Survive: Mountains (2016)

THE BASICS

Your best chance of survival comes from simply staying calm, remaining positive, and keeping your thought process clear. If you get too stressed and worked up, your decision-making process will not be ideal. There is no definitive checklist for a survival situation because conditions change and potential injuries may come into play. It is important to have mental clarity in order to be adaptable to the situation. Remember to STOP—stop, think, observe, plan.

Another good acronym on how to handle an emergency situation is from the US Army Survival Manual: SURVIVAL.

S—size up the situation, including your surroundings, physical conditions, and equipment.

U—undo haste makes waste; use all of your senses.

R—remember where you are and the details of the route you decide to take.

V—vanquish fear and panic.

I —improvise and adapt tools and equipment for new purposes.

V—value living and never give up.

A—act like the natives and figure out how they survive.

L—live by your wits, but for now learn basic skills.

Most survival experts say that your best chance of rescue will occur within the first 72 hours of the missing person’s report and the beginning of the search and rescue (SAR). This is often true, but SARs can be drawn out in mountainous regions because of bad weather conditions, and as a result it is essential to know how to maintain your safety for a few extra days. The easiest method to guarantee that a search will be started in a timely and efficient manner is to leave a detailed plan of your route and itinerary with somebody. Make sure to note the intended return time and then call that individual immediately when you exit the wilderness safely. This will ensure that you have a backup system in place, and SAR will be notified quickly and have a strategy of potential search locations.

If a survival situation ensues, most people say the motto is “Stay calm, stay put, and stay cool or stay warm (depending on the weather conditions).” This is generally true; however, certain situations dictate action. Remaining in the same place increases your chances of being found, gives you additional time to set up or build the necessary shelter and food-acquiring systems, and reduces the need for additional calorie intake compared to continued exertion. However, if you expect rescue to be delayed or not happen anytime soon, you should try to get out on your own. Travel safely and make sure to leave strong and obvious clues of your presence at the initial location and along the route you choose. If someone is seriously injured, a member of the group should go for help. Also if the location is not a good spot—for example, it is dangerous because of avalanche potential, water is located far away, or it is exposed to strong winds, cold, or thunderstorms—then move to a better location.

A tool that can easily remedy any potentially dangerous situation is a two-way communicator or personal locator beacon (PLB), like a DeLorme inReach or SPOT. A satellite phone can also work well but can be cost-prohibitive. Generally these devices can provide a quick way to send an SOS message embedded with your GPS coordinates. With these devices SAR will at least be activated immediately and instantly know your location. They may or may not be able to retrieve you quickly based on your location and the weather, but you will be guaranteed of their knowledge of the emergency and in a more timely fashion. Furthermore, with a two-way communicator you will be able to text message and communicate with the SAR incident commander in case you need to move locations or decide to keep moving toward civilization on your own.

These systems are better than relying on a cell phone in backcountry terrain. In most remote locations a cell phone will not have reception to send a message or call. However, if you do not have a PLB or two-way locator, keep in mind that even if you can’t get a call or text out, your cell phone may be able to ping a nearby tower to provide an idea of your location. Be mindful of your battery power, though, as you don’t want to run out of juice, and your battery will drain more rapidly in cold weather. In cold weather you may want to keep any electronics in an inside pocket of your jacket. Also, even if you are using these systems and have shared your GPS location, make sure to use signals and leave clues to speed up the search.