Survival for us Gimps/handicapped

[tallgrass]

Helol, i am new here.

I have rarely read any advice for those already gimped up(me= age 63,male, good health, about 180 lbs, right arm not much good due to polio including severe left leg limp as well, i must use a cane in my left hand for support and balance, i walk very short distances of 25-50 ft and then must stop and rest.)

Les Stroud tried to act like he had a bad arm in a sling but he quit because it was too hard.

Great encouragement for people like me! But not me.

Former Boy Scout and learned so stuff from it yrs ago = Good basic understanding of things to do.

I have always told by brother that should i be in any situation of a airplanre crash the things i would/will try to do.

1. Consider that the crash site is my new home unless i must move to some where else .

2. Fire-- I will look for my best fire opportunities. Immediately after the crash secure some of the fire if possible. Look immediately for a downfall to start a fire on. Down log to burn for heat, signal with smoke,
no wood for fires to chase. Conditions permitting i will start 3 fires on logs or dead falls. Cook at only one if i have to cook at all.

3. Metal airplane wing to sleep on. If possible i will (no fire danger from leaked fuel) sleep on it and heat it with fire in a hole of some sort. Maybe Dakota fire hole or Swedish fire logs set up at one end or hole/gash in wing to get radiant heat under me.

4. Same as with fuselage, utilize it as home or for parts if can be done safely. Wire or cables wrapped around logs for Swedish fire log set up.

5 Aircraft tires. If possible i will move the and gear leg etc to a sake position to burn as signal fire so i have at least 3 too burn at separate times during day light only.(should be easier to see than white fire smoke)

6. Water= i will take bottles of water with me before hand so might have that edge for me. Other wise, melt snow by using any part of aircraft or vehicle possible. empty food cans etc. for sterlizing and melting over Dakota fire hole. Strain water in some type of cloth to get algae or mud ou tof it.

7.Cloth material: Use for warmth or blanket etc. burn as last resort

8 Survival kit. I always carry one of my own design. I won't go without one. Years ago i charted a PIPER Archer to fly me from Kansas City to Greybull, Wyoming. We flew over Mt Range in eastern Wyoming right after a Private jet bored into it. Killed 2 men. I took stock
of what i had with me. My coat, long handles i was wearing, a business Valice, my cane, and 6 butters Scotch candies.My Buck #122 irrc. i was in the back of the AC. The two guy's up front had their jackets only

Just about nothing! I just won't go if i cannot take my safety gear along.

Any other ideas?
thanks.

[kyratshooter]

What if the crash messes up your "good arm"?


Leave it to me to look at the bright side of things.

[hunter63]

You just have to deal with what ever happens....it will most likely never work out how we planned.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.....and don't worry about stuff you can't change.

Your kit sounds like a plan.......

[hayshaker]

welcome home,
i really like your outside the box approach to things your in good company.

[Rick]

Welcome home. Your first action in any situation is to stop and take stock of what has happened, what you have available and assess what can and needs to be done. Then build a plan from there. Unless you are on a drug run your flight plan was filed. You'll stand a much better chance of being found with the aircraft than crawling through the underbrush.

[Old GI]

Your point about dealing with physical problems is part of my everyday planing. I can't shoot any shoulder weapon with recoil (my 10/22 is about it), so I plan and prepare with that in mind. My knees are shot as is my lower back due to macho crap I did during my misspent youth; but if it wasn't for the experience and training, I wouldn't have any where near the skills I have today. Bottom line: Acknowledge your personal strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly.

[natertot]

There is a lot to be considered in this thread. I know that I am younger than the average regular here and that I am fortunate enough to be in excellent health and condition with the exception of a little extra weight. However, there have been times I have been injured (non survival related) and it changes things in a hurry. In fact, that is how I found this forum. I fell out of a barn loft and ended up breaking both wrists, 3 ribs, and puncturing the back of my left leg requiring 17 stitches. Nearest healthcare place was 30mins out, my buddy got me there in 20 and then the place was closed! next place was about another ten minutes. Meanwhile, the back of my leg is bleeding like crazy, I am hurting pretty bad, and I am at the whims of trying to get to help. I had no first aid kit. A few days later while laid up, I started googling FAK, and what I should have and so on. Thus, I stumbled across this great place.

But back to my original thought, just because one is in good health one day does not mean they will be the next. Add in being in the woods, alone, no working comms and things start to become dire pretty quick.

I have learned to accept that not every situation is survivable. It is good to learn skills, practice, acquire gear, stock stores, etc. But one must come to terms that no matter what, something is going to get us one day.

[hunter63]

Sometimes in life....it isn't the one thing that gets ya...it's the accumulation of many little things that add up to the situations was are all in ....to some degree, today.

Those are what we have to learn to deal with, while keeping in mind any other situation we may find our selves in....and make our preps accordingly.

The was a couple of lines form the movie "Little Big Man" 1970 (still one of the funniest movies of all time....

Where our hero, Dustin Hoffman (Little Big Man) was relating his life story, to a historian, as a cigarette smoking 121 year old.....describing a relationship with a snake oil salesman, that he kept crossing paths with for many years.....

Every time he met up with him that guy had some more of him, missing, leg, eye, other body parts....
Line was to the effect...
"He just kept getting whittled down, ....a little at a time,... piece here.... and piece there...."

Kinda the way I feel like sometimes.

[Wildthang]

Well you just have t adapt the best you can! I now have a bad left ankle, and it will never get better. I still hike but just have to slow down, take my time, and be very careful not to twist it! I use a hiking stick to take a little pressure off of it, and sometimes I will stop and elevate it if it starts hurting a lot! But I have to plan that it takes a little longer to get there and to get back.
Just don't ever let it stop you!

[tallgrass]

What if the crash messes up your "good arm"?


Leave it to me to look at the bright side of things.

Then i will see how good MY original bad arm is. Sure would cause me a problem of kissing my butt good bye. Also i would be looking for some thing to use for crutches. I use my cane for some things not just for walking.

[tallgrass]

Welcome home. Your first action in any situation is to stop and take stock of what has happened, what you have available and assess what can and needs to be done. Then build a plan from there. Unless you are on a drug run your flight plan was filed. You'll stand a much better chance of being found with the aircraft than crawling through the underbrush.

Totally agree. i have in the past used my cane to lower myself down from steep places by hooking it over a limb by the handle. A pole about 2-3" in diameter and about 14 ft long or so will get me in my condition will get me down some very steep hillsides in fine style. Just SO I don't act like i am Bear GRYLS.

i just moved to Costa Rica and this sure offers a different opportunity to look at things differently. There is a Mountain Range here that the Caribbean Side has never been explored by civilized man! Thanks

[tallgrass]

Thanks. Agreed!

[kyratshooter]

Many of us face the problem of kissing our butt good bye and one does not have to be "handicapped" to be in that situation.

As the age of this forum increases so do the number of persons that require daily medication for chronic problems. I know that several of us are on medication after having serious heart issues, some are diabetic, others have seizure disorders, a couple are using robot knees, hips and rotator cups.

I forgot to take my meds this morning and was just reminded of the fact while working in the yard. Sudden angina and a forced end to the work session.

We live with a constant in our lives. That is the constant knowledge that when the pills run out we have only a few days of lingering pain and then the end will come. Not by starvation, dehydration, wild animals or wild men, but due to the lack of whichever medication we require.

But there is a positive to the equation. If I only have a 6 month supply of meds there is no use spending a small fortune on food with a 30 year shelf life!

[hunter63]

Lawn chair and some brewski's.....

Oh, and wake up Leroy....he ain't never seen a TEOTWAWKI, and he don't want to miss it.

[kyratshooter]

What is the average shelf life on beer anyway?

[natertot]

(grabs bottle........) Looks like the "best by" date is out about 6 mos, but that doesn't mean it is done that soon.......

If it is the end, I am grabbing something a little stiffer than a brewski.... Pass the jug of shine!

[hunter63]

What is the average shelf life on beer anyway?

What's a shelf life.....?????

[hayshaker]

never feed yer old beer to the hogs they can be some mean drunks that's why i never took them to the bar.
serious though they really do act up when drunk.

[kyratshooter]

What's a shelf life.....?????

Alright, I'm asking the wrong group.

None ever having reached "use by" date.

No can left behind!

[hunter63]

never feed yer old beer to the hogs they can be some mean drunks that's why i never took them to the bar.
serious though they really do act up when drunk.

Feeding beer to hogs...never ends well, even at bar closing time.......just saying.