Outdoor Survival Tips
Helpful Tips for New ATV Riders
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Outdoor Knowledge
Easy Fire Starting Tinder
One of the critical elements to starting a fire in
the wilderness is to get good tinder to ignite easily so you can build your fire
on top of this initial ignition point. Most people rely on available pine
needles, bird's nest, dry grass, etc. as their primary source of tinder.
Sometimes these critical elements are not readily available or in a crisis
situation you don't have time to look for them. Here is one you may not have
thought of, Dryer Lint. Ask your wife how much accumulates in the dryer catch
screen, believe me its readily available, plentiful and the cost is nothing.
Considering that most of your clothes are polyester or cotton blends, the off
flow lint is a good fire ignition source. You can get a large supply into a very
small flat polyethylene bag. If you add a few strike-anywhere matches you have a
ready-made fire starting kit. You can increase the volatility of the lint by
packing a 35mm film canister tightly with a supply, then carefully saturating it
with some white gas or kerosene. Close the container securely, wipe off all
spillage and then tightly seal the canister around the cap with duct tape. Be
very careful when you use this method of fire starting in the field, stay back
from the source, as it will flash up very quickly. Always practice at home
first, preferably in your back yard, with whatever components you select, so you
will know how to use them when the need arises.
A pair of bootlaces
A pair of heavy-duty bootlaces packed in with your
gear can offer a multitude of useful and potentially safety related assistance
in any outdoor environment. There are some benefits to leather laces, but the
new heavy-duty type will work just as well in most cases. Aside from the fact
that if you break a bootlace on the trail you can remedy a very uncomfortable
experience, there are many other uses you may encounter where this simple $3.00
item will help benefit your outdoor enjoyment. Some of the things bootlaces can
help you with you in the field are:
- lashing poles together for an emergency shelter or
for a cooking tripod.
- replacing a torn out tent tie down or a broken rain
flap tie.
- fish stringer, lantern hanger, net wrist strap,
securing things in choppy water.
- first-aid as a tourniquet, arm sling, holding a
compress in place.
- holding your hat or glasses on in high wind or while
climbing.
- tying possible need items on the outside of your
pack like a coat or rain gear.
- temporary repair of broken tackle boxes, watch
bands, snaps or buckles.
- lanyards for whistles, compasses, pocket knives,
keys, or your GPS.
- chest strap for pulling back pack straps tighter
inward with a heavy load.
If you really think of your own outdoor experiences,
I am sure you can add 10 more potential uses. Bootlaces weight nothing, don't
take up any space, and they are economical. Think about adding them to your gear
for your next trip.
Waterproofing Matches
The common perception for waterproofing common stick
matches is to dip your "strike anywhere" match heads into wax as a preventative
to water penetration. Though this may work it is very difficult to do
successfully. First of all not many of us want to melt down a candle or a bar of
wax for coating a few matches, secondly there is the chance that the wax may
become too hot in its liquid stage and ignite the match. It also is extremely
difficult to scrape away the wax in order to ignite the match in times of
crisis. The easier and more practical way to waterproof your "stick matches" is
with an application of a heavy coating of clear nail polish over the match head
and down the wood stick. Don't forget to coat the bottom of the matchstick.
Think of it as the same way you would waterproof your deck. Clear nail polish
will seal the match head and coat the wood to prevent penetration of any
moisture.
Finding direction with a watch and the sun
This method is pretty accurate to within 10° -- plus
or minus 5°. It will give you some other method to help you determine an
approximate direction in the outdoors without a compass.
- Take your analog watch (one with hands) not a
digital, and reset the time to Greenwich Mean Time, that is Eastern
Standard Time plus 5 hours. (NOTE: determine the number of hours
difference from GMT in your area before using this method.)
- Place your watch on a flat surface, preferably on
the ground. Have a small stick ready to stick into the ground. (see illustration
to right)
- In the Northern Hemisphere (this is the US and
Canada) point the hour hand of your watch directly at the sun. SOUTH is now
halfway between the hour hand and the 12. Place the stick in the intersection of
these points, now you have a marker.
- In the Southern Hemisphere (for those of you happen
to find yourselves south of the equator) point the number 12 at the sun and
NORTH will be approximately half way between the 12 and the hour hand.
- This
PLEASE NOTE: The above described method of
obtaining a sense of direction is considered ONLY fairly accurate and should be
used only when and if needed. Nothing in the outdoors environment takes the
place of a good compass or a GPS and up to date terrain maps.
DAYLIGHT REMAINING
have found myself at times being a great distance
from my camp and the hours of daylight are quickly passing. I have used this
simple and fairly accurate " trick/skill" to determine how many hours of
daylight are left. This way I can decide if I should quickly establish an
overnight camp or if I might have time to walk back down to base camp in the
daylight.
To "estimate", the hours of daylight remaining all
you need are your hands to approximate this time frame.
- Extend your arms completely outstretched at face
level.
- Bend your wrists inward so your palms face you.
- Place one hand on top of the other with fingers
pointing in opposite directions and with the bottom of your lower hand even with
the horizon.
- Raise your top hand fingers one by one until the
bottom of the sun is on top of one of your fingers.
- Each finger below the sun and above the horizon
represents about 15 minutes of daylight remaining.
- Everybody has different width of fingers, so for
better results practice at home and time the sunset to see if your fingers
represent 15 minutes, 10 minutes or maybe even 20 minutes.
FOR SAFETY'S SAKE….
- Blowing a whistle, if you are lost or separated from
your party in the outdoors, requires very little energy and is a highly audible
distress signal.
- A shrill whistle blast can be heard up to a mile
away on land and up to 2 miles over water, and it can be easily tracked to its
source and can be answered by a return whistle blast.
- A whistle is a simple, low cost and easy, but
effective outdoor signaling device. It is especially simple and easy for
children to use and understand.
- All children going into the outdoors should be
equipped with a whistle, adults too. As little as 50 feet off the trail is deep
wilderness for a child.
- Remember to blow in long blasts of three in a row
every few minutes, or every time you think you see or hear something. The "3"
blasts in a row is a recognized distress signal.
- Blowing a whistle uses significantly less energy
than screaming, and screaming can cause additional panic and frustration.
- A whistle in the outdoors stops being a simple toy,
and becomes a very valuable piece of personal safety equipment.
A special note to parents:
- Emphasize the use of the whistle for emergency
purposes only, NOT to cry "wolf" or use as a game.
- Anything your child can do to alert others to their
presence will help to locate them quickly, if they become lost.
- Make sure the lanyard is securely tied to the
whistle and affixed to the child's jacket zipper, on their belt loop, or around
their neck.
- Have your child practice the three short blasts,
before venturing off into the outdoors, and explain to them the reason for the
whistle.
- Let them know that you are very well aware that
anyone can get lost, and you will not be angry if this should happen. This
assurance is vital to them using the whistle in case of an emergency.
- Teach them to remain in one place when they realize
they are lost, and blow the whistle. Tell them calmly, but emphatically, that
you will be there to find them.
ABOUT WATER….
- Sixty to seventy percent of the average human body
is made up of water.
- A loss in liquids equivalent to 2% of the body
weight reduces the mental and muscular capacity by 20%, a loss of 4% reduces it
by 40%.
- Water from melted snow or ice can cause cramps and
digestive problems because it is devoid of mineral salts. When possible
accompany the drinking of melted snow or ice with the intake of food.
- Do not put snow or ice directly into your mouth to
melt. It is best to melt it over an open flame in a cup. Cold in your mouth
could cause local cooling and may cause diarrhea that would aggravate potential
dehydration.
BE FOUND……
- If you become lost or stranded your survival often
depends on others, and you must be able to signal where you are to those looking
for you.
- A highly polished signal mirror used properly during
the day can be seen for many miles from the air and across valleys or over
water.
- Smoke is always a good location indicator; make sure
you take all safety precautions with your fire. Use leaves and damp material to
create white smoke and try to find a location with an updraft or place your
signal fire in a wide-open area to allow the smoke to move upward.
- At night three small fires in a triangular layout
can be seen for miles and recognized as a distress signal from the air. Again
use extreme caution in building your fires, you don't need to set the woods
ablaze. Also three smaller fires with you in the center will keep you warmer
than one large fire.
- Always remain calm and do not panic. Use your
human instinctive skills to develop a plan and then and only then execute your
plan.
This page is provided as a service to North East
Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club visitors. North East Wisconsin Riders Inc.
ATV Club can not be held responsible for errors contained in this page or any
other section of this website. North East Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club
strives to ensure that all our content is kept up-to-date. North East Wisconsin
Riders Inc. ATV Club is an all volunteer organization and please remember North
East Wisconsin Riders Inc. ATV Club is NOT offering any legal advice. We
are simply trying to raise awareness. As an ATV owner it is your responsibility
to know and understand the rules and regulations regarding your ATV and the
surrounding community. Lets all try to work together to educate each other.
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