Scenario-based training: You are injured in the wilderness

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

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Okay, we see a lot of threads where people say, "I don't go out unprepared." This, of course, is standard doctrine for all of us wilderness types.

What if you are injured, say - two broken legs. One arm and hand is unusable. Your strength and physical endurance are sapped, you are mentally exhausted, and your axe or even you large knife is difficult to manage because of your condition. The injuries won;t kill you by themselves, but the handicpa they cause most certainly will kill you if you don;t find a way to survive.

The only thing you can really use with that one hand - with a minimum of efficiency - is your your small 2-4" knife, and/or your sak/multitool, or anything within the realm of "small and not heavy" tools.

Terrain and environment: Northeast deciduous forest, mid-autumn. Leaves are off the trees. No idea if or when rescue may occur.

How do you improvise to meet your needs - medical and sustenance-wise?

This is important stuff to discuss, because we often envision a scenario of being stuck in the woods but in perfect health. But we need to train for worst-case scenarios always.

Have at it!!!
 
This is one of the reasons I've really been leaning towards carrying a pruning saw over (or in addition to) a hatchet... I can easily use a pruning saw with only one arm modify even largish bits of wood.

Having said that, I'm really not sure what I could do in the given situation, as the pain from the broken bits would interfere with everything. The leaves would make decent insulation piled on top of you, and if you could move enough to clear the ground down to mineral earth you could safely build a fire with them and limbs within easy reach. If there's water within a short distance, it would be worthwhile to try to drag yourself to it, then build a shelter and fire and hunker down. There would be a huge risk in trying to self-rescue in that kind of shape, since if you fall down you could hurt yourself worse.
 
Since you'd have to basically stay where you are lying. I'd gather as much wood and tinder that I could around me and build a fire. Then I'd have warmth and a means of signaling for help all in one. I'd also try and gather leaves around me for insulation. I don't think there is much else I could do but wait and hope my smoky fire is spotted.
 
Both legs and an arm? I hate to admit it but I would likely be buggered at that point!

I would fall back to my stobe, fire building, pain meds, maybe rig up a flag of sorts but I doubt I am going to accomplish much. Might be surprised at myself but would not be too hopeful.

2Door
 
I, Hatchet Jack, being of sound mind and broke legs, do leaveth my rifle to the next thing who finds it, Lord hope he be a white man. It is a good rifle, and kilt the bear that kilt me. Anyway, I am dead. Sincerley, Hatchet Jack.
 
Excellent replies so far.

However, let's just say that you might be surprised at what adrenaline can really help you accomplish when SHTF like this.

A friend of mine won the Silver Star in 'nam as a Navy medic assigned to a Marine platoon. He had two broken legs and one broken arm, shot through the shoulder by 7.62, and dragged himself about 6 kilometers to summon help for his platoon, saving many lives.
 
Now that is one tough man. I suppose we really don't know what we're fully capable of until our life is on the line.
 
I belive the first thing Iwould try to do is splint the broken bones,if for no other reason than preventing further injury,after that maybe a leaf shelter.with the injuries describe I don't see anybody doing a Hugh Glass and crawling very far with only one good arm might try a float if a stream was near.other than that I could only hope that I was smart enough let some one know where i was going and my expected return (So they could send out the posse yo)LOL
 
Oka, let's amend this, because true breaks, especially if the bone is through the skin, are seriously serious. let's just say you are immobilized, in great pain, and only have use of the one arm.

The idea is not only thinking about medical (which can be a lot more than we can handle in a thread), and just start thinking about how you can use your one good arm to get things done using your survival knowledge. Remember, you have a mouth, too. :D
 
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Either way I need to move or stay put. Staying put i'm relying on a rescue. In that case i'm going to say that as much as I love my sheath knife, I'm VERY VERY glad my SAK outrider is on me, becuase i'm going to have to make splints and cut wood. the sheath knife is going to be handy since I also need to do the fire circle.

If i need to move, for whatever reason, plinting my legs together and doing the shimmy shake is all I'm apable of unless i can use both armpits. If I can use both armpits I cna lash a crutch to bad arm and go. Maybe not far or fast, but go indeed.

Warmth is a major issue, as is energy and food. I'm going to pig out. Odds are if I get a good smoky fire going, I'm going to get attention, so parceling out the food isn't as important and getting energy that first day.

Next, yay for carrying two space blankets. I may get out of this yet.
 
My old scout master was good for walking up on a camping trip and handing a klid an index card. The card described his medical symptoms, then we had to assess and administer aid and evac.

Sometimes the card just said to duct tape the fingers of one hand together to get an appreciation for how to get over the disability. Or maybe put a splint on one leg=== not sure if he was helping us or just having fun!! LOL!!
2Door
 
Speaking of cards, when I was in the forces we were given casualty cards in a sealed envelope at the start of an exercise. The umpires knew where everyone was and during a firefight would look at who would realistically become a casualty. If you were 'hit', you opened the envelope and displayed the symptoms on the card. It brought realism into the training because, in most 1st aid training you know the injury and follow the steps of treatment. This focussed heavily on one's ability to diagnose and triage under pressure.

Back to the topic at hand, though...assuming no internal injuries, I think I'd focus more on stabilizing my injuries to the best extent I could, prepping a signal fire and insulating myself. A constant fire for warmth would consume far more fuel than I could reasonably gather while injured, so insulation would likely be a better way to stave off hypothermia. If you pass out, insulation will still keep your core warm.

No idea if or when rescue may occur.
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Even healthy, that's a pretty demanding criteria. Reduce your effectiveness and indefinite survival isn't too likely. The point of the injuries you mentioned imply (to me at least) that we're excluding the option of walking out. In that case, you've already shot yourself down if you haven't left a 'foot plan' with someone just in case this happened. Bottom line, you have find a way to bring trained people into the area asap. Find a safe spot and light the whole d*mn forest on fire. Obviously it makes a signal fire almost useless, but it'll bring people close enough to hear your trusty Fox40. Fire suppression is pretty aggressive here, so it likely wouldn't be more than a day or two, assuming you were on a day trip when this happened and don't have a backpack nearby.

I, Hatchet Jack...
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:thumbup:
 
First thing, I would do is meditate and try to work with the pain. Do some serious abdominally breathing.

Then I would make fire and wait, unless I could hear people. I would hope I had a whistle.
 
Well, quite frankly, if I was physically and mentally "exhausted" (which in my books means so f-king tired that I'm unable to perform even the simplest and most primitive of functions repeatedly with any reliability), and had only the use of one hand, I'd probably die, or kill myself. At this age, it wouldn't be all that bad. You've got to go sometime. ;) Of course, if I had some form of communications equipment, I'd just call in the cavalry and sit tight - if it doesn't take more than a day or so, I'll be just fine in terms of food and drink and shelter, provided I haven't somehow lost my clothing, too.

On the other hand, if I was in an adrenaline powered frenzy, I'd probably just get on the move and crawl for the nearest suitable looking spot I can see, and start a ridiculously large fire for means of signaling. That might just end up a forest fire and scorch my ignoble behind, but sometimes that happens. :D If I haven't lost my gear, I will have a lighter and matches to make a fire the easy way. Using those takes no more than the one hand, and gathering things to burn doesn't take more than one hand, either. But realistically, if I somehow manage to get that screwed up physically, it probably means I was in an event that left me naked of clothes and gear, and probably without a limb or two, so I'm basically dead either way. :D
 
Acess and treat your injuries if you can then evaluate the possablity of rescue,if rescue is unlikely then move out as best you can. If you stay in place work as you can for fire shelter and food. Shock from pain can be just as deadly as shock from trama and blood loss . Signal as you can rather you go or stay.
 
I'd be buggered in Florida,lie in one place too long and the fire ants will get you. Either that or a developer will pave over you...
 
1st off figure out if were I am lying is a safe place,if not try to move by dragging myself to a safer location....insulate with the fallen leaves,try to gather tinder to make a fire,and being I wear a whistle around my neck,I would use it instead of screaming for help...I do keep a small FB on my belt as my larger items are strapped to my packet,remove pack and dig out space blanket and 1st aide kit....keep hydrated and slow the blood loss to a minimum.treat wound best I could with what I have....take a few 800mg Motrins and wait for help or larger predators....
 
There are a lot of stories out of Iraq where guys (and gals) have done some pretty amazing feats while severely wounded. Biggest issue is assessing your own medical condition...no external bleeding, but you may have to worry about internal bleeding.

1. Assess injuries and perform basic first aid; take pain meds if you have them.

2. Start signaling with whistle and 3 shots (I carry my CCW)

3. Look for a more secure location (that you could crawl to); against a tree, rock, etc.

4. Gather as much firewood/insulation as feasible without hurting yourself any worse.

5. Continue to whistle, pull out the Siltarp, poncho, space blanket...get comfy.

6. As the sun goes down make a fire.

7. Continue signaling with whistle and strobe light.

8. Keep broken limbs immobilized and elevated as much as possible.

9. Drink some water eat whatever snacks you brought along.

10. Keep your mind thinking about the important things in life, memories, kids, family, wife, things you still need to get done...all positive thoughts.

11. After 2 weeks, make sure you have one last bullet for yourself and write note with Last Testament/Will...I could think of worse places of dying!!!!

ROCK6
 
One question that I have to ask, Brian, is what caused the breaks? If it was, say, a skiing accident, I would have some warmer clothing as well as some pretty decent means to splint said breaks. Can you expand?

PeACE
Dougo
 
I would bust out my 40 of Malt Liquor, drink it and then baton my head with a rock to put myself out of my misery.

Seriously though, since this is occurring in the Northeast, my experience has been that you can often get a cell phone signal if you can just get high enough up. So in this case I would probably focus all of my strength and energy on crawling to higher ground and using my cell phone to call in the cavalry.
 
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