It doesn’t matter if you’re planning a quick snowshoe trek or an hour-long stroll along a wooded path. Common sense dictates that basic survival tools be taken along. Above all, this gear, or kit, must be lightweight and convenient to carry, or it gets left behind.

by Leon Pantenburg

That said:  BEWARE! If you don’t know how to use the materials in the kit, and don’t practice with them, you may develop a false sense of confidence. This attitude could get you in a lot more trouble!

Keep basic tools with you at all times. On the keyring: LED flashlight, fingernail clippers, whistle, Boy Scout Hot Spark and Classic Swiss Army knife. The other knife rides in a pouch on my belt.

Mention survival kits among recreationists and an argument/discussion will follow.

At one end of the spectrum is the guy who takes the heavily-loaded backpack full of gadgets, doo-dads, knick-knacks and neat stuff. He may not go far, because of the pack’s weight, but he’ll be safe. Unless, one time, he decides to leave all that stuff at the car, since he’s never used anything and it’s damned heavy. And he’s just going a little way…

Then he becomes the optimist, the guy at the other extreme.  Since he’s never been in an emergency situation, then it stands to reason that nothing will ever happen. He denies the need for survival gear, because he’s never been in an emergency.

Somewhere between these extremes is the common sense approach.

Here’s my take (and of course, this opinion may place me squarely in the survivalist wacko camp!): Everyone should have a collection of survival tools with them at all times.

As I type this, I have a butane lighter in my pocket, a whistle, knife, fingernail clippers, LED flashlight, small knife and magnesium stick on my belt clip, and a Swiss Army knife in my belt pouch. My wallet has firestarter, charcloth and a signal mirror in it. This gear goes with me everywhere it’s legal.

Suppose I have to run out of my house, right now. Let’s say an earthquake just hit and all the pictures are falling off the walls and it’s in the middle of January. If I have to sprint for the door and can’t grab anything else, I have the minimum tools on me to build a fire for ourselves and the neighbors, stay warm, help others and signal for help.

If I can grab my jacket on the way out the door, there is an Altoids tin mini-survival kit in the pocket. And if I can get to my car there is a full component of survival gear in there, including food, water, a sleeping bag, and several tarps. I won’t waste any time looking for equipment, when the walls may literally be falling down around me.  This will come in very handy for a quick evacuation due to a forest fire, urban natural gas leak, tsunami warning, forced evacuation of the neighborhood or city.

Any personal survival kit will ultimately boil down to opinion, knowledge, skill levels and the season.

Let’s start here: Many experts agree that a MINIMUM KIT should contain the following materials. Here are my suggestions and the links to find them below this article:

Carry survival gear in your wallet. I always have (from left) firestarter, charcloth and a signal mirror with me.

• survival knife
• firemaking tool(s) plus the firestarter
• compass
  map and GPS
• mirror (for signaling)
• signal whistle
• flashlight
• Some form of emergency shelter, like a tarp with rope.
• Food and water, plus water filter.
• Layering Clothing (fleece, wool, polypropylene)
• Waterproof packable shell

While commercial survival kits are available, the quality of some items is sometimes reduced to cut costs. Some things, such as fishing hooks, sinkers and line are included because people think they need them. And some items are included in commercial kits because they’re cheap and take up space.

The safest bet is to make your own survival kit. Start with a realistic assessment of your skills and needs, then start researching. One size doesn’t fit all – a survival kit that works in the cold winter of Oregon, will be different than one designed for Florida, and vice versa.

Every town has a survival guru with a website, but that doesn’t mean they know anything. In fact, be leery of any survival website – a lot of people are out to make a fast buck. Start by contacting the people who work with emergencies every day: police, sheriff’s departments, search and rescue, the Red Cross and see if they have recommendations for necessary gear. They will also have a pretty good idea of  who is good teacher and who is a fraud.

If you have certain medical needs or conditions, make sure the kit includes the appropriate medications.

Then, educate yourself. Practice with your survival tools. Don’t take any recommendations at face value, unless the source has been proven to be reliable. Then, make your survival kit, and take it along.

Every time.  Check out the many other articles about personal and wallet sized kits, plus car kits, home kits, etc. by browsing the survival kit category on this site.

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

I got this message from “Alaskan” regarding a post earlier this week on making a survival kit for your vehicle. (To read the story, click here.) Thanks for the feedback! – Leon

Winter weather presents challenges to drivers. Make sure you have a winter survival kit in your car! (Pantenburg photo)

Last night, I was bopping along the Alcan at 22:45 on my weekly 410 mile round-trip to Fairbanks, and was about 30 miles from home when I came along a broken truck along the highway.

It was thirty-something below zero.

I stopped to see what’s up and turns out that it was a friend from my town who’d broke a serpentine belt and was waiting for his brother to come out and tow him back.

He was prepared for cold weather. What would have been a dire survival situation, just turned out to be an inconvenience because he was prepared. I called his brother’s house when I got within phone range just to make sure he was on the way.

Same thing happened to me last winter, and I was prepared, too.

Besides all the proper gear, never overlook the essential rule of survival: Set your attitude that you WILL survive, and realize a survival situation when it happens. Don’t be a victim!

Check Out Our Affiliate Blogs!

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

At some point, you may need to attract a rescuer’s attention. It would be in any situation, from being lost in the wilderness to being stuck on a rooftop during a flood.

But when people are looking for you, though, you may be an insignificant object in a vast  space.

A signal mirror can help rescuers find you, as this photo shows, if it is used correctly! (Peter Kummerfeldt photo)

One way to speed your rescue is to bounce (reflect) a beam of sunlight from your position to that of a rescuer.  Remember, the person on the receiving end of the signal must recognize the reflected light for what it is – an emergency signal, and respond to it.

One way to bounce light is with a signal mirror. I have several, but the one that is always with me is a homemade, credit-card-sized piece plastic mirror material I bought in the automotive section of the local WalMart.

Along with the rest of my wardrobe survival kit, this small mirror may someday prove invaluable!

So how do you use a signal mirror?

Here is a post by survival expert Peter Kummerfledt that explains everything you need to know about this vital piece of survival gear!

To read the rest of the story, click here! - Leon

For more information on making survival kits, click here!

Check Out Our Affiliate Blogs!

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Survival food is sustenance that can be made easily during a survival or emergency situation using mainly simple, long-term storage food items, cooked outdoors, using off-the-grid methods.

This week’s survival recipe features Dried Chicken Dices.

These  chicken dices can be substituted in virtually any dish that uses fresh chicken. The chicken dices are great in Chicken Noodle soup, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Fajitas, Casseroles, Chicken Pot Pies, just to name a few.

Chicken fajitas are a quick, tasty meal that uses food storage products!

Chicken Fajitas

2 cups freeze dried chicken (white or dark is fine, or TVP)

2 tsp chicken soup base

1/4 cup tomato flakes(dehydrated or freeze dried)

1/2 cup mixed peppers (dehydrated or freeze dried)

dash of cayenne, cajun or fajita seasoning

salsa or salsa seasoning powder mixed with tomato powder

1/2 cup freeze dried cheddar cheese (or dehydrated cheese powder)

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp soy sauce or Braggs aminos

1 tbs clear jel

1 tsp garlic granules

Flour tortillas

In a saucepan, or bowl in microwave, rehydrate peppers 1 cup of water until tender; 3-5 minutes.

In a separate pan, simmer meat chunks, chicken soup base and 1 cup water until tender and all moisture has been absorbed.

Add 1 cup water, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce or Braggs aminos, clear jel, garlic, cayenne (or cajun or fajita), salsa and reserved peppers.  Simmer with chicken until thickened.  Add freeze dried cheddar cheese in last, slowly turning to melt in with the chicken mixture.

Serve in flour tortillas.

- from “Jan’s Fabulous Food Storage Recipes: Converting Stored Foods Into Usable Meals”

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

One of the things you don’t want to have to improvise is a good sleeping bag. If you can’t sleep at night because you’re cold, the next day is guaranteed to be exhausting. Too light a bag can put you in danger of hypothermia. Too heavy a bag may be  too hot for comfort and impractical for easy transport. Here’s how to pick a good bag to meet your specific needs.

This 1977 photo from Lassen National Forest in northern California shows my gear was pretty sketchy. I did invest in a quality knife, sleeping bag and boots.

by Leon Pantenburg

I graduated, less than penniless, from Iowa State University in 1976, and decided to go backpacking in the mountains.

And I did. Trips to the Bighorn and Pryor Mountains in Wyoming only whetted my appetite for more, and I couch-surfed at John Nerness’ house in Mountainview, CA, between trips. In addition to several weekenders around central California,  my grand finale was a 14-day hike of the John Muir Trail in the Sierras.

My backpack came from Target. My clothing was whatever I had – at the time I’d never heard of cotton killing anyone. My shelter was a piece of visqueen. Freeze-dried food was too expensive, for the most part, so my diet consisted of such things as macaroni and cheese. I borrowed a Swea 123 backpacking stove.

But I didn’t scrimp on a few items. My Buck folding knife was purchased for $25 at the Ace Hardware Store in Lovell, WY. My boots were on sale at the War Surplus Store in in Powell, WY, for about $30. But my sleeping bag was bought at an upper end backpacking store for about $80, which, at the time, was about a third of all my “assets.”

A heavy winter bag would be needed to sleep in this igloo. It would also need to be one that dries out easily.

That gear was used extensively in the next few years. The Buck, a Swea 123 and the sleeping bag went on several major backpacking trips and ended being used on my six-month canoe trip down the Mississippi River. None of this gear ever let me down.

Today, I have close to a dozen sleeping bags, ranging from indoor sleepover styles to a pair of  -15 degree winter bags. All  have their specific purposes. You will decide what the best sleeping bag is for you, and here are some considerations to help you choose wisely.

Where will the bag be used? Location is  important. I have slept on top of a sleeping bag in Louisiana, when the night time temperature was about 90 degrees, and snuggled deep in an arctic bag one night during a raging Iowa blizzard when the temperature got to -10 degrees.

Both bags were adequate for their jobs, but radically different from each other. One could not have safely replaced the other in those dramatically-different circumstances.

If you will be tent camping, you won’t need as warm a bag as if you’re sleeping under the stars. But that doesn’t mean you can or should buy a cheap, light bag!

Possible uses: The size, weight and composition of the insulation will all  be determined by the potential uses of the bag. A backpacking mummy bag is different from a full-cut bag designed for car camping. The car camping or elk camp sleeping bag, that won’t be carried anywhere, can be roomier, bigger and

heavier. If you intend to backpack, or canoe, you’ll need something smaller and more compact.

Mummy or full cut: These  are the two main styles of bag. You wear a mummy bag, so if claustrophobia is an issue, don’t get one! (One of my mummy bags is so snug-fitting it feels like I’m wearing a loose sausage casing. It doesn’t bother me, but make sure you to crawl inside any prospective bag in the store before buying it.) A full-cut bag is roomier, but the additional bulk and weight makes it harder to backpack.

These heavy winter synthetic-fill sleeping bags were slightly damp from condensation inside a tent. They dried quickly in the sunlight, even though it wasn't warm outside.

Type of insulation: Sleeping bag insulation can be broken down basically into two categories: down and synthetic. Decide before buying: What is the potential for the bag getting wet?

Goose down insulation is the classic insulation used in sleeping bags, and, despite all the technological advances, is still the most efficient insulation around. Goose down provides the most warmth for the least bulk and weight, allowing for very warm sleeping bags that are in very, very small packages.

But goose down insulation is USELESS when wet, and it can take forever to dry. This could be deadly: What if you fall in a creek, soak all your gear and desperately need to warm up? Or suppose part of the bag gets soaked inadvertently during a rain? I don’t own a down bag, and get along very well with my synthetics.

But some of the very experienced Boy Scout leaders I backpack and camp with do use down bags. They swear by them, and I must admit, the tiny, light bundles the down bags compress into is a very appealing aspect!

Synthetics: There are a variety of good synthetic insulation fills on the market, and
generally you’ll get what you pay for. Check the internet and manufacturers’ specifications to decide which will be best for you.

My first synthetic bag paid for itself in my first two days in the Sierras. Here’s an excerpt (to read the whole story, click here) from my 1976 John Muir Trail Journal:

Sunday July 25
“Last night was the worst I’ve spent in the mountains so far. It rained all night, and I got completely soaked in my sleeping bag. The rain started after I was sound asleep, and drenched me before I even woke up. (I’d slept under the stars, and not bothered to set up the tarp).
“The bag kept me warm, but it was sure was wet and clammy. Stayed awake most of the night. The rain kept stopping, then pouring down, so I kept getting wet, then getting wetter.
My camp was at 10,500 feet, so the temperature was pretty cold. Some of my clothes got wet, but I made sure to keep my boots dry.
“Got up, wrung out the sleeping bag and placed everything on rocks to dry. The sun is just coming up over the mountains, and the sky is clear. Looks like another nice day.

It rained, intermittently for  nine days straight after that, and keeping anything dry was a real struggle. I’m glad I didn’t have a down bag on that trip!

Weight: Sleeping bag weight is supposed to be a determination of how warm the bag might be. But beware! A lightweight down sleeping bag will be very warm, while a heavy, cheap cotton-filled bag will be heavy and cool. A better indication of warmth is probably the temperature rating.

Temperature Rating: My experience is that the manufacturers are very optimistic and that these ratings are more a statement of purpose than anything else! My rule of thumb is to look at the temperature rating and subtract 20 degrees.

Also, some people sleep colder than others. My snow camping equipment consists of a four-season dome tent and a minus 15 degree sleeping bag. I have slept comfortably in that setup down to zero, during blizzards with gale-force winds. But my wife took the same gear on a June Girl Scout campout in Oregon and was very comfortable.

What about getting sleeping bags that zip together so the loved one can snuggle? Again, this will depend on the couple.  If one is a colder sleeper than the other, both will be miserable. Make your sleeping bag choices wisely. Otherwise, you may have some really long, uncomfortable nights to think about and regret your hasty choices!

For more survival gear reviews, click here

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

By Peter Kummerfeldt

I was driving to Soda Springs, Idaho, this past week to present a risk management program.  My wife was driving and at one point, we were following several other slower vehicles while waiting for a chance to pass, when an oncoming eighteen wheeler drifted toward the double yellow line before returning his side of the road.  I got to thinking about the thinness of the margin that keeps traffic flowing safely.

Disaster can be as close as the next passing vehicle!

When two vehicles pass on a two-lane road the space between them can be as little as a few feet!  As long as the vehicles stick to their side of the road everything works well but a moment’s inattention can result in catastrophe.  The more I thought about it the more I realized that this concept could be applied to many other scenarios. The difference between surviving and dieing, especially in the outdoors, is indeed a thin one.  In fact I believe that we are the thickness of a piece of paper away from a disaster at any given time!

As a society we have become so dependent on technology to keep us safe that we no longer think about the threats to our safety and what we would do in the event that our lives are placed at risk. We have come to depend on others to keep us free from harm. The Federal government, state governments, our employers, family members and others have a role in keeping us all safe but ultimately we each have to recognize that no one is more responsible for our safety than we are.

That “buck” cannot be passed!  Our safety is dependent on the preparation we accomplish before an event.  Our safety is dependent on our ability to recognize danger and react quickly enough to ensure our safety.

Is it possible to guarantee personal safety in the outdoors?  Of course not! But you can increase your knowledge, improve your survival skills, outfit yourself with reliable equipment, thoroughly evaluate the risks and then measure your skills against those risks before undertaking an activity in the outdoors.  A comprehensive analysis of the threats to your safety must be followed by an honest, objective appraisal of your skill level and ability to cope with those threats.

It is easy to talk about the impact of weather, or terrain hazards or perhaps the threats posed by animals when you recreate in the outdoors but the part of risk management and accident prevention that is hard to come to grips with is what the academics call “human factors.”

Here are a few “human factors” that you should think about:

Complacency -  a product of boredom, distraction, lack of awareness, or failure to question old  habits results in a belief that “I’ve done this before successfully therefore there won’t be a problem the next time!” Not necessarily! Sometimes we are suckered into complacency by our past successes!

Risk perception – a situation that is familiar, controllable, pleasant, predictable and avoidable is perceived to be of less risk.   Consequently when an activity becomes routine the likelihood of an accident increases.  Also keep in mind that to be able to deal with a dangerous situation you must first be able to recognize a dangerous situation!

Overconfidence – an unrealistic belief in one’s ability to cope with life threatening situations.  Men are particularly prone to overestimating their ability to cope with a crisis.  Sometimes brute strength isn’t enough!

Goal setting – the inability to adjust goals as situations change often leads to accidents.  You must get out of the “summit or die” mentality.   Remember – it is never wrong to turn back!

Impatience – patience is a virtue, impatience can be disastrous.  Continuing on in the face of bad weather, rough terrain, darkness or other hazards in an effort to “get-back-at-all-cost” can be fatal.

Commitments – do not allow previously made commitments to influence what you should do when you are in trouble.  Do what is in your best interest and don’t worry about what your spouse is thinking or your what employer  is going to think when you don’t show up for work.  Their concerns are no longer important.  Keeping yourself safe is.

Peer pressure - Don’t concern yourself with what others may think.  You can survive teasing, ridicule, and the comments of others but you may not survive the impact of the environment if you fail to protect yourself.  Do what you have to to be alive to be teased!

Failing to test – Nothing gets people in trouble quicker than accepting, at face value, the advice of others,   Test everything before your life’s on the line.   Practice your survival skills and experiment with your equipment before you need to use them in a crisis.

Experience can help you through a tough situation or it can betray you by setting you up to fail when your experience doesn’t take into account a new situation.  Put another way: “People are often setup for a disaster, not by their inexperience, but by their experience.”

While the tangible risks can usually be managed, the subjective, intangible issues, the human factors, are much more difficult to come to grips with.   To be a survivor you must prepare for what you hope will never happen while accepting the possibility that a crisis can happen at any time.

At some point you need to ask yourself “What do I want my newspaper headline to say?”  “Survived in Style” or “Deceased?”

Peter Kummerfeldt has walked the talk in the wilderness survival field for decades. Peter grew up in

Peter Kummerfeldt has taught wilderness and emergency survival for more than 40 years.

Kenya, East Africa and came to America in 1965 and joined the U.S. Air Force. He is a graduate of the Air Force Survival Instructor Training School and has served as an instructor at the Basic Survival School, Spokane, Washington; the Arctic Survival School, Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Jungle Survival School, Republic of the Philippines.

For twelve years, Peter was the Survival Training Director at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He retired from the Air Force in 1995 after 30 years of service.

In 1992, concerned with the number of accidents that were occurring in the outdoors annually and the number of tourists traveling overseas who were involved in unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening incidents Peter created OutdoorSafe.com

He is the author of Surviving a Wilderness Emergency and has addressed over 20,000 people as the featured speaker at numerous seminars, conferences and national conventions.

Check out Peter’s blog at: OutdoorSafe.blogspot.com

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Staying clean during a survival situation can be critical: the inability to properly wash your hands can transfer

Heart of Iowa Soapworks offers the best in custom, handmade soaps.

contamination and seriously affect your health!  At some point, you might  run out of handsoap. Here’s a recipe from soapmaking expert Karla Moore that uses two ingredients to produce a very mild and usable cleansing bar!

by Karla Moore

Soapmaking is a skill that is easily learned, and you can soon figure out how to make your own special blends.

But don’t even think about starting soapmaking without the proper safety gear, and don’t make soap around small children! The lye used in the soapmaking process can seriously injure or kill you! When the lye/water solution is cool, it is very caustic, but looks like drinking water. In one documented instance,  a person unknowingly drank lye solution,  and died from it!

Don’t try to make soap unless you are willing to follow safety precautions!

With this warning understood, here’s what you need to know:

Use only containers and utensils made of stainless steel, heavy plastic or pyrex. Use absolutely nothing made of aluminum – lye reacts to the metal and that chemical interaction will completely ruin the soap and pan.

Equipment needed:

• digital scale accurate to .1 oz. (1/10^th oz.)
• thermometer
• large stainless steel pot to melt oils and mix soap in
• stainless steel slotted spoon or wooden spoon (that will never to be used for food again)
• rubber spatula
• 2 quart Rubbermaid or equivalent pitcher for mixing lye (Mark it plainly, so there is no way to mistake the contents for water!)
• small container to measure lye. ( A one-pound margarine tub, with a lid, works fine.)
• small stainless or glass container to measure optional fragrance
• plastic container or soap mold to pour soap in (Rubbermaid containers work great!)
• immersion (stick) blender or stainless steel whisk

Click here for great jerky seasonings!

Safety Gear:

• rubber gloves
• eye protection
• face mask to protect you from lye fumes
• old long-sleeved shirt and/or apron to protect clothes

It never hurts to have extra containers on hand to measure and weigh ingredients.  Stainless steel is your friend – watch those garage sales!

Soap Formula

Rendered Tallow or Lard    5 pounds

Sodium Hydroxide (lye)      10.5 oz.

Water    16 oz.

Every ingredient must be WEIGHED

1.  Measure Sodium Hydroxide into small container observing safety rules for handling chemicals.  This means using a mask, eye protection and rubber gloves.

2.  Measure 16 oz. COLD Water into the lye pitcher.  You may also use ice or ice/water mixture if shorter cooling time is desired. If using ice the mixture must be weighed.

3.   Slowly add Sodium Hydroxide to the cold water.  Stir gently and thoroughly until mixed.  DO NOT BREATHE IN THE FUMES!  Set aside to cool.

You may remove your safety protection for the next couple of steps. Then:

• Measure tallow into stainless steel pan. Set on low heat to melt.  When melted, remove from heat source to cool.
• While the oils and lye water are cooling, measure out your fragrance oil (optional) and line your soap mold if desired. Clean & dry milk cartons make good molds.  Just peel off the carton after the soap has set up for 24 hours.  Remember DO NOT use anything aluminum!

Put on Safety Equipment!

Check the temperature of the lye water and melted oils.  They should be in a range from 100º- 115º Now combine the ingredients to make soap!

1. Slowly pour the lye water into the melted oils stirring constantly until combined.  You may continue to hand stir if or, as I prefer, use a stick blender!  Stick blend off and on until the mixture starts to thicken and leaves a wave after the blender.  This is called trace: think of trace as a warm pudding- like texture.  When stirred, it leaves a trail behind the spoon.
2. Quickly stir in the fragrance and blend well.
3. Pour into prepared mold and cover with a heavy towel to insulate.

Leave the raw soap undisturbed for 24-48 hours before removing from mold. After this time, it is safe to cut into bars and place in a well-ventilated area to cure and dry out.  I recommend letting your soap cure for at least 3-4 weeks before using.  The longer the bars cure, the better they will be. Water continuously evaporates off, leaving a harder bar that lasts longer in the shower.  Handmade soap is at its best when it’s at least a month old.

Raw soap may be wiped out with paper towels and the pots and pans washed like normal.  Wear rubber gloves when handwashing –  new, raw soap is very caustic.

Coconut oil may be purchased from a grocery or Asian food store.  It is used to pop popcorn and may come in a golden yellow color.  This is perfectly fine to use and it lends a nice orange/yellow tinge to the finished product.

To buy sodium hydroxide (lye) look in the plumbing section of a hardware store.  The container MUST say 100% Sodium Hydroxide and be dry flakes or granules, not liquid.  If the material in the container has colored specks  DO NOT USE! It contains heavy metals and is unsuitable for soap making.

Karla Moore

Karla Moore is a professional soaper, and owns and operates “Heart of Iowa” soapworks near Gilbert, Iowa. She started making soaps for her own personal use, and started her business in April, 2000. Karla has very sensitive skin and is allergic to the detergents used in most commercial soaps. Her experimentation, and earlier training as a cosmetologist,  subsequently lead to a special line of soaps designed for people with allergies or similar skin conditions.

Today, Karla sells soap products all over the world and offers a complete line of  scented and specialty soaps, shampoo bars, and custom blends. Karla specializes in soaps for people with allergies and also teaches soapmaking classes. She enjoys visiting with both beginner and  experienced soapers.

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Five broad categories capture most situations where a person may have to “survive” until rescued or until the weather conditions improve and the individual can rescue themselves.

The categories are: Becoming lost, being caught out after dark, becoming stranded, becoming ill or injured and unable to proceed and bad weather that makes continuing on dangerous. This article will look at “weather.”

The big storms get the attention, but even non-dramatic bad weather can kill you!

by Peter Kummerfeldt

Why is it so many people come to grief each year in weather-related accidents?  Why is it, with all of the weather information available, that people still find themselves trapped by storms, isolated by blizzards, caught out away from home or base camp by weather conditions that endanger their lives?

Part of the problem is arrogance. Our belief is that “we can handle it” whatever “it” happens to be.  Many have an unwavering belief in their ability to overcome the difficulties that wind, rain, plummeting temperatures, scalding heat and other extremes that weather may bring – some of these people die!

When you look back over the past thirty years in the United States, each year approximately 71 people are killed by lightning; 219 people die from heat-related illnesses and  27 succumb to the cold.  Tornadoes kill 65 people. Annually, floods drown 127 people and 1,800 more are thought to die in cold water incidents across the country. A further 52 die in winter storms. Hurricanes result in 16 more deaths.

The numbers shown are the fatalities – many more people suffered from the impact of the weather.

In the grand scheme of things, these are not large numbers compared to the numbers of non-weather related death. But would you want to be one of the ones that died? Of course not!

So what can be done to insure that you don’t become one of the unfortunate statistics?  Let’s take a closer look at these weather problems, and see what can be done to reduce the impact of weather on the activities that take us into the outdoors.

LIGHTNING is probably the least understood threat of all of the weather-related hazards.  Of the three hundred or so people each year who are hit by lightning, one third die and a high percentage of the remainder will suffer long term, often lifelong, medical difficulties.  While some who are killed and injured are inside, the vast majority are either working or recreating outside.

Safety Rules

• Keep an eye on the sky.  Pay attention to developing storms – increasing wind speeds, and anvil-shaped clouds with lightning, are all signs of an approaching storm.
• Be proactive – don’t wait until you are getting wet to suspend your outdoor activities.   Move into a substantial building or an enclosed vehicle.  A large dry cave also offers protection but move away from the entrance – shallow caves and rocky overhangs offer little or no protection.  Move away from isolated, exposed high ground and move toward lower, less exposed areas.  There are no “safe” areas – just “safer” areas!
• The sound of thunder is a warning that a storm is brewing.  Thunder can be heard up to ten miles away. If you can hear thunder you are close enough to be hit!  Take shelter now.
• Don’t be, or be connected to, the tallest object in the area.   If caught outside, move into low trees of even height and stand away from the tree trunks.  If above treeline, crouch down in the lowest area you can find.   Stay away from isolated trees. It is better to crouch down in the open than shelter under a tree that stands alone in a field.
• Water is a great conductor of electricity – get out of water at the first sign of a storm developing.  If  in a boat, go directly to the shore and move into shelter.  Continuing to swim, boat, wade or any other activity related to water is dangerous.
• Move away from all metal which might conduct electricity (fences, railway lines, buildings, road barricades, telephone lines) and remove all metal (jewelry, metal framed glasses, coins etc.) from your body which can cause serious burns if you are hit
• If part of a group, spread out.  Staying together increases the chance of more than one person being injured.
• If you smell ozone, if your hair stands on end or if you experience any other unusual phenomena, a lightning strike could be imminent – protect yourself.

HOT TEMPERATURES cause more deaths each year than any other category of weather-related fatalities. Of these deaths, most occur in urban areas and in cities during heat waves.  The young and the old are most at risk.  Those who die from heat-related illness in the outdoors are people who became stranded as a result of vehicle accidents, become lost or end up in other circumstances that trap them in hot, arid regions without sufficient water.  Excessive heat also increases the risk of dying from all other causes.

Safety Rules:

• As ambient temperature rises, your body’s need for water will increase.  The evaporation of water from the skin is the body’s primary way of eliminating excess heat.  Without water to sweat, body temperature will continue to rise until cell function ceases and you die.
• When the environment is hotter than 98.6° F you will gain heat from the environment and your body temperature will rise.  Finding shade and adequate supplies of water are critical to your survival.
• Be especially careful in hot, humid environments where the high humidity interferes with your body ability to sweat efficiently.  Water that is dripping from your skin does not remove heat.
• Salt is important to your well being but it is not necessary to take salt tablets.  The salt you eat with your meals is sufficient.  During periods of severe heat, eating saltier foods (pretzels, potato chips etc.) will help to replace the salts lost in sweating.  Drinking large quantities of water and not consuming enough salt can result in hyponatremia,  a medical condition that can be fatal.

COLD TEMPERATURES: Man is a tropical animal and has to rely on clothing, shelter and food to maintain a body

Be prepared for cold, and you can enjoy winter weather!

temperature of 98.6° F!  Exposure to temperatures below normal body temperature, without adequate protection, will eventually result in hypothermia which can become life threatening if not reversed quickly.   A lowering of your body temperatures quickly starts a chain of events that begins with shivering, reduced hand and finger dexterity and ends with cardiac arrest.

Safety Rules:

• Wear, or have with you, clothing that that will keep you warm and dry when weather conditions place your safety at risk.
• Wear, or have with you, clothing that prevents wind from penetrating your clothing
• Put on additional clothing before you become chilled.
• Your head must receive special attention. Carry a stocking cap and a windproof hood to put on when temperatures drop and wind speed increases.
• Temperatures do not have to be extreme for you to quickly loose hand and finger dexterity.  Gloves and mittens should be a part of your emergency clothing.
• Select footwear that will keep your feet warm and dry.

Wind: Unlike finding yourself in an extreme cold or hot environment where the danger is more obvious, wind is generally thought of as an annoying phenomenon without significant life-threatening ramifications until tornadoes and hurricanes enter the picture.
But, as long as wind is moving across the surface of exposed skin – heat is being removed.  In hot conditions this can be beneficial: In cold conditions, this heat loss and the subsequent body temperature drop can become life threatening.  An outer layer of clothing that is not only waterproof, but also windproof, is a vital part of your clothing ensemble.  Studies have shown that with a windproof outer layer you can get by with much less insulation.

The combined effect of wind and temperature, wind-chill, creates a condition where the temperature itself wasn’t that low, but to know how cold it felt, you have to figure in the effect of the wind. The “wind-chill” charts used by weather forecasters have recently been revised and now more accurately portray the danger faced by people when recreating in windy cold conditions.

Safety Rules:

• Carry a windproof, waterproof outer layer and put it on before you get cold.
• In windy situations, turn your back to the wind and then look for any obstruction or barrier that you can shelter behind.  Once out of the wind, you only need to protect yourself from the ambient temperature, not the wind-chill. The difference can be life-saving!

Peter Kummerfeldt has walked the talk in the wilderness survival field for decades.

Born in Kenya, East Africa, Peter came to America in 1965 and joined the U.S. Air Force. He is a graduate of the Air Force Survival Instructor Training School and has served as an instructor at the Basic Survival School, Spokane, Washington; the Arctic Survival School, Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Jungle Survival School, Republic of the Philippines. For twelve years, Peter was the Survival Training Director at the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. He retired from the Air Force in 1995 after 30 years of service.

In 1992, concerned with the number of accidents that were occurring in the outdoors annually and the number of tourists traveling overseas who were involved in unpleasant and sometimes life-threatening incidents Peter created OutdoorSafe.com

He is the author of Surviving a Wilderness Emergency and has addressed over 20,000 people as the featured speaker at numerous seminars, conferences and national conventions.

Check out Peter’s blog at: OutdoorSafe.blogspot.com

For more Peter Kummerfeldt and OutdoorSafe survival stories and tips, click on:

• Are you afraid of the dark?
• STOP: You are lost!
• Preparing to survive
• The importance of water to survival.
• Avoid becoming an altitude casualty.
• Wilderness emergency management
• Making water safe to drink.
• Don’t become a lightning casualty.
• Questionable water: to Drink or Not?
• Self Rescue: when staying put is not an Option
• Survival Kit List for beginners
• Preventing dehydration during emergencies
• Winter Survival Equipment Test: Blizzard vests and emergency blankets

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

March 11, 2011:

People living on the west coast of the United States today may be looked toward sea, and getting ready to evacuate. I hope you’re ready.

The earthquake that devastated Japan early this morning caused tsunamis, and we can expect one to hit the  California and Oregon coasts soon

But, unfortunately, nobody wants to worry about possibly evacuating your home quickly, or having to just grab a few important items and head out the door.

Most of us live in areas very vulnerable to natural disasters!

But the facts are grim: 91 percent of us live in an area that could be affected by a major natural disaster such as a flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, tsunami, forest fire or mudslide, and you could have to leave very quickly.

That doesn’t even take into account the potential for terrorist activities, pandemics or nuclear attack!

(Click here for the latest videos of tsunami damage in Japan.)

So if you have to leave very quickly – what is important to take along?

Don’t wait until the last minute – get ready now, to minimize the chaos of an emergency evacuation. Here are some suggestions on what to pack from the Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security.

Important Family Documents

• Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
  • Will, insurance policies, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds
  • Passports, social security cards, immunization records
  • Bank account numbers
  • Credit card account numbers and companies
• Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
• Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep a smaller version of the supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
• Keep items in airtight plastic bags. Change your stored water supply every six months so it stays fresh. Replace
  

  Natural disaster can take many forms, and you may have to evacuate the area.

  your stored food every six months. Re-think your kit and family needs at least once a year. Replace batteries, update clothes, etc.

• Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications.

Water

• Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people will need more.
• Store one gallon of water per person per day.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food preparation/sanitation).*

Food

• Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack a can of sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight. Include a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:
• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables
• Canned juices
• Staples (salt, sugar, pepper, spices, etc.)
• High energy foods
• Vitamins
• Food for infants
• Comfort/stress foods

First Aid Kit
Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car.

• (20) adhesive bandages, various sizes.
• (1) 5″ x 9″ sterile dressing.
• (1) conforming roller gauze bandage.
• (2) triangular bandages.
• (2) 3 x 3 sterile gauze pads.
• (2) 4 x 4 sterile gauze pads.
• (1) roll 3″ cohesive bandage.
• (2) germicidal hand wipes or waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• (6) antiseptic wipes.
• (2) pair large medical grade non-latex gloves.
• Adhesive tape, 2″ width.
• Anti-bacterial ointment.
• Cold pack.
• Scissors (small, personal).
• Tweezers.
• CPR breathing barrier, such as a face shield.

Non-Prescription Drugs

• Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Antacid (for stomach upset)
• Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the
  Poison Control Center)
• Laxative
• Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center)

Tools and Supplies

• Mess kits, or paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils*
• Emergency preparedness manual*
• Battery-operated radio and extra batteries*
• Flashlight and extra batteries*
• Cash or traveler’s checks, change*
• Non-electric can opener, utility knife*
• Fire extinguisher: small canister ABC type
• Tube tent
• Pliers
• Tape
• Compass
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic storage containers
• Signal flare
• Paper, pencil
• Needles, thread
• Medicine dropper
• Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
• Whistle
• Plastic sheeting
• Map of the area (for locating shelters)

Sanitation

• Toilet paper, towelettes*
• Soap, liquid detergent*
• Feminine supplies*
• Personal hygiene items*
• Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
• Plastic bucket with tight lid
• Disinfectant
• Household chlorine bleach

Clothing and Bedding
*Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person.

• Sturdy shoes or work boots*
• Rain gear*
• Blankets or sleeping bags*
• Hat and gloves
• Thermal underwear
• Sunglasses

Special Items

• Remember family members with special requirements, such as infants and elderly or disabled persons

For Baby*

• Formula
• Diapers
• Bottles
• Powdered milk
• Medications

For Adults

• Heart and high blood pressure medication
• Insulin
• Prescription drugs
• Denture needs
• Contact lenses and supplies
• Extra eye glasses

Entertainment

• Games and books

From “Preparing for Disaster.” Developed by the American Red Cross and the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency.

For more related SurvivalCommonSense.com tips and stories, click on the highlighted words:

• STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
• Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
• Dress with the right fabrics.
• Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
• Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
• Find the most effective fire ignition system.
• How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
• Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
• It can kill you: Hypothermia
• Hardtack: A great emergency food
• About Leon Pantenburg

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com

Here in Central Oregon, learning winter survival skills before heading out into the backcountry should be mandatory! So, every year, volunteers and members of local Scout Troops get together to practice winter survival skills in deep snow!

Troop 18 Scoutmaster Phil Brummett made a great tree well shelter, which I was happy to inspect!

by Leon Pantenburg

The lesson of being prepared for a survival situation before leaving for the backcountry is particularly important in Central Oregon. Thousands of tourists flock to this area to enjoy the snowmobiling, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and other winter sports.

Unfortunately, many people head out into the backcountry with no idea of the inherent danger, or how quickly they can end up in a potentially life-threatening situation.

On Friday, producer Paul Davis and I were shooting some survival video spots for the local “Good Morning Central Oregon” show that airs on BendBroadBand COTV 11. We were at Swampy Lakes trailhead south of Bend, a popular  take-off spot for the backcountry. It was rainy, windy and chilly. As Paul and I were shooting, people would come over to see what we were doing.

This one-man shelter was made of snow blocks.

Naturally, I asked what survival gear they were taking along. The great majority had nothing! Luckily, I was prepared and handed out several firestarter kits! (This is a great promotion for scout troops. Total investment is about eight cents per kit!) Most of these visitors had no idea how quickly the weather could change, or how rapidly they could be in a survival situation.

In a couple cases, it was clear these folks thought they had just ran into the local kook!

The ability to make a quick survival shelter can save your life. That was the message Saturday Jan. 22 to Boy Scouts from two veteran search and rescue volunteer instructors. Every year, Central Oregon Boy Scouts and guests participate in a day of winter survival training prior to the annual Fremont District winter campout “Freezoree.”

This year, the training was again provided by SAR volunteers Todd Teicheira and Jim Prestwood. Both men are
volunteers in Troop 18, the fathers of Eagle scouts, and Prestwood is the former Troop 18 scoutmaster.

An important part of making an effective survival shelter is to first understand that you are in a bad situation, Prestwood said,  and then slow down and weigh your options. A good exercise, he told the scouts,  is to STOP: Stop, Think, Observe, Plan. Know your limitations and know what you can do.

Then look for a good location to place your shelter. Start by finding areas with piled-up drifts, tree wells, fallen logs, or other terrain features, he said, that show where the wind blows and piles up snow.

“Get behind a snow drift, fallen tree, in a tree well or some sort of terrain feature that is out of the wind,” he advises. “Get on the lee side, where there is a depression or less snow pile-up, and then start making your shelter.”

Don’t waste time trying to make a big, spacious emergency shelter, Prestwood said, because a smaller space will insulate more effectively, be warmer and be faster to make. Take along something to make a shelter with, such as a tarp or a quilted space blanket with grommets on the corners.

Knowing how to make a tree well shelter and fire are great survival skills!

“Look around and figure out how you can combine your gear with the terrain features,” Prestwood suggests.

Quick combinations include digging down into a tree well and covering the opening with the tarp; digging a trench to cover with a tarp or space blanket, or making a three-sided dome out of  snow blocks.

Once the shelter is complete, Prestwood recommends tying a bright handkerchief, flagging or something easily seen near the shelter. Then he suggests, get inside, out of the wind and hold your whistle in hand, ready to blow.

“The search and rescue people may be on snowmobiles. They might not be able to hear you yell over the engine noise, and through their helmets,” Prestwood said. “It may be hard for you to hear through your shelter, too, particularly if the wind in blowing. As soon as you hear an engine, blow your whistle and keep blowing.”

The searchers may see the markers before they find the shelter. Once they see some evidence of the lost person, Prestwood said, the usual protocol is to report the location on their radios and concentrate the search.

Both instructors carry small tarps, flagging, whistles, insulite backpacking sleeping pads, heavy duty space blankets with grommets at the corners, parachute cord, collapsible snow shovels and bivey sacks to make emergency shelters.

They also carry the Boy Scout Ten Essentials gear, Teicheira said, which is the basis of all the gear they carry on winter rescues.

“We carry a lot of the same survival gear you scouts do when we go on a mission,”  Teicheira said.  “I got a lot of my start in wilderness survival training in scouts.”

Editor’s note: The best winter survival shelter suggestion would probably be to carry along a four-season winter tent whenever you venture into the backcountry! But most people won’t be burdened with that extra weight, so you better be prepared some other way!

To see more photos of the Winter Skills Day, click here.

To learn how to make a tree well snow shelter, click here.

For more related SurvivalCommonSense.com tips and stories, click on the highlighted words:

• STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
• Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
• Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
• Dress with the right fabrics.
• Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.
• Carry lightweight, compact firestarter.
• Find the most effective fire ignition system.
• How to make charcloth, a material that can catch a spark from any source.
• Use charcloth as an effective method of catching a spark to make a fire.
• It can kill you: Hypothermia
• Hardtack: A great emergency food
• About Leon Pantenburg

http://www.survivalcommonsense.com