RANDALL S ADVENTURE TRAINING

Transcription

1 This slide presentation is designed to be used in conjunction with Randall s Adventure & Training s field instruction course. It should not be used as a stand-alone instruction tool.

2 The instinct to survive will never change, neither will the human body s amazing ability to endure. JOHN LOFTY WISEMAN

3 SURVIVAL: the state or fact of continuing to live or exist especially in spite of difficult conditions. -Merriam s Dictionary Survival is not just about enduring, it s about learning to thrive outside your comfort zone.

4 Survival Survival SURVIVAL SCENARIOS: -Lost/injured hiker, hunter, camper etc. -Plane crash survivor -SAR Personnel becoming lost or separated -Vehicle breakdown or crash in a remote area -Natural disaster aftermath

5 S Size up the situation U Use all your senses and all available resources R Remember where you are V Vanquish fear and panic I Improvise and improve your situation V Value living A Act like the natives L Live by your wits

6 Size up the situation Take a moment to think about your current situation carefully. What is the number one priority in regards to your safety and well being? Size up your physical condition. Are there any injuries that need to be addressed? Size up your gear and equipment if any. What can be used or improvised? Think outside the box. Size up the chances of rescue. Does anyone know where you are? How long will it be before you are even missed?

7 Use all you senses Use all your senses to evaluate your situation. Look for items that can be used to your benefit. Listen for running water, vehicles, human activity etc. Smell for smoke and other odors that may indicate civilization.

8 Remember where you are If a map is available, use it to try to pin point your exact location. If one is not available, take a few moments to use terrain association etc. to try to determine where you are.

9 Vanquish fear and panic Take a few moments to calm down. Surviving a plane crash, car wreck, natural disaster, or even the realization that you are horribly lost are all extremely stressful. Once your breathing and pulse rate have returned to normal start working on a plan.

10 Improvise and Improve Look at everything you have available. Think of all the ways it can possibly be used. Mankind has littered all over this world of ours, use it to your advantage! -Plastic used for waterproofing a shelter -Rubber used for fire making, signaling -Tin cans, plastic bottles used as water containers

11 Value Living Life is a very precious thing. You owe it to yourself to make it out alive. If nothing else think of the loved ones you will leave behind. Find whatever driving force you need to get in the proper mindset of surviving at all costs.

12 Act like the natives What do people indigenous to the area do to gather water, food, etc.? How do they build shelter?

13 Live by your wits Man has the incredible ability to adapt and overcome challenges. Always be thinking of ways to improve both yourself and your situation.

14 What to do if you find yourself in a survival situation: If not in imminent danger, stop, sit down and take a few minutes to think! Take stock of your situation. Take stock of everything you have access to. What all is on your person? --What could you strip off and use from the wrecked vehicle/plane etc.? Think outside the box. Consider all options before deciding on the best course of action. Make a decision and stick with it!

15 Survival Priorities (case dependent and in no particular order) Proper Mindset Water Shelter Fire Food Navigation First Aid

16 Survival Priorities (case dependent and in no particular order) Proper Mindset: Having the proper mindset and the desire to survive no matter the circumstances is the most important priority. Keep a positive mental attitude throughout the ordeal. Never ever give up!

17 Survival Priorities Cont. Water: Staying as hydrated as possible is very important. Dehydration has numerous effects that can greatly hinder your chances for survival. Always try to find the cleanest water possible and purify it if you are able. However any water is better than no water at all. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include: Dry mouth (feeling thirsty) Irritability or confusion Headache Dizziness or light headedness Very little urine output, or dark smelly urine. Rapid pulse

18 Survival Priorities cont. Finding Water If you have a map, find the water sources on it and travel there! If no map is available, look at the lay of the land. Water travels down hill so look for it in valleys. Construct a rain catch out of anything that can hold water. Wrap clothing around your lower legs and walk around in the getting dew from vegetation. Wring the wet cloth into a container or your mouth and repeat. Solar stills and transpiration stills do work, but just barely. Even if youare lucky enough to have a lot of plastic on hand, you still might not be able to gather enough water this way to last very long.

19 Survival Priorities cont.

20 Survival Priorities cont. Shelter Other than clothing and an external heat source (fire), shelter is about the only way to prevent the loss of body heat.

21 Survival Priorities cont. Five ways the body loses heat Conduction- The body will lose heat when it is in contact with something that has a lower temperature than itself. Such as sleeping on the cold ground, or sitting on cold metal bleachers. Convection- This is when your body loses heat into the surrounding environment due to moving air. Think in terms of wind chill. Radiation- Our bodies are constantly radiating out 98.6 degrees. The shelter we build should trap as much of that heat as possible to prevent it from escaping.

22 Survival Priorities cont. Five ways the body loses heat Evaporation- When water (including sweat) evaporates, it cools the adjacent surface. Rain, mist, snow, sweat all have the same effect of cooling a person down. In cold weather you must stay as dry as possible. If physical exertion must take place, remove layers of clothing while performing any activities that may cause you to sweat profusely. Respiration- We breathe in cool air and exhale warm carbon dioxide. Although it doesn t cause as much heat loss as the others, it is still considerable.

23 Survival Priorities cont. Shelter Debris shelter: Think of a squirrel s nest. 360 degree insulation using leaves or pine needles. Pros- Can be made with no equipment. Cons- Takes quite a bit of time to build properly. Hard to use in conjunction with a fire.

24 Survival Priorities cont. Shelter Lean to: Ridgepole between two trees with other poles or branches leaning against it. Leaves or debris are then piled on to enhance its ability to shed water. Can also be easily rigged up with a tarp, poncho, space blanket or large trash bag. There is still a need to insulate you from the ground. Pros: Fairly quick and simple to build. Works great with a long fire

25 Survival Priorities cont. Fire The ability to make fire is one advantage that man has over the rest of the animal kingdom. Fire can do a lot of things: Provide much needed heat Dry clothing and equipment Purify water Cook our food Keep insects and other pests away Signal for help Provide a huge morale boost

26 Three things needed for fire: Survival Priorities cont. Fire If any of the three are in insufficient quantities, you will either not make fire or not be able to maintain it.

27 Survival Priorities cont. Fire Ignition sources: Matches Lighter Ferro rod Fresnel lens Friction Flint and steel Battery and steel wool

28 Survival Priorities cont. Fire

29 Manmade -Tinder tabs -Dryer lint -Cotton balls/vaseline -Alcohol prep pads -Hand sanitizer Survival Priorities cont. Fire Tinder types: Natural -Dry dead grasses -Cedar bark -Dead poplar bark -Fine wood shavings -Fatwood

30 Survival Priorities cont. Fire Regardless of the method of ignition, once flame is present all fire building is the same and requires patience. Before attempting to start the fire, have all your material ready. Look for standing dead trees or limbs that are up off the ground. Listen for it to snap or crack when you break it. Remember, when you think you have enough, gather more! Fuel sizes: -Toothpick thickness -Pencil thickness -Finger thickness -Thumb thickness -Wrist thickness Only add the next size when you have plenty of the size previous burning. Heat travels up so don t build it flat. As the flames die down, blow hard and steady to generate more heat.

31 Survival Priorities cont. Food We as modern day humans are used to eating 3 or more times a day. When a meal is missed we may become irritable. However human beings can go quite a long time without eating, so food shouldn t be number one on your priority list early on. In a survival situation there are no moral or legal issues. If an opportunity presents itself, take it. Do not be concerned with hunting seasons and other game laws when your life is at stake.

32 Survival Priorities cont. Food Methods of gathering food: Hunting: Requires a level of skill and patience Wild edibles: You need to be able to correctly identify and prepare in all four seasons. May expend more calories in locating than it would provide. Fishing: Requires line or construction of a fish trap Trapping/snaring: The more traps/snares you put out will increase your chances of success. Fishing lines and traps/snares are ideal because once they are in place it frees you up to do other things. Such as improve your shelter, gather more wood, or rest and conserve energy.

33 Survival Priorities cont. Food

34 Survival Priorities cont. Food Don t clean the animal where you will be sleeping. It can attract unwanted animals or insects. Consume as much as the animal as possible. Although some parts may not taste all that good, they still provide much needed calories/vitamins etc. If a container is available, boil the animal after cleaning and gutting. Eat the meat, heart, lungs, liver, eyeballs, and skin if possible. Use any inedible parts to bait your traps and fishing lines. Waste nothing!

35 Survival Priorities Food

36 Survival Priorities cont. Navigation The ability to navigate and competently use map and compass can prevent you from finding yourself in a survival situation to begin with! It will also greatly increase your chances of success should you attempt to self-rescue. (See Land Navigation PowerPoint)

37 Survival Priorities cont. First Aid If you or any of your party have injuries, they will need to be addressed. The extent of the injuries can also affect your ability to travel. Take classes in first aid/cpr, as well as Wilderness Medicine. You may never need to use the knowledge but it is always there if you ever do.

38 Signaling If you have a cellphone, check it for a signal! Even with no bars showing you may still be able to get a text out. Universal rule of 3 s -3 shots from a gun -3 blasts from a whistle -3 flashes of light Signal fires: 3 in a triangle or 3 in a row. Green vegetation for white smoke, rubber or plastic for black smoke. Signal mirrors: Can be commercial or improvised. Remember that signaling is about contrast. Ground signals may be difficult to see due to the forest canopy. Sparks from a ferro rod, or the light from a smart phone are very visible at night so use whatever works!

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40 Self Rescue The decision to stay put or move is case dependent. Some factors to consider are: Does anyone know you are missing? If so, do they know where to look for you? Are there any injuries that would impede self rescue? Do you have the ability to navigate your way out? Weather conditions In most cases follow streams downhill. They will run into creeks which will run into rivers and should lead to civilization (this may not always be the case). Look and listen for signs of human activity such as tracks, cut vegetation, litter, noise from vehicles/trains etc.

41 Putting together a survival kit Use quality items, remember your life may depend on it. Keep the kit as small as possible. If it is too heavy and bulky, chances are you won t be carrying it when you need it. -Fixed blade knife -Small folding knife -Ferro rod, storm matches, lighter -Commercial tinder -Whistle -Space blanket -Water purification -Water container -Small fishing kit -Brightly colored trash bag -Cordage -Notepad and pencil -Compass -Sewing kit -Signal mirror -Flashlight/batteries -GPS/batteries -First Aid kit

42 Conclusion Reasons people have survived adversity: They kept a positive mental attitude They never gave up The improvised and adapted to the situation They made a decision and stuck with it

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