http://people.com/human-interest/woman-a...e-says-sheriff/



I can understand chewing on pinetree twigs, might get some calories from them. But the part of urine-drinking...? If the trek was so exhausting then taking a handfull of snow now and then to keep hydrated should not be a problem since the body produce plenty of heat because of the exhausting trek through snow.

As I understand it, eating snow should not be done if you are staying put in one place and not moving.

Or am I thinking completly wrong?

I am having trouble thinking of why urine would be a better option than snow. If she was already cold, getting colder would have been an issue which may have been her thinking, but I'm still having trouble with urine being a better option. But I wasn't there and certainly wasn't in her head, so it's hard to judge. One thing to consider though is that she did survive; difficult to judge success too harshly.

Google maps, almost as good as no map at all (but that's just my opinion).

Reminds me of an aircrew whose navigator was using a computer printout in lieu of a real navigational chart. They impacted an island not represented on the chart; that was a long time back, but computers are still leaving stuff out.

Watching too many TV survival shows.

My understanding is that eating snow is unwise in MOST survival situations, but NOT always.
To melt snow needs a lot of heat, and the eating of snow can lower the body temperature to a dangerous degree if it is already cold.

Eating snow is actually advisable if one is becoming too warm. Exertion when dressed for the cold can easily result in overheating and significant sweating, which is most undesirable since it may result in excessive chilling when resting, and also the sweat represents water lost.
Winter clothing should therefore be in adjustable layers.

If one becomes a little too warm when walking or otherwise exerting oneself, then eating a mouthful of snow produces a prompt cooling effect, arguably quicker than by adjusting clothing. Repeat each time you feel even slightly too warm.

I was told this by an army officer experienced in cold weather operations.

If she took a survival course, it either wan't a very good one or she wasn't taking very good notes....

They never should have been stuck in the snowin the first place. North Rim of Grand Canyon is closed at this time of year and the main road was barricaded. How could they have not known?

Drinking urine simply overloads your kidneys - you are consuming more of the waste products your body has excreted and you will lose big time eventually. She survived in spite of drinking urine rather than because of doing so.

Much better to build a fire, melt water, even make a nice cup of tea, and really hydrate. Stay with the vehicle - don't go wandering off into country you don't know.

Evidently these folks were in unfamiliar surroundings and probably had no idea of how isolated one can be in the wild, wild West. I haven't been to the North Rim in a while, but I believe there are signs stating that the NR is closed during the winter. Of course, you must read and comprehend those signs...

Sometimes it is better to be lucky rather than good. They were lucky.

This entire trip should be a case study in what not to do. A college professor no less and had taken a survival course? North Rim access closed due to snow in winter is common knowledge. 10 minutes of trip planning on internet would have solved the issue of even thinking they could get to north rim. She is alive only due to fitness but hiked in wrong direction to get help. Husband goes to nearby high ground and gets phone coverage. This was disaster in the making and only dumb luck pulled them through. Use brain before opening. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns.

SPOT locator, at least a general map of the area, use of compass are all essential in addition to the other survival items. In this case they did not need to walk anywhere. Just stay with car. Oh, there was also a predicted and pending winter weather storm.

Maybe we should change our forum's name to "Just Don't Drink Your Own Pee" in the hope of reaching the public that seems set on urine-drinking immediately upon getting lost in the wild.

Pine twigs and urine sounds like my mother-in-law's cooking. Use the urine to get rid of the turpentine taste.

Once again, distasteful armchair comments written here, really dismay me and and serve as another reminder why this forum is slowly fading to irrelevance.

In a survival situation, there are only 2 possible outcomes; dead or alive.

This women and her family made some mistakes but in the end, they are all alive and that is all that matters.

Quite true and well worth noting. Survival is a pass/fail grading system.

Non the less, it is worth while critiquing these episodes because some classic errors were made -like leaving the vehicle, alone, with clearly no good information as to where to find assistance. This strategy often ends badly.

It very nearly did so in this case, at least is the description of the lady "being too exhausted to light a fire" is correct. If that is your true condition, you can be grateful for the arrival of Coconino County SAR, alerted by a timely phone call.

People in threatening situations who make better decisions just don't make the news because it so much more mundane - stay with the car, snuggle up and keep warm, find a high point and make a call - get assistance. End of story. Better drink urine if you wish to generate headlines.

By the way, Coconino County is one very large county, straddling the Grand Canyon and stretching from just south of Flagstaff to the Utah border, including both desert and high country and a lot of real estate that is hard traveling. When I began my career in the Nation park Service in 1962 at Wupatki national Monument, I was also a SAR volunteer for the county. It seems they are doing a much better job now than what we accomplished then.