Survival Skills

 Survival Basics

For most people, a trip into the wilderness is not a solitary experience. Safety experts recommend that you travel in groups with a minimum size of two to four. The individual wilderness education of the travelers can be different, there should always be an expert or experienced person to serve as a leader. If you travel alone, you increase the risk of injury or death in the wilderness.

Even though you may start a trip into the wilderness in a group, there are always possibilities that lead to separation and/or injury. Injured members of a group may have to stay in a safe camp while some, or all, of the others return to civilization to bring help. It is important to plan for the worst on any wilderness excursion.

Trip Planning for Safety

When preparing for a trip into the wilderness each member of the party should be familiar with the group's general plan for the excursion. This will include the locations and designs of shelters located throughout your scheduled trip. Research ahead to have knowledge of the availability of fire rings, sites, and combustible piles of wood. Each proposed stopping point should include locations for safe drinking water as well as fire protection water. There should be a plan for signaling the outside world if you are in trouble. This may include such high tech concepts as mobile or satellite communications, or GPS guidance, and mapping data to find the nearest help.

Make yourself familiar with the route you will be taking through the wilderness. Whenever possible, take trails rather than planning adventures across country. Carry a marked map with you which includes your itinerary. Be sure to make notations of the points where you can get assistance should it be necessary.

Validate your Navigation Methods

There are several ways to navigate through a wilderness. Some are only feasible if weather and visibility conditions prevail. Try to have two methods of navigation available for any trip into the wilderness. One of the newest and best methods uses the Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) to find your exact position relative to other desired destinations. There are handheld units that you can pre-load with the maps of your chosen area so the GPS system can point out visually where you are on the screen's map. It is a good idea to have a light and hardened laptop. This would provide precise directions and choices should weather, or unexpected events cause you to vary from your arranged trail.

GPS systems not only need a sensor that can capture three satellites' signals in the sky and triangulate your position, but they require enough memory to hold a detailed topographic map. The latest handheld GPS trail systems have the ability to add memory cards. These memory cards will allow you to store a wider geographic map of the wilderness area you are visiting.

Back-up Navigation Systems

If you don't have GPS navigation, you can use topographic maps, the stars, and a compass. If you know how to use one, a sexton can also be used to locate your position relative to your surroundings. The sexton will tell you the direction that you are facing in degrees of the compass. Using the map along with a good map compass, you should be able to find the latitude and longitude of your position on the topographic map.

Using Your Head

One of the biggest mistakes day hikers make is assuming they don't need to plan for wilderness survival. After all, a hiker usually reasons, "I only plan to be out for a few hours. I'll be back long before sunset. There's no reason to carry more stuff than I have to." Unfortunately, hundreds of hikers die or become seriously injured every year by relying on this faulty reasoning. Wilderness survival requires planning ahead and making three basic assumptions.

The first assumption you should make is that you may be gone longer than you plan. If you're planning a day hike (a few hours or more), plan as though you'll be out overnight. Bring enough water for the hike, plus enough for the night and the following 24 hours. You may become lost or otherwise unable to get back to your starting point by sundown.your body will already have lost a great deal of water from the exertion of the hike. The last thing you want is to find yourself stuck in the wilderness overnight with no water It may seem like a hassle to carry so much water. However, your survival chances will increase exponentially if you have enough water to sustain you in case of emergency.

If you are stranded in the wilderness overnight, always assume that the temperature will drop. Even in the desert, overnight temperatures can be significantly colder than in the daytime. Exposure to cold or inclement weather can result in hypothermia and may even lead to death. Day hikers should never leave home without additional warm clothing. A sweatshirt, long pants, socks, and rainproof jacket or covering should be carried in a backpack. You also should consider carrying a thermal emergency blanket, which is lightweight and compact for easy carrying. They reflect heat, protect from weather and are fire-resistant.

The third assumption day hikers should make is that they may become injured. If you aren't prepared for the possibility of an injury, you could find yourself in trouble. Hikers should always carry a basic first-aid kit. Many hikers who have chosen not to carry one in order to save weight or space have regretted it later. Make sure the kit is fully stocked with band-aids, a sterile cleanser, gauze, adhesive tape and cloth bandages. Always replace items later if you use something from your kit.

Some other important things to remember:

* Take a buddy. Hiking alone is never recommended. It can be very dangerous, especially if you become injured. Hiking with a partner increases your chances of getting out of the wilderness alive if you get hurt.

* Take a cell phone. Dozens of hikers are rescued every year because they carried a cell phone. Having a cell phone may reduce your chances of injury or death by up to 50 percent.

* Make a plan. Be sure you know the area where you'll be hiking. If you haven't been there before, get a map of the area and mark the trail you'll take. Make copies of your map, and make sure every member in your group has a copy.

* Inform someone at home. Never go into the wilderness, even for a short time, without telling someone where you'll be, and when you plan to return. Leave a copy of your map with the person and explain your plans in detail. Tell them where you plan to leave your car. Arrange to call when you begin your hike and as soon as you return. This way, if you don't get back when you planned, someone else will know and have a good idea where you are.

Using your head ahead of time may very well save your life. It just pays to be prepared.