Inspired by the "it even happens to the best.."-thread, but I thought this topic was worthy of a separate discussion.

When is it right to huddle together, conserve energy and resources and essentially just sit there and wait for the cavalry/SAR/helitransport/whatever to arrive? Or do you do stuff similar to this:

Originally Posted By: njs

Sir Douglas Mawson tied the skin from the soles of his frozen feet back on and kept walking alone in Antarctica to get to help. He was probably not in much pain though since frozen feet don't hurt until they thaw anyway.



Self rescue was the only option way back when for Sir Mawson in Antarctica: Get out or die. That makes for a fascinating story, but I am more interested in when you have a CHOICE, but the outcome is in no way guaranteed:
- You can MAYBE hobble back to civilization
- You can sit tight and MAYBE you will be found and rescued.


Originally Posted By: njs

My point is that people can keep going while tired, injured and in pain if they want to and try.


My basic gut feeling impulse is self-reliance no matter what, except when I am responsible for others. Such as kids (my own or others) that I've dragged out into the bush: My threshold for asking for help is a lot lower then.

I've realized that it is very smart to work on this impulse and accept that I, too, will be overpowered by the elements and circumstances and need to not only accept help when offered but also ask for assistance.

Some obvious cases: If I break my leg within cell coverage I will call for help. Depending on circumstances, injury or location I might call my wife, a taxi, an ambulance or qualified SAR personnel. I have no intention of repeating the deeds of Sir Mawson just to prove my manlyhood or save the taxpayer's money when help is so easily available. But I would probably hobble back out if the injury wasn't too bad and not too painful. I can endure quite a bit of discomfort when I have to, but I am firmly opposed to masochistic and unnecessary suffering.


With proper preparation (leave a game plan, bring a PSK, bivy bag) and the existence of PLBs (which I don't own - at least not yet) there are very few and rare circumstances when self rescue is your ONLY option.

Most S&R advice I've seen are very biased towards making people sit still and wait for rescue. Following this advice would prevent you from getting REALLY lost, wandering into an area that has been marked as "searched - not there" or otherwise digging yourself deeper into trouble. I try to train myself mentally to accept this as the right course of action in many circumstances (it goes against my impulse, so it takes a bit of training), but I am not willing to accept the "hug-a-tree" advice as the ONLY acceptable option.


So - when do you hobble back, ignoring pain and discomfort? When do you call for the cavalry, make yourself as comfortable as possible and wait for help?