Here is a good ending to a story that could have been much worse:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071220/ap_on_re_us/missing_family

Anyone who has ever believed that we're nuts to EDC gear like we do needs to join that family. For their sake I'm glad, as anyone would be, that they were found. It's amazing they went out into winter weather into the woods so unprepared.

Survival forum members rock!

I'm happy that they're all alive and unharmed.

After stories like these, I wish there were pictures of the places that the family sheltered, etc. Of course the priority is to get the people to safety, and not lose another person... It just makes curious...

In any case, he had a saw. What a difference something as simple as a lighter may have made. And a flashlight might have been nice. Et-cetera

From thoughts like that your mind starts going over the situation, or at least mine does...

The hazy dream lines warp the picture.
Doodle oodle doo
Doodle oodle doo

My first thought was that a GPS - especially one that had an electronic compass so it would point to where they want to go - would have saved them all the trouble and gotten them back to their truck (IF they'd have saved a waypoint at the truck). . .

But then I started thinking that they may still have gotten stuck in the truck because of the snow.

I keep coming back to the amazing PLB technology. Yes, it is kind of expensive, but it saves lives!

Ken K.

We can all probably list the things he did wrong. But it still goes to show that mental attitude is vital. He kept everyone's spirits up, didn't let the kids know he was scared, and used what he did have (common sense) to make the best of a bad situation.

The article says they sheltered in a culvert, but this morning there was a TV interview with the oldest boy, who talked about how the kids huddled under a tree whild the father cut branches and basically built a shelter around them.

First it's an EDC knife, then a lighter, then a GPS, next thing you know one of these guys will start carrying a backpack with equipment to build a shelter even though he doesn't plan to stay overnight. THEN he starts carrying a piece of gear he hopes to never use, he joins a forum much like this one and shakes his head when he reads about other clueless people getting stuck in a wilderness area.

I've never been stuck in the snow -- well okay, once twice with my Dad when I was a kid, but that's when I learned about limitations. I'll bet these kids are going through the shoulda, woulda, coulda thought process -- life lessons. Learning from your own mistakes is as good or better than learning from others, if you survive. These guys all made it -- class dismissed.

They can thank their lucky stars (and whomever else they might like to) that they survived.

<rant on>

I personally think that the father should be facing child welfare officals right now explaing why he put his children in such danger because of his poor planning skills.
Knowing that he is taking his children into the forest in winter and having absolutely no survival tools,very little knowledge of survival, food or water with him Just In Case is a criminal act in my mind.
He's a damned lucky fool in my book.
<rant off>

It is good to hear that everyone is safe.

The question I have from reading the article: Is it legal to go up into the mountains and harvest a Christmas tree anywhere in CA? Where were they that this was OK to do in the first place?

i live in ca and that was of my first thoughts when this event began.

from the chico, ca paper at:

http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_7765652

"Sams (childrens' mother) said Dominguez and the three siblings drove up after church on Sunday to cut a Christmas tree. They already had a tree permit and only planned to stay a short while. The snowstorm had not yet hit the area."

The problem is that the dad "planned" as much as any normal person and CPS would chalk ithis event up to an act of God, not poor planning. CPS (child protective services) probably would give the dad a medal since none of the kids died.

I've had to deal with child welfare officals a lot due to our adoptions. Saying anything more about them would enter political rant mode, so I'll stop now.

-Blast