Basic Survival Skills that shouldn’t be complicate

The latest version of Firefox keeps showing me links to various articles on getpocket.com. The original article of one of the latest is: How to Start a Fire, Plus 15 Other Outdoor Skills That Aren't Complicated

The answers to some of the questions are almost tongue in cheek...

The section on first aid is a little sparse to say the least. Other things like walking out deserve a caveat to not die of exposure in the process. Go early while you still have strength or don’t go at all.

They need a #16 regarding when to activate your PLB...

#9 is a whopper! I can think of many situations where walking downhill is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

I guess the author never heard the term "gravity trap" before.

I was going to say, about 90% of searches (and fatalities in winter) near Donner pass and the Squaw/Alpine ski areas at Lake Tahoe, CA are from people heading off the backside downhill into massive drainages that can go 100 miles before reaching civilization (the Western States 100 mile foot race follows one drainage). Try that in 2 feet of fresh snow and you are doomed.

If people would just climb back up the quarter mile to the road or ski trail, they would be fine.

#2 is a little dodgy as well. It's a bigger deal not to pitch your tent where a flash flood will sweep you way and to make sure you're not under a "widowmaker" than it is to make sure you're not sleeping on small rocks!

I don´t quite understand what this "drainage" is in this context. A quick explanation, please?

"drainage" equals "watershed" - the area "drained' eventually by a stream and its tributaries.

How about Death Valley?

OK, thanks! Now I´m on the map.

That whole article was a bag of WTF.

The "go downhill" wasn't necessarily wrong, just imparts a sense of false security.


I mean, 100 miles to a road still gets you to a road ... the article didn't specify a distance. Or other issues. Just throw your trash pile home together and you'll be fine. (eyeroll)

The Walk downhill and or follow a stream reminds me of the story of a couple who were visiting the San Jacinto mountain, went off trail and got lost for 3 days.

"In the morning, they struggled to follow a stream downhill through boulder-strewn terrain..."(1) which basically got them trapped.

Amazingly, they discovered the pack of a lost hiker who had died and were able to use the contents to eventually get rescued. The story was also featured on an episode of "I shouldn't be alive -Date from Hell (episode 43)



(1) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-may-11-me-hikers11-story.html

See also:

http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/Report_Lost_TwoHikers.htm

Wow! Quite a tale!

I am often amazed at what very basic skills people do not understand; fire starting, changing a tire, making food.

Reviving this one even if it isn’t that old. It’s a good thread for basic skills.

How to Read a Map - Outside Online

It’s very basic, beginner’s map reading; I was expecting a little more. Doesn’t get into lat-long, UTM or Geographic coordinate systems in general... and then he goes straight to orienteering, with not much of a segue. Maybe he knows his readership.

When I teach teenagers, I now expect at least 20% have never even lite a match, that why I start teaching very basic skills, before adding complex skills to the mix