Backpacker Magazine – November 2010

How to Do Everything - The Survivor

Take care of yourself in the backcountry with these tips and laugh (or at least smile knowingly in the face of 10 common wilderness threats.

by: Kristin Bjornsen

Tags:
• Gear
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• Skills
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• Survival
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 Cody Lundin & Other Characters | Do This/Not That

 

	Do This...	Not This...
Lightning	Get to a forest, gully, ravine, or rolling hills. Spread 25 to 50 feet apart, and squat atop an insulated mat—head down, arms wrapped around legs.	Don’t stand near lone trees—the “cone of protection” myth has been dispelled—or on highpoints, marshy soil, or near water. Don’t hold metal, which draws ground current.
Lost	Backtrack to your last known location (get a better view from a highpoint). No luck? Wait for rescue in a safe spot.	Don’t panic or charge forward thinking your destination is just around the corner. Avoid night travel (unless you can’t bivy safely).
Whiteout	Have your partner leapfrog ahead along the compass bearing, so you can keep a straight course. Place wands as you go. Throw snowballs to help reveal the slope’s pitch.	If you can’t keep a bearing (you don’t have a map, your GPS lacks sufficient waypoints, wind is pushing you off course, etc.), don’t stumble blindly ahead. Hunker down in a sheltered spot or build a snow wall or cave.
Heat Exhaustion	Symptoms: dizziness, nausea, clammy skin, and extreme lethargy. Rest in the shade. Lower your core temp by pouring cold water over yourself and drinking cool, electrolyte-rich liquids.	Don’t overdrink. This can cause a deadly condition called hyponatremia. Research has disproven the idea that dehydration and heat exhaustion go hand in hand. Let thirst and pee color (dark = bad) guide you.
Swept Away	Lie on your back (feet downstream) and use your legs to push off of rocks. Look ahead for obstacles and eddies.	Don’t stand up or swim toward downed trees (rocks and roots, respectively, can trap you). Avoid or climb over the latter.
Gaping Wound	Apply pressure with fabric. Irrigate with water when bleeding stops; rebandage and tape. Raise feet to treat for shock.	If blood soaks the bandage, don’t remove it; simply apply more on top of the original. For animal bites, don’t tape closed the cut.
Hypothermia	Signs: shivers, clumsiness, slurred speech, confusion. Get into dry clothes; do squats; sip a hot drink; and/or tuck into a sleeping bag with warm water bottles at your chest, back, and groin.	No need to spoon naked with your partner as was once thought. A 1994 Canadian study found that warm water bottles work just as well. (Immediately forget this tip if your partner is Keira Knightley.)
Despair	Recall what you have to live for. “The drive to get back home has proven to be the #1 factor in many survival stories,” says survival guru Tony Nester.	Do not visualize the gruesome things that could happen—death, dismemberment, horrible disfigurement. Your body viscerally responds to what the mind imagines.

Over Achieve
with all our "How to Do Everything" articles


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