Wilderness Survival Priorities

So, as one might gather from my screen name, I like to hike, and though all survival situations are important to me, my principal interest is wilderness survival.

I'm trying to think of what my priorities should be in a wilderness survival situation. I've (rather quickly) come up with the following broad categories (see below). Feedback appreciated.

Wilderness Survival Priorities:
HOT WEATHER:
1-Medical Issues
2-STOP
3-Electronic Signalling (PLB, Sat Phone, Cell Phone)
4-Water
5-Shade
6-Other Signalling
7-Food

COLD WEATHER:
1-Medical Issues
2-STOP
3-Electronic Signalling (PLB, Sat Phone, Cell Phone)
4-Fire
5-Shelter
6-Water
7-Other Signalling
8-Food

Note: On this forum perhaps it goes without saying, but STOP = Stop, Think, Observe, and Plan

Rule of 3's. Then work from there.

In hot weather, I would find or get some shelter up for shade, which could reduce your chance of hyperthermia. You can signal (usually) from a shady spot, or at least have it to retreat to afterwards.

And don't forget that areas that are hot by day can get darned cold at night. And 50F is COLD after being in 100F all day.

Three fires in a triangle in the desert at night is a distress signal to most pilots. They can pass your location to authorities.

Sue

I disagree with the order, but agree with the general content. Sometimes you should get shelter before anything else (for instance, sudden rain/snow storm). Stabilize the situation before you signal for help. Given Murphy's law, that'll be the time you have to change the batteries, smack the side of your toy, hold it upside down with a coat hanger in your other hand, and pray to the electronic gods. I'd rather do that under a rock or something out of the elements.

I also have an interest in wilderness survival. I like your lists and I agree with the first 2 items on both, but I think that Shelter (Shade is shelter in a hot weather situation) should be third on both lists.

I think of it in the rule of 3s. 3 minutes without air, 3 hours exposed (to excessive heat or cold), 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food, before your body suffers irreparable harm.

Many people survive cold nights when hunkered in a sheltered area witn minimal insulation (i.e. clothing) and no fire. Once the shelter is secured, it can be enhanced with a fire. Then signaling to help SAR find you (either electronic or otherwise, maybe the electronic before the fire if you have a sat phone or cell coverage - and a fire is a signal).

Water is important, especially in a hot situation, but if you have shade you could survive for a couple days waiting for SAR without water. Admittedly, it would not be fun, but if you are in the desert (like I am) you'll waste way more energy and stored water looking for a water source (that you may never find) thus reducing the time SAR would have to find you alive.

I think that both lists are actually the same (you do not include fire on the hot weather list but even then a fire is important for morale and in the desert, the nights can be quite cold even though the days are hot). Food is definately the lowest priority.

STOP is always at the top of my list...I can't tread wounds or medical conditions unless I've let my brain stop spinning for a second.

Shelter is almost always second unless I can put it off as needed for more important things.

I hear you; good point.

Here's where I'm coming from: I'm trying to come up with some priorities, just things to think about in advance for common wilderness survival/emergency situations. The idea behind putting electronic signalling so high on the list is that it's so fast.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO:
Let's say someone in my group falls and breaks a leg on a hike and it's hot out (90's - 100's). First thing I want to do is to check out if there is anything I need to do immediately (stop bleeding, immobilize head to prevent spinal injury, etc.). Second thing I want to do is STOP, take a deep breath, and start thinking/planning. Third thing I want to do is make a call (or activate the PLB) which only takes a minute or two whereas finding shade/erecting a shelter can take time. That's why my 1, 2, and 3 are what they are.

Given an injury, shade/shelter makes a lot of sense as next on the list.

In an environment similar to the one described above, but absent an injury, I might want to move to a place where I could get water, and then do the shelter/shade thing.

The situation dictates the response a lot more than any list will, which is why I've got STOP only second to immediate medical emergency.

I'm getting my winter kit ready for my car right now. In really cold, icy and snowy weather, you don't have to be very far from home to have a bad problem, especially if you have family members who have health or disability issues.... Hint. I could walk out, but my wife would not be able to. Last Winter, we had such serious ice that a "rescue" vehicle could not get into certain areas.

So the car gets extra blankets, shelter, traveling major FAK and the perpetual BOB with food, water, FAK. and FSK. And also use a little common sense about necessary traveling during bad weather.

You've got that right. I leave it in writing: route & destination, items carried, clothing & vehicle info, when I'll be back, and who to call if I con't check in.

I would put shelter and fire on the same line, and lump all forms of signalling into one- if you need a medical evacuation, then pulling the pin on a PLB would fall under medical. But most of the time, you're just turned around and are better off spending the night in one spot looking and listening for signs and waiting until morning.

i'm with the wilderness survival group myself,more than
the BOB and "hunker in the house" crowd--so--when i
head out on a canoe trip i not only leave an itinerary
with my family but also a photo of my canoe,tent and
Baker shelter..i'm not as worryed about getting lost
as i am about a medical problem that would force me to
stay put and become overdue..knowing what my camp might
look like would aid in the search as aircraft and boats
would be used---like in " say Joe..way over there--is that
the red canoe,green tent and blue tarp that guy had??"
Joe looks at photocopy--"nope--it was green canoe,red tent,
we don't have to paddle way down there--it's not him"..
my plan is stay put--make a fire--make a shelter--make noise--

Shelter is SO overlooked as a priority.

A lot of my scenarios come down to the fact that you don't realise it is a survival sit until it's too late i.e.
Typically, lost hikers try to find a way out until it is dark.

And I always assume worst case - alone, injured, dark, weather bad. It which point sitting under a tree wrapped in a space blanket may be the best option to avoid hypothermia until I can see what is available to me in the daylight. Given the choice I would be whipping up a lean-to and a big fire - just have to plan for that not being an option.

AMEN!!!!!




Depends on how easy getting to the water is. If it is off 100 yards then sure. But if you're LOOKING for water, you might be dead from heat exposure before you find it (I'm not sure if you are coming from an Louisana or a Los Angeles perspective - if it is Los Angeles, then you'll likely be dead from exposure looking for water before you find it). I still say shelter from the elements is a higher priority.

IF someone is injured seriously AND you have something that can send an electronic signal AND it only takes a minute, probably ought to do that first to get professional medical help on it's way.

OK, so say it's November and cold out and you're in chapparal type vegetation (not barren desert, but not woods either) and you've got to hunker down for the night (unplanned). You're not injured, and you've even caught your navigational error and know you can walk out on your own some time the next day. You've just got your EDC with you. What's your plan?

Exactly why I'm listing details about my gear and car.


Good plans all, and all of them except maybe making noise take time to put in place. The reason I separated out electronic signalling from more conventional types is because I can give a quick shout out, and then get about the business of immediate survival, and then think about signalling.

Absolutely. Whether or not I go looking for water is very situationally dependent.

Since survival is so situationally dependent, I'm kind of trying to put together typical scenarios in hopes that familiarity will minimize freak out if the real thing occurs.



Exactly what I'm thinking.

My dad and I had a discussion about this type of thing last night but it was primarily focused on what is first, fire or shelter, after immediate medical needs and STOP.

My dad said fire is the first because of the radiant warmth.

I argued, and still believe, that shelter should come first so your body's natural temperature regulation can get a chance to do its job. Also, I think that any warmth gained from a fire could be taken from your body by wind or rain.

Obviously in an ideal situation fire and shelter could be constructed and used at the same time.

Dad and I never did come to any sort of agreement.
Patrick

My BOB is set up so that I can get my fire lighting gear or set up a tarp without even opening it up.

I guess my point would be that in any given situation your priorities will be different (hence STOP)

But when I prepare for the unknown, I prepare for worst case.

IMHO gathering enough dry fuel to keep a reasonable sized fire going for a while is a significant task that I can't be sure I will be able to do. (and I am presuming you aren't packing a stove with enough fuel to burn through the night, but you are packing some basic shelter)

But 95% of this is around you being comfortable with your plans, so go with your preference.

Dunno, I'm not even sure what chapparal is other than an old mobile SAM system that was retired from service despite the Army's total lack of an attempt to find a replacement. Let's see what Mr Google thinks chapparal is....

OK, I've got some idea now. Since my EDC bag of tricks has a contractor's bag and my SOL in it, I'm not that bad off. It doesn't look like it should really be that cold- remember, I'm from Vermont- you're cold is probably late summer for us. :P Taking a guess, this time of year you see a low of about 45?

Poke about under some likely looking brush to make sure no one else seems to be camping out there (rattlesnakes aren't cute enough to share my bunk with), wrap myself up in the Heatsheet, and wiggle feet first into the contractor's bag. Might not be the warmest night I've ever spent, but I wasn't wet when I went into the bags I should be ok.

Well, you are both right. (Or both wrong.)

Fire is critical if you can't make more heat than you are losing. When you are hypothermic, your body isn't able to keep your body warm any more on it's own. You get wet, with wind or it is just cold, this can happen pretty easily.

If you are just cold, then yes, even just getting insulation under you and a windbreak up can do as much as a fire can.

Well the Army did try to come up with the DIVAD/Sgt. York, but it had so many problems that I believe it was abandoned. Chapparal is a typically thorny, dense mixture of brush that covers much of Southern California from about 0 - 6000' elevation. It's the stuff that figured prominently in our recent fires. Not exactly the maples of Vermont, but they'll have to do.


You EDC all that? I was sort of thinking of items normally carried on one's person, but if you've got all that, then you're pretty well set with respect to shelter in Southern California this time of year unless you're up pretty high, and I agree with you -- I too would climb in my bag/heatsheet first and then do any electronic signalling second. If on the other hand, one only had more common items and one had to make or find shelter, then I'd probably do the quick electronic signalling and then see about some shelter. That's sort of what I was thinking as I prioitized my list.


Well, and watch out for plants with leaves in groups of three.

One last thought: out here keep the matches in your kit unless it's pretty near dead calm. One of the big conflagrations here was caused by someone sleeping out who lit a fire for warmth but let it get out of control. Toasting the whole region just might not be the best survival move.

In dry climates, I always practice strong fire discipline- yes, a forest fire gets attention, but it isn't a very effective signal when taken in balance. :P

And yes, I do carry all of that in my never go past the mailbox without it bag- this listing is a little out of date, but close enough. And that doesn't even include my keychain. And that is just my around town EDC. If I'm off the black top, there are a few more things on me (at a minimum a couple more contractor bags, a 20oz water bottle , and my homebuilt PSK and PMK) but I do leave the current sniffer and few other tools in the car. *laughs* I can't tell you how to react as a normal person. If I didn't have my toys with me, I'd look to build a debris shelter if I had time or just curl up under a bush. So long as I don't get rained on and dressed properly, I'm okish.


And as a side note that is totally off topic, there is no reason why the Hum-RAM project that the Marines looked at couldn't be implimented. A Hummer with a roof rack for four AIM-120s, and you use the AMRAAM's own radar as your search unit when you attach it to external power. Worked fine in the one crude prototype that was cobbled together, but there was never any funds made available to do serious work. Beats the various Stinger-armed units like a drum in terms of range and effectiveness. Heck, you could probably modify the Avenger or Linebacker to carry a pair of AMRAAMs, or even a dozen of them on a modified MRLS chassis. But there has never been funding, and now there is a hole big enough to eat an armour regiment. That is what I mean by there has never been significant interest in replacing the Chaparrel- since the DIVAD failure, apparently we will never fight someone when we don't have total air dominance, and even then we've got the theater umbrella of Patriot. *rolls eyes* Assumption is the mother of all....

I agree with Ironraven that you are both right, with qualification.

You would have to run through scenarios based on expectable conditions in order to determine which is the priority. Sometimes when it is pouring rain and windy, even though I need the external heat source, it may be a greater imperative to get in out of the nasty for a bit first. If you can't shelter the fire, you're not going to have much luck getting it going, and that initial starting phase is the most sensitive to ambient conditions.

Also, it may be that fire making materials are scarce, so you risk prolonged exposure just trying to gather enough fuel to make it worthwhile. A snow shelter might be your only recluse from the storm, and any fire at that point would be pointless.

I've had it cut both ways, and so you need to be able to evaluate and adapt your plan accordingly.

I am assuming that the wilderness survival situation is not one that was sought out, and thus getting back to civilization alive is ultimately desired.

Generally speaking, stay calm, and:

1. Immediate Life-saving First Aid
1A. Restore/Maintain ABC (airway, breathing, circulation)'s
1B. Stop Bleeding
1C. Treat For Shock
1D. Regulate Body Temperature

Regulating body temperature implies many things, such as shelter, fire, staying dry, out of the wind, etc. Simply put, exposure kills faster than thirst.

Treating infection can wait, as can treating pain, although treating for pain can make it easier to keep a wound from bleeding again, as a patient in pain has a tendency to move about, and stopping bleeding involves direct pressure and immobilization of the wounded area.

2. Rescue Signals

3. Immediate Subsistence Needs
3A. Water
3B. Food

Thirst kills faster than hunger.

2 and 3 are interchangeable, as opportunities to attract attention come and go, but opportunities must not be wasted, so rescue is given a higher priority.

Good input. Thanks for breaking down the Life Saving First Aid section. I might slightly change it to:

1. Immediate Life-saving First Aid
1A. Restore/Maintain ABC (airway, breathing, circulation)'s
1B. Stop Bleeding
1C. Treat For Shock

2. Regulate body temperature (except for issues in category #1, above)

3. Rescue Signals

4. Subsistence Needs
4A. Water
4B. Food

The 1A, B, and C above are typically for trauma or bodily failure (e.g. heart attack). For hypothermia, anaphlyactic shock (e.g. bee sting), drowning, and other immediate life threatening issues, the "A, B, C's" will be a little different, but you've definitely got the right idea.

I really like the "regulate body teperature" concept. It applies to all conditions.
Examples
Hot weather: regulate body temp means shade or other techniques to deal with heat and solar exposure
Mild weather: may mean do nothing more than wear the clothes on your back to regulate heat/cold.
Wet weather: stay dry
Cold weather: Stay warm

Thanks for the concept.

Leave a photocopy of your hiking boot's sole and the sole of any other footwear you carry... the folks looking for you will want your shoe size and sole(thanks bg) pattern.

Do a lot more research on the subject of your question.

I'm not leaving a copy of my soul pattern anywhere. Could be used for voodoo

Too late. They keep them for all veteran ETS members, in the data back up. :P

A while back I made myself this survival order of importance list:

1. Prevention (trip plan, geared right, planning ahead, avoiding risks)
2. Health (psychological stress, traumatic and environmental injuries)
3. Personal protection (clothing, shelter, insects, fire)
4. Signaling (fire, whistle, mirror)
5. Sustenance (water and maybe food)
6. Location & travel (using a map, compass, GPS)

I see it as kind of a higher-level view of priorities relative to Jim's list. Jim's is more of a to-do list, which is important when there are, well, to-do's to do.

Ken K.