Any tips for surviving in AZ!?

[Yeskaa]

I live in AZ where it gets extremely hot in summers anyone have tips for surviving here

[Sarge47]

You live in Cody Lundin's neighborhood. I strongly recommend his book: "98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your A$$ alive."...

http://www.amazon.com/98-6-Degrees-K...ds=cody+lundin

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.
Second Sarge's recommendation.

[Lamewolf]

Yeah, keep hydrated and keep cool and always let at least 2 people know where you are going and when you plan to return.

[crashdive123]

Tell us a bit about the sort of situations you encounter. This way we can provide answers that will be more meaningful to you.

Do you work outdoors?
Still in school?
Complexion?
How much hiking/exploring do you to?

You get the idea.

Some basics would include sun screen, light colored clothing (recommend long sleeves), wide brimmed hat, sunglasses, above all else STAY HYDRATED!!!!

[Lamewolf]

You live in Cody Lundin's neighborhood. I strongly recommend his book: "98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your A$$ alive."...

http://www.amazon.com/98-6-Degrees-K...ds=cody+lundin

Got it and its a great book - I agree !

[Sunset Sam]

What part of AZ? Everything south of the Mogollon Rim is very different from the Kaibab Plateau. I assume you are in the Phoenix area or south of it.

1. Always have water with you. In your vehicle (at least 2 gallons) and in your backpack/hiking kit (at least two quarts). This is true even if you are day hiking in Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the Santa Catalinas, Four Peaks, or the Chiricahuas.

2. Always wear a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and bandana.

3. No matter how warm it is, always have gloves and long sleeved and long legged clothing handy. The day-night temperature differential in southern AZ commonly features a 50 to 60 degree Fahrenheit swing. In the desert, people die all the time in 40 degree nights because they are dressed for 105 degree weather. Also, long sleeves and pants can actually be cooler during the day, because they create a bit of shade from the sun heating bare skin. The desert can kill you with hypothermia or hyperthermia, all in a 24 hour period.

4. If you are stranded somewhere (except, maybe, in winter) and you have to move, move during the twilight and night hours. Be aware that nighttime is when most of the nasty critters are active. There are more species of rattlesnakes in AZ than anywhere else I know of. Also, javelina run at night, and they can and will kill you. Much more dangerous than coyotes or pumas. (In a survival situation, do not hunt javelina unless you have a big game gun and plenty of ammo. If you surprise a herd of them, climb the nearest tree, even if it is covered with thorns (palo verde, acacia, mesquite).)

5. Never put your hands or feet somewhere you can't visually inspect first. The most common rattlesnake bite occurs when stepping over a log or rock or walking through dense brush. Scorpions (of which AZ also has the most number of species I know) live everywhere from the ground to the tops of palo verde trees and cacti. Some scorpions can kill a human -- the most dangerous are the small ones. Assume every snake and insect in the desert is venomous unless you specifically know otherwise.

6. Distances in the desert are often deceiving. A mountain range that appears to be a mile or two distant, may in fact be 10 miles away. Expect and plan for this.

7. Water does not come from cactus, no matter how many cartoons to the contrary there are. Barrel cactus are named for their shape, not for their ability to hold drinkable water. The most edible part of cactus are prickly pear fruits, but they are covered with nasty, fuzzy needles, and there is a technique to safely harvesting and preparing them. BTW, before the europeans came, one of the common ways for desert indians to die was from harvesting saguaro fruits and having the plant fall on them (typically, women were assigned this task). Do not mess with saguaros, especially during monsoon season.

8. Old vehicle tracks in the desert can be over a hundred years old and often lead nowhere or in a big circle. If you find a road do not be confident that it is going to lead to civilization. Always pay attention to the direction it is heading. Unless you see fresh tire tracks, you may be on a road that has been totally unused for decades.

9. Always stay as hydrated as you can. One of the insidious symptoms for advanced dehydration is that a person stops feeling thirsty. Also, an old desert trick is to put a smooth pebble in your mouth, which causes a person to stop feeling panicky about the thirst. Save water by conserving energy as much as possible. Running around looking for water or help without a specific goal and purpose will expend needed water reserves. Old-timers in the desert move slowly and deliberately, even when they are in haste.

10. Keeping the above in mind, some perspiration while in the desert is necessary. The key is to keep it under control. One of the other symptoms of dehydration/hyperthermia is that sweating stops. A useful strategy is to soak up your sweat with your bandana and then get double use of the moisture by having the bandana cool your neck or head by evaporative cooling effect.

[1stimestar]

If you are not peeing at least every 4 hours, you are not hydrated enough.

[pete lynch]

Sunset Sam, I threw you some rep for that one.

[ElevenBravo]

And keep a .357 handy.

[Rick]

I don't know about the 4 hours thingy. Seems like every 3 all night long. Just remember, "if your urine is clear, have no fear. If your urine is yellow you're a hurtin' fellow". If your urine has started to change to yellow you are already beginning dehydration.

[Batch]

Good info Sunset Sam.

Do you have a source for fatal javelina attacks on humans?

No one has died from a scorpion sting in the US in the last 20 years. Though there is one scorpion that has caused fatalities in the past. That is the Bark Scorpion. It is found in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern Colorado. Even with this lethal scorpion less than 1 percent of health adults will die with no treatment. But, it is a danger to small children and the infirm. With anti-venom your gonna be fine.

Serious symptoms start within minutes of the sting and may include:

Increased salivation (foaming at the mouth or drooling)
Blurred vision
Trouble focusing
Slurred speech
Muscle twitches
Abdominal cramps
Seizures
Trouble breathing

If you see any of these symptoms and can’t get the victim to the antivenin, an ice pack applied within two hours of the sting can decrease the poison’s spread. If the person’s having trouble breathing, make sure they have an open airway by rolling them on their side (or putting in an airway if you know how). Try rest and fluids—IV fluids if you have them. Usually the symptoms subside within 24 to 48 hours.

If the person doesn’t have a reaction you can just treat the sting like you would a normal bee sting.

What about you? Have you, or an acquaintance, ever been stung? How did it feel?

http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/201...corpion-sting/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...n/con-20033894

I have picked up scorpions that were in danger of being stepped on and I also had to large emperor scorpions for "pets".

[hunter63]

I don't know about the 4 hours thingy. Seems like every 3 all night long. Just remember, "if your urine is clear, have no fear. If your urine is yellow you're a hurtin' fellow". If your urine has started to change to yellow you are already beginning dehydration.

Some medications kinda mess this up somewhat....but yeah, yellow isn't good

[hunter63]

What part of AZ? Everything south of the Mogollon Rim is very different from the Kaibab Plateau. I assume you are in the Phoenix area or south of it.

1. Always have water with you. In your vehicle (at least 2 gallons) and in your backpack/hiking kit (at least two quarts). This is true even if you are day hiking in Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the Santa Catalinas, Four Peaks, or the Chiricahuas.

2. Always wear a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and bandana.

3. No matter how warm it is, always have gloves and long sleeved and long legged clothing handy. The day-night temperature differential in southern AZ commonly features a 50 to 60 degree Fahrenheit swing. In the desert, people die all the time in 40 degree nights because they are dressed for 105 degree weather. Also, long sleeves and pants can actually be cooler during the day, because they create a bit of shade from the sun heating bare skin. The desert can kill you with hypothermia or hyperthermia, all in a 24 hour period.

4. If you are stranded somewhere (except, maybe, in winter) and you have to move, move during the twilight and night hours. Be aware that nighttime is when most of the nasty critters are active. There are more species of rattlesnakes in AZ than anywhere else I know of. Also, javelina run at night, and they can and will kill you. Much more dangerous than coyotes or pumas. (In a survival situation, do not hunt javelina unless you have a big game gun and plenty of ammo. If you surprise a herd of them, climb the nearest tree, even if it is covered with thorns (palo verde, acacia, mesquite).)

5. Never put your hands or feet somewhere you can't visually inspect first. The most common rattlesnake bite occurs when stepping over a log or rock or walking through dense brush. Scorpions (of which AZ also has the most number of species I know) live everywhere from the ground to the tops of palo verde trees and cacti. Some scorpions can kill a human -- the most dangerous are the small ones. Assume every snake and insect in the desert is venomous unless you specifically know otherwise.

6. Distances in the desert are often deceiving. A mountain range that appears to be a mile or two distant, may in fact be 10 miles away. Expect and plan for this.

7. Water does not come from cactus, no matter how many cartoons to the contrary there are. Barrel cactus are named for their shape, not for their ability to hold drinkable water. The most edible part of cactus are prickly pear fruits, but they are covered with nasty, fuzzy needles, and there is a technique to safely harvesting and preparing them. BTW, before the europeans came, one of the common ways for desert indians to die was from harvesting saguaro fruits and having the plant fall on them (typically, women were assigned this task). Do not mess with saguaros, especially during monsoon season.

8. Old vehicle tracks in the desert can be over a hundred years old and often lead nowhere or in a big circle. If you find a road do not be confident that it is going to lead to civilization. Always pay attention to the direction it is heading. Unless you see fresh tire tracks, you may be on a road that has been totally unused for decades.

9. Always stay as hydrated as you can. One of the insidious symptoms for advanced dehydration is that a person stops feeling thirsty. Also, an old desert trick is to put a smooth pebble in your mouth, which causes a person to stop feeling panicky about the thirst. Save water by conserving energy as much as possible. Running around looking for water or help without a specific goal and purpose will expend needed water reserves. Old-timers in the desert move slowly and deliberately, even when they are in haste.

10. Keeping the above in mind, some perspiration while in the desert is necessary. The key is to keep it under control. One of the other symptoms of dehydration/hyperthermia is that sweating stops. A useful strategy is to soak up your sweat with your bandana and then get double use of the moisture by having the bandana cool your neck or head by evaporative cooling effect.

Nice job.....and I hop you saved this post to a doc.......so as to not have to type it again when this same question comes up.
Rep sent....
Oops, says I need to spread it around......

[Seniorman]

Don't run around out in the desert barefooted, like Cody.

S.M.

[Sunset Sam]

Batch -

Sorry for the delay getting back.

I have known several folks who kept emperors. Fed them with stuff from the bait shop and kept them in aquariums. I handled one once and it seemed pretty calm about it.

Yup, bark scorpions are the small ones. They are naturally camouflaged to blend with the bark of desert plants and very hard to see unless you are looking for them. I have been stung by bark scorpion once and other species twice. All these happened at night. Your info is correct in that the sting is normally not fatal to a healthly adult. Youngsters, older folks, and those with compromised health are the ones at most risk. The bark scorpion sting I got was bad enough to incapacitate me for 24 hours. Since I was showing some signs of shock, WW kept a vigil all night to make sure I was going to pull through it. (My doctor had advised me not to take anti-venins.) Of the symptoms listed, I experienced blurred vision, trouble focusing on routine tasks, muscle twitching, and trouble breathing. I also had sweats and frequent urination. I certainly could not have operated a motor vehicle -- I had enough trouble using a phone to call WW.

In a survival situation, these side effects can be part of a cascade of events leading to deadly consequences. Incapacitation by envenomization of a person stranded in the desert can lead to the spiral of dehydration and death. In such a case, the likely listed cause of death would be Exposure if I understand the ME protocols, especially in rural counties who do not have the budget to run extensive tests on every cadaver. In any event, anti-venin is not typically going to be available for someone lost in the desert. In my recollection, the last person I knew of that died in Arizona directly from a scorpion was a baby stung in its own home somewhere near Tucson.*

The source about javelina is a combination of discussions with local hunters and personal experience. The thing about javelina herds is that they operate by group tactics. They are scavengers and will eat anything and will stalk prey in a way analogous to coyotes. The guys I used to know that hunted javelina talked about the pack becoming incensed at the wounding of one member and retaliating against the attacker. Several decades ago, an Arizona hunter was taken down and gored/slashed repeatedly by a herd after he shot one. Without the aid of his hunting partner, I was told he would probably have bled out. I met the guy later and the scars were impressive. For these reasons, the javelina hunters I knew did not hunt solo, they went in groups. They also used heavy loads in rifles like 30-06. According to them, it often took several shots to completely stop an oncoming boar.

I have had several javelina encounters while hiking and deer hunting. On two occasions, I realized that I was being surrounded by a herd that I smelled before I saw them. They knew I was there and they were moving towards me. In both cases, I heard nothing until they were within about 30-40 yards. Both times I tried to back out the way I had come and the javelina kept coming and flanking. One of those times a boar began a charge directly down the arroyo towards me followed by a couple of others. To this day, I don't think it was merely a defensive threat display. I got my back to a rock outcrop and planted three rounds into the sand in front of them. This stopped the charge, but they did not run away either. They left when the two guys I was hunting with showed up because of the shots.

*While it doesn't count as evidence, it is worth noting that certain demographic groups in the Southwest have routinely "under-reported" injuries and deaths both from natural and human causes. Government statistics are highly suspect in any event. I used to know some border patrol guys who told me that they would find people dead in the desert they thought were killed by rattlers, etc., but these were written up as deaths from exposure. The only deaths that were reported as otherwise were homicides. People I know who actually entered across the border through the desert basically confirm that. The government types in D.C. would vehemently deny this of course, just like they denied Fast and Furious until Border Patrol Agent Terry got shot.