Self Rescue

[Alaskan Survivalist]

Being self taught I have learned through my own experience that often conflicts with commonly held beliefs that are the accepted norm so know that I am not or will ever be an expert. That said, one of the fundamental things I do is stay moving if I find myself in a bad situation to get to a better place or find things along the way. It has always been easier for me to find shelter than build a temporary one. I trip across enough food to sustain me without looking for it. Physical exertion keeps me warm and have walked through the night and slept in the peak of day when it is warmest to sleep soundly. 50 years ago in Alaska rescue was out of the question but these days helicopters can be just about anywhere in a hour to rescue you and I wonder just how outdated my thinking is. I know that self rescue is still emphasized for mountaineers, kayakers, etc. because it is the most immediate. As for myself I have learned to stand on my own two feet and have enough sense not to put my self into a situation I can’t get myself out of (now that I’m older), but I notice some set goals that unknown to them are reckless and even though there is a lot of info on surviving situations I think we need more discussion on how to get yourself out of the situation. I tend not to think about others coming to my rescue because I envision a future where I want to avoid contact but don’t think this thread should be limited to my old ways of doing things or my personal paranoia and modern satellite locator systems and other modern methods should be discussed as well. I have problems keeping batteries warm enough to function most of the year but I have begun to modernize myself and keep all my electronics in a small kit I can attach to a belt or pack (MOLLE).

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I try to keep climbing gear handy at base camp or in ATV to rescue people that fall in canyons or crevasses and have avalanche probes and shovels also. Ascenders and ropes can help people over obstacles that while may not be difficult for you may be next to impossible for them.

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In my boat I sit on a milk crate but pad it with an extra floatation device that can be thrown to someone in the water.
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If someone gets hurt bad I keep First Aid kit near as practical and have a book but to be honest If someone is counting on my medical knowledge to save them odds are they are screwed.

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I’ve seen reality shows where some people are acting macho and complaining about weaker members but it’s my idea that if they were all that good they would be able to see even the weakest members through the task at hand. I have some survival candles and hand warmers to provide instant heat to others that didn’t dress well enough.

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I will tell people what they will be facing before we go out but I find it easier to be ready to provide them help if needed than to argue with them before hand. I hate having trips cut short because people I go with are unprepared so I plan to provide them help and convince them later on the trail when it becomes obvious even to them they need help. I know a young man that recently died in Slana because his brother got tired of listening to his sniveling and left him behind on the trail telling him to just follow his tracks. His younger brother started following some moose tracks, got lost and froze to death. You have an obligation to take care of those you go out with not just yourself. Do you prepare for that? How?

[finallyME]

Making sure others are prepared is a big part (and worry) when I am with my boy scouts. They are still learning and constantly forget things. One camp out, no boy brought a flashlight. On another one, no one brought something to make a fire. They are learning. For small things (like flashlight and lighting fire) I need to let them fail to teach a lesson. But there are things that I can't let them mess up on. If we are car camping, I will generally take a few extra sleeping pads, sleeping bags, gloves, beenies and maybe a few extra fleece jackets. I will also bring a few extra water bottles (ie 32 oz gatoraid bottles) and some extra food. But, I can't do this when we go backpacking. For that, we have to have a shake down. This is a meeting before the trip where everyone brings their gear and we go over it. I generally have to loan out a few things, but the kid is carrying it, not me, and I know that they all have what they need. Also, I carry a much larger first aid kit than is probably necessary.

[hunter63]

Good post,
Point about batteries is very valid, don't work too well when real cold.(or when you really need them!)
Keep spares for the walkie-talkies in inside shirt pocket.

[Rick]

Great post, AS. My philosophy is Prevention. I don't want to get into a bad situation in the first place. Fortunately, extremes in the Midwest are nothing like you deal with. Still, you can get into trouble if you aren't careful.

There are some basics that are an absolute core of every outing.

1. Providing written information to a trusted party. I have a standard document that is filled out with very detailed information including what I'm wearing and a list of the gear and weapons. Starting point/Ending point. Dates/times. Radio channels I will be on. Phones numbers of state and local police, etc.
2. A gear review against a check list.
3. A printed 10 day forecast. I have Weather Radio so the print out gives me a base to judge what the weather is doing. Rising or falling barometer, for example.
4. A review of the route on a topo map.
5. A final phone call someplace at the start of the trip (depending on service) to provide/confirm a GPS reading and heading.


AS - Check your local hospital. I'm sure they have a good combination First Aid/CPR/AED class that's fairly cheap. Probably around $30 or check with your local Red Cross.

[Camp10]

There are some basics that are an absolute core of every outing.

1. Providing written information to a trusted party. I have a standard document that is filled out with very detailed information including what I'm wearing and a list of the gear and weapons. Starting point/Ending point. Dates/times. Radio channels I will be on. Phones numbers of state and local police, etc.
2. A gear review against a check list.
3. A printed 10 day forecast. I have Weather Radio so the print out gives me a base to judge what the weather is doing. Rising or falling barometer, for example.
4. A review of the route on a topo map.
5. A final phone call someplace at the start of the trip (depending on service) to provide/confirm a GPS reading and heading.

I wish I was this organized and responsible! I am fairly well prepared now when I go out but some of it is from learning the hard way. I can give two examples.

There is an island on the Androscoggin river that a few of us know as "moron mountain" because we planned a weekend trip on it and not one of us brought any cooking utensils. We had a list of food and drinks and everything we thought we might need but not one pot, pan, fork or spoon made the list! It has become a joke but it was a good lesson.

Second and not as funny was a hunting week at camp a few years ago I was on the back side of a beaver pond about 5 miles from camp and I slipped and slid down a side hill and sliced the end of my thumb to the bone on some shale. I had no first aid gear with me, no one knew where I was and I was bleeding badly.

I still take off for a couple of weeks during hunting season but I will leave a note on the table at camp giving a rough heading each day when I go out.

[trax]

Good posts AS, and Rick. I think the notion of 'self-rescue' and ensuring that others are prepared really speaks to having an honest awareness of one's own capabilities, and of course, some responsible planning.

If you recall the post I did where I asked people if they'd walk out or dig in when a snow storm was approaching, it probably went about 60/40 for walking out, but most of the respondents seemed to have plenty of bush time in too, so what do you teach a newb?

Always good food for thought

[Justin Case]

Great Thread !! Thanks

[Julie362]

Hmm. I think I'll have to list out what I'm bringing on my little excursion when I get to it... Eventually... It'd be embarrassing to have to walk back how because I forgot something!

[Rick]

Camp - I have check lists for hiking, for canoeing, for just about everything. It just works for me. Find a backpacking list or hiking list on the web that you like and then modify to meet your needs. Once your backpack is set up how you want it then running through the check list is pretty quick and easy. The checklist almost always reminds me of something I need to do whether it's adding fuel for the stove, TP or something.

I used Adventure Smart's form and built one like it in Word so I can update it for every trip. Here's the AS form in .pdf format.

http://www.adventuresmart.ca/downloads/TripPlan.pdf