'He'd been trained in mountaineering survival techniques in the Marines, even winning the award of “most likely to survive,” he said...'

I guess he's forgotten a few things since his training. How bulky is some firemaking equipment?

Sue

Whew, I finally got my web site back up.

The complete article is on the home page.

www.outdoorquest.biz

I love it! A quote from said hunter:

But, he said, he would tell other people not to do what he did.

“You don't want to be a lone hunter,” he said. “This has turned out fortunately because I had the knowledge and training. ... Follow the general rule: Have a partner.”

Yeah, the training really helped! I'm glad he didn't die but it looks more like dumb luck than training. Especially he did nearly everything wrong.

Luck, yes, but also one heck of a will to survive. He did some really dumb stuff (no fire making equipment? Huh?), but his making rhymes for himself and visualizing his family is classic survival psychology. Glad he made it, and I hope he serves as a cautionary tale for at least a few.

HJ

I don't disagree with you, HK- I just wish his hubris hadn't survived with him. He was plucky but also lucky.

We discuss these situations in order to learn. The lesson to learn here is - How much easier would it have been for this victim if he had carried a basic kit to make fire and even something to fabricate a shelter?

A well thought out, Altoids-sized tin, equipped for fire making and carried in a shirt pocket, would have been an enormous benefit. Add to that the basics for some sort of shelter, which need not be very bulky, and this guy would not have been a headline.

Also, equip yourself for short trips as well as long trips. Both can easily devolve into survival episodes.

Personally, I would leave the horse at home. Big animals just add complexity. But that is just me

Based on the two articles on Outdoorquest´s website I find little evidence for the status of his hubris.


I think that guy would have been dead within a few hours if he hadn't been found exactly when he was. I would be very surprised if he himself hasn't realize that - in particular given his level of training and experience. But his inner reflections on that may not be the sort of thing he wishes to publish in the newspaper...

He is a good example that armed with nothing but good clothing and knowledge you can squeeze out a few days when stuck out in the wild. But not more than that - at one point, even the toughest will cave in.


I admire this guys mental survival attitude, which I frankly is a good example for us all.

Apart from that, there's the usual arsenal of lessons for optimizing your chances for survival prior to getting that deep into trouble. Leave a game plan, fire making, PLB etc etc, ya all know the drill.