Just got my March edition of Outdoor Life magazine. It has eleven pages of interesting survival stuff. Pictures of suggested equipment, etc. along with a survival quiz. Worth the price (US$3.99).

Enjoy,

Boone

Here's a link to the online article, if it's the same one. Looks like a very cool website in general- lots of information over many topics.
Jason

Wow, after going through the quiz what was really interesting is that it shows you how other people voted. At the time I took it, over 40% of the people taking it said to put a pebble in your mouth to slow dehydration on question #3. Incredible. The crowd did pretty good on most answers from the looks of things, but some of those percentages are pretty wild.
Jason

I saw the issue and picked it up.

The information in the interviews with the Maine Guide, Coastguardsman (Semper P!), and the Air Force SERE instructor seemed to have some solid information, just not in depth. The kit the SERE instructor recommended is strikingly similar to the contents of Doug's PSP - great minds must think alike.

The in depth recommended gear was OK, someone could do a lot worse. I wasn't a fan of the Rambo looking knife that was recommended, nor the signal mirror without a sighting hole, but they did recommend carrying a PLB, which probably makes Doug happy. (Anyone have any experience with that "fill and drink" water filter bottle? Looked like a good idea)

I didn't think the quiz was too bad, not as controversial to me as the Field and Stream quiz last month.

And one of the best parts was the "From the Editor" where he talks about the Kim family and the hope that others will be inspired to become prepared for emergencies from that tragedy.

All in all, a decent issue, and lots of other information on spring gobblers, massively huge bucks, and an elk hunt if that's your thing...

Matt

Yup, not as bad as the F&S quiz, but still, I hate answers like this one: "...The answer is A and, possibly, D..." That is how the state tests that I had to take for 30 years were, drives me nutso...

I got the issue too. and read it I like what was said but with htere were picturs uf the air force guys kit and just what his KNIFE looked like. His kit did sound like Dougs kit. Here is what I carry.


Take care,
Bryan

Thanks for the kind words, folks! Glad you enjoyed---this was a fun article to do. Rich Johnson (contributed to "Prepared to Survive" DVD) contacted us from Outdoor Life to contribute to the Mar 07 issue.

As far as the survival kit items I suggested, good suggestions are pretty universal. You quickly figure out through trial and error what works and what doesn't. We here at schoolhouse, along with Cody Lundin, Doug Ritter, John McCann, et al, have all seem to agree on tried and true suggestions for basic kit items without having ever having worked directly with each other. THIS IS A GOOD THING!!!!! Quickly (and hopefully) we can eventually clear up misconceptions regarding what is quality/practical/useful and what is crap! I have read many an article where I felt I could have strangles the author :-). Good info is now abundant......

I did not get a chance to contribute any pictures of my kit items, though. If you would like any clarification on gear I use in my job, please feel free to ask. I can almost guarantee you it is about the same stuff you use!

This website is a terrific resource and place to share ideas----keep up the great work everyone!

Regards,
TapCode USAF SERE

"Oddly enough, a cave is a dangerous place in a lightning storm."

Can anyone give me the rationale behind this statement? What's so dangerous about it?

I've heard that under overhangs or caves during a lightning strike it can arc through the gap. If you're in that gap, that would be what we call a 'bummer'.

Didn't find a lot of detail but just another mention in this article. Spooky about the photos near the bottom.

J

IIRC, the reason caves are dangerous in a thunderstorm is because the current from the lightning strike is trying to get to the watertable, if there is a hollow space with a nice conductive object in it (you) it may try to go that way instead of through the rock. I would assume that this applies to caves in the side of mountains which are likely to be hit. Caves deep underground are probably not what is meant by this warning.