As this blog is for a survival school, a post on the
importance of preparedness seemed like a fine way to start. The following
recounts an actual event that took place on one of our 2010 wilderness survival field courses. It highlights
the importance of preparedness in the forms of: gear, exercise, and
training/experience.
I was leading the hike out of our field course training
area when I heard a scramble in the bushes. We were now nearing the freeway that
runs through the Tehachapi-Mojave Desert Pass, and the dry wash we were hiking
in was getting close to the Pacific Crest Trail (the world famous 2,000 mile+
hiking trail that travels from Canada to Mexico). During the summer it’s not
uncommon for us to encounter a “PCT” hiker at the beginning of our wash. This
encounter was to be a little different. It turns out the scramble in the bushes
above the wash was a frightened hippie running for his- well actually his
girlfriend’s- life.
“Help me, my girlfriend’s dying” were the first words he
uttered as he appeared above us on the rim of the dry wash, with what I might
add was a TOTAL deer in headlights look… perhaps his first outdoor emergency.
It was not mine however. Professional rescuers and others are taught to hone
the “general impression” and take it all in at once so to speak. It’s important
for rapid scene size-up/triage and taking quick courses of action. I could tell
something was wrong, but I did not expect to be led to a dying woman. I told
the students to stay put, and we did however; proceed with a sense of urgency.
I say hippie because the face I saw with the deer in
headlights look was surrounded by a head full of lengthy dreadlocks. He was slim
and was a good hiker. I could tell because he started leading us straight up
the side of the steep mountain our dry wash bordered, quite briskly, and it didn't faze him a bit. It was 90+ degrees outside, and it became obvious what
had transpired before he began explaining. “We were hiking and ran out of water…
we decided to cut the trail…she started not feeling good…”. His girlfriend came into view sitting in the
partial shade of the small California Junipers growing on the hillside. She was
having a bit of heat exhaustion but she was in the early stages and completely manageable.
I say that because she was “all there”… she didn't have the “where am I” look
on her face that accompanies dangerous heat emergencies, only the “holy sh** I’m
hot” look on her face.
Though flushed, it was a pale face on a pale body, not
medically speaking; it was just obvious she wasn't going outside much. I asked
her if it was her first hike this year- mid July- it was. This reinforced my
general impression that she hadn't experienced severe fluid loss, she wasn't acclimated; she built up too much heat too rapidly, and didn't stop and cool
down when she should have. She pushed it because she was out of water, was
scared, and could see the freeway. I asked her the standard questions about her
status and what led up to the incident after taking her vitals, giving her the
last of my water, and telling her to “sip slow, don’t pour any on you”. I rigged
up a tarp (e-blanket) for shade above her and gave her the three cold packs I
always carry in my med-kit on summer field courses- one on the neck, two under
the armpits. This is because these locations are where the arteries closest to
your core come nearest the surface, allowing for cooling of blood that cools
the organs. Blood does more than transport nutrients you see- it transports
heat and regulates body temperature.
Heat injuries can escalate very rapidly, but if you
intervene early, they can de-escalate rapidly as well. After about ten minutes
of cooling, and only a few mouthfuls of water, she was ready to be escorted to
the freeway where their ride was waiting. They hiked out with our group and we
sent them on their way at the trailhead. This story illustrates the importance not
only of emergency gear preparedness, but of physical preparedness as well. In a wilderness emergency, it may come down
simply to giving it all you've got, and if all you’ve got is a stomach full of
cheeseburgers and a set of lungs that haven’t seen a mile run since jr high…you
greatly reduce your chances. When it comes to physical stressors, you are counting
on your body’s ability to adapt and cope: to clot blood, pump endorphins for
pain, regulate temperature, etc. When you work out regularly you constantly
challenge your body to adapt: to increase blood, nutrient, and oxygen flow and
to process all of those more efficiently, to hydrate, to work hard in anaerobic
conditions, to pump endorphins that dull pain, etc. Bottom line; you've got
yourself a fine blade- now give yourself an edge. If you want to be prepared
for an emergency, then workout; fireman don’t just buy good hoses and hope
for the best right!
That being said, good
gear is very important. Here’s a few of my guidelines for selecting it:
*Be sure it’s proven
in the field. Don’t buy the newest/coolest emergency gear. It’s not a fashion
show- you need reliability. “Like your life depends on it” applies.
*Avoid gear with celebrity
endorsements; ESPECIALLY “SURVIVAL" CELEBRITIES . These guys will sell anything
they’re paid to. Instead look for endorsements from outdoor/rescue
organizations. They aren't as willing to put lives at risk for a few bucks.
*Train with your gear; you don't want the first time you use it to be in a wilderness emergency.
*It’s ok to search
for cheap prices, but you don’t want cheap emergency gear.
*Customize your kits
for the activity, the climate, and your pertinent personal needs.
*Remember; it has to
be easy to use in an emergency. This means that optimally it should not break
easily and should require as little skill as possible to operate. Quick,
simple, effective.
*Remember again; it’s
for use in an emergency. Are you really gonna need that fishing gear?
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