Welcome, guest [login | register]

Posted by nogods on April 23, 2008 at 10:17:00 pm EDT
In reply to The NEW Ten Essentials posted by Bill S on March 21, 2008 at 1:09:36 pm EDT

I think the problem is one of perspective. If you imagine yourself hiking down a trail like something pictured on a backpacking magazine cover then you might define "nutrition" as "extra food", "Hydration" as "extra water" and "insulation" as "extra clothing", and you might list "navigation" first and "emergency shelter" last.

But now picture yourself lost in the wilderness or if not lost, unable to extract yourself from the wilderness because of injury or sickness or other reason. Now you are not thinking in terms eating or drinking or putting on extra clothing. You should be thinking in terms of survival. Survival essentials are the same whether you are lost in the woods naked or carrying a 60lb pack. The difference is how you meet those survival essentials.

The big three survival essentials taught by the armed forces survival experts (after, of course, a "positive mental attitude" which is the most important survival essential) are:

First, you need to protect yourself from the elements. That may include shelter, shade, and warmth. But more importantly it includes knowledge about avoiding, recognizing, and treating conditions like hypothermia, heat exhaustion, and water intoxication. You need to know how to avoid or treat those conditions with shelter shade and warmth with whatever is available to you. At this point, nothing is “extra.” Whatever you have is essential and can be used in some way to meet this need.

Second, you need to stay hydrated. That is not the same as having extra water. Staying hydrated means not becoming dehydrated and that can be accomplished in more ways than simply drinking water. It can also mean finding, collecting, and extracting water or other substitute liquids. It also means avoiding hazardous water or making it safe.

Third, you need to stay energized. Again, that is different from merely eating food. People eat mostly to quell hunger. Staying energized involves both conserving and replenishing energy as needed, but not unnecessarily.

A common survival lesson asks the student if they were lost for 12 hours and had no food, would they attempt to stalk and kill a squirrel. Their answer should be "no" because the energy that would have to be expended to attempt to kill the squirrel would be better conserved or expended on another more pressing essential. Quelling hunger is not a survival essential. Staying energized is. Not knowing the differnce can cost you your life.

Lots of people have died in the wilderness despite having all the “essential” backpacking equipment simply because they did not have the survial essentials. Before you go into the wilderness you should decide whether you will follow the advice based on decades of collective knowledge of survial experts or whether you will merely buy stuff based on the advise of a self-annoited expert.

Replies

View: flat | threaded

There have been no replies

Post a Reply

Before replying, please read the complete thread.