Bulletin's survival recommendations don’t offer full picture

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OpEd to The Bulletin
Bulletin survival recommendations don’t offer full picture

Bulletin survival recommendations don’t offer full picture
By Robert Speik
Bulletin Guest Columnist
Published on October 26, 2007
The October 14, 2007 Sunday Bulletin's twelve page insert "Winter Survival Guide" by writer Leon Pantenburg, may be appropriate for a pre-teen youth group but it fails to give hunters, snowshoers, skiers, snowmobile riders and other adults basic techniques they need to mitigate in part, the inherent risks of outdoor adventures in the winter.

Indeed, Mr. Pantenburg perpetuates many of the myths, tips and tricks offered by a cottage industry of “survival experts”. What one learned as a Scout many years ago or picked up in an “outdoor” magazine or seminar may be as outmoded as “cotton thermal underwear”.

Leon notes that I have written that “Survival Kits are Dangerous”. But he does not make it clear that my reason is that a “little Kit” takes attention away from the common sense things each individual needs to avoid hypothermia if one must stay out overnight when lost, injured, stranded by a breakdown or while helping an injured friend.

Here is a Media Statement I suggest should accompany almost every news report of an outdoor epic:

"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water or Gatorade, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone and inexpensive walkie-talkie radios for a group. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.

Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or exercise around your marked location to stay warm. Do not become exhausted, or worse yet - wet, trying to find your way. Use your personal ordinary digital cell phone to call 911 yourself, discuss proposed plans and wait in your location for Rescuers.”

The Bulletin’s Winter Survival Guide spends four pages on Fire Starting and on two small Survival Kits, one sized to an Altoids tin, and the other Kit in a small fanny pack.

The cover picture and text depict a dry windless summer night and not a cold wet snowy windy winter situation. In the winter cold, wood is wet and likely buried under feet of snow. (Former Sheriff Les Stiles suggested snowmobilers light up the oldest sled with gasoline and a road flair.) Do not depend on starting a winter warming fire.

Neither of Leon’s small “Winter Survival Kits” contains a map of the area. I did not find a map mentioned in the entire Guide. The tiny toy compasses shown may point towards North but are just feel-good substitutes for the real thing. It does little good to know which way is generally magnetic North if you do not know where you are on a map.

No mention is made of GPS receivers. The simple models cost about $100 and are easy to learn to use. Today, most hunters, snow shoers and snowmobile riders and Geocachers by the millions use a GPS.

No mention is made of the value of an ordinary digital cell phone. “Cell phones can mean survival”, a recent excellent Bulletin article by Reporter Erin Golden, shows how 911 can obtain your location information from your mobile phone Provider.

How to spend a “snug” night in a hole in deep snow is dangerously misleading! A proper “snow cave” benefits from the insulation of a thick dome of snow, not a thin tarp flapping in the winter wind. The entrance to a cave must be below an insulated sleeping bench, trapping warm air. In the snow hole described, hypothermia is hastened by the transference of warmth from the seated (child) to the ice. Note that little “Kits” do not include the individual required extra insulating clothing, the waterproof layer, snow shovel and insulating pad.

No mention is made of high carbohydrate food or of water and the means to melt snow. Dehydration thickens the blood and leads quickly to hypothermia.

The pages on layering fail to note the real danger of wet clothing – hypothermia from heat conduction by water - and do not emphasize carrying a waterproof shell and pants.

Robert Speik lives in Bend and offers “free basic to advanced mountain climbing instruction” on his website www.TraditionalMountaineering.org
Copyright© 2008-2013 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

A suggested minimum standard media advisory for all backcountry travelers

"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone turned on and perhaps an inexpensive walkie-talkie radio to contact companions. Consider carrying a SPOT-2 Satellite Messenger costing $100.00. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a light weight day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.

Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned"

THE MISSION of TraditionalMountaineering.org

"To provide information and instruction about world-wide basic to advanced alpine mountain climbing safety skills and gear, on and off trail hiking, scrambling and light and fast Leave No Trace backpacking techniques based on the foundation of an appreciation for the Stewardship of the Land, all illustrated through photographs and accounts of actual shared mountaineering adventures."

TraditionalMountaineering is founded on the premise that "He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught", that exploring the hills and summitting peaks have dangers that are hidden to the un-informed and that these inherent risks can be in part, identified and mitigated by mentoring: information, training, wonderful gear, and knowledge gained through the experiences of others.

The value of TraditionalMountaineering to our Friends is the selectivity of the information we provide, and its relevance to introducing folks to informed hiking on the trail, exploring off the trail, mountain travel and Leave-no-Trace light-weight bivy and backpacking, technical travel over steep snow, rock and ice, technical glacier travel and a little technical rock climbing on the way to the summit. Whatever your capabilities and interests, there is a place for everyone in traditional alpine mountaineering.

WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can, only in part, be mitigated

ABOUT ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities
The Ten Essential Systems
Our Mission

THE ESSENTIAL PAPERWORK
Suggested Leader Guidelines    Suggested information you should receive from your organized Leaders
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus     This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus    Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form    This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form    Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit    Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL CLOTHING AND GEAR
Why is the digital cell phone best for backcountry and mountaineering?
What does Steve House wear for light and fast climbing?
What clothing do you wear for Light and Fast winter mountaineering?
What do you carry in your winter day pack? Photos?
Which digital camera do you use in the mountains?
What about Boots and Shoes?

YOUR ESSENTIAL DAY PACKS
What are the new Ten Essential Systems?
What does experience tell us about Light and Fast climbing?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is Light and Fast alpine climbing?
What do you carry in your day pack?    Photos?
What do you carry in your winter day pack?     Photos?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
What should I know about "space blankets"?
Leave no Trace with Restop bags
Mountaineering blue bag, WAG bag and Restop bag waste solutions in 1985
Where can I get a personal and a group first aid kit?    Photos?

YOUR LITE AND FAST BACKPACK
Which light backpack do you use for winter and summer? Analysis pdf
What would you carry in your backpack to climb Shasta or Adams?
Leave no Trace with Restop bags
Mountaineering blue bag, WAG bag and Restop bag waste solutions in 1985
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
Photos of lite gear packed for a multi day approach to spring and summer summits
Backpack lite gear list for spring and summer alpine mountaineering 4 pdf pages

CARBORATION AND HYDRATION
Is running the Western States 100 part of "traditional mountaineering"?
What's wrong with GORP? Answers to the quiz!
Why do I need to count carbohydrate calories?
What should I know about having a big freeze-dried dinner?
What about carbo-ration and fluid replacement during traditional alpine climbing? 4 pages in pdf
What should I eat before a day of aerobic climbing?

REAL SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
Why is the digital cell phone best for backcountry and mountaineering?
FREE Clinic on Real Survival Strategies and Staying Found with Map, Compass and GPS together
What do you carry in your winter day and summit pack?
Why are "Snow Caves" dangerous?
Why are "Space Blankets" dangerous?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
How can you avoid Hypothermia?
Missing climbers on Mount Hood, one dies of exposure, two believed killed in fall
Missing California family found, dad dies from exposure and hypothermia
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Olympic Champion Rulon Gardner lost on snowmobile!
Lost Olympic hockey player looses feet to cold injury
Expert skier lost five days near resort in North Cascades without map, compass, gps or cell phone
Mount Hood - The Episcopal School Tragedy
Mount Hood - Experienced climbers rescued from snow cave
How can you learn the skills of snow camping? Prospectus

BACKCOUNTRY NAVIGATION
Topographic maps of the backcountry work with your compass and GPS
Why is the digital cell phone best for backcountry travel and mountaineering?
What is a PLB?
What is the best GPS for mountaineering and backcountry travel?
What is the best Compass for mountaineering and backcountry travel?
How accurate is the inexpensive hand-held GPS today?
What are some good Central Oregon Geocaches?
What is the Public Land Survey Grid? pdf
What is the UTM Grid? six pdf pages
How do you use your map, compass and GPS together, in a nut shell?
How can I learn to use my map, compass and GPS?
Do you have map, compass and GPS seminar notes? six pdf pages

ALPINE CLIMBING ON SNOW AND ICE
Winter mountaineering hazards - streams and lakes
Is long distance backpacking part of "traditional mountaineering"?
How long is the traditional alpine mountaineering ice axe?
What about climbing Mt. Hood?
What is a good personal description of the south side route on Mount Hood?
What should I know about travel over hard snow and ice?
How can I learn to self belay and ice axe arrest? 6 pdf pages
What should I know about snow caves?
What should I know about climbing Aconcagua?

AVALANCHE AVOIDANCE
Young Bend man dies in back county avalanche
What is an avalanche cord?
Avalanche training courses - understanding avalanche risk
How is avalanche risk described and rated by the professionals? pdf table
How can I avoid dying in an avalanche?
Known avalanche slopes near Bend, OR?
Can I avoid avalanche risk with good gear and seminars? pdf file

SNOWSHOES AND CRAMPONS
Why do you like GAB crampons for traditional mountaineering?
What should I know about the new snowshoe trails
What are technical snowshoes?
Which crampons are the best?
What about Boots and Shoes?

TECHNICAL MOUNTAINEERING
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is the best belay | rappel | autoblock device for traditional alpine mountaineering?
What gear do you normally rack on your traditional alpine mountaineering harness? Photos?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering seat harness? Photos?
Can I use a Sharpie Pen for Marking the Middle of the Climbing Rope?
What are the highest peaks in Oregon? Alphabetically?