Survival Guide: Preparation for the Wilderness

Any outdoors survival guide will give you great information. I highly suggest picking up a copy of:
SAS Survival Guide Handbook (Collins Gem)

The SAS if you’re not familiar with them, are the British Special Air Service. They are elite special forces highly trained in operating alone far behind enemy lines in a variety of missions. The US Navy Seals are trained using SAS principals developed more than 50 years ago. If anybody knows how to survive in any type of country, these guys do! This book will teach you more than any blog or internet resource ever could.

If you’re serious about doing what I do – going out into the absoute middle of NOWHERE – you need a copy of that. Sometimes all it takes is a broken tie rod on your vehicle and you’re suddenly stuck 20 miles from anywhere. Or further. That’s never a good situation, but fortunately one not many people find themselves in. (I have come too close for comfort, myself.)

Newbill Wagon Road

So that brings me to to the #1 rule if you want to have any chance at all of making it out alive. And that is:

Tell somebody (or more than just one somebody) EXACTLY where you’re going and when to expect you. That way in the worst case scenario, SAR (Search and Rescue) will be able to locate you relatively quickly. Provided that is, you actually go where you say you will. (Oops.)

In the event that SAR has a helicopter searching for you (usually billed at about $2,000 – $4,000 an hour) but haven’t found you yet, you’ll need at least two things. Keeping your body temp at 98.6 and water. If it’s cold, bring warm clothing, heating supplies and shelter making equipment. If it’s hot, bring shade and long pants and a long sleeve shirt. In both cases, bring tons of WATER!

The best SAR operation however, is one that never occurs in the first place. There is some basic equipment you can use to ensure you find your way safely home when looking for these lost cemeteries.

#1. Compass and Map. This is for when the battery in your GPS dies, or it loses signal due to say, storm clouds or thick trees overhead.

#2. A GPS. Not a car GPS but a handheld, so you can mark the location of your vehicle, water, food, etc. Leave the GPS serial number with your contact so that if needed, SAR can zero in on your GPS unit. Cool huh? Your cell phone, if it has a signal, can be used to track you down too.

#3. First Aid & Tools. If you’re allergic to bees, bring a bee sting kit. If you’re in the desert, get a rattle snake bite kit. These two alone can decide whether you live or die. Of course a first aid kit like this one:Adventure Medical Kits UltraLight & Watertight .9 International Kit can help make all the difference. Remember to bring a knife, scissors, and any kind of leatherman or swiss army tool is likely to have these and more.

Victorinox Swiss Army Champion Plus Pocket Knife

#4. Depending on how much space you have in your vehicle, the more water the better; gasoline, matches, lighters, fire starting kits, blankets, twine or rope, spare tire and engine belts; all of these can greatly aid keeping yourself alive and well.

Leave a comment if I’m forgetting anything! Before I get into techniques for staying out of trouble, let me list my gear:
Vehicle:
Minimum of 32 oz of water
Standard Toolbox in trunk, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, etc
Towing straps
Tire Chains (winter)
Spare clothing
Lighter
First Aid Kit
Depending on circumstances, a rifle or shotgun + ammo*
Food is always nice
Vehicle GPS
Maps
Entrenching tool (baby shovel)
Bug Spray
Sun Block

*I have military training and I keep myself current on all laws regarding firearms use and self defense. This is a personal and educated decision, and not one I recommend for anyone else. If you want to, get trained, educated and speak to a lawyer first. Seriously.

On Person:
Camera gear
At least one knife + swiss army knife
At least 32oz water
First aid kit
Hiking / Trail GPS (Garmin)
Cell Phone
Food if I’m going a long ways from the vehicle
I don’t carry a sidearm anymore.
Compass

So here’s what I do to plan and execute a trip safely. (Or at least in a fashion closely approximate to safe.)

Step One: Plan. Since I created my google earth plugin listing all (most) known cemeteries in Oregin and Washington (available for free here) I fire that up and find where I want to visit. Since I’m usually driving 100+ miles I’ll try and create a route to visit at least two, if not more.

Google Earth Free Cemetery Plugin Screen Shot

After that I check another map source, usually mapquest for driving and roads and www.us-places.com. itouchmap.com is also usually very accurate. I have a photographic memory for maps, so I spend at least half an hour studying them with landmarks and road names. This comes from a ton of practice however. I suggest writing down directions, landmarks and road names for a personal reference. Printing maps is also a fantastic tool to have.

Once I get my gear together and on my way, I always try to be discreet if I’m stopping in town for supplies. I’m proud of what I do and Oregon is usually very safe – but I always keep my valuable camera equipment locked out of sight in my vehicle. I keep an eye on my vehicle and I’m always aware if anyone else is, too. So far, knock on wood, I’ve never had any trouble. But there’s no reason to leave expensive camera equipment baking in the sun on the seat, just waiting to be grabbed.

Likewise, I’m very careful when I arrive at the location. There have been now a dozen times where the “Road” on the map isn’t a “Road.” If there’s grass and plants growing in it, it ain’t a road. Trying to tough it out is guaranteed to get you in trouble. Last time I did that I nearly punctured my gas tank against a very large, very sharp lava rock. Talk about screwed!

I often find a safe, out of the way place to park my vehicle. In Oregon, especially in fire season, you NEVER want to park over dry grass or brush. A hot engine can be plenty to start a forest fire. Find dirt, or if all else fails, clear a spot.

I usually wear boots and long pants, if not long sleeve shirts. This is the perfect time to apply sun block and bug spray to yourself. After that I one, make damn sure I’m not trespassing and two, look for signs of activity. This includes vehicle tracks, foot tracks, animal prints, trash, poo, signs of fire, camping and everything else.

The situation will make itself apparent with observation. If you smell smoke, there’s loud voices near by and there’s beer cans and food wrappers strewn about, it’s probably not a good idea to leave yourself or your vehicle there.

By the same token, if there’s a freshly killed deer near by with some big kitty prints; it’s probably time to de-ass the area. (That means leave with great haste and caution.)

So far, I haven’t run into any of these problems. If all is quiet on the western front, proceed either into the cemetery or on foot to the cemetery.

While on foot in Eastern Oregon there are two major dangers that I’m aware of. The first and most prevalent by far are those damn gopher holes, or rockchucks or whatever you want to call them. Personally, I call them “what-the-f&#! ’s”. The reason behind this is because the first time my fiances best friend saw one, she (being a good Christian woman no less) exclaimed: “What the f&#! is that?”

Rockchuck, Groundhog, Etc

That’s also what I say when I step in a hole in the ground I didn’t see that they’ve created for a burrow. These holes are big and dangerous!!! They’re usually covered by brush in the middle of a field, just waiting for a foot to swallow and ankle or knee to twist. They’re like little land mines waiting to demolish joints. I recently stepped in the biggest one, uhm, ever, near Roberts cemetery. I stand 6′1 with boots on and I’m not a skinny guy. It took my leg almost up to my knee! Fortunately once I started falling I knew what it was and went with it. I’m fortunate I wasn’t running, which is never a good idea.

I’m even more fortunate that there wasn’t a rattle snake hanging out in there. Rattle snakes are the #2 danger from animals in eastern Oregon. They love dry brush, holes, rock formations, fallen trees, abandoned buildings and generally anywhere that can provide some shade. If you’ve never been to Eastern Oregon, that means pretty much everywhere is prime snake country. In all my time however, I’ve only ever run into one once, between Shanniko and Antelope at an abandoned homestead. The area was de-assed without incident. All you have to do is back away slowly from Mr. Rattler and make sure you won’t step on his girlfriend as you’re getting away. (Note: Babies are cute. Rattler babies especially, if you like snakes. These little buggers are far more deadly than their parents however. They have just as much venom but deliver virtually all of it upon striking. The parents just give you a taste. The babies are absolutely lethal.)

The other big danger out here is dehydration and exposure. We’re called the High Desert for a reason! Finding water in these places is almost guaranteed not to happen. This place is bone dry. If you find water, it will almost certainly be undrinkable. (Boil it!)

Abandoned Home, along California-Dalles Hwy 97

The climate is incredibly harsh most of the time. Today for example, the high will be 100 and the low 59. That’s 40 degrees difference in a few hours and trust me, 59 is freezing cold after being stuck in 100 degree weather all day. It’s often said around here that we have two seasons: Summer and Winter. (Fall and Spring weather seem to last about a week each.) Either it’s cold as hell, or hot as hell.

So all you have to do to stay alive is be observant and go slowly. Be aware not just of where your feet are and what’s in front of you, but watch the sides and your back. If you watch well enough, you’ll even see that Bull come over the crest of the little hill and you’ll avoid him. Getting charged but a bull isn’t very fun. (Again, I found out the hard way.) Imagine running away from a bull (full speed ahead, captain!) and stepping into an ankle breaker with a rattle snake in it.

Hmm. No thanks.

By the same token, when you find really cool abandoned buildings please do not go in them. Don’t even go near them. Aside from being a great hide out for any number of critters (snakes, black widow spiders, coyotes, mountain lions, mosquitoes, lawyers, etc) you’ll probably get tetanus from rusty nails sticking out. It not that, then the whole thing might come down on you.

Abandoned Newbill House, Grizzly OR

So, in conclusion staying alive is simple, easy and fun! Tell someone where you’re going, be prepared with the necessary tools, go slow and pay attention. If possible, don’t go alone. If your company is a rambunctious clown however, alone would be preferable. (Unless you are too!)