Survival and Outdoor Safety
March Newsletter
I am reminded of the man who, alone in a vast desert with no hat, no water, and a broken leg, pulled himself up on a bruised and battered elbow and smiled at a bunch of dry grass, saying, "You know, if this keeps up I might get discouraged."
Author, Larry Dean Olsen, Outdoor Survival Skills
"Ration your sweat, not your water"...
is a pioneer axiom that, apparently, very few of you understand. I have been asking this question to hundreds of audiences since 1984, and, the results have been surprisingly consistent i.e. most of you believe that rationing water is a survival imperative. So let's see if I can clear this matter up for you, once and for all.
For your body, as well as your mind, to function efficiently it needs a minimum of two to three quarts of water per day at 68 degrees F. just to maintain normal bodily functions. Add exercise or hotter temperatures to this equation and the amount of water increases substantially. In very hot climates, water loss, due to excessive perspiration, can increase up to 3.5 quarts per hour. A survivor can die in a matter of just a few hours under these extreme conditions.
Regardless of environmental conditions, water has to be replaced in proportion to the amount lost. If your water supply is limited then you need to keep your water needs to a minimum. It's the only factor that you may be able to control.
First, get out of the direct sunlight and into the shade. Your body is sending beads of water to the surface of the skin to cool things down. Direct sunlight will cause this water to quickly evaporate. The body's response is to continually send more to keep up with the demand.
Second, wear loose fitting, light colored clothing that covers as much of your skin's surface as possible. This has a twofold effect;
it decreases the evaporation rate, as well as insulating you from the heat just as a thermos keeps liquids both cool and warm. Many of the desert's inhabitants wear several layers for this reason.
Third, temperatures are at their hottest at ground level. The temperature eighteen inched above or below the surface of the ground will be approximately 30 degrees cooler.
Forth, wait until dusk or dawn to do any work that needs to be done.
Work slowly and deliberately so as not to create perspiration and, rest often.
For the water you do have to be affective, it should be stored in your stomach, not in your canteen, where it does you no good whatsoever.
Next month: I'll discuss this and other ways of procuring water.
True or False?
If you are dehydrated, you’re out of water, and uncertain about when the next source of water will be available, you should eat only small amounts of food. (answer at the bottom of the page)
SRO (once again) in Tualatin and Eugene, Oregon, Kennewick and Redmond, WA
The attendance at the Tualatin, OR clinic (87), I thought, was absolutely great. We crammed about as many folks into that back room at REI as you can possibly imagine. Thank you Janet Schmidt, Portland areas REI events coordinator, for making both of our Portland area clinics highly successful.
The staff at the REI store in Eugene, two night later, assured me we wouldn't have the same "problem" because they were a much smaller market than their counterpart in the Portland area and not to expect those high numbers. We were all pleasantly surprised when the attendance reached 108. This was due, in large part to an article written about Survival and Outdoor Safety in The Register-Guard newspaper by Mike Stahlberg. Thank you Mike, Tualatin, and Eugene, OR, Robert Woodson at REI for helping us tie our previous high attendance record (Santa Ana, CA in Oct. '02)
At the smallest REI store in the country, Kennewick, WA, 80 Tri-cities residents filled up their REI's rather large back room. It appears that David Kaiser is doing an exceptional job down there.
If I were an events coordinator for REI, I'd certainly be giving David a call and finding out the secrets to his success. Thanks, David.
Kudos as well to Erin Koeppin at the Redmond REI. I believe our numbers there were around 60. All in all, it was a highly successful February tour around the Northwest for SOS.
The Northridge, California REI Store is now registering students for the April 26th-27th SOS Survival Classes.
In case you folks in the Los Angeles area didn't already know it, Survival and Outdoor Safety will be conducting a two-day, 12-hour, comprehensive survival class at the Northridge REI Store. This is the only class that we will be offering in your neck of the woods this year. So take advantage of this rare opportunity to learn how to survive out there.
Class size will be limited to 25.
They will include the following instruction: 1) reacting to life-threatening emergencies; 2) survival shelters... emergency and natural shelter construction; 3) firecraft...demonstrations on firestarting, as well as instruction with the bowdrill method (each student will receive their own cottonwood bowdrill set); 4) water procurement, including where to find it and how to make it; 5) primitive cordage making (how to make rope from natural fibres, knots and lashings; 6) Navigation... how to use a map and compass and avoid getting lost; 7) food procurement... primitive snaring devices, as well as edible and poisonous plants will be discussed and demonstrated; and, 8) Rescue and emergency signaling techniques.
Don't miss out on this opportunity!
The Staff at Northridge REI are handling the registration and class information. They can be reached at: (818) 831-5555
We'll see you there.
Washington Residents... We need your help!
The Washington State Library system has purchased a few copies of our video, Personal Survival Kits, to distribute throughout the State. They will purchase more when and if there is sufficient demand for them. You would be doing Ruth and I a "huge" favor simply by calling your local library and requesting a copy of this video. In fact, ask everyone you know to request it. (Why think small!). Thanks.
Survival and Outdoor Safety Classes...
will be starting in June, here at the SOS ranch in Colville, WA
Both the weekend and more intensive five-day courses will be available throughout the summer. I will be mailing class information this coming week.
You can begin signing up for them at any time on our web site:
www.survivalandoutdoorsafety.com
P.S. While you are there, think about getting that survival kit put together for the upcoming summer season. Visit our store.
True or False? Answer
False. By eating any amount of food you will only hasten your dehydration. The rule is this: if you don't have water, don't eat. You will survive for weeks without eating, but only a few days without water. Death by dehydration is a horrible, painful, excruciating way to go. Water should always be at or near the top of your list of priorities whenever you venture into the wilds.
We want to hear from you!
Gene and Ruth Ward
c/o Survival and Outdoor Safety
P.O. Box 964
Kettle Falls, WA 99141
Phone: (509) 684-0135
email: gene@survivalandoutdoorsafety.com
visit our websites: www.survivalandoutdoorsafety.com or,
www.geocities.com/survivorgene
