Think your GPS will save the day? You may be right. A GPS can be used to
guide you right back to your car or wherever you set it for. Of course, you
still need to learn how to use this as well. A GPS also has the problem of
batteries that can die on you.
How To Use A Compass
If you need to learn from scratch, go to the bookstore or library and get a
good book on the subject. If, however, you already know a little, here are
some tips to help you out. Bring A Map Even a highway map with little detail
is better than nothing. It has highways and roads you can aim for if you get
lost. It may even show a mountain or two, so you can identify a landmark and
figure out where you are.
Head Off-Target
Often when people are lost, they still know where they are in relation to a
road or trail. For example, you may know that the logging road your car is
parked on is to your south. Use your compass to head south and you will find
the road. However, now how do you know which way to go to reach your car?
Did you come out to the East or West of it?
The trick here, is to head to the west or east of where you want to end
up. This way, when you reach the trail or road you'll know which way to go
to reach your car, camp, or whatever point you are aiming for. Obviously
this means going farther than if you head straight to your target, but going
straight to anything is almost impossible with a compass in the wilderness.
This keeps you from wasting even more time guessing which way to go.
How To Go Straight
You may know exactly which direction you want to go, but even with a compass
it isn't easy to go straight through a wilderness area. There may be swamps,
cliffs, and thorn bushes to go around. How do you stay on that straight
heading?
First use your compass to locate a tree, hill or other object far away in
the direction you want to go. Generally, the farther the better easier here
in the West than in the thick flat forests of the East. Now pick the easiest
route there. Once there, pick another destination in the same way, until you
get to where you are going - without swampy feet and ripped skin. What
the "declination" is for the area you are in. True north will be to the
right or left of where the needle points, depending on where you are. You
need to know how many degrees, and in which direction to adjust your
compass.
How to read a map. A compass won't normally do anything for you without a
map. In any but the flattest areas, you should also know how to read a topo
map. Those contour lines will tell you whether you are heading towards a
gentle slope or a cliff if you know
How to use a compass with a map.
How to take a heading using a compass.
How to "triangulate" your position using two landmarks, a map, and a
compass. Learn and practice the above skills or you really don't know how to
use a compass.
Be prepared. Any day hike, snowshoe trip or even out-of-bounds ski trip
can easily turn into an overnight adventure. Be prepared to spend the night,
if not in comfort, at least in safety. An emergency blanket, a light source,
extra food and water and warm clothes can help you get through an emergency
overnight bivouac safely.
Once you are sure you are lost or in need of help to get out, stay put. If
you are in a group, stay together! Separating just doubles the work the
searchers will need to do to get you all safely off the mountain.
Always prepare for the contingency of getting lost or stuck outside
overnight (or longer). But with proper planning, you can avoid the need for
rescue in the first place. Some things you can do:
Carry and know how to use a map and compass. Use these during your hike or
snowshoe outing so you are familiar with the area you are passing through.
That makes it easier to navigate out should you become disoriented later.
Carry and use a GPS device. Familiarize yourself with the unit's operation
before heading out. If you store the location of the trailhead before
starting your hike, its easy to use the "track-back" feature that's built
into the device to find your way back to your car from any location.
Familiarize yourself with the area before heading out. If you don't know
the specific region you plan to travel, study maps before heading out, and
if possible, talk with Forest Service rangers or other users to get
specifics about trails and possible navigation hazards.
Mark your location. A brightly colored tarp or jacket bright orange is
best can stand out against the dark landscape of the forest. If you are
traveling in snow, try carrying a couple packages of cherry or strawberry
flavored Kool-Aid. If lost, find an open area and sprinkle powdered drink
sparingly over the snow in an X shape the color will bleed out into the
snow, creating a bright red marker that can be seen from helicopters.
The difference between not knowing exactly where you are and being lost
generally comes down to this: panic. As anxiety and panic creep into the
mind, rational thought fades away, which is when bad decisions are made.
Rescue Laser Light. Though these look like standard laser pointers, they
emit a fan of light rather than a narrow beam. The Emergency Signal Laser
spreads out so when it crosses the vision of a searcher such as the pilot of
a search aircraft it can be seen as a bright red flash on the ground. It
does not interfere with the vision of the target person, thus poses no
threat to pilots. The effective range is 20-plus miles at night and up to 5
miles in daylight.
A poison ivy rash clear up overnight by using the juice from jewelweed.
This plant grows in wet areas, and water dripped on the leaves beads up,
looking like jewels, hence the name. The stems are translucent, and the
plant has dangling yellow or orange flowers. Planning to have a fire at the
end of the day? As you hike, collect some dead pine needles, dried moss,
etc. This way you'll be ready to start a fire when you stop for the night,
even if it is a bit wet by then.
Does the color of your clothing matter? Light colors attract fewer biting
insects. Flashy bright colors have been shown to attract grizzly bears. On
the other hand, having something bright and easily visible to rescuers from
the air could save your life if you are lost.
Does alcohol lead to hypothermia? "Experts" make it seem like a beer in
the wilderness is a terrible thing. The truth is more complicated. Alcohol
dilates capillaries and sends blood to extremities, causing you to lose heat
more quickly, thus possibly contributing to hypothermia. However, the same
effects can prevent frostbite in fingers and toes a good option if you know
you'll be in a warm place before hypothermia set in. Experts try to protect
you with simple rules, assuming that the one thing you won't do is panic.
Thistles have seed-fluff that can be used as insulation. Pull it loose
as you walk, fill a couple bread bags with it, and you have simple mittens.
Remove any seeds for maximum loft. Keep your stove clean to make it last
longer and burn most efficiently. In particular, watch to see if the flame
is coming from all jets. If not, clean out these tiny holes with a pin.
Backpackers have many water purification options to choose from now. They
can be broadly classified in four categories.
1. Water Filters.
2. Chemical treatments.
3. Boiling the water.
4. No treatment at all.
"safe" natural springs versus contaminated water sources . I don't really
recommend this as a way to obtain good drinking water, but it can't hurt to
learn how to find the natural sources that are most likely pure. A filter
can clog or your water tablets get lost.
Rainwater collected in clean containers or in plants is usually safe for
drinking. This is just something to remember for emergencies, though. Always
purify water from lakes, ponds, swamps, springs, or streams. Even deep in
the wilderness, most water sources now have Giardia or other unhealthy
bacteria and viruses.
Water purification by boiling works fine. Just boil for a minute or
two and you are usually okay. The problem is that it is just too much
trouble for backpacking. Do you want to stop several times daily to set up
your stove and boil enough water to fill your water bottles? Do you want to
always need a good fire to do the same, or to carry the extra fuel for that
stove?
For regular use, there are just two convenient ways to purify water when
backpacking. They are water filters and chemical water treatments.
There are more water filters than I can keep track of out there. Some
have ceramic filter cores, some use other materials. Some add a carbon
filter to improve taste. Some combine chemical treatment with filtering.
Pore size is another feature you'll see advertised, with some saying they
will filter down to .3 microns. They weigh too much. Many weigh a pound or
more, and even more after the first time you use them, because of the water
trapped inside.
Survival strategies! |
