Surviving the outdoors

Here in Oregon we've just witnessed the tragic death of a man who died from exposure to the elements from a snow storm and extremely rugged terrain while trying to save his family. I'm sure you're all familiar with this...

In light of this and considering that there have been some incredible posts of late from extremely harsh climates I was wondering what those of you experienced in the outdoors do to prepare for these trips and what advice you could give to help us novices avoid any life threatening situations?

My biggest piece of advice would be to take baby steps getting into these winter wilderness areas. Start with safe day trips that are close to civilization. I've gotten in the most trouble by trying to rush in without first gaining some experience in easier areas.

The next thing I would recomend is taking some courses in winter safety and survival. I'm planning on doing this myself this winter, learning about avalanches, and other snow safety will help you avoid getting into trouble out there.

Gear, the right gear can make a huge difference.

I'm sure people like Marc Adamus, and Mark Hudon know more than I do, and would have better advice.

I spent 150-200 days outdoors and traveled 50,000 miles by car and nearly 2000 by foot this past year. The old boy scout motto of 'be prepared' comes to mind. Whether you will be backpacking, day hiking, climbing, or just driving to the trailhead. But how? Well, there is no substitute for experience when it comes to evaluating what you will need for each specific outing, but there are some basics to remember that will get you out of trouble a lot of times. Wherever I'm going, I always try to think worst-case scenario and make sure I have a plan to get myself out, should something go wrong, especially since I often travel alone which makes helping yourself much more difficult. Here are some basics I never forget, and a reason why I have survived almost the exact same predicament the Kim family found themselves in on several different occasions.

When driving, always carry a collapsible shovel so you can dig yourself out of snow or mud. I've dug my car out of the snow twice, dug out a big white locksmith's van in Banff and also two seventeen year-old's that got stuck doing 'cookies' in a mount hood snow-park just this year alone. It's a really great tool to have. Mine is about 3-feet long fully extended with a 12-inch shovel head. When traveling through the remote northern reaches of Nevada's cold Black Rock desert this past February with my girlfriend, we found ourselves fifty miles from the nearest paved road stuck in 6 inches of mud in my 4x4 Subaru. No one would have come along for months in all likelihood. We had several options because we were prepared. We both had big down parkas already in the car, tablets to purify drinking water plus two extra gallons stashed away, plenty of snacks stored in the car and backpacks to hike out. We didn't have to though, because I had taken my shovel and a larger one as well because I anticipated driving in tough conditions. After four hours of shoveling out the underbody, we mashed down sagebrush under the tires and on our tracks behind the vehicle and were able, with the friction of the brush and tire chains to drive out of the muddy stretch under our own power.

I was never concerned with the outcome of the situation because I had what I needed to survive for a week or more in harsh conditions. Things I like to have in my car include shovel, tire chains, parka or blankets, two gallons of water, raincoat, and a bag of snack bars/canned food. It doesn’t take up much space (I keep it all under the spare tire in a back compartment with road flares and first aid kit) and for someone who travels like I do it can get you out of a tough spot. A cell phone can be a life-saver as well, unless your in the Oregon Coast range, Nevada desert or similar.

When hiking, it's always safer to travel in groups. However, as a photographer, this is not going to happen every single time for me. I carry basic first aid including ACE bandages that could be applied to make a split or protect large wounds. I usually a mini roll of duct tape for gear repair in the field. It's so versatile why not carry it? I ALWAYS carry an LED headlamp. You never know when something might go wrong and you'll find yourself out after dark. I have a storm-proof lighter and for backpacking, waterproof matches as well so I'll always be able to start a fire if necessary. It's not a bad idea to have a whistle to signal help to your position if hurt near trails as well.
Make noise when traveling alone in bear/cougar country as not to surprise wild animals or trigger attacks. I also carry bear-spray in Grizzly country and always hang my food out of reach at night.
When hiking anywhere more than a couple miles in, or off trails, carry a topographical map of the area and know how to read it well. Carry a compass, GPS or preferably both. Know the area before you go and get first-hand reports if you don't know what to expect. Maps and previous trip reports can be misleading especially when we get into the winter season.

Last, there is risk in every journey and everyone should evaluate what they feel comfortable with before going. No plan is fool proof, of course.

Oh yes, and Zack raises a great point. Always seek knowledge from those more experienced.

Thanks for all the great advice Marc. It's nice to be able to use the knowledge of someone like you with years of backcountry experience. I agree a calapsable shovel is one of the most useful tools to have with you, I had to dig my Jeep out after the Hood trip. They had to plow around the jeep, the plows burried it and encased it in a 4 ft wall of ice and snow, I don't know how I would have gotten out without the shovel. I will always keep a shovel in my Jeep from now on.

Thanks for assuming that I know what I'm doing, Zack. I'm good at faking it.
I've been in lot of hairball situations rock climbing and such but nothing really life threatening. I check my knots, I check my partners knot, etc. The biggest reason I've avoided catastrophe is that I'm observant. I watch the sky, I know what the clouds mean. I watch where I'm going, I know where I am. I know how to drive in the snow, real common sense stuff like that. The Captain of the Titanic, before his final voyage, said "My record is impressive merely because I have never been truly tested". That's sort of me actually.

Very good advice. Some items we always take along on longer trips.
DeLorme map (handy for navigating on forest service roads) and a small hiking compass.
As mentioned, a shovel is important. We have an army-type folding shovel.
Also a quality 12 volt air-compressor. If stuck, reducing tire air pressure often gets you going and you can re-inflate with the compressor. Got us out of many jams.
Some obvious things, good sleeping bags, pads, lots of layers of clothing, raingear, hiking boots, backpack or daypack, etc.
Led flashlights/headlamps last much longer. Comprehensive first aid kit, including tick removal kit.
A few gallons of drinking water, food, camping cooker.
We carry lots of car tools, and many spare parts. But that's another story.
Everyone should have a spare set of belts, spark plugs, quart of oil, tire chains, jack, tire changing equipment and know-how, perhaps compact jumper cables, a few basic tools, manual for the vehicle, etc.
Btw don't forget to take some photos when you get stuck in the mud or snow.
Harald

I can't offer much more than the great advice already given...except for perhaps extra batteries for your flashlights/headlamps and cell phone. In the cold weather, batteries get sapped pretty easily...so keep those in your pants pockets to keep them warm until you need them. I always bring a wind up flash light on pack trips ever since my batteries died while hiking back in the dark one eve.

And tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.

One more thing...never be too proud to rent one of those GPS tracking units if you plan to go in overnight to a place around the mountains you dont know much about. Talk to a ski lodge, ski rental place, or your local forest service about obtaining them.

Well I'll just jot down some of the first things I put into my bag when I plan on hiking/backpacking in the cold.

The most important thing one can have, above all else I think, is the proper clothing to keep warm. There are all sorts of things you can build/procure from the environment, including food, water, shelter, and other basic things for survival. One thing you can't produce is proper clothing (unless you shoot a bear and know how to make a skin jacket (unlikely)).

Clothing is so essential because this is step one to keeping you WARM. I can't remeber the last person to die in the winter wilderness of stravation, thirst or any factor other than hypothermia/freezing.

I'm no clothing expert but start at step one a wear a good base layer or two, merino wool undies is what I have. Then just layer yourself with synthectics and or wool. Cotton kills because of the way it saps warmth when it is wet. 50% of the volume of my pack is usually back up/extra clothing. Stay dry if you can, but sometimes you just get wet, and with enough synthetic layers you can usually huddle up at the base of a tree or dig a snow cave and survive in the worst circumstances.

Again I'm not an expert in extreme conditions but IMO, clothing, though expensive, is always my first consideration.

Continuing along the warmth theme, I always have a tube of fire paste, it's light and is basically a jelly lighter fluid. Never had to use it but I've heard it'll light up even frozen wood without too much trouble (anyone have any experience here?)

I also bring 4 reuseable heat packs with me, you can stuff these in your boot or glove in an emergency to avoid frostbite, they are very light, and after using them, boil and they're as good as new.

But that's enough for warmth, as you can see I'm a bit of a heat fanatic. I'll get to first aid later!

Great thread,

The advise here is great from everyone and really the only other thing I would add is knowing your own limits.

Take care and be safe,

Mike

I don't want this thread to get buried so I featured it. Important stuff for all to consider when venturing out into nature.

What great advice!! I think it would be a good idea to add this to the General Discussion Forum.

So, anybody hold out any hope for those guys stuck on Mt. Hood? Even being experienced, it's not looking good....

Hey, Friday nights on the Discovery Channel is called Survival Fridays. There's some amazing pointers on there, especially from that dude on Man vs Wild. The dude intentionally jumped into a frozen over high altitude lake, just to show you what to do.
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/survival/survival.html?dcitc=w99-530-ah-0002

Wow, that link is truly amazing. You can watch that and other movies of him doing exactly that (falling in and surviving)..... great link...

And I'm afraid the Miuntain is claiming more lives this week, even from those very experienced and well-prepared for what they thought would be a few nights climbing.
This is a very timely post , with good suggestions.
SAndy R

I"m trying to remember what the weather was like in the days those guys were starting up the mountain. Obviously we had a terrible storm a few days later but I'm wondering how many good days did they have on the mountain.
They started up the mountain in earnest on the 8th from the Tilly Jane Hut. Does anyone remember when exactly the really bad weather came in?

I remember December 10th was a cold, windy showery day in the portland area.

I think my best advice would be to never be afraid to say enough is enough and turn back!! People get hung up on slogging forward no matter what. That attitude kills far too many people. Nature will always be there for another attempt. Bailing out should ALWAYS be a viable option!!!

There is NO shame in being "alive" the next day...

And here is an excellent book on the psychology of survival:

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales ISBN: 0-393-32615-2

This book goes into great detail on the decision making processes used in survival situations. A must read for anyone who might find themselves "out there"...

What everyone else said, and
A COMPASS especially for areas without any dominant topo features, but not limited to that.