Survival Lore and Advice..

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Sep 5, 2006
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So I have compiled a list of 20 or so of my favorite pieces of Survival Advice and some first aid tips..

Feel free to add any you may have come up with, or know of!
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1. When lost.. STAY PUT! If you move around, help can't find you!

2. Keep you teeth, body and clothing as clean as possible. Laying clothing out in the sun can help with Body Odors trapped in the fabric..

3. IF you manage to catch a fish.. save the entrails to bait traps, and use them to catch other fish.

4. Tourniquets.. Forget you know the word..

5. ALL patients can go into shock. Treat by elevating the legs 12 inches, and cover with a blanket.

6. Cool burns IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT use burn salves, ointments, or creams.. These will trap the heat and actually make the burn worse!

7. Moss grows on the NORTH side of a tree.. and the east side.. and the west side.. and the south side.. Never use that as a reliable means of telling direction.

8. Never move a person who has a suspected back or neck injury unless burning, drowning, etc..

9. Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

10. There is NO pure water in the wilderness anymore.. Pruify ALL the water you find. 2 drops of Bleach per quart, 2 drops of Iodine per quart, or bring the water to a rolling boil.

11. STAY OFF THE ICE!

12. Red and Yellow kill a fellow.

13. Camp away from hilltops, valleys, and bodies of water.

14. Have a plan! Since the initial plan rarely survives first contact.. Have a back up plan!

15. Get your bearing BEFORE you strike out! Always carry a map and compass of the area you are in.

16. Use Cedar and Birch bark for tinder. Avoid wood that's on the ground, it's too wet.

17. Never try to set a broken bone, stabilize it and wait for help.

18. When caught in a rip current or undertow, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current.

19. Cuts, blisters and other small injuries can become infected. Clen and bandage all wounds.

20. Never conserve water. Many people have been found dead of dehydration with a full canteen of water.

21. Priorities.. You can survive 30 seconds with severe bleeding, 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter/fire, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, 3 months without human contact.
 
Raising the legs of an injured person who is suffering from severe head or chest trauma, might kill them quicker than shock...definitely keep em warm and control all external bleeding. before someone goes into shock or as it is onsetting other sympotms will develop the person will become cool/pale/and sweaty or "Diaphoretic" as it is refered to in the medical community, this is never a good sign. also ther pulse will go up dramtically up into the over 120 beats per min range and there blood pressure will drop, with out a blood pressure cuff this is most easily detected by the absence of a radial pulse "or the pulse in the wrist. if there is no puls present in the wrist it is safe to assume that the persons systolic or the top number of there blood pressure is below 90 presntation of this or a rapid pulse in a person who has sufffered from a trumatic injury is bad news. Wow that was kind of a tangent...Sorry
 
21. Priorities.. You can survive 30 seconds with severe bleeding, 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter/fire, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, 3 months without human contact.
Yes, but you may not want to.

Not so much a correction, just a clarification: you can technically survive 3 minutes without air--but you'll be pretty much finished after two minutes, and even non-functioning after a few seconds. You can go 3 days without water, but dangerously dehydrated to the point of immobility after 18 hours. Similarly, you can go 3 hours without shelter or fire, but if you're wet, cold, and in the wind, you might last only 30 minutes. And so on.

In other words, don't figure you have 3 days before you need to obtain water! You'll be dropping by day 2.

The rule of threes is easy to remember, and helps you remember how to prioritize...but they're certainly not a testimony to the limits of human endurance. I would almost divide those by 3 to indicate how much time you might have left to respond!
 
I think you could last longer than 3 months without human contact. Just a thought.
 
Yes, but you may not want to.

Not so much a correction, just a clarification: you can technically survive 3 minutes without air--but you'll be pretty much finished after two minutes, and even non-functioning after a few seconds. You can go 3 days without water, but dangerously dehydrated to the point of immobility after 18 hours. Similarly, you can go 3 hours without shelter or fire, but if you're wet, cold, and in the wind, you might last only 30 minutes. And so on.

In other words, don't figure you have 3 days before you need to obtain water! You'll be dropping by day 2.

The rule of threes is easy to remember, and helps you remember how to prioritize...but they're certainly not a testimony to the limits of human endurance. I would almost divide those by 3 to indicate how much time you might have left to respond!

Actually, that air thing is going to have more to do with water temp than anything else. Well, that and the individuals physical conditioning.. An athelete can hold his breath much longer than a chain smoker.. 3 minutes is an average..

As for the water.. Current research has that an individual can survive 1-5 days without water. This depends on the climate, the condition of the individual, and the level of areobic activity.. Again, 3 days is an average..
 
22. Always carry a good quality knife, drinking water, and firestartingx2.

23. Always tell more than one person:
-Where you are going.
-Your Route.
-A "drop Dead" time they should hear back from you.

24. When in doubt, take RescueMike with you. ;)
 
Actually, that air thing is going to have more to do with water temp than anything else. Well, that and the individuals physical conditioning.. An athelete can hold his breath much longer than a chain smoker.. 3 minutes is an average..
I'd be curious on seeing a source on that. Most people can't hold their breath in open air for even a minute without training. This source says 45 seconds in 60 degree water, which seems to agree, but you've very likely more experience than I here!

As for the water.. Current research has that an individual can survive 1-5 days without water. This depends on the climate, the condition of the individual, and the level of areobic activity.. Again, 3 days is an average..
I very much agree: there's a big difference between Sonoma and Secaucus when it comes to dehydration! I think this underscores my point that you shouldn't bet on those numbers as timelines, but guidelines for what to do first! Thanks, Mike!
 
22. Always carry a good quality knife, drinking water, and firestartingx2.

23. Always tell more than one person:
-Where you are going.
-Your Route.
-A "drop Dead" time they should hear back from you.

24. When in doubt, take RescueMike with you. ;)

OR take Skunk.. He'll start the fire by rubbing 2 sticks together!!

I like the "take a good knife with you".. How did that get left out of my list??
 
Do not eat yellow snow. Sorry, couldnt resist:D Actually, you can wash your clothes in a fast moving stream without soap, the quicker the stream the better. If you have a change of clothes put your stinkies in the flow and drop a few rocks on them. Take them out the next day (the longer they soak the better) and hang dry, fire dry, whatever. I did this with socks that would give a maggot a nose bleed. Worked just fine.

Another observation that Ive had has to do with foot wear. If you are walking along shorelines or in other rock strewn country, use lace up boots or something with real ankle support. Many times I have come back from long shoreline fishing trips up here, to be half crippled in an ankle or two because of slipping around rocks and twisting the ankles. Rubber boots with felt liners are ok when Im walking through the bush, but suck when going across rocky terrain. I also dont buy steel toed boots because they tend to make my toes cold in bad weather. When buying colder weather boot liners, you know, the dark thick wool boot liner that goes in an outdoor or winter boot, make sure that the liner has a nylon patch on the inside heel were your sock rubs the liner. If not, major walking (which is what we do a lot of outdoors) will quickly chew that spot out on the back of your heel and your foot will feel cold and crappy.

I have had a fish hook sharpening stone for 15-20 years now, it is on a bead chain and is about 3-4 inches long. It is fairly chewed up, but would definately double as a knife sharpener if need be. I wonder what else can have double usage. Small binoculars = fire starting magnifying glass (as an extra back up). Fish hook sharpening stone = knife sharpener. Butt wipe = fire starter. Big field knife = small hatchet (in a pinch anyway). etc.
 
Upnorth,

very much agree with you, I NEVER eat yellow snow!
(Get on your feet and do the funky alfonso) ...prize to who can identify where that came from.


Actually, I was responding to Ankle Support. WIthOUT A DOUBT!!!
very very very.....very important.
At the minimum mid-top hikers. Ankles are humans achilles heel! ( bad pun ). :barf:

I ripped the tendons off the top of my foot bone due to wearing low top hikers. Yes, that hurt just a little. Imagine having your face ripped off your head.
I went the rest of the day, and got back to the car by evening. Never unlaced, when I did, the pain and swelling came on like a tsunami.
I was stiff legged walking for miles keeping my foot imobilized.

Always wear footwear with good ankle support!! :thumbup:
 
#25 ish) Know your limitations dont be afraid to cut a hike short, go around a mountain of find a shallower crossing.

#26 A great many survival stories begin "well we wer drinking and..." No where is moderation more important than in areas where help may be far away.
 
(Get on your feet and do the funky alfonso) ...prize to who can identify where that came from.

As a SWAG I'll say "St Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast", but I'm not sure how it relates here. IIRC it's on the same side of the Zappa album "Apostrophe' " as "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" in fact it may be right after it? Been a while since I listened to that or any album, I'm ashamed to say.

However, I am 100% in agreement with upnorth on washing your clothes whenever possible.... "You got StinkFoot baby!" I was never in the service, much less combat, but I've heard really horrible stories about jungle rot. I have kinda nasty feet anyway, so clean socks are a must, not a luxury for me. Goes along with "#19. Cuts, blisters and other small injuries can become infected. Clean and bandage all wounds." Wet, nasty socks can quickly cause open sores on your feet. Or, it's true that an Army marches on its stomach, but they still gotta march. Or, "feets don't fail me now!!" OK, I'll stop.

For clothes and body, I suggest a little squeeze bottle of mild dishsoap if you can stand the weight and space it takes. :rolleyes: Many moons ago when "having financial difficulties" a bottle of Dawn was all I had for cleaning supplies. It kept my hair, body, clothes and dishes all squeaky clean for a couple weeks. Not too cool if you have sensitive skin, I suppose, but it worked for me, and if you want you can be lemony-fresh! One more note, dish soap is probably not very good for brushing your teeth! So add a travel toothbrush and tube of tooth paste if you can. Yuck-mouth PLUS StinkFoot PLUS Dirty Shirty = One Miserable Camper. (Interestingly, Dawn is fine for washing your clothes, but powdered Tide is not so good for washing your face.)

All the other tips are valid too, as far as I know. I'm liking this list, it's a good way to make yourself think about it instead of just browsing gear lists. Not that I don't enjoy browsing, compiling and comparing gear lists, of course.

#27 Mother Nature doesn't give a crap if you live or die, but She isn't out to get you, either. In that regard, you may well be safer lost in the woods than you would be walking down the street.
 
A few remarks:

1. Mostly right, but works only if someone -even vaguely- knows where you are

2. Never stressed enough

4. Well right, and wrong: right since once you've set the tourniquet your limb will start to degrade quickly (permanent nerve damage after a few minutes and it only gets worst), wrong since it might be the only possible way to stop the bleeding or leave the injured guy to go for help (if pressure points and compressive bandage don't work). Remember that once tourniquet is in place you SHOULD NOT release it without medical supervision, and once you've set it you should write somewhere WHEN you set it (sheet of paper, lipstick/Iodin on face...).

5. Generally advisable but not always a good thing

7. Right, better to use sun (with watch)

8. Right, learn the techniques that allow you to relatively safely move the guy.

16. Generally advisable, but not essential.

19. Never stressed enough.

21. Some replace the 3 with a 4, but that's the idea.
 
One more note, dish soap is probably not very good for brushing your teeth! So add a travel toothbrush and tube of tooth paste if you can.

Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap (they make other scents) can be used for everything from washing dishes to teeth.

Chad
 

21. Priorities.. You can survive 30 seconds with severe bleeding, 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter/fire, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, 3 months without human contact.

Actually, it's 3 months without BEER! :)

homer_simpson_beer.gif
 
Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap (they make other scents) can be used for everything from washing dishes to teeth.

Chad

Personally I never coat myself with anything that makes me smell edible when I am in bear country. I only wash and brush my teeth with plain water and never rub anything on me that a bear might mistake as a condiment or meat flavoring. :D

FWIW,
KR
 
Buddy, the smell of your sweaty butt is a condiment to a carnivore. They don't need no may o naze!
 
Actually clean clothes are far less important than dry clothes, I know a few guys who have gone 6 weeks without a shower or a change of clothes, as long as they kept them dry they were good.

local conditions also affect the whole 3's rules, 80's on a south pacific island, you may never really need shelter. -80 in fairbanks alaska, well you may need it first. and you may never find anything to burn either.



Water is the same, humid, cool conditions, your body may last a week, in the gobi desert at altitude, you might last day, again it all depends.


Making rules like this are often detrimental to the well being of the person involved. sometimes you have to move. Sometimes you should move.

I would say more people end up walking out of situation, or at least inproving their odds, by moving than do who sit still. Sometimes waiting is the best Idea. plane crash victims often have this dilemma. If the plane is on a preset flight plan, (often they are not if you in the bush) then sitting in the wreckage maybe a good idea. But it may not be either, I have seen several crash sites in my day that were not found till the snow flew or the leaves left the trees. If i go down in may, i am not waiting till november for a rescue.

It may be, that moving to a hill top will make your rescue much easier, it may be that the effort involved is not wise to expend. Again it all depends. I was around when a search team went looking for a group of fishermen who had been thought to have lost in a storm as their boat was found upside down and empty. One of the group climbed a small hill top and found an open area and when a search place flew by, he was able to gain their attention. The storm had blown the boat nearly 25 miles away from where they were, and it was there that the search efforts were taking place, only because they were able to gain some height were they found.


I would say the Rules are:

Make no rash decisions.

Use your surroundings to dictate your response.

Prioritize your efforts based on the conditions you face.

Take an inventory of all available assets.

Although rescue may be your best option, do not place all your hopes on immediate rescue.

and lastly, Don't panic, I have tried panic and it did not work.
 
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