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My Survival Experience

Clearly your site doesn't power itself by solar at night so I'm guessing a not inconsequential amount of batteries for power at night. I don't know what the power requirements of the site are but a 1000 watt electrical heater in a small space insulated could supply some very much needed heat. Most sites like this have a fallback power transmitting position if they need to reduce their power output because the battery reserve falls too low. I would think that would be acceptable to the company if you needed to "borrow" some juice for your heater to keep from losing some digits or dying.

KR
 
Marion David Poff said:
I am not arguing the situation with you...

And of course, hindsight is 20/20, and us observers always thing we are right...

But, the expense to put a stove in, would be minor, just take it up in a normal trip, and then every person that went up, could take fuel, whether needed or not, and after enough trips not needing it, there would be quite a stockpile.

Just a thought I had.

Marion
Click to expand...

All good ideas Marion, but that raises more questions. What type of stove? Propane, fuel oil, gasoline, wood? Then I'm thinking it would need to be vented outside. So now I have the added maintenance of the chimney and roof sealant in a very inhospitable place. It can get 10' of snow, and huge layers of ice load that can be several feet thick. If the chimney gets plugged while your using it, CO poisoning is a threat. Using most types of unvented gas heaters inside of a small building like this would be a no-no. I had thought of a catalytic infrared propane heater that attaches to a 20 lb tank. Propane won't evaporate from the tank in really cold weather, so it may not even work in the winter. Same goes for Diesel/fuel oil stoves. Murphy's law says that any type of fiddly complicated stove probably won't work when you need it the most. I wouldn't even trust my trusty Coleman naphtha stove in these circumstances.

Here is one of the sites in the fall. This picture was taken in Oct. By January, you won't even be able to see the building or antenna due to icing and drifted snow.



radio.jpg
 
beeperboy said:
Here is one of the sites in the fall. This picture was taken in Oct. By January, you won't even be able to see the building or antenna due to icing and drifted snow.
Click to expand...

Too bad that the global warming thing is turning out to be a hoax.
 
99% of it was between your 2 ears! You got into a situation, calmly assessed your options, and used what you had to survive. Warmth, water, calm. You aced it bro, which is why you wrote this. Bravo!!
 
Thank you for sharing this. Yours is an interesting story and I'm glad you made it out to post it. Would you mind telling us about the mental/emotional issues you faced? I'm assuming that stress was somewhat alleviated because your location and situation were known. Was boredom the worst part? How did you handle it and has your emergency kit been changed as a result?

Dan
 
Last edited:
beeperboy said:
All good ideas Marion, but that raises more questions. What type of stove? Propane, fuel oil, gasoline, wood? Then I'm thinking it would need to be vented outside. So now I have the added maintenance of the chimney and roof sealant in a very inhospitable place. It can get 10' of snow, and huge layers of ice load that can be several feet thick. If the chimney gets plugged while your using it, CO poisoning is a threat. Using most types of unvented gas heaters inside of a small building like this would be a no-no. I had thought of a catalytic infrared propane heater that attaches to a 20 lb tank. Propane won't evaporate from the tank in really cold weather, so it may not even work in the winter. Same goes for Diesel/fuel oil stoves. Murphy's law says that any type of fiddly complicated stove probably won't work when you need it the most. I wouldn't even trust my trusty Coleman naphtha stove in these circumstances.

Here is one of the sites in the fall. This picture was taken in Oct. By January, you won't even be able to see the building or antenna due to icing and drifted snow.


radio.jpg
Click to expand...

I see your point,

M
 
Brrr... now I remember why I live in California. Interesting thread, beeperboy. Glad you made it out. I'm learning from your experience.
 
KBobAries said:
Thank you for sharing this. Yours is an interesting story and I'm glad you made it out to post it. Would you mind telling us about the mental/emotional issues you faced? I'm assuming that stress was somewhat alleviated because your location and situation were known. Was boredom the worst part? How did you handle it and has your emergency kit been changed as a result?

Dan
Click to expand...

Hi Dan,
The most stressful and emotional part of the whole thing was knowing that our families were worried sick about us. Luckily, being that we were in a radio site, we had constant 24 hour communications with dispatchers and first responders on the ground, who kept our families constantly updated. That was comforting, and allowed us to stay mentally focussed on the various tasks at hand. That helped tremendiously.

We weren't there long enough to get bored, but we tried to keep ourselves busy by playing with various candle reflectors, and making new candles from the old left over wax, and pieces of shoe lace for wick. By the way, a candle set up in front of one of those metallic space blankets, really multiplies the radiated heat.

Trying to get comfortable enough to sleep for a few minutes was difficult, and sleep deprivation made us as miserable as the cold.

Humor is an awesome survival tool. I have a sort of sick and twisted sense of humor anyway, but I found joking and laughing takes your mind off of the worry, and invigorates your mind and soul. It just makes you feel better.

BB
 
dextersp1 said:
This is my check list and weight estimate - if there was a way to post an excel spread sheet, things would line up better.
Click to expand...

There is, depending on how big your excel sheet is. (I guess I should qualify that with "depending on your OS, etc.)

Display the excel sheet on your screen. Hit 'Ctrl' & 'Print Screen', then paste to a blank jpeg.

You can get the blank jpeg by saving a blank 'Paint' Screen as a jpeg. Then save this to your photo host, etc.

For example:

Excelspreadsheet.jpg


Doc
 
DOC-CANADA said:
There is, depending on how big your excel sheet is. (I guess I should qualify that with "depending on your OS, etc.)

Display the excel sheet on your screen. Hit 'Ctrl' & 'Print Screen', then paste to a blank jpeg.
Click to expand...


You might like the portable at the bottom of these three.
 
Great post BB. I'm happy you made it out. I am also impressed that you were somewhat prepared for that scenario. So often people tend to take their safety for granted day to day.

So this has me thinking. In my day to day life what is the most likely life threatening scenario I will encounter. I have come to the conclusion that for me (and many others I suspect) is my car breaking down in a desolate spot and my cell phone doesn't work.

I always keep a couple of bottles of water in my car, some basic tools and a pistol. I can see now that is not enough.

I am making a list of some of the things I will soon include in that kit for the future.

A case of water
More tools
One of those emergency car start back up units
Blanket
Extra clothes
Candles

Thanks for sharing and reminding us all that survival could be necessary in any mundane daily situation.
 
Thank you Beeper. Outstanding job of keeping yourself together and learning from it, too. That is one serious wilderness location you were in. Thank you very much for sharing this and teaching us. Be safe.
 
Tballetta said:
Great post BB. I'm happy you made it out. I am also impressed that you were somewhat prepared for that scenario. So often people tend to take their safety for granted day to day.

So this has me thinking. In my day to day life what is the most likely life threatening scenario I will encounter. I have come to the conclusion that for me (and many others I suspect) is my car breaking down in a desolate spot and my cell phone doesn't work.

I always keep a couple of bottles of water in my car, some basic tools and a pistol. I can see now that is not enough.

I am making a list of some of the things I will soon include in that kit for the future.

A case of water
More tools
One of those emergency car start back up units
Blanket
Extra clothes
Candles

Thanks for sharing and reminding us all that survival could be necessary in any mundane daily situation.
Click to expand...

One thing you forgot is to pack some extra proper fitting footwear in your vehicle. You won't get far if you are trapped on Desolation Blvd wearing only sandals. Let's face, we've all done it. You jump in the car to go see your buddy, when you realize after you're half way there that you forgot to change your shoes. Too late to go back, so you keep going. If you break down, and have to walk, you're screwed. Keep some hiking boots and a pair or two of wool socks in your trunk, and your set.

In your neck of the woods, I'd keep a hat and sunscreen in the car too. I'd spontaneously combust if I got stuck out in the heat.

BB
 
Here's a couple more photos of my mountain top Hilton.

Oh, my coworkers have started calling us Brokeback Mtn. I'll get them bastards back...

p1.jpg

That lake is 5000' below.


p2.jpg

That ruffled snow in the middle of the photo is the LZ. After he lands, he rocks the machine back and forth to make sure he's settled into the snow, so it doesn't shift while you're unloading, and he decapitates you.

It's pretty scary how they work helicopters around people in the mountains. When they land on the top of a mountain ridge like this, the pilot loses his horizon reference due to the blowing snow from their own rotor wash and they can get disorientated. So they have you lay on the right side of the landing zone, and you pile your equipment about 8' to the left. He lands using you and your equipment as his horizon reference point, and the right landing skid ends up about 24" from your head. Frigging scary especially when you throw in 40-70 MPH head and gusting crosswinds. One wrong move, and he either cuts you into small pieces with the main rotor, or he breaks your back by landing on you, or my personal favorite, he pushes you off the mountain with the skid when he gets blown sideways and you plummet to a gruesome death on the rocks below. :eek:

Mountain helicopter pilots don't get enough credit for the dangerous work they perform.

BB
 
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