The shocking reality!

[Sarge47]

Here's the skinny, boys and girls, until you're literally faced with a life or death situation, no one knows for sure what they're gonna do! It's easy to sit inside the safety & comfort of our homes and hit the keys on our computer writing all these words down, or even go out into the woods on our own little solo trips & come home okay...but no one really believes that really bad things can happen to them until it does. The following is quoted from the book "The complete Book of Outdoor Survival" by j. Wayne Fears. This illustrates my point.

"It started out as a typical afternoon squirrel hunt. The three of us were students at Auburn University in Alabama, and we had taken the day off to bag a few squirrels in the nearby Tuskegee National Forest. By the end of the day, two of us sat on the fender of the car, reliving the hunt, squirrel by squirrel. It finally dawned on us that it was a long time past shooting light, and Mike, the third member of the party, had not yet returned to the car. But we didn't worry because Mike was a highly trained and experienced hunter. He was working on his master's degree in forest management and had just recently returned from four years in the Alaskan backcountry.

A half hour passed, it was dark, and still no Mike. I blew the car horn three times. No response. For the next few minutes we blew the horn and shouted, stopping occasionally to listen. We were sure now that Mike was in trouble and began to ask ourselves questions: Had he shot himself accidentally? Could he have had a heart attack? Mike was a believer in hunter safety and was in excellent physical condition, so these possibilities seemed slight. As the reality that Mile was lost sank in, we began an organized search.

It was after midnight when we found him. A wild-looking man broke through a thicket and into the light cast by the searchers' spotlights. It was Mike and he was scared and confused. His clothing was torn to shreds from the waist down, and his legs and arms were bloody from the scratches he had received, The.22 rifle, hunting coat and cap he had taken into the woods with him were gone-where, he did not know. We learned later that his hunting coat contained matches, extra ammunition, a pocketknife, and three squirrels, enough survival gear & food to live comfortably for many days.

Mike needed two weeks to recover fully from his brief but brutal ordeal. He recalled the panic that had struck him at dark when he realized he was lost. He remembered running for long periods of time. He also remembered feeling afraid of the strange people shouting and flashing lights in the woods. Embarrassment, guilt, confusion, and exhaustion only added to his sense of panic and helped cripple his ability to exercise good judgment. Mike, an above-average hunter and outdoorsman, had come face-to-face with a survival situation and had not used his skills.

One of the first reactions to being lost or stranded in the backcountry is fear. It is fear that causes many people to panic soon after realizing they are in a survival situation. It was fear that made Mike run blindly and foolishly discard his equipment."

Remember guys, panic can kill!

[FVR]

I one time in western Md. while hunting deer I got really turned around. Okay, okay, I GOT LOST!

It was raining, overcast, I had ventured over a couple ridges and made a few big mistakes.

The panic came, when it did, I sat down on a stump. I started talking to myself, "Frank you dumb ***, you got yourself lost, don't panic, think" after about 15 minutes of this, I realized that I had matches, flashlight, canteen, wearing the rain gear, a gun, and oh yeh, a compass. It was late afternoon and I needed to get back to the cabin.

Luckily, I had taken a compass reading that morning. I stood out on the back of the cabin, found north, and had made a note which way I walked into the woods.

I broke out the compass, stood and positioned the compass exactly how it looked standing on the back of the cabin, and started walking in the opposite direction.

3 hours and three ridges later, I hit a road. I took a left and found the stream that we drove through, an hour later I walked in the front door of the cabin. They had a hot cup of coffee waiting for me.

I lucked out.

[Sarge47]

I one time in western Md. while hunting deer I got really turned around. Okay, okay, I GOT LOST!

It was raining, overcast, I had ventured over a couple ridges and made a few big mistakes.

The panic came, when it did, I sat down on a stump. I started talking to myself, "Frank you dumb ***, you got yourself lost, don't panic, think" after about 15 minutes of this, I realized that I had matches, flashlight, canteen, wearing the rain gear, a gun, and oh yeh, a compass. It was late afternoon and I needed to get back to the cabin.

Luckily, I had taken a compass reading that morning. I stood out on the back of the cabin, found north, and had made a note which way I walked into the woods.

I broke out the compass, stood and positioned the compass exactly how it looked standing on the back of the cabin, and started walking in the opposite direction.

3 hours and three ridges later, I hit a road. I took a left and found the stream that we drove through, an hour later I walked in the front door of the cabin. They had a hot cup of coffee waiting for me.

I lucked out.

The ancoynym: S.T.O.P. was what worked. The letter: "S" stands for "sit", which is what you did! Next, "T", is for think! You did that also! Then, "O" for "observe", which you also did! And finally "P" for plan, and I 'd say you did everything all right!

[donny h]

I lucked out.

I wouldn't call that luck, you used your brain, your best tool, and survived.

Like Sarge posted, we don't know how we'll react, I imagine the vast majority of us would suffer panic on some level, nothing strange about that, it's how we deal with the panic that matters.

You sat down and let the panic run its course, and thought the situation through. There is no better way to handle it, that's as good as it gets.

The fella in the above story who was confused by the lights and sounds reminds me of a case here in Utah, an autistic boy of 10 or so was lost for days in the mountains, and survived.

After his rescue it was determined that searchers walked right by the child multiple times, and he didn't call out to them because he was taught not to talk to strange men! Excellent advice in a normal situation, but this boy learned the lesson too well, and it could have ended tragically.

It seems hard to believe that lost folks would avoid rescue, but it happens.

[owl_girl]

I haven’t heard that many scenarios where people have that extreme of a response to panic as the hunter in Alabama did. Though I do have a friend that’s totally helpless like that when she panics and she panics really easy. For example when she thought someone was trying to brake into her house she ran to the kitchen, opened the knife drawer, and pulled out a rolling pin, yes a rolling pin, then she hid in the shower with it. She had a rolling pin and wasn’t afraid to use it. She always dos stuff like that. Sometimes I worry about her.

[Sarge47]

I haven’t heard that many scenarios where people have that extreme of a response to panic as the hunter in Alabama did. Though I do have a friend that’s totally helpless like that when she panics and she panics really easy. For example when she thought someone was trying to brake into her house she ran to the kitchen, opened the knife drawer, and pulled out a rolling pin, yes a rolling pin, then she hid in the shower with it. She had a rolling pin and wasn’t afraid to use it. She always dos stuff like that. Sometimes I worry about her.

Well, you could always loan her your machete! I think I might worry about the guy who goes after her in the shower...ouch! ;>)

[owl_girl]

Well, you could always loan her your machete! I think I might worry about the guy who goes after her in the shower...ouch! ;>)

Yah only she’d start hitting him with the sheath instead of the blade.

[Rocky789]

Im fortunate I have never been in a situation like this, although I cant imagine myself being too panicked about it at all, I honestly enjoy spending as much time outdoors as possible and am really familiar with whats available wherever I am, but if I was say for example in Nevada(someplace I am completely unfamiliar with), stuck on my own out in the middle of nowhere I probably panic a little, almost completely different terrain, plants, and animals then I really can hope I take the situation one step at a time. Lets hope I never have to face such a situation.

[FVR]

Many a child journeys
this high to be different.

To get from here what their natures
couldn't get them below.

lt comes to nothing.

Can't cheat the mountain, pilgrim.
Mountain got it....

[Fog_Harbor]

Well, without a doubt, panic will kill you the quickest. I've been lost, and I mean REALLY lost for a couple of days. Had I panicked, I'd most likely be dead now. But the simple plan was this: pick a direction and stick to it. That's what I did, and when I found the road I was only about a mile from our camp.

On the other hand, the guy that I went into the woods with, and got us lost to begin with, decided it'd be a good idea to split up in pairs, we were to stay put (My mother and I) and he and my friend were going to find the way out.

We met them in the hospital six days later. They'd only been in there half that time, the rest they'd spent wandering in circles. I looked on the map, the one the genious left in the camper, and it was the only way they could have been in there that long, we were literally surrounded by roads on every side.

Before you all ask what I was doing there with that fool to begin with, I was fourteen, and he was my mother's husband (not my father) - I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter. Never went camping or hunting with him again though.

[ZTGuy]

Thanks Sarge. That was a good read.

[HOP]

Yep, good read

[DEET]

I have been in this situation before myself. Fortunately I kept a cool head and waited under an oak tree for the panic to stop. Don't kid yourself into thinking you would never panic because you will. You need to make that the first part of you survival training, self control. When you feel the panic come on stop sit down and don't move until it passes. About half an hour later I had my plan and found a good spot to make a camp, I had my plan and directions (thank you polaris) by morning and I found a road the next day.

Oh yeah the scenario, I was out exploring when I took a bad fall into a small holler. Unfortunatley I landed on my compass and broke it in two. I immediately began to panic as I held what was left of my compass. Once it subsided I found a good place for a lean-to and made a nice reflector fire. I knew there was a road two days hike to the east and I couldn't go back the way I came because of the shear face I fell down. I ate whatever I passed while hiking out, berries, dandelions (still yellow) and a few frogs I found in a small stream. Unfortunately all my supplies were in the backpack I had on the top of the ridge I fell down. Remeber no matter how nice the picture might be don't do something stupid like lean out on a tree, it's leaning for a reason.

[Sarge47]

I have been in this situation before myself. Fortunately I kept a cool head and waited under an oak tree for the panic to stop. Don't kid yourself into thinking you would never panic because you will. You need to make that the first part of you survival training, self control. When you feel the panic come on stop sit down and don't move until it passes. About half an hour later I had my plan and found a good spot to make a camp, I had my plan and directions (thank you polaris) by morning and I found a road the next day.

Oh yeah the scenario, I was out exploring when I took a bad fall into a small holler. Unfortunatley I landed on my compass and broke it in two. I immediately began to panic as I held what was left of my compass. Once it subsided I found a good place for a lean-to and made a nice reflector fire. I knew there was a road two days hike to the east and I couldn't go back the way I came because of the shear face I fell down. I ate whatever I passed while hiking out, berries, dandelions (still yellow) and a few frogs I found in a small stream. Unfortunately all my supplies were in the backpack I had on the top of the ridge I fell down. Remeber no matter how nice the picture might be don't do something stupid like lean out on a tree, it's leaning for a reason.

Again, we're back to the ancroynom: "S.T.O.P.! scroll back and read it in an earlier post.:confused:

[Strider]

You are completely right... everyone prepares for the worst, but when the worst happens, their stunned... well, not everyone, I'm sure... STOP is a good way to work out your problem... Wayne Fear (or is it Fears?) uses that method... he's an experienced outdoorsman. He has some books about survival out... they're pretty good!:)

[DEET]

Again, we're back to the ancroynom: "S.T.O.P.! scroll back and read it in an earlier post.:confused:

I am simply giving an example to reiterate the point that was alresdy made. There are different ways of teaching the same subject and I felt that telling my story of what happened would better help to engrave this concept on someones mind than simply giving a list of instructions would. That is why we tell children stories that are based on moral principles rather than tell them what the moral principle is. The human mind works in many different ways and I just felt that my situation was worth writing about in this post since it shows that S.T.O.P. really does work.