An Arizona State University student packed a water bottle with snow and let it melt under the sun for drinking water while she was stranded for more than a week, authorities said Wednesday after the 23-year- old was discovered in a remote area of east-central Arizona.

http://ktar.com/6/1480143/Missing-Arizona-State-student-found-and-is-alive-and-well

She is one lucky gal. I won't bash on her, but I will say that it's definitely a good idea to be well prepared when driving in rural areas in the snow. It's just too easy to get stuck.

"Weinberg, who is studying supply chain management..."

There's got to be some sense of irony there.

HJ

Arizona will eat you up & spit you out,More so than anywhere else,no matter the season!She's one lucky gal,that's for sure!It's kind of a shame ASU doesn't have a standard curriculum or protocol designed to inform their students to be Equipped to Survive at all times when travelling about!Arizona being home to many,Well known survival experts including the founding father of this,Very Wonderful Site!I feel very lucky to be a member of this forum!

?? I am not sure I agree with this statement....Arizona does have some rough country, but so does a lot of the western US. What surprises many people is how cold and snowy much of Arizona is, particularly the country north of the Mogollon Rim.

The saying is, "There's nothing between Flagstaff and the North Pole except a barbed wire fence."

Hikermor ...
While I agree that a lot of the western US is pretty rugged, Arizona actually has one of the largest "changes" in ecosystems in the US. Something like 11 different ecosystems in the state, from desert to alpine mountain terrain. So it would be easy to start in Phoenix at 120 degrees at noon and end up in Flagstaff at 50 degrees at midnight in mid summer.

Kind of hard to pack when it's going to swing 70 degrees in a 3-hour drive, y'know?

Not at all, or at least not very dissimilar to much of the rest of the western US, which was my point. Interior Southern California is very similar to Arizona, only more so. Think of the extremes that exist between Badwater (the low point in Death Valley) and the summit of Mt Whitney. With the exception of the very top of the San Francisco Peaks, none of Arizona exceeds timberline.

I lived and worked in Arizona, in both the northern and southern portions of the state from 1956 to 1985,and Arizona was the venue for learning about the outdoors. I did most of my SAR work there. I learned to keep a car stocked with basic survival items, especially water, at all times.

I experienced extremes while doing outdoor activities ranging from -40 (Flagstaff) to somewhere around 110 (Tucson).

Arizona contains beautiful, interesting country. People who pay attention to conditions thrive and enjoy. Those who don't, don't thrive. The problem is with the people, not the environment.

Ain't that the truth.

Whitney is great, but yeah, that swing in elevation really gets to you. I can't believe they do ultra marathons on that stretch.

Even with the seemingly ridiculous amount of gear I keep in my vehicle, the conditions she was in would be extremely uncomfortable -- not to mention the stress of being stranded. The lowest temperature I've car camped in (sleeping in an insulated teardrop trailer) was 19 degrees. Even swaddled head-to-toe in fleece and in a sleeping bag (zero or 20-degree, I can't remember which), I was cold.

So kudos to her for being mentally tough enough to persevere. And thank God for those USFS employees checking the road gates.

The article doesn't say what her fuel situation was and whether she was able to run her car heater.

Roughly how much fuel per hour does an idling car engine consume?


She wasn't prepared for the winter conditions and did not have a heavy coat or blankets, Blair said.

Weather forecasters and authorities said her survival was remarkable, given the more than 2 feet of snow in the area and temperatures that dipped to near zero some of the nights. Blair said Weinberg had a cellphone but the battery was dead.

Blair said Weinberg had a cellphone but the battery was dead.
Kinda makes you want to keep a car charger handy. (providing there was cell service)

I consider a car charger to be essential safety equipment.

No blanket, no winter coat, no food/water and peeps are surprised she didn't have a 12v charger for her phone?

This is a good candidate for "I Shouldn't Be Alive" Action would be a little slow, not a lot of drama . . . okay, maybe not a good candidate.

It's good she's alive and able to learn from her mistakes. Learning from the mistakes of others is even better.

A cell phone charger has quickly become a staple in the car and emergency prepared kits.

Regarding your statement about cell service: Even if there is less than one bar of service you can normally text. A quick short text can "burst" out even if your cell has service for about 30 seconds. The way I explain it is that in the time it takes to call someone and say, "hey this is (insert name) I am lost/stuck at (insert location)HELP" your cell phone can send about 10 text messages if not more.

What I love about this site is that those on this site already know to have a cell phone charger (thank you IEEE for standardizing the charging plug). And if you’re new to the site, you’re looking to learn what to have on hand. So there is no real need to repeat what I am sure you are all thinking.



In regards to the comment of varying tempters and weather: If you think about it good layering and clothing choices, along with a reasonable EDC/GHB can handle a very wide range of tempters.

If you think about it, Rain/snow gear can protect you from the wet of rain or snow, Add a polar fleece pants/jacket and you’re covered for the cold winter weather, and the hot rain or just the hot sun. Then when we talk about things like a base layer, like Polypropylene it is a quick wicking material, so when it gets wet from snow or sweat it will still work to keep you warm or dry.

Sturdy boots/shoes are necessary for hot or cold weather, Yeah you might not like the idea of putting on a hot hiking boot when it is 101 degrees out, but it is better than getting sunburn on your feet (speaking from experience on that) or cutting your foot and being stuck and hurt. While wool socks may not be a great idea in 101 degree weather, how much room will a second pair of light socks be?

AS for materials like food or drink you need water and food no matter the temperature.

After some incidents my daily carry pack contains a complete charging system for my electronics in a zippered bag. It contains:

3 AAA batteries,
3 AA batteries.
wall charger with USB cable out.
car charger with USB cable out.
Just Mobile portable battery with USB cable out.
cell phone cable w/ USB male. (Apple)
Tablet cable w/ USB male. (Samsung Galaxy)
portable battery charging cable (also USB to mini USB)
2 sets of $4.00 headphones in individual micro zip lock bags.

This way I can charge in a car, by wall outlet or battery pack which I can also recharge on the go. I can also charge help others out as well. Never know when someone in your group will run out of juice in an electronic device.

The headphones are cheap and designed to give away to friends in need. I use better quality myself and carry those separately.

For Christmas I asked for micro chargers for the wall and car, or to cut down on size, weight.

In my vehicle for trips I bought a $30 charger at a Kinko's that looks like a Grande coffee cup, except the top is two 12 volt plug in's and a USB slot. I've used it to run a laptop, a DVD player and charge a iPod Touch all at the same time. This has also come in handy for people who need to charge their camera batteries and have to bring proprietary wall chargers to do so, like Canon and Olympus.

RE: Chargers

DH is getting a battery powered charger for his phone for Christmas. I'm hoping that Santa is going to bring me a new cel phone or PLB and if so, I'll pick up a back-up charger too. As it is, I don't have either but do carry car and wall chargers for my peeps so we can stay in the loop when we're together.