When you're totally prepared, it's called "camping".

Welcome aboard, Michael!

And no worries... Asking questions is a good way to find the answers you're looking for... That and the search function... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Not too long ago I was in a situation where I took a wrong turn on a trail and instead of hiking the three miles I thought I was going to, I ended up having to do eight or so (estimate). It was getting dark, and if I hadn't managed to orient myself and pick up the pace I would have had to stay the night as they close the gates of the park at sunset and my car would have been trapped until sunrise.

If I had not managed to get my bearings to at least get to the car for the night, I had my small bug out bag with me, and within it was everything I would have needed to make it through the night without much hassle.

In truth, I probably would have actually enjoyed it... Well, except for the embarrassment of explaining to the rangers why I was camping in an undesignated spot without a permit.

I had informed family members where I was, but I also had a cell phone with me and probably could have hiked to a spot outside of the park where I could get a good signal.

But as other's have mentioned, it would have been more an inconvenience than a survival situation as I was prepared... Not to mention the fact that the park is surrounded by major roads and barring injury if I had maintained a constant direction using my compass I would have gotten to a road before any real emergency situation had set in. It would have been a heck of a hike, but it would have been do-able.

In any case, I got to my car and out of the park before the gates were locked.

On the last mile or so, my hike turned into a jog and under the trees, though the sun had not set, the trail was getting very dark. Thank goodness I had a flashlight. It was the only piece of "survival gear" I needed that day.

Still, when I analyze the situation, I come to a few conclusions about what I did right and wrong.

What I did wrong:
1. Knowing that I had gotten a late start in the day, I should have hiked on ground that I knew well rather than trying out an entirely new area that I was completely unfamiliar with.
2. Instead of attempting to memorize the "easy" map at the trail head, I should have gotten a real map.
3. Once I got to mile three and realized I was nowhere near where I expected to be, meaning the trail ending at the far side of the parking area, I should have backtracked.
4. At mile four(ish) I should have stopped the biker I saw coming off a side trail and asked how far I was from where I needed to be.
5. Instead of parking in a part of the lot that was under construction, under trees with low hanging branches, in between mounds of dirt and gravel, I should have parked in a spot where my car would have been more visible.
6. I was taking a chance by jogging on a small path in the dark by flashlight. I could have been injured.
7. I had no real way of knowing if I was going to make it to my car in time if at all, had worked up a good sweat and it was getting chilly. Though I had the means to make a shelter and a fire, a few missteps could have seen me cold and wet as it got colder and I began to prepare for the overnight stay.

What I did right:
1. I never really panicked.
2. On hikes my small BOB goes with me. It includes my large PSK, small FAK, food, water, a knife and more.
3. I had my small PSK with me as well.
4. When I realized that I might be stuck in the woods for the night, I began to strategize. I decided what I would do in case I couldn't find my car, in case I found my car and couldn't make it out and so on.
5. I maintained a sense of humor about the situation.

As I mentioned above, barring injury, even in the worse case scenario, I most likely would have only been embarrassed by the whole ordeal. It was a learning experience though.

Yes, there are people who are totally prepared, but you never hear about them because like duckear said, they were just camping, at worst they were inconvenienced. Any time a situation turns on SAR, people are going to dissect what happened, whether they live or not. What did they do wrong, what did they do right, how can we learn from this experience. . . It's not about throwing stones and piling on, it's about learning.

The guy who was recently rescued off the cliff face is going through this process himself. He admits he screwed up, left some of his gear at the bottom rather than carrying it. Fortunately, he brought that PLB so he's around to critique himself. Many aren't so we do it for them. He's even critiquing the PLB and it saved his life.

Great points! Again, great comments and responses. You folks put issues in the proper persepective. I will continue to lurk between the postings and enjoy your comments and learn more.

Now, if we could just convince my family and friends that I ain't the winner of a loony bed in the State hospital, that warm and fuzzy feeling will return.

Michael

I have (sort of):

my introduction post

Welcome!

Good question.

I'm new to the forum also. So from one newbie to another, welcome.

I can only echo some of the sentiments already posted. If you are prepared, it's an inconvenience that will never make the news. If not, then it becomes a life threatening emergency.

I grew up in Arizona (but now live in NYC) so most of my outdoor experience is in the desert. My friends and I liked to camp and 4 wheel, so we had a few close calls. Fortunately, my father was a WWII vet who fought in North Africa. He knew about desert survival and took great pains to teach me all he had learned. The most important lesson was, as I am sure you have heard many times before on this forum, to be prepared.

I have on more than one occasion had to hike back to town after getting the 4WD stuck. (One of the "virtues" of owning a 4wd is that you can get stuck farther from a paved road than the guy who only owns a 2wd.) I always carried water, food, a compass, and a flashlight among other things. So the worst I ever suffered was sunburn and sore muscles. Without water at the least, I can think of more than one time when things could have turned out much worse.

One of the great virtues of this forum is that there are several very knowledgable people here who expertly analze the mistakes others have made. That has helped me be able to analyze the mistakes I have made, and hopefully adjusted my strategies and preparation accordingly. But only time will tell.

Welcome to ETS.
Truth is no you can never be too prepared but that said chances are that you can't always have that preparation available.
One needs to develop survival SKILLS and KNOWLEDGE before toys and gear.
I could give a lot of people I know a box of matches, tinder, a knife, cordage and a tarp and they would not know what to do with it even after watching all of the past seasons of "Survivor".
On the other hand being able to survive with nothing takes skill and knowlegde that allows you to use what is available.
For me if I have a knife and a way to make a spark I am pretty good to go in a lot of situations. To enhance my abilities I try to learn about primitive and early American skills. These everyday skills our ancestors new kept them alive more than just their preparation. For instance look at the typical "possibilities bag" carried by trappers and mountain men. A few tools to take advantage of a lot of skill and knowledge.
Learning how early peoples improvised shelter, containers, cordage, fire tools and the like allows you to use what is available if you find yourself without your survival preparations.

The guy that cliffed out in Texas was lucky to have his PLB but he was irresponsible in his climb. Hikers do this all the time and are the majority of "climbing rescues".
He should have planned his route better, took some technical gear (even just a rope to lower off of) and maybe backed off instead of proceeded (don't climb what you can't surely downclimb). His PLB made up for his stupidity.
He may be lucky and smart for taking a PLB but that is about it.

When you're totally prepared, it's called "camping".
<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Very funny.

My version of the truth is that no one can be totally prepared for everything. Conduct a sound, realistic threat assessment and keep reviewing and revising your personal preps as best as you can with the resources that are available to you. No one can attain "perfection" and if they could, time demands updating and upgrading, so the job is never completed.