I didn't want to hijack Teslinhiker's thread.

I am curious as to where you draw the line between self-rescue and waiting for someone to do it for you.

Some are fairly obvious: lost or injured comes first to mind. Putting yourself in a worse situation by leaving a vehicle shelter and known conditions for unknown conditions seems kind of dumb and often slows rescue.

But when you know where you are and how to get out, such as with Teslinhiker's scenario, what is your thinking?

Keeping it simple, here's a scenario:

You're up in the mountains on a forest service/logging road, about 60 miles from the nearest services. A fairly large dead tree (mostly trunk) came down right across the hood of your car. The hood is crushed, the front axle is on the ground, the windshield is broken. No injuries, but you're really PO'd.

You're out of cell tower range, and no one knows you even left home. This was just going to be a day trip/hike.

The weather is decent, nothing serious in the weather forecast. Sixty-degree days, forty-degree nights.

Terrain is gradual downhill, steeper in some places. You plan on just following the roads you came in on. Snow is melting in the higher country, lots of little streams.

You and your SO are in decent shape, but nothing special. You don't weight 350 lbs, you have no known health issues.

Both of you always carry some survival gear in a pack:
* Shelter: You each have a tarp, a 3-season jacket and a hat;
* Water: you have one 12-pack of 16-oz bottles of water;
* Fire: Bic lighter, matches, cotton & Vasoline; lots of deadfall all over.
* Knives: 2 fixed-blades, 2 Leatherman;
* Food: You have some trail mix, granola bars, some apples, a few tea bags and those salty seasoning packets from Ramen Soup.
* First aid: simple basics;
* Signaling: mirror, surveyors tape, reflective mylar emerg blanket. You'll take the cell phones and keep trying them, maybe you can get a friend to pick you up, or to call a tow truck.
* Misc stuff like cord, small fishing kit, etc.

So, do you grab your gear and head out, or start a smokey signal fire and wait for rescue, possibly diverting aid to yourselves from others who might really need it?

What would you consider the primary dangers?

Sue