use what is available to protect yourself from theelements.Constructwhatever shelter uses the least amount of energy to buildand,ifpossible,setitupwhereitcanbeseen.Inmostcases,thetubetentyoucarryinyoursurvivalkitwillbethebestemergencyshelter.

Constructedinasnowdriftorbank,asnowcavesheltermakeseffectiveuseoftheinsulatingqualitiesofsnow.Thewallshouldbeatleast17inchesthick.

8.BUILDAFIRE

BuildaSurvivalFire

Fireservesmanyvaluablepurposesinthesurvivalcamp.Canyoubuildfireonacold,wet,windydaywithjustonematch?

You realize you are lost or, perhaps, stranded. You have stopped and calmeddown.Youhavewiselydecidedtowaitforrescue.Findinganearbyopeninginthe woods where your signals can be seen from the air, you take out yoursurvivalkitandlocateyourwaterproofmatchcontainerandfirestarterandbuilda fire.Soundseasy,doesn’t it?But,what ifyoudidn’thavematches?What ifyoudidn’tknowhowtobuildafire?Theunknowingmightsayyoucanalwaysstartafirewithflintandsteelorwithafiredrillorwithalensfromyourglasses.Theunknowingmightalsosayanybodycanbuildafire.Howwrongthiskindofthinkingcanbe.

First, let’s establishhowvaluable a fire canbe to a lostor strandedperson.Most people lost in the backcountry are scared, embarrassed, lonely, hungry,oftencoldorbeingattackedbyflyingpests,boredandusuallyinpoorspirits.Afirecansolvemanyoftheseproblems.Asurvivalfireservesasasignal,keepsthe lost personbusy, drives awaypests, provideswarmth, purifieswater, driesclothing,liftsspirits,cooksfood,giveslightandmaybeusedincraftingmanyuseful items. Fire gives a sense of security and, in away, provides company.Flamecanhardenawooden spearpoint.Thewhite ashescanbeconsumed toovercomeconstipation, theblackashes tostopdiarrhea.Inshort, fire isoneofthemostvaluableaidstoyoursurvival.

Useyourknifetogetintothedrywoodfoundinthecenterofadamplog.

Exceptforahandfulofexperts, therearefewamonguswhocanstartafirewithout matches or a lighter. Flint and steel, fire drill, fire plow, etc., make

interestingdemonstrationsbutseldomworkinarealsurvivalcamp.Also, theyuse a lot of energy. Despite what many survival books say, there are fewsubstitutes for fresh, dry wooden strike-anywhere kitchen matches andprepackaged fire starters (such asCoghlan’sEmergencyTinder orCampmor’sFire Lighters) in a real survival situation. Make it a practice to carry awaterproof match container supplied with a fresh supply of strike-anywherematches and fire starters with you at all times in your survival kit. Thiscombinationhelpsmakefirestartingincold,wet,darkconditionsmuchquickerandeasier.Make sureyou replace thematchesevery sixmonthsor soas theydeteriorateoverseveralmonthsandbecomeuseless.Itmightsoundsilly,butmakesureyoupracticeusingthem,too,andnotjust

on nice days to be outside. Far toomany people think thatwithmatches or acigarette lighter they can build a fire. I know a seasoned search and rescueofficial who tells me that each year he helps find many lost or strandedoutdoorsmenwhoarecoldandwithoutafire.Theyhadmatchesoralighterbutexhaustedthemjusttryingtogetafirestarted.Seldomdowegetlostorstrandedinidealweather.Thesurvivalsituationisoften,inpart,causedbybadweather.Thatrequiresbuildingafireinwet,windy,coldconditionsthatmakeitdifficultatbest.Onlypeoplewelltrainedinfirebuildingcanpullitoff.

Leaveprimitive fire starting techniques to the experts.Usematchesanda firestarterforsurvivalpurposes.

TakethetimetolearnanoldBoyScoutskill—buildafirewithonematchinarainstorm.It’smuchtougherthanmanythink.

Inatepeefire,thetinderandkindlingisarrangedinaconicalshapeforquickignition.

Apyramidorlog-cabinfirewillburndownwardrequiringlessattentionatnight.

StepstoBuildingaFire

Understandthatyoudon’tjuststartafire,youbuildit.Therearefivethingsyouneedtobuildafiresuccessfully:

1. You must have oxygen, since burning is nothing more than rapidoxidation.2.Youmusthaveasourceofheat,yourmatches.3.Youmusthavetindertocatchtheflameofthematchandstart thefire.Yourprepackagedfirestarterisagoodstart.Addtothatnaturaltindersuchas a bird’s nest, bark from a birch tree, cedar bark, down from thistle,pinesapsplintersordrygrass.Evenfinesteelwoolhasbeenusedastinderwhenthestrandsarepulledapartloosely.4.Youwillneedsmallsticksandtwigstocatchthefirefromthetinder,thusmakingithotter.5.Youwill need dry, dead fuelwood and a lotmore of it than youwillthink.Dry, deadwood can be hard to find inwetweather, but some canusually be found on the lower limbs of evergreen trees, standing deadtimber or splittingwet logs or large limbs and getting to their drywoodinteriors.

Buildingafireinthefirstattemptrequirespracticeandthought.Manytryto

addlargepiecesofwoodtooquickly.Others try topileonsomuchwoodthattheflamegetstoolittleoxygentoburn.Stillothersdonotgatherupthedifferentsizesofwoodnecessary tobuilda fire inadvance,and thefiregoesoutwhilethey are running around trying to find the tinder, small sticks and fuel woodnecessary.

Birchbarkmakesgoodtinderforgettingafiregoing.

Ifyouexpectsearchplanes,orareinapositionsothatgroundsearchersmightseeyourfireorsmoke,keepplentyofkindlingandfuelwoodonhandtogetafire going again quickly for signaling. Better yet, work at keeping your firegoing at all times so you don’t have to start another one from scratch. Also,during the day, keep some green or wet leaves or conifer boughs on hand tocreatesignalsmokequickly.

Canyoureallybuildafirewithonematchwhenyouarecold,shaking,wet,tiredandscared?Again,practiceathome!Thisisthetimetomastertheart,notwhenitreallycounts.

Fire can be used for light, to harden a wooden spear, warmth, to keep awayinsects,asasignal,toboildrinkingwaterandmanyotherpurposes.

9.SLEEPING

SleepingWarm

TheMPISpacebagyoucarryinyoursurvivalkitwillhelpkeepyouwarmonacoldnight.

Sleeping warm and comfortably cannot be emphasized enough in a survivalemergency.Youneedalotofenergyforthetasksathand,andthemindneedstobe sharper thanduringyour normal day-to-day life as thedecisionsyoumakedetermineyourwell-beingandtheoutcomeofyoursituation.

Thecombinationofalean-towithareflectorfiretodirectheatintothesheltermakesacomfortablesleepingshelter.

Ifyouhavea tube tentandMPISpacebag inyoursurvivalkit,andget thetubetentupsothatyoucangetintothebagbeforeyougetwet,thenchancesaregoodyouwillsleepwarm.Howwellyoucleanthetubetentsitewilldeterminehowcomfortablyyousleep.Takingafewminutestoremovestones,sticks,etc.,and layingdownabedofdry leaves canmake thedifferencebetweena long,miserablenightandacomfortable,warmnightofsleep.

ButwhataboutanightspentwithouttheaidofatubetentorSpacebag?Inthis case there are several options, depending upon the terrain where youdetermine tocamp.The first rule is toget intoashelterof some type thatcangiveyouprotectionfromtherain,snoworwind. If thissheltermakes iteasier

foryoutogetafiregoing,somuchthebetter.Yourchancesofactuallygettingsomesleepimprovewhenyoucanstaywarm.Besuretogatherthreetimesasmuchwood as you think youwill need, as itwill probably take thatmuch tokeep the fire going all night. It is difficult to keep the body warm or to getenoughsleepwhenyoumustmaketwoorthreetripsoutintothecolddarknesstogatherwood.

Theidealsleepingshelter,asidefromthetubetent/Spacebagcombination,isthe lean-towith itsback to thewindandareflectorfiredirectingheat into theshelter.Usingasheetofaluminumfoil,awallofgreenlimbs,rocks,etc.,asareflector,theall-nightfirecankeepalean-toreasonablywarmaslongasthereisenoughwood.Asthefirebeginstodie,simplytossonenoughwoodtokeepitgoinganotherfewhours.

Whenrainorsnowisnotathreat,areflectorfiredirectingheattowardalargerock or dirt bank that is also blocking thewind canmake for a nice place tosleep.Theheatisreflectedtowardtherockorbankandbackontoyouwhileyousleep.Youhaveheatfromtwosides.

Thereflectorfireisoneofthebestfiresforkeepingwarminverycoldweather.

Youcanbuildafireonthespotyouplantosleeponandletitwarmtheearthfora fewhours, then rack the fire away toanewspot and sleepon thewarmearth.Ifyouhaveameansofdigging,youcanalsodigashallowholewhereyouplantolie,shovelinabedofhotashesandcoverthemupwithalayerofsoil.Makesure tocoverallof theashesandcheck toensureyouhaveenoughsoilover thembeforesimplylyingdown.Youdon’twant tohavea too-hotor too-cold bed. Using coals and ashes is an energy-consuming means of having awarmbed.Someexperiencedbackwoodsmenheatanumberofflatrocksandplacethem

ontheground.Nexttheyplaceathicklayerofprecutevergreenboughsovertherocks and sleep on them.Again, this type of warm sleeping requires a lot ofenergyandexperience.

Ifyoudon’thaveaSpacebag,sleepingbagorblanket,youcanusedrydeadgrass, leaves or evergreen boughs to provide some protection from the cold.Rememberthatinsulationisdeadairspaceandanythingthatwillcreatedeadairspacewill help keepyouwarm.The rain suit canoffer a lot ofwarmthwhensleepingduetoitsabilitytostopthewindfromhittingyourskin.Also,stuffingdead, dry grass or leaves inside the rain suit can make it into a makeshiftsleepingbag.Beresourceful.

Herearesomeothertipstogettingagoodnight’ssleep:

1.Takethetimetomakethebedsiteaslevelandsoftaspossible.2.Besuretouseeverywindbreakavailable.3.Gatherthreetimesasmuchwoodasyouthinkyouneed.4. Eat sweets, if you have them, just before bedtime to boost yourmetabolism.5.Donot lie awake the firstnight expecting searchers everyminute;youwillhearthemiftheygetcloseandyouwillneedtoberestedthenextday.6.Atnight,duetoyoursituation,yoursenseswillbeacutelyawareandyouwillheareverynoise.Remember, there isnothingout there thatwillhurtyou. If somethingawakensyou,make sure it isnot searchers; if so,haveyourwhistleavailable,andthengobacktosleep.7.When sleepingwith your clothes on, keep everything loose, including

boots.Thebettercirculationyouhave,thewarmeryouwillsleep.Also,thispermitsmoisturetoevaporate.

Youcanbetthateveninthebestofcircumstancesyouarenotgoingtosleep

inthesurvivalcampaswellasyoudoathome,butwithalittlecareyoucangetsomesleepandthatrestismostimportanttoyourgettingfound.

10.INSECTS

DealingwithInsects

Mosquitoes are encountered throughout a wide range of North Americanhabitats.

Few things can ruin an outdoor adventure faster than hordes of mosquitoesand/orblackflies.Inlargenumbers,theyhavebeenknowntobringarmiestoahalt,stampedeanimalsandturncountlesscamping,fishingandhuntingtripsintohorrorstories.Inastrandedorlostemergencytheycanbecomeverydangerous.Evenincoldareas,asuddenwarmsnapcanbringthepestsoutinnumbers.

Mosquitoes

Ofthemorethan1,600varietiesofmosquitoes,120arefoundinNorthAmerica.Many of these are known to transmit such diseases as West Nile virus,encephalitis and dengue fever. Their bites alone, in high numbers, are verydangerous.

To deal with these flying pests, we need to know more about them.Mosquitoesmature in standingwater. It is the femalemosquito that causes usgrief, as she needs a high-protein meal before she is able to lay her eggs.Physiologicalrestrictionsmakeitimpossibleforhertoeatanythingthatisnotinliquidform,andthehandiestliquid,high-proteinmealavailabletoherisblood.Themalemosquitoisavegetarianandfeedsonplantandfruitnectar.

Sensors,whichareattractedtowarm,moistanimals,helpthefemalemosquitolocateameal.Thegenerallyacceptedtheoryinthescientificcommunityisthatthemosquito finds its victimby identifying and following carbondioxide andlacticacidintheair.Lacticacidisproducedbymusclemovement,andcarbondioxideisgivenoffwhenwebreathe.

Onceshefindsavictim,afemalemosquitopenetratesthevictim’sskinwithahollow,flexiblesnout,calledaproboscis,andfeeds.Theitchandlocalswellingaroundthe“bite”isanallergicreactiontothemosquito’ssaliva,whichcontainsananticoagulanttofacilitatetheflowofblood.

BlackFlies

Forthosewhohavebeenbittenbyblackflies,thebiteisaformoftorture.Thesesmall, humpbacked flies certainlyhave fewequalswhen it comes to inflictingpain.Ofthemorethan300varietiesofblackfliesintheworld,NorthAmericahasbeencursedwithatleast50.

Somespeciesofadultblackfliesarefiercebiterswhileotherscauseanuisancebyswarmingaroundexposedskinareas.

Unlikethemosquito, theblackfly thrivesinrunningwater.Rapidlyflowingstreamsarepreferredbreedingplaces.Onceabletofly,thefemale,whichfeedsbyday,isreadyforamealinordertocarryouthertaskofreproduction.

Likethemosquito,theblackflyisfoundovermuchofNorthAmerica,butitslargestconcentrationsareinthewoodlandsofCanadaandinthenorthernpartoftheUnited States. This insect is abundant throughout late spring and summer,withMayandJunebeingtheworstmonthsinmanyareas.

Theviciousbiteof theblackflyiscausedbybroadbladesfoundinthemouthpartsof the fly.Thesebladesmake relatively largewounds,whichcontinue tobleedaftertheflyhasfedandgone.Oftenthebitegoesunnoticeduntilatrickleofbloodisfeltorseen.Blackflysalivamaybetoxic,causingpainanditchingandsometimesnervousandintestinaldisorders.

Notasmuchisknownabouttheblackflyasaboutthemosquito,sowecan’tsaywhatactuallydrawsthisinsecttoitstarget.Butitisthoughtthatthefemaleblackflydetects thecarbondioxidegivenoffby theskinand thenfollows theconvectioncurrentsofwarm,moistairthatthehostproduces.

Anyonewhoplanstoventureintothebackcountryshouldalwayscarryagoodsupply of chemical insect repellent, even if the trip is a short one. Repellentshouldalwaysbeincludedinasurvivalkitas it is themosteffectivemosquitoand black fly deterrent. Repellents work by confusing the flying critter anddiscouragingitfromfeedingonthevictim.

Thedevelopmentofeffectiverepellentswasslow,anditwasn’tuntilthelate1950s that a repellent compound was developed that started providing thedesired results. ItwasN,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide andwas given the shortername DEET. This new compound was used by the military in the jungles ofVietnamata75percentconcentration.Todayitisstillthebestsingleingredientinsect repellent.Noone is surewhyDEETworks sowell, but scientists think

thatitactsasanolfactoryirritantforinsects,confusingtheirsensorsandmakingtargetidentificationdifficult.

A mosquito can sense carbon dioxide and lactic acid, chemicals exuded bymammals,upto100feetaway.

The percentage ofDEET in an insect repellent can determine how long theproductwillprovideprotection.Iftheinsectrepellentyoupurchasehas10to15percentDEET,youcanexpectapproximatelyfourhoursofprotection;from20to 50 percent, approximately six hours; 50 to 75 percent, approximately eight

hours;and75to100percent,afulldayofprotection.Thisvariesfrompersontoperson,butitisagoodruleofthumbtogoby.

Outdoorsmentodayareblessedwithanumberofexcellentinsectrepellentstochoose fromat thedrug-or sportinggoodsstore. IcarryBen’sTickand InsectRepellent single-usepouches inmy survival kit.They takeup little space andwork well. When using any of these chemical repellents, you should followsomesimpleguidelines:

1.Readalllabeldirectionscarefully.2.Whenusingaerosol repellents,alwayskeepsprayopeningaimedawayfromyourface,andavoidsprayingwhilesmokingorclosetofire.3.For thebest protection, repellent shouldbe applied to all exposed skinexceptyoureyes,lipsandbrokenareasofskin.4. Avoid repellent contact with outdoor equipment and clothingmade ofSpandex, rayon, acrylics or plastics. It candissolvemonofilament fishingline,gunstockfinishesandplasticlensesinglasses.5.Reapply repellent after swimmingor perspiringheavily, sincewater orperspirationwillweakenarepellent’seffectiveness.

Repellentsalonewillnotgiveyoutotalprotectionfrommosquitoesandblack

fliesinareasofheavyinfestations.Aheadnetmaybewellworththebotheratcertaintimes.

In bug country, you should always wear a long-sleeved shirt and trousers.ApplyarepellentcontaininganappropriatepercentageofDEETtotheclothingaswellastoyourexposedskin.Tokeepthepestsfrominvadingtheopeningsofyourclothing,useshortlengthsofcordtotiedownyourshirtsleevesandtrouserlegs.

Whenusingarepellent,thetrickistoapplyenoughtogetcompletecoverage.Accordingtoexperts,ittakesapproximatelyfivesecondsofspraytimetocoverthewristtotheelbow.Mostpeopletrytodoitinlessthanonesecond.

In a survival situation during warm weather, pick a campsite with insectcontrol inmind.Stayawayfrompoolsofstagnantwater.Picksites locatedonhighbreezypointsoratleastintheopenwhereyoucantakeadvantageofanybreezethatmayhelpkeeptheinsectsaway.

WhenThereIsNoRepellent

Thereareoftenoccasionswherethelostorstrandedpersoneitherhasrunoutofrepellent or has none and the flying pests are out in vast numbers.When thishappens,thefirstthingtodoistocoverupallexposedskinareas.Tucktrouserlegs into boots. Button sleeves tight around the wrist. Pull up shirt and coatcollars to protect the neck. Put on a hat and gloves. In short, give the bitingcrittersassmallatargetaspossible.

Next,buildasmokyfirenearyourshelter;andatatimelikethis,thesmokierthebetter.Liedownandputyour facenear theground tokeepyour eyes andnoseas freeof the smokeaspossible.While thismaybe irritating, it isbetterthanbeingfedonbyflyingpests.Insevereconditions,buildtwofiresandsitinthe middle. There is no good substitute for carrying insect repellent in yoursurvivalkit.

NorthAmerican tick species include theAmericandog tick, the lone star tick,andtheblackleggedordeertick.

Ticks

While ticksareapotential long-termhealth threatwithdiseases suchasLymediseaseorRockyMountainspottedfever,theydonotposetheimmediatethreatthatlargenumbersofflyingpestsdo.Ticksshouldbeavoided;andwhenfoundonthebody,removed.

The recommendedway to remove an embedded tick is to use tweezers andgentlybutfirmlypullthetickstraightout.Avoidjerkingortwistingthetick,astheheadmayremainembedded.Afterremovingthetick,washthebiteareawithsoapandwaterandapplyanantisepticifyoucan.

11.SAFEWATER

MakingWaterSafeforDrinking

Nolongercanyoutrustthewaterfoundinbackcountry,nomatterhowremote

orhowcleanthewaterappears.Treatallwaterbeforedrinking.

Thereoncewasatimewhenitwouldhavebeenunnecessarytoincludeachapterinthisbookonhowtomakewaterfoundinthebackcountrysafefordrinking,butthosedaysaregone.Todaytherearefewareasleftwhereonecantrustthequality of the water and be safe in doing so. Therefore, it behooves everybackcountry traveler to learn the skill of making water safe for drinking,especiallythosewhomightpossiblyfaceasurvivalemergency.

Survivalisastressfulperiodinaperson’slife,andtheneedforpuredrinkingwaterisimportant.Thebodyisapproximately75percentwater,andtheintakeandoutputofliquidsarenecessaryfornormalfunctionsofthevitalorgans.

Daily water requirements, a minimum of two quarts, help maintain properbalance and efficiency within the system of the body. During cold weather,breathing alone releases a lot of moisture from the body. Perspiration alsoreleases moisture. Any lower intake of water results in gradual dehydration.Losingwatertotheextentof2.5percentofbodyweight,orapproximatelyoneandone-halfquartsofbodywater,willreduceyourbody’soperationalefficiency25percent.Thislosscouldbedeadlyinasurvivalemergency.

Therearemanymythsaboutwaterpurifyingitselfintheoutdoors.Onepopulartheory is that water, swiftly running over, around and through rocks purifiesitself.Donotbelieveit.Thisisnotavalidhypothesis.Anothermythclaimsthatif clear water sits in the sun for an hour, the germs are killed. Again, this isuntrue.Natureproduces cleanwater, butonce it becomesunclean, rarelydoesnaturecleanitagain.Itisyourresponsibilitytotreatquestionablewater.

Nevertrustwaterfromanunknownsource.Ifyoudonotknowthesourceofyourwater supply, do not trust it. Some of the diseases youmay contract bydrinkingimpurewaterincludedysentery,Giardia,choleraandtyphoid.Thebestway tobeassuredofhavingsafewater is tocarryenoughwithyou touse fordrinking.However, in an unexpected survival situationof several days, this isnot always possible. It is on these types of emergencies that water treatment

knowledgeisamust.Hereareseveralmethodsfortreatingquestionablewater:

BoilingWater— One of the best methods for treating water is the boilingmethod.

Boiling water for 10minutes will produce germ-free water for drinking orcooking.Sinceboilingleaveswaterwithaflattaste,youshouldpouritbackandforth between two containers several times once it has cooled.This aerates it,givingbackitsnaturaltaste.Avesselforboilingwatercanbeformedfromthealuminumfoilinyoursurvivalkit.

WatertreatmenttabletssuchasPotableAquashouldbeinallsurvivalkits.

CommercialTablets—DrugstoresandoutfitterstoresusuallyhavehalazonetabletsorPotableAquatabletsforthetreatmentofwater.Abottleofthetabletsfits nicely in the individual survival kit. Both do an excellent job. Halazonetabletshavebeenusedsuccessfullyforyears.Addtwotabletstoaquartofwater

and followwith a 30-minutewait.The newer product, PotableAqua, requiresonetablettoaquartofwater,cappinglooselytoallowalittleleakage.Waitthreeminutesandshakethoroughly.Wait10minutesbeforedrinking.If thewaterisverycoldorcontains rotten leavesorsilt,use two tabletsandwait20minutesbefore drinking. You can use the gallon resealable plastic bag in which yoursurvival itemsarepacked forawatercontainer.Also, theplasticbag inwhichthetubetentispackedmakesagoodwatercontainer.

CloroxTreatment—Clorox,thewashingbleachthatmakesclothessparklingwhite,isanotherexcellentwatertreatment.Toeachquartofquestionablewateradd 10 drops of pure Clorox. If for some reason the water is cloudy, add 20drops.Nextshakethewatervigorouslyandletitsitfor30minutes.Thereshouldbe a slight chlorine odor and taste if thewater is properly treated. If not, addanother10dropsofCloroxandletthewaterstandforanadditional15minutes.

IodineTreatment—Whileiodineisnolongerusedinsomeofthenewerfirst-aidkits,itisstillinolderkitsandmakesagoodwatertreatment.Simplyaddfivedrops of iodine to one quart of clearwater and 10 drops to cloudywater.Letwaterstandfor30minutesbeforedrinking.

At this point I should point out that anytime you are treating water in acanteen,jugorothertypeofcontainer,youshouldbesuretorinsethecap,spout,screwthreads,lid,etc.,withsomeofthetreatedwater.Youdonotwanttomisstreatinganysurfacethatmaycomeincontactwithyourmouthorthewateryouaredrinking.

WaterFilteringDevices—Thereareanumberofcompactwater filtrationunits,suchasPur,KatadynandMSRthatcangivethebackcountrytravelersafewater.TheyhavebeenproventofilteroutGiardiaandotherharmfulthreatsandtheunitfitsintoapackeasily.

GettingWaterUnderExtremeColdConditions—Anytimeyouaretravelingunder frigidconditions,youshould takealonga reliablebackpackstove.Onceyouhavethestovegoing,lookforsourcesofwater.Wheneverpossible,meltice

forwaterratherthansnow.Yougetmorewaterforthevolumewithlessheatandtime.

Waterfilteringdevicesaregoodformakingwatersafetodrink.Ifthereisroom,theyareagooditemtohaveinyourdaypack.

Remember,snowisseventeenpartsairandonepartwater.Ifyoumeltsnowbyheating,putinalittleatatimeandcompressit,orthepotwillburn.Ifwaterisavailable,putalittleinthebottomofthepotandaddsnowgradually.

Glacial ice gives roughly twice thewater per fuel unit in half the time thatsnow doeswhenmelted. In addition, snowmore often contains dirt, soot andanimalandhumancontaminants.Donottrytoeaticeorsnow.Adayortwooftakingwater in thismannerproducesa swollen, rawmucousmembrane in themouth,whichmaybecomepainfulenoughtopreventeatingordrinkinguntiltheinflammation subsides. Dogs eat snow and get away with it; humans cannot.Onceyouhavewater,giveittheboilingtreatment.

Collecting Rain and Dew for Drinking Water — When surface water isscarce,dewcanbecollectedoffplantleaves,vehiclesurfaces,tubetentsurface,etc.,withaclothandsqueezedintoavessel.Somedewcanbecollectedontheundersideofaplasticsheetspreadonthegroundduringthenight.

Ifitrains,collectwaterbyfunnelingrunoffintoyourgallonplasticbag.Arainsuitcanbeusedtocatchrainbydiggingaholeinthegroundandliningitwiththe jacket.Thisassumes,ofcourse, thatyouwill staydry inyour tube tentorshelter.

Getting Sediment Out ofWater— If clear water is not available, take thefollowingsteps:

1. Filter the water to be treated through a clean handkerchief or similarfabric.2.Let the filteredwater standuntilany remainingsedimenthas settled tothebottom.3.Pourofftheclearwaterintothevesselwhichyouplantotreatitin,andthentreatthewater.

12.FOOD

Food—NotaNecessity

Wecan live forweekswithout food toeat.Avoid the temptationofeatingwildfoodssuchasinsectsunlessyouarewelltrainedinidentificationofwildfoods.

Every time the subject of survival is brought up, the first discussions usuallyrevolvearoundediblewildfoodsandhowtoprocurethem.Weareobsessedwitheating. It has been provenmany times thatmost of us can gowithout eatingseveralweeks,ifnecessary,andnotdie.Mostofuscarryaroundanabundanceoffatthatcouldkeepusaliveforalongperiodoftime.Forthisreason,andthefactthisbookwaswrittenforthemostlikelysurvivalscenarioofspendinglessthan72hoursinthewoods,wewillnotcoverthemanyediblewildplantsandanimalsthatareavailableinNorthAmerica.

EdibleWildPlants

Forthosewhothinktheycannotgoforthreedayswithouteatingthreemealsaday,Iwouldsuggesttheyreadandstudythemanysurvivalandotherbooksthatdescribeandshowdetailedphotosoftheapproximately2,000ediblewildplantsand700toxicwildplantsfoundinNorthAmerica.Distinguishingonefromtheotherrequiresalotoffieldexperienceduringallfourseasons.Alittlebooklikethiscannotscratchthesurfaceonthissubject.

WildPlantEdibilityTest

If forsomereasonyouare inasituationwhere therearewildplantsyouthinkyoumusteatbutdon’tknowwhichonesareedible,theU.S.AirForceEdibilityTestmaybeofsomehelp:

1.Neverusemushroomsorfungi.2.Poisonousplantlifemeansallparts,includingflowers,canbetoxic.Usecautionwithplantshavingthesecharacteristics:

MilkyordiscoloredsapSpinesorfinehairsBitterorsoapytasteBeansorbulbsWhiteorredberriesShinyleavesUmbrellaflowers3.Takeasmallmouthfulandchewit.Waitfiveminutesforanyeffectssuchasburning,stinging,ornumbing.4. If there is none, swallow andwait eight hours for any effects such asdiarrhea,cramps,pains,numbing,vomiting,etc.5.Ifthereisnone,repeattheprocess,usingahandfuloftheplant,andwaitanothereighthoursforilleffects.6.Ifnone,theplantisconsideredsafetoeat.

Keepinmindthatanyneworstrangefoodshouldbeeatenwithrestraintuntil

thebodysystemhasbecomeaccustomedtoit.Also,don’texpectwildplantstotastegood;manydon’tandothersarealmosttasteless.Ittakessomeadjustmenttogetyourstomachtoacceptadietofwildplants.

Someotherthingsyouneedtoknowaboutwildplants:

1.Plantsyouseeanimalseatingmaybetoxictoman.Deerlovepoisonivy.2. Plants thatmay be edible in one stage of its growth cyclemay not beedibleinothers,suchaspokeweed.3.Plantsthatcontainoneediblepartmaybeinedibleonotherparts,suchasthewildplum.

EdibleWildAnimals

If the survivor reallymust resort towild foods inordernot to starve todeath,thenwildanimalsmaybeabetterchoice.Thatisifhehashuntingandtrappingskills. North America has a good population of wild animals, both large andsmall, thatareedible.The trick is thatyou firstmustget thembeforeyoucancookthem.EventheLewisandClarkexpeditionmembers,atonepoint,almoststarvedtodeathduetonotkillinganygametoeatandhadtodependuponroots.

Dependinguponthe timeofyearandwhereyouaregeographically, there issomeformofanimalthatyoucaneatifyoucancatchorkillit.Insectsandsmallaquaticanimalsmaybetheeasiesttogatherandhighestinprotein,butwhatifitis winter? Theremay be an abundance of larger animals; but if you lack theskillsnecessarytokill them,youcouldgohungry.Andremember,animalsareoftenhardtofindevenbythemostskilledhunters.Providedyoucankillthem,wildanimalsareagoodsourceoffoodandmaybecookedoverthesurvivalfirewithease.Justdon’texpectthemtotastelikehomecooking.

Survival food isnot an importantneed for short term.Shelter and signalingare.Accept the fact that the last thingyoushouldconcernyourselfwith is theprocurementoffood.Ifyouhavefiledatripplanwitharesponsiblepersonandjustassoonasyouknewyouwereintroubleyoustopped,youwillberescuedlongbeforeyourhungerpainsbecomeserious.Thinkof thisexperienceas thebeginningofthatdietyouhavebeenconsidering.

Ittakesalotofexperiencetobeaneffectivegathererofwildfoods.Youwillnotneedthoseskillsforshort-termsurvival.Thisisagoodtimetostartyourdiet.

13.HYPOTHERMIA

AvoidHypothermia

Hypothermiasneaksuponitsvictim.Coolweather,windandwetclothingleadtohypothermia.

Hypothermia,aloweringofthecoretemperatureofthebody,canbeakiller.Itcanstrikeinanyseasonandinalmostanyclimate.Allthatisneededisamildairtemperature—30to50°F,wetness,rain,sweat,acreekdunking,aslightwindandatiredperson.

Hypothermiaattacksapersonintwosteps.Thefirstiswhenyourbodybeginstoloseheatfasterthanitproducesit.Atthispoint,youareawareoffeelingcold,andtheshiveringbegins.

The second step iswhen the cold reaches the brain, depriving you of goodjudgment.Itisatthispointthatconfusionwilltakeoverdecisionmaking.Thisisthe reason almost no one recognizes that he or she has hypothermia. In thesecondstep,yourinternaltemperatureslidesdownward.Withouttreatment,thisslideleadstostupor,collapseanddeath.Eachyearmanypeoplebecomelostduetoconfusionbroughtonbyearlystagesofhypothermia.

Thereareseveralwaystoavoidhypothermia:

1.Staydry.Whenclothinggetswetitmaylose90percentofitsinsulatingvalue.Evensweatingcanbringonhypothermia.2.Beware of thewind chill.A slight breeze carries heat away frombareskin faster than still air. It turns wet clothing into a refrigerator due toevaporation.3. Understand cold.Most hypothermia cases develop in air temperaturesthatareconsideredmild,windchilltemperaturesinthe40sand50s.Mostpeopledonotbelievesuchtemperaturescanbedangerous.4. Terminate exposure.When you cannot stay warm and dry in existingweather conditions, either get a fire going at a natural shelter out of thewindorsetupyourtubetentandgetintotheemergencybag.Getoutofthe

windanddampness,andgetwarm,asfastaspossible.5.Never ignore shivering.Persistentorviolent shivering is clearwarningthatyouareintheearlystagesofhypothermia.

When hypothermia symptoms are noticed, treatment should begin

immediately.Firstgetthevictimoutoftheweatherandremovehiswetclothing.Ifthevictimisonlymildlyimpaired,givehimwarmdrinksandgethimintodryclothingandatubetentandemergencybag.

WindChillChart

If the victim is semiconscious orworse, he does not have the capability ofregaininghisbodytemperaturewithoutoutsidehelp.Keephimawake,givehimwarm drinks and, if possible, get him into awarm bath. If possible, strip thevictim and put him into an emergency bag with another person. Skin-to-skincontactisaneffectivetreatment.

Initial symptoms of hypothermia, the loss of core body temperature, includemoodchanges,lassitude,irritabilityandpoorjudgment.

Asthebodycoretemperaturedrops,hereishowhypothermiaaffectsyou:

98.6°to96°

Uncontrolledshivering,abilitytoperformcomplextasksimpaired.95°to91°

Violentshivering,difficultyinspeaking.90°to86°

Shiveringdecreases,musclesbegintostiffen—losecoordination.Mindbecomesdull;insomecases,amnesiaoccurs.85°to81°

Victimbecomes irrational, drifts into stupor. Pulse and respiration are slowed.Muscularrigiditycontinues.80°to78°

Unconsciousness.Reflexesceasetofunctionandheartbeatbecomeserratic.Below78°

Totalfailureofcardiacandrespirationsystems.Deathoccurs.In a survival situation, every effort should be made to avoid hypothermia.

Thatmeansgettingawarmcampsetupbeforeyougetwetandcold.Don’tputoffgettingasurvivalcampestablished.Delaycanbedeadly.

Avoidhypothermiaatallcost!

14.FEAR

DealingwithFear

Panic, a state of sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, results in irrationalbehaviorandpoorlyconsideredhastydecisions.

Mostpeoplethink,“SurvivaltrainingissomethingIwon’tneed.”Buteachyear,scoresofhuntersandotheroutdoorenthusiastsfindthemselvessuddenlylostorstrandedinNorthAmerica’sbackcountry,oftennottoofarfromhome.

Oneofthefirstreactionstobeinglostorstrandedisfear.Itisfearthatcausesmanypeopletopanicsoonaftertheyrealizethattheyareinapotentialsurvivalsituation.Itisfearthatmakespeoplerunanddiscardtheirequipment.

Here is what research has shown us that most people fear in a survivalsituation:

RidiculeorEmbarrassment—ThoseIhaveinterviewedsoonafterrescuesaidthis was the first fear they experienced. This is especially a major fear ofexperienced outdoorsmen who want to maintain their “Daniel Boone” image.Putegoasideandgetintosurvivalmode.

Punishment—Itisthisfearthatcausesmanylostchildrenandseniorcitizenstohidesoonaftertheyrealizetheyarelost.Coupledwiththisconcernisthefearofbeinglate.Mostofusliveourdailylivesasslavestoaclock,andwhenwearen’twherewearesupposedtobe,whenwearesupposedtobethere,wefacesomeformofpunishment.Thisfearofpunishment ispresent ineverysurvivalsituation.

BeingAlone—Many people, including outdoorsmen, have never been trulyalone.Tothemthisisastrangeandsuddenlyfrighteningexperience.Ionceledasmallsearchteamforanexperiencedworldwidehunter.Whilehewasonlylost

forafewhours,thismanwasinshock,ashehadneverbeenaloneexceptinaroomorothersuchcircumstance.Thefewhourshespentlost,alone,causedhimtoendhishuntingcareer.

Animals—Manypeoplehavehiddenfearsofwildanimalsandsounds in thewoods.Thefearofwildanimalsismentionedbymanyformerlylostorstrandedpeople,especiallychildren.Mostpeopleforgetunderthestressofsurvivalthatwild animals prefer to avoid people and, with a few rare exceptions, wildanimalsofNorthAmericadon’tattackpeople.

Discomfort—Wearesoaccustomedtocomfortthattheideathatwemaygetcold,hungry,thirsty,havetosleeponthehardground,etc.,cancausepeopletopanic.Inordertosurvive,youmustacceptsomediscomfortandrememberthatthisshortperiodofdiscomfortisnecessaryforyoutolivetherestofyourlife.Thisshouldmotivateyoutotryhardtobuildacomfortablesurvivalcampwhileawaitingrescue.Discomfortcanbetolerateduntilhelparrives.

TheUnknown—Weallliveinafairlypredictableday-to-dayworld.Weknowdaily,hourly,whatwecanexpecttohappen.Whenwefindourselvessuddenlyinasurvivalsituation,thiscomfortofknowingisquicklyconvertedintothefearoftheunknown—whatshouldIdonow,willanyonelookforme,willIdie?Alltheseunknownsrushthroughthemindandcloudcommonsense.Thisfearisanormalreaction,butthequickeryouovercomeitandputyoursurvivaltrainingtoworkthebetter.Mentallyaccept,“Yes,therearemanyunknowns,butIcan’tworryabout themnowas Ihaveacamp tomakeandsignals toprepare. I amgoingtohaveagreatadventurestorytotellwhenthisisallover.”

Darkness—Oneofthemostcommonfears,eventhoughmanywillnotadmitit, is thefearofdarknessinthewoods.Ihaveseensomeotherwisebravemenadmit,privately, that theyfearadarknight inthewoods.Italwaysamazesmethatthesesamepeoplearenotafraidofadarkstreetinalargecitywheredangerisalwaysnearbybutbecomealmostparalyzedwithfear inthewoodsatnight.Thereislittletohurtanyoneinthewoodsatnight,iftheystayinonelocation.To panic and start walking or, worst yet, running in dark woods can lead toseriousfallsorgettingastick inyoureye.There is little in thewoodsatnight

thatwillharmyou.Juststayinyoursurvivalcampandgetagoodnight’ssleep.

ControllingFear

We all have some, or all, of these fearswhenwe find ourselves in a survivalemergency.However,thosewhogetcontroloftheirfearsquicklyandmoveonwiththetaskofbeingfoundaretheonesthatcomeoutofthesituationingoodshape. Here is how you can cope and live with fear during your survivalexperience:

1.Don’trunawayfromfear,admitandacceptitasbeinganormalreaction.2. Even when you are afraid, act to accomplish those necessities ofselectingacampsite,settingupsignals,constructingashelter,gettingafiregoingandpreparingtosleepcomfortably.Beenthusiastic.3.Acceptthemindsetthat“thishashappenedtomeandIamgoingtomakeitthroughingoodshape.”Hopeforthebestandbepreparedfortheworst.4.Staybusy.Idlenessleadstonegativethinkingandhopelessness.5.Practiceyourreligion.6.Keepapositiveattitude.

15.WILLTOLIVE

There have been countless numbers of people who were lost or stranded forweekswithout food, fireor shelter.When theywere found, theywere ingoodshape.Ontheotherhandtherehavebeencaseswherepeoplewerelostjustaday

orso,andtheyperished.ThedifferencebetweenthesepeoplewasthattheoneswhomadeitthroughingoodconditiondidsobecausetheyhadastrongWILLTOLIVE.Theynevergaveuponthehopeofbeingfound.Theymadethebestofabadsituation.Theydidn’tpanic.Theystayedput.Theymadethebestoftheresourcesathand;andtheyhad,orquicklydeveloped,apositivementalattitude.In today’s terminology, theykept theircool.Youhave tovalue life inorder totakechargeofyourmindandthesituationinwhichyoufindyourself.Giveupyourvalueoflifeandyouwillnotlastlong.

Once you get over the first shockwave that you are lost or stranded, put ahigh value on your life and capitalize on yourWILL TO LIVE. You will beamazedatwhatitwillgetyouthrough.

16.MISSINGPERSON

WhenaMemberofYourGroupIsMissing

Resistthetemptationtostartasearchforamissingperson.Ifprofessionalhelpisnearby,letthemputtheirexperiencetowork.

Have you been on an outing when you suddenly realized you were lost orstranded and/or unable to return to camp or your vehicle? If not, get ready,because if you go into the backcountry enough, chances are, it will happen

eventually.Asawildlifeprofessional,Ihavespentconsiderabletimelookingformissing outdoorsmen.Most of the time, they are simply turned around in thewoodsandareeasilyfound.

However,someareinjuredandunabletomove,oftenduetoafallfromatreestandora slippery rockor log.Once,aguidewhoworked forme fell intoanabandonedwell.

Unfortunately, some outdoor enthusiasts are brought out dead as a result ofheartattacks,fallsorhypothermia.Oftenthecauseofdeathisbroughtonbythestressofbeinglost.

Whilemanyoutdoorpeoplearelearningwhattodoiftheyshouldbecomelostorstranded,fewknowwhattodoiftheirbuddydoesnotmakeitbacktothecarorcampwhenheissupposedto.Everygroup,whetheritisanoutingcluborjusttwo friends, shouldplan ahead for thatmomentwhenoneof them ismissing.Thisisjustasimportantwhetheryouareexploringyourownbackfortyoraretravelinginaremotewilderness.

It should be a policy that every member of the group let the others knowspecificallywheretheyaregoingandwhentheyplantoreturn.Allmembersofthegroupshouldagreetosittightoncetheyrealizetheyarelost.Thisshouldbestressedoverandoveragain.Everymemberofthegroupshouldcarryacompass(thattheyknowhowtouse),aGPS,amapofthearea,acellphoneortwo-wayradio,abeltknifeandasurvivalkit.

Whenyouplantoenterawildernessarea,alwaysletsomeoneknowwhereyouaregoingandwhenyouplantoreturn.

Knowthemedicalconditionofyourcompanions.Ifamemberofyourgrouphasaheartproblem,seizuresorothermedicalproblem,makesureabuddyhuntswith him.An unconscious person needs to be found quickly, but is extremelydifficulttofind.

Each member of your group needs to know how to locate the nearestconservation officer, forest ranger or sheriff’s office. In most counties in theUnitedStates, thelocalsheriff isresponsibleforsearchandrescue.InCanada,the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer is usually responsible forsearches.Everyoneshouldcarrythephonenumbersoftheseofficials.Delayin

gettingtrainedsearchandrescuehelpcanbedeadly.

Alwaysbeawareofhowyour fellowcompanionsaredressed,what typeofbootstheywearandthestateofmindtheyarein.Thisinformationisextremelyvaluabletosearchofficials.

Themostcrucialtimeduringamissing-buddycrisisiswhenyoufirstrealizeheorsheislatecomingintocampandyougetnoanswerstoyoursignals.Don’tpanic.ThefirstruleistostaycalmandTHINK.Inmostcases,lostorstrandedsituationsaremerelyasoberingtwo-orthree-houradventure.

Signalingisanimportantpartoftheearlysearch,asrescuedpeopleoftensaythatwhiletheywerelostorstrandedtheythoughtnoonewouldbothertolookforthem.Selectalogicalpoint,suchaswherehewaslastseen,theloggingroador fieldnearesthis “most likely”area, camporhisvehicle ifhedrove in, andblow an automobile horn or police whistle. Either of these signals is anindicationtothemissingpersonthatsomeoneislookingforhim.Ifheisnearby,hecanwalktothesound.Forthisreason,itiscrucialthatthesignalingbedonefromonespotandnotdoneasyoumovearound.

Blowthehornorwhistleinburstsofthreesothatitisobviouslyasignalandnotsomeunrelatednoise.Pausebetweenburstsofthreeandlistencarefullyforareply.Ifthemissingpersonhasawhistle,youmayheararesponseimmediately.Ifyouaregettingnoresponsetoyourinitialsignalingandfeelthatyourbuddymay be in trouble, seek out a forest ranger, conservation officer or sheriff’sdepartmentofficialtogettrainedsearchandrescuepeopleonthesceneassoonaspossible.Ifyouleavetoobtainprofessionalhelp,leavesomeoneatthesignalpoint.While one person goes for help, another should always stay to continuesignalingandlisteningifpossible.Attempting to set up your own search is generally a bad idea since most

untrained peoplewith the best of intentions usually domore harm than good.Theydestroyvaluablecluesandoftenbecomelostorhurtthemselves.Searchingformissingpeopleisaskillbestlefttothosetrainedtodoit.

Whensearchingforalostgroupmember,appointagroupleadertocoordinatethesearchandoverseethebestuseofresources.

However,insomespecificcircumstances,suchaswhenhelpishoursawayorwhen the tract of land is not large and it is known almost exactly where themissing person is likely to be, fellow outdoorsmen might conduct a limitedsearch.Inthoseexceptionalcases,followtheseguidelines:

1.Gettheentiregrouptogethertoplanyoursearch.Tohelpidentifyclues,find outwhat eachmember knows, such aswhen andwhere themissingbuddy was last seen, did he file a trip plan, what brand of cigarettes hesmokes,whattypeofsoledoeshehaveonhisbootsandtheirsize,whereheismostlikelyhuntingandsoon.2. Establish someone in the group as leader of the search, and haveeveryonedoashesays.3.Leavesomeoneattheoriginalspottocontinuesignaling.4.Ifaspecifichuntingspotisknown,twohuntersshouldbeginthesearchwith a thorough examination of the immediate area in case there was ahealthproblemorinjury.Takecarenottodestroyanysigns.Itisimportantthatonlyoneortwodothis,asalargergroupwilldestroycluesthatmightbehelpfulifaprofessionalsearchisneeded.5. Look for signs such as tracks or, in the case of hunters, blood trailmarkersforanindicationofthemissingperson’sdirectionoftravel.6. Due to the excitement of the moment, searchers often get lostthemselves,somarkthetrailyoutakeinsoyoucanfollowitout.7. Consider what sounds the missing person can hear, farm, railroad,highway,millwhistle,etc.,andsendsomeonetothatlocation.Ratherthansitstill,manylostpeoplewilltrytowalktosoundssuchasthese.8. If there are roads around the area, a vehicle should patrol these roadsregularly,butdonotblowthehornasyoutravel.9. If there is a long opening in the area such as a railroad, gas line orelectric line rightof-way or large fields, have someonewatch these areaswithbinoculars.10.Planasignalorspecific timeforcallingoff thesearch. If themissingperson has not been found within a short time, turn the search over toprofessionals.

If you and your outdoor companions have prepared for the day one of you ismissing,chancesareyouwillneverbefacedwithatragedy.