Hone survival skills before leaving home

By Stephen Hlawaty
Outdoors Columnist

In October 1985, several other Boy Scouts and I boarded an airplane bound for Scranton, Pa. The weather report for that morning's flight called for cloudy skies with a good chance of thunderstorm activity for much of the Mid-Atlantic States.

Within an hour of departure, the flight became considerably turbulent. I peered anxiously out of the window and watched the rain drops explode upon the protective glass of the aircraft.

Suddenly, we nose-dived toward the ground. When we hit, I looked around to take in the damage. Luckily, all survived, but not without some major injuries. Our plane crashed in the woodlands of Hawley, Pa., roughly 35 miles from our destination. The morning was cold and foggy. Having survived the crash, we would now have to survive in the wild until help arrived.

That was the surprise, imaginary scenario for our scout troop's annual wilderness survival weekend. The weekend would test our survival skills, as we were equipped with little else. All told, I participated in five staged survival trainings and consider these experiences to have been a valuable investment in my future safety should I ever find myself in similar circumstances.

Preparing for the unknown is always difficult, but if you consider some of your own outdoor interests and experiences, you might better focus your attention when considering how you might survive in the wilderness should you find yourself under extreme circumstances. For example, winter backcountry emergencies necessitate different kinds of skills and knowledge than summer backcountry emergencies. With fall and hunting season upon us, it's wise to consider some of these wilderness survival techniques.

Most problems in the wild start with someone getting lost. The Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia defines survival as "staying warm and dry while waiting to be found." As such, if you're lost, do not wander. If you are with others, stay together.

Locate a place out of the wind and rain where you can keep warm and wait for help to arrive. The only exception to this is if serious injuries prevent you from waiting. Otherwise, mark your place with bright colors or build a fire to signal for help. Avoid lying on the bare ground for any length of time as the ground can rob you of precious body heat. Rather, build some insulation between you and the earth by using branches, leaves, moss or similar material. Avoid eating anything of which you are not 100 percent sure. Water can be gleaned from dewy leaves or other larger sources, but be careful around large bodies of water so as not to accidentally fall in.

Basic wilderness survival equipment should be carried on all outings: a multi-tool, compass, map, waterproof matches, fire starter, emergency space blanket, appropriate clothing, food, water, water purification tablets, first-aid kit, sunglasses, sun-block, flashlight, garbage bags, tin foil and duct tape. To ensure that you pack all necessary items, include them on a written list for each outdoor activity that you do. Keep your kit simple, light and small. Use lanyards to tie smaller items to you, so they will be there when you need them. Practice with this equipment before you need to use it.

Should you ever find yourself in a potential survival situation, STOP: stop, think, observe, plan. Planning will help reduce panic, which is oftentimes the reason people get into trouble. Be sure to take care of any injuries. Think positively. Motivators like family, friends or faith go a long way to keep you from dwelling on the negative. It's best, however, to be proactive in your own rescue. For example, before you head out on the trail, let someone know where you are going and what time you plan to return.

As with the wilderness survival weekends in which I participated, preparing psychologically for the stress of a survival situation is important. Each time you cross-reference your compass, your watch and the sun to determine what time it is, or build a fire to put on a pot of coffee, or consider the contour lines on your map, you are preparing yourself for a potentially difficult situation. In short, practice awareness skills in comfort to apply them in pain.