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:




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.




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?

First, accept that some will complain your scenario is not specific enough.

Second, consider approaching the challenge like how-too-eat-an-elephant: one bite at a time. This forum generally endorses respect for preparation and analysis consistent with versions of the Rule of Threes: you can die within three - minutes without air, hours without shelter, days without water, and weeks without food. Also generally recognized as enhancing survival is to STOP: stop, think, observe, plan.

So stop: calm, self-treat, hydrate, and feed yourself; think: through your stay or go options against the Rule of Threes; observe: your injury, how self-treatment is working, the supplies and gear on hand; obstacles to self-rescue versus risks of staying put; and plan: the most reasonable response to your situation.

Consider a combination strategy, like a limited relocation to a more survivable location to see if some recovery time makes self-rescue more reasonable, puts you in cell phone range, and also makes you easier to find by others who may be in the area as well as SAR.

Using a broken leg as an example. The local SAR here encourages people to call for help if they truly feel that their lives and well being are at stake or that their non life threatening injuries can hinder them from making a safe exit from the environment. SAR would rather find you intact and one piece (albeit with some potential injuries) then be called out on a body recovery mission just because you made a poor decision to be a hero to yourself and affect an attempted self rescue.

It goes without saying that leaving a proper and detailed trip itineray and carrying a PLB is the most responsible and ultimate thing to do and people owe that much to themselves, their friends/family...and above all, to SAR.

And yes, I carry a PLB.

I think that absolutely the first order of business is to halt and carefully consider your circumstances. This is the whole reason behind stopping to brew "a nice cup of tea." Get the heart rate down, pull out the map, and evaluate as many factors impinging on this decision as you can.

Are you lost or are you injured? Can you figure out where you are and get unlost? Can you patch yourself up and travel or not?

Who knows you are missing, if anyone? When will they call SAR? Is SAR active in the area? Do you have any idea of their competence (less of an issue these days, at least in the USA or Canada)?

If you are hopelessly confused, it is almost always to stop traveling, find a favorable situation and start signaling and making our presence known. Same thing for a serious injury,as you define it. Don't worry about what others will say after the fact.

What is the state of the weather? If a storm is coming in, it will often be a good idea to shelter up, unless you are very close to the trail head.

Are you on a trail or in an area where you will encounter others? This makes a big difference.

What have you in the way of material resources? Can you make a fire and/or shelter? If you can't and you know the way to help (you are not lost) maybe you should go for it...

What do don't want to consider are circumstances outside your immediate situation. Do not worry about missing the Big Meeting, your plane flight, or little Sadie's birthday party. Those are trivial in the context in which you are situated. I mention this because there are instances where this clearly was a factor - like the gentleman who died trying to cross a flooding wash because he was missing the 1978 Super Bowl (Denver vs Dallas).

These are just some important considerations and I am sure other forum members will add to the list. Just a couple of final thoughts:

Historically, more people should have ceased traveling, forted up, and started vigorous signaling than did so. A good wood fire is an amazingly effective signal - draws SAR like flies to rotting meat. Of course you will consider the advisability of making a fire and you will do it properly. In recent years, there have been major fires started by lost individuals. Conditions vary widely. Light the fire, flash the mirror, and blow the whistle, and you will be found, in most circumstances, if not by SAR, then by someone you are annoying tremendously by making such a racket.

A special consideration in arid regions. If you are at or near a water source, seriously consider staying right there until someone comes along. In desert conditions, water is life, and its availability dwarfs all other considerations.

I am not sure the terms "right" or "wrong" really apply to most of these situations. You are evaluating probabilities and trying to increase the odds. There is no infallible, one-size-fits-all solution that will work every time, guaranteed or your money and life back.

If all else fails, recall the last words of Robert Falcon Scott, "We took chances, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, therefore we have no cause for regret."

Good thread. Let the games begin......

Lots of variables to this one.

Seems like the question that needs to be answered is whether you'll make things worse by attempting self-rescue rather than better. "Things" in this case being the overall situation.

Answering that question requires some real solid, clear thinking while under duress - which may be the hardest part of the problem.

GREAT answer dweste!! There's another thread right now talking about the importance of flexibility in survival and I think that's key, along with being prepared. There are a gazillion scenarios we could think through, but if you try to figure out a black and white plan for everything before hand, you're limiting yourself. Absolutely think about possible scenarios and responses but you won't know until you're actually in a situation, and even then it'll be fluid. Every decision you make will impact the next one.

It's obvious that if no rescue will be launched, you're intact and know how to get where you need to be, you should attempt self-rescue. It's equally obvious that if you have a cellphone, a satphone, a PLB, a flaregun, a mirror, a whistle and a red hanky it might be best to treat your shattered legs while signaling for help.

The hard part is thinking things through dispassionately, making decisions based on data and logic rather than emotion. This, to me, is the true value of STOP.

Your body and your mind interact -- if you're running around in circles it influences your mind to higher states of anxiety. If you physically stop, treat any wounds, get around some hot beverage and/or food, the calming effect on your body will have a calming effect on your mind.

Please forgive the length of the following post. Both of the incidents given below occurred with small groups and not solo trips but I wanted to relay them.

While on a climbing trip with six people total, one of the members of our group slipped and injured his leg during the descent of a steep creek bed on the way down the mountain. We stopped, brewed tea, assessed the patient and made a plan.

Given the signs and symptoms presented by the injured person we suspected a possible fractured tibia/fibula and no other injuries or illness. Using foam sleeping pads we applied an improvised splint. Given our location, about a mile and several hundred vertical feet from the vehicles, we decided to self evacuate. The patient was stable, the weather reasonable and even though all of us were a bit tired from a couple of days of climbing the five of us felt strong enough to lift and move the injured person.

We built an improvised litter/travois and carefully moved down the trail in stages of about 50 yards. We made it to the cars, loaded the patient in and drove to the hospital with out incident. I'm even proud to say, the ER staff was so impressed with our splint they commented on the quality. And since it was made of radiolucent materials, they left in place until after the x-rays were done and it was time to put a cast on the patient.

We, the five non-injured climbers were able to safely evacuate an injured friend without much risk but a lot of hard work. Later, we discussed what we would have done if the accident had occurred much higher on the mountain. Our plan then wouldn't have been much different except to send someone out to get help as the rest of us attempted to the evacuation. Given the terrain of the peak, combing self rescue with outside help would have been a reasonable option since our moving the patient would have only made things easier for air or land based SAR. If we had not felt this was the case and sought outside help, we would've stayed put in a good spot to avoid making things worse.


On another climbing trip, at 17,000' on Denali, one of our party members experienced some very suspicious and severe chest pains along with some other symptoms. We called for help right away, even though others in the group and I had on previous trips been able to lower altitude sick persons down "rescue gully" and evacuate them to the 14,000' camp. In the instance a helicopter rescue was an option, the weather was not bad but unstable and the patient exhibited signs and symptoms of a possibly life threatening condition. The helicopter was able to land and evacuate the patient off of the mountain to medical care.

I guess that this long post was to give examples where self rescue was a reasonable option versus calling for an emergent evacuation. I think it comes down to making the decision based on how much risk/suffering the self/group evacuation will create versus calling for help. My own bias is to always self evacuate when possible, I will limp, hobble or crawl my way out alone or if in a group, do my best to self evacuate others. I am not anti-SAR and would certainly not decline help if available or refuse to call for help if needed.

All that being said, having a trip plan and leaving the information with reliable people can save you when circumstances make it difficult to get out alone. This might be as simple as sending a text to a friend and saying something like "running trail xyz, back at 7p." and texting them when you get back.

Most of the comments seem pretty on track.

I think that if self rescue is a reasonable option for you or your group, then you should do it.

If self rescue is going to cause more harm or is really risky, then better to sit tight* -- if you've filed your trip plan and have the means to signal and all that.

If you're out where no one knows where you are a la Aaron Ralston, then you're now channeling Sir Douglas Mawson.

HJ

*An exception might be something like a rattle snake bite. Time is of such an urgency that you might want to pursue both options simultaneously.

In all situations the safety of the non-injured is really vital. A drowning lifeguard is of no help to anyone.

All good considerations!

Sitting down and thinking about the situation is crucial. If there is an injury, how bad is it, and would it be better tomorrow? Trying to walk on a fractured leg can be fatal if the bone slips and punctures a vein or artery.

Backtracking (if possible) could be a best idea. You might reach a point where you realize where you are (if lost).

The worst things to do are to charge ahead, continuing to travel after dark in rough country, and using up all your resources (self and supplies) in a poorly-planned, full-speed-ahead charge into worse trouble.

I suspect that many people who ignore any thoughts to stop, conserve resources (including energy) and build a signal fire are thinking that getting rescued is too embarrassing, or they aren't doing enough.

Many, many people make bad decisions in just everyday life, and I'll bet they don't do much better in emergencies. People making a simple long-distance car trip often ignore the basics. You all know guys (sorry guys, but it IS a guy thing) who absolutely, positively insist on pushing on, despite weariness, a funny noise in the engine, etc, just to get somewhere right away. Why? Is there a prize or something? Is it a race? There is rarely a good reason to force yourself (and others) to get somewhere ASAP when there's no reason for it.

Deal with the situation as it exists, not like how you would like it to be.

Sue