I would like to see what skills and PSK items you guys would use in a specific survival situation.

Imagine you have driven to a remote location that is a pine tree forest. You get out of your vehicle to explore. When you got out of your car the sky was clear and it was about 76. You have your PSK with you. You are dressed in sneakers, jeans, a polo style shirt and a hat. You have been wandering around for some time. There is about two hours before sunset. The sky has grown dark and it is getting windy. It is starting to rain hard and you realize you are lost and going to have to spend the night where you are. It will rain on and off all night. The temperature will get down to the low 40s. You are in danger of hypothermia. If you do not do something to stay warm and dry you will be dead by morning. If you survive the night, in the morning you will climb a hill and see the sun’s reflection off of the glass windows of your vehicle, it is about two miles away. You will take a bearing with your compass and walk back to your vehicle and drive home.

Given that you have to do something to stay warm and dry to survive what skills and what items from your PSK will your use? Keep in mind it is now wet, windy, and raining. I’ll give my answer in another post.

Thanks!

I assume nobody is looking for me and my cellphone is not working.

The first thing I do is break out my $.99 poncho from my PSK and put it on. While it is still light I then gather twice as much wood as I think I am going to need for a fire. I cover this firewood with my space blanket to keep it from getting too soaked. I then use the remaining daylight to build a debris shelter consisting of deadfall, pine boughs, and the 20' of paracord I have. When that is done I uncover my firewood. While I use the space blanket to catch rainwater into my 3 breast milk bags, I then make a small fire at the entrance using my premade tinder. I then use the space blanket as a reflector for the fire. Finally I make some hot boullion in my BCB tin. I think 2 cups will be sufficient. I replenish my water supply at some point during the night with the aid of my Photon 3, making sure I have enough for 2 cups of hot coffee in the morning. I shiver all night, but in the morning I'm alive.

First I would break out my .99 rain poncho; than I'd dig into the pine needle a bit to find some dry ones to stuff my pants and shirt with needles. I'd pitch my Space blanket into an pup tent style configuration. I'd stuff it with three feet of pine needles; get in and pack it down, put in another three feet or so, than dig into the middle of it all and sleep as snug as a bug in a rug. (It may be a bit itchy at first, but I'd be warm and dry).

I like the other follows idea of catching rain water too.

Than in the morning, it’s off to Starbucks baby!!

Amen Norad.

I would add that since i checked the forecast (you should always do that in CO) I was prepared for cold, rainy weather and had the appropriate gear in my Camelback. <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I guess I'm gonna hijack this.

[color:"red"] What if you had a PLB? Would you use it in a situation like this?[/color]

I guess I wouldn't right away, partially because of the embarrassment and potential cost of having SAR dispatched, and partially because I have spent nights out in that sort of weather. But that could all change at some point durning the night.

The ground rules were given, and PSK was with you. If you have a PLB in your PSK, then why not use it?

If I was truly lost, had been walking for miles in the forest, nobody knew I was there, and temps were dropping to 40? Of course I would probably try to hunker in first, but there are a LOT of factors that make me think a PLB might be the way to go. Why have it if not for use in an emergency.

Of course, it's HIGHLY unlikely any such situation would arise with a person carrying that equipment in the first place. Not impossible, but it seems to me someone with the knowledge to purchase a PLB either has way too much cash on hand or would be prepared to go on that little trek in the first place.

My call would be "Do I think I can get myself out of this?" If I do, then I would hunker down for the morning sun. If not, I guess I'm paying for a rescue effort. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sounds about like my plan, but I'd use zip ties on parts of the shelter, and use my second contractor bag as part of it.

If I can find a good source for it, I want to get a 5'x9' chunk of tyvek house wrap. If I can fold it up small enough, I'll add it to my kit. Reinforce the corners with ducttape and put in some rivets, and instant shelter.

Great answers! Keep 'em coming!

This is a chance for you to think about how you would actually use your PSK.

No cell phones, PLB or simple outs. Everyone here has picked their PSK items with care. How are you going use these items to stay warm and dry so you do not get hypothermia?

The different uses for a Space Blanket are great! I just wonder how it would really work when it is windy. I have played with mine when it is windy and it is a real pain to control it. They tend to tear very easily. Also what and how can your attach it so it will make a heat reflector or wind break? Duct tape on the corners will allow you to tie cord to it and the cord to something. I'm not sure a Space Blanket can break the wind without tearing? I'm talking the thin kind, not the HD Space Blanket.

I switched my space blanket to the adveture med. Heatsheet® Two Person Survival Blanket. I wourks great and doesn't go into self destruct. (http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/) The switch was based on Doug's review and I would never go back.

I would be using my AMK blanket as a rain shield.

I would try at least a few sets of three blasts on my whistle.

If no response, build a fire. If its already raining, I would probably pass up the Spark-lite, and use my storm matches and a Spark-lite tinder tab. I would prepare additional tinder and try to scrape some wood dry using my knife. After fire is going, I would look for more wood, but not leave site of the fire. After I have enough wood for the night I would try to constuct some sort of shelter using the duct tape, AMK blanket, p-cord, and surroundings. Throughout all of this I would keep blowing my whistle at regular intervals, ya never know, ya might be just over the hill from a campground. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Keep 'em coming! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

If you would build a fire or shelter please detail how you would get dry wood, build a fire lay (if any), light the fire, construct your shelter etc.

This is valuable information for all of us. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Thanks!

Here is a fire lay that I am a big fan of. With enough patience in material gathering constructing the lay, it's always lit with one match when dry. If it was wet, a tinder quick or candle stub would help it go real quick too.

It's a basic lean to fire lay, using a large log (4-8") for the support. Dig/gouge with a stick, a small air trench (2 in deep, 2 in wide) about an inch from the base of the log in a parallel fashion. Take 3-5 pencil thick sticks and lay them across the trench, close enough to support your tinder but far enough to ensure air circulation. Then using the tried and true methods of progressively larger kindling (I start with TINY stuff, like pencil lead size), you lay those above the tinder pile, using the large log for support. When you light said fire, you can use the trench to get the match right under your tinder, and the trench supplies lots of air (which you can multiply by gentle blowing, a lost art in firecraft) so that the fire catches and grows quickly. I'm sure all of you know, but I really like "pine snaps" or "squaw wood" for kindling (the dead, always dry wood at the bottom of a pine tree) and pine pitch/dry pine needles if I have matches.

The real keys in firecraft are a) getting oxygen to the fire b) gathering enough tinder, kindling, and fuel so that you don't have to run off and gather more before you fire dies c) the patience to do things right. 90% of firemaking is done before the sparks fly or the match is struck.

Just my two bits.

The reason I gathered the firewood first and covered it was so (hopefully) it would remain dry. If that were not possible, or if the wood on the ground were already soaked, I would strip the dead branches off the bases of trees. Those would be dry enough to ignite with my PSK tinder.

For my shelter I would take an 8'-10' dead pine and lash it with paracord into the crotch of another tree 2' or so off the ground. I would then stack smaller dead branches perpendicular (is that the right word?) all along both sides of my ridgepole, lashing a few of them, particularly if it is windy. I would then finish off with green pine boughs. Some pine boughs for a mattress would finish it off. Sounds comfy--now I need a nap. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Some other things to consider. If your shelter is big enough to sit up in it's probably too big. Watch out for "Widowmakers", and stay away from tall trees if you are expecting lightning.

Scott,

That is a great description of your fire lay! Have you seen the picture of the fire lay in the PSP instructions? PSP Instructions It sounds similar. Air space under your fire lay is one of those magic kind of things. In the PSP fire lay Doug uses a row of sticks to to put the log/brace on then he shows the tinder at the base and kindling formed into an "A" shape leaned on the log/brace.

I think this is an important scenario because it is my understanding that this situation is the one where most people die. They are just out for a day hike, they are not dressed to spend the night, they get lost and bad weather sets in. The next thing you know: lost hiker found dead from exposure. We have the PSKs how would we survive?

Nice Scenario Craig. Thermo regulate, Hydrate, Communicate. I like that.

Thermo-regulate: In this situation I would first put-on some sort of poncho, garbage bag, whatever rain protection is in your PSK. I would then spread a space-blanket or bag over the area where you plan to sleep, so it doesn't continue to get wet.

You will stay warm expending energy gathering fire wood. If you are in a pine forest I would then search for fatwood; it doesn't matter if it's raining. A pine forest has a lot of hidden fuel in the dead wood; under pine trees, dead pines, logs etc, many sources for limbs twigs and fatwood. Even live pine trees that have been scarred may be seeping pitch. The best source for fatwood is a place on a dead tree that been scarred and healed over, and/or, a pitch knot. A pitch knot is that portion of a tree that is left after a pine decomposes on the forest floor. These pitch knots are sections where a limb grew from a tree; they are dense with pitch and that's why they do not decompose as fast as the rest of the tree.

Start a fire with your fuel laden wood in an area protected by the wind and in a place where you can reflect the heat off your space blanket lean-to onto the place where you are setting up a spot to sleep out of the rain.

Hydrate: it's raining....collect the water off your space blanket lean-to.

Communicate: In the morning climb the hill and locate the car .

I would be exploring with my Camlbak. It has my PSK items and a lot of water.

I would expect to be suffering from fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is also true that as you get hypothermic you get clumsy and stupid. Remembering is probably going to be poor as well as fine motor skills. The biggest problem for me is realizing I am in trouble and I need to stop what I am doing and go into survival mode.

My assumption is that it has started raining and will continue on and off for the rest of the night. There are wind gusts that go along with a rainstorm. To survive the night I need to stay as warm and dry as possible.

I would walk under a tree that looked dry at the base. I would put on my $0.99 poncho and I would take my shoes off and put grocery store produce bags over my socks and put my shoes back on. Thank you Willy Whitefeather! I?d hang my Storm whistle on my neck and give three blasts once in a while.

Stories I have read about Native Americans saying you should take care of shelter first. I would look up and all round for a good spot that was safe and provided the best shelter from the wind. Not at the bottom of a hill, any dead branches waiting to fall on me, etc. I would pull out one of my clear trash bags and start collecting dry pine needles from under trees. I would dump it in a nice big pile to sleep on. I would then take out my Orange, 3mil, Coghlan Survival Bag (84? x 36?) with strips and cord already attached. I would stake the closed end with one of the 4 thin steel stakes I carry with the bag. Then I would roll the bag out over the pile of pine needles and stake the front with the two strips of duct tape with a steel washer in them. Then I would tie the top cord to a pine tree and snug it up with the pre-tied taught line knot. Now I would fill up the clear trash bag again and put it in the Survival Bag. Then I would take out my second clear bag and do the same thing. I should now have an insulated and dry place to sleep. I will slide into the Survival Bag and have the clear bags with pine needles over me to keep me warm. Thank you Hoods Woods!

The next order of business is to get a fire going. When it starts to get dark I?ll put on my Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp. I would find a good spot by my shelter bag and clear the ground around it. I would then look at the bottoms of the trees for tinder and kindling. If there are any stumps around I will see if they have pitchwood. If there are branches that could be used as fuel I?ll use my Gerber Sportsman?s saw to cut them to a usable size. While sheltered under a tree, as much as possible, I will use my Mora and a piece of wood to split the wood into usable kindling. The split wood should be dry. I?ll set up a fire lay like the one in the PSP instructions. A row of sticks for the bottom. A fuel size log for the brace. I will then put what tinder I have found at the base and lay kindling in an ?A? shape over it. I will then put a Coghlan?s Emergency Tinder with the tinder. If I have any pitchwood I will put that with the kindling leaned on the brace. I will then take another Coghlan?s Emergency Tinder and wrap it around the end of a stick. I will light it with the back of my Leatherman saw blade and a ferro rod. I?ll take the burning stick and light the tinder of the fire lay and set it in place with the rest of the kindling. In a few minutes the fire should be big enough to put fuel on. The fire should help me get back up to a healthy core temperature. I?ll take out my 36? x 36? aluminum sheet and fold it into a cup. I?ll take out a tea bag and heat up some tea while it gets cold and dark. I?ll sip my tea and eat a snack bar. I?ll then take out my stocking cap for my head, a bandanna around my neck and put on my leather gloves. I?ll set my Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp to blink and put it somewhere that it can be seen from the sky. Then I?ll take off the poncho and duct tape it around the top of the shelter bag to keep rain from coming in. I'll wrap myself in my AMK blanket. I expect the fire to die out as I am in my shelter bag. If I get too cold I?ll have to get up and get the fire going again.

Any comments or critique would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have noticed that a number of responses include using pine needles and or pitch wood from conifers. I took a short hike a while ago around one of our state parks and noticed that it was older hardwood forest, without a pine tree/needle in sight. When leaves from hardwood trees get wet, they tend to matt down and remain damp/wet.

Anyone with some thoughts on how to achieve similar results, with respect to bedding, insulation, shelter, fire building that people are describing in a coniferous treed area, but in deciduous forest?

Pete

Pete,

You are the master!

Tell us what you saw there that could be used. The good news is that under the trees will be drier and the wood will burn longer than conifers.

Well so far this year, it has been a relatively dry winter, so most of the leaves, especially on the surface are dry (some underlying leaves were damp to wet). Unfortunately, dry leaves, tend to crumple and therefore I would suspect they would offer little insulative properties. On the other hand, which I did not test out since no open fires are permitted, was if the leaves would offer a good tinder option.

There were a number of downed trees, which I am sure were in various stages of decay and would likely have some punked wood or fungus for tinder. There was and continues (lots of brush fires this time of the year) to be a significant amount of dry underbrush, twigs/branches for tinder and kindling.

Plenty of large rock faces in which to reflect heat back.

Very little running water, as most small streams are dry right now.

Pete

Use pine boughs topin the space blanket over a makeshift ridgepole?

Ok, first off, I would not be caught DEAD wearing jeans in that environment . Jeans being cotton get wet very easily. They don't dry worth a damn and they suck heat and therefore life from you like a vampire. If you are wearing them - take them off! You are better off with bare legs. The polo shirt is ok, provided it's polycotton and you have had the brains to bring an appropriate warm layer and hat with you. Paclite gortex jacket ( and trousers if you have 'em), poncho and lines for rigging ( I carry the poncho, 4 mini carabiners, tent guylines and an extra 20ft of line in the same stuff sack. calories in what ever form you fancy including an instant warm drink of some description , bottle or bladder pack of water and something to brew up in (tin cup). Head torch and a few wet fire cubes, firelighting kit and knife as well. Folding saw. The whole lot should fit comfortably in a 20L daysack. Get the poncho up. get under it. sit on your bag. brew up, consider you situation and wait for sunrise. The only thing you need to really worry about is that trees around you don't topple over and there are no widow maker branches above you. In fact you might want to consider, having checked the weather forcast ( Bright and Sunny a.m, High winds and rain moving in from the North East midafternoon or evening) not going walkabout in the first place. Woodland hills etc become very hazardous enviroments in high wind and wet conditions. Anyone who wants to live long enough to Be An Embarrassment to their Kids would do well to exercise a bit of caution and common sense in these matters. After all, you wouldn't fly a plane, without desperate need, into a storm would you? Ultimately the best way to survive a situation is not to be there.