By

Peter Kummerfeldt
Owner and Chief Instructor

Published by: OutdoorSafe Inc. P. O. Box 62039 Colorado Springs, CO 80962-2039
Tel: (719) 593-5852 Website: www.outdoorsafe.com
Email: info@outdoorsafe.com Sales:

Well here we are again at the end of another year wondering where the time went. Wondering what we accomplished? I have to drag out my schedule to remember where our travels took us and what we did when we got there wherever that was. The time goes by too quickly!

I mentioned in last years newsletter that we would going back to South Africa again this year and that we would be taking people with us. We have just returned from one of the best trips I have ever been on. It was wonderful. We flew to South Africa landing first in Johannesburg then on to Durban at the end of September and spent the next three weeks touring. For the past couple of years we have worked with Dr. Gene Decker, professor emeritus CSU and with Hayden Elliot, a South African tour guide, setting up tours of the South Africa’s national, provincial and private game parks. This year we took two couples with us. Four people that had never visited Africa before. Hayden met us in Durban and transferred us to a lodge in Richards Bay, a hours drive north where we spent the night catching up on the sleep we had missed out on flying from Denver to London and then to South Africa.

Next morning we headed out full of excitement and wondering what grand adventures we would be a part of. We weren’t disappointed. Over the next 20 days we saw hundreds of elephants, cape buffalo, dozens of white rhino, four black rhino, about 25 lions, two leopards and a cheetah not to mention all of the “common game animals” as they are referred to. The parks are full of wildebeest, impala, nyala, duiker, zebra, giraffe hippos and crocodiles. We even saw some of the less common antelope – roan, sable and eland! We got as much fun seeing some of the less charismatic animals – tortoise, elephant shrews, bats and dormice. Mary’s bird list grew by over 170 new birds!

We stayed in a wide variety of hotels and lodges. Some were “rustic” while others were quite palatial, Rustic or not they were all very comfortable, the food was good and the people were friendly. What more could you ask for? For those of you that have never been to Africa you should consider going but don’t wait too long. The country has changed dramatically since I lived there in the fifties and sixties and the changes continue rapidly today. The population is exploding. There is little or no open public space. South Africa is loosing its African identity – you see TV antennas sticking out of the grass thatched roof of a rural home. Cell phone technology has arrived. Solar panels are commonly seen in the more rural areas of the country. All of these are a very necessary part of life in the year 2008 but it does take away from the mental image you might have of Africa. Fortunately in the parks you still get a very real sense of what Africa must have been like a hundred years ago or more. The country is teaming with all sorts of wildlife that for the most part is very visible. As impressive as it is I have often wondered what it must have been like for my maternal grandfather who arrived in South Africa around 1900. We plan to put together another trip in 2009 so if you’re interested in going give me a call and I’ll fill you in on the details.

In April we also made a quick trip to Argentina to check out a new fishing lodge that a friend of mine is developing. Never having been down there at that time of year - their fall, we were in for some surprises. First of all we were surprised at how dry the country was. The rivers were low and the water was warm which didn’t make for good fishing. They have a huge invasive species problem. Yellow jackets came in on a load of logs from the Pacific Northwest about ten years ago and quickly filled a previously unfilled niche. Central Patagonia now has been completely invaded. You don’t hear birds anymore instead you here the buzzing of yellow jackets. The swarms are eating all of the natural insects and even small mammal babies are at risk! We didn’t get stung when we fished but we were very careful not to trap a hornet between layers of clothing or between any portions of your body. Wild rose is taking over the country – another invasive species that discovered a gap in the flora of the country and is without any natural controls. As a consequence it is spreading quickly throughout the grasslands spread mainly by cattle that love to eat the rosehips and then spread the indigestible seeds as they wander. The third invasive problem is domestic lupine. Imported as an ornamental plant many years ago from Europe, today it is clogging the waters ways. There are no easy answers to any of the problems and it once again it proves we shouldn’t mess with Mother Nature! The eventual impact of these problems won’t be known for years to come but I don’t think it’s going to be good.

Out training year was busy as usual. In addition to the regular programs that venues I have been visiting for many years we also ventured eastwards this year presenting programs in Kansas and in South Dakota. Two states that we had driven through many times but never spent any time in. We should have! Amongst other things we discovered the National Wildlife Refuges stand out. What wonderful places to visit. Each is a microcosm of the area in which they are located. Many serve as protected islands in otherwise intensely farmed countryside In particular we enjoyed the birding and saw many species of birds we hadn’t seen before. We spent what was probably our last summer in Jackson Hole teaching at the American Wilderness Leadership School near Jackson, Wyoming. Our good friend Don Brown, the Education Director, is retiring at the end of this year and with his retirement comes a new director, new training policies, other new staff and new philosophies that run counter to our beliefs as to what the objectives of the training program should be. We’re taking a “wait and see” position at the moment and will make up our minds after the new year.

The summer we spent there this year was one of the most spectacular wild flower summers that we have experienced in the thirteen years we have been going there. Thanks to a huge amount of snow last winter there was plenty of moisture in the soil to promote the wild flowers. I had a ball with my camera gear!

It is the 7th of November as I write this. Election day. By the time you receive this newsletter a new president will have been elected. I hope you all voted! It is time to sit back and remember all of the fun places we visited this year and the great people we met. And reflect too on the good fortune we have to be citizens of this great country. All too often we take our “good fortune” too lightly forgetting, or perhaps not knowing, how much of the rest of the world lives. We forget too that there are men and women, American men and women, overseas trying to make a difference in the lives of others and bring about changes that would allow those citizens to live in freedom, live healthy productive lives and grow old to enjoy their grandchildren.

WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF SURVIVAL?

OutdoorSafe Inc. receives no financial support from any of the companies discussed below.
The comments made about the products are based on the author’s use of the products under field conditions.

Electronic devices, to aid in the rescue and recovery of those in trouble, have been the most significant new technology developed over the past couple of years. While various kinds of Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and the like have been available for many years, several new products became available in 2007 that you who work or recreate in the outdoors should be aware of.

As a baseline for comparison beacons that transmit an emergency signal on 121.5 MHz have been around for along timee. Every general aviation aircraft, for example, is equipped with a beacon designed to deploy following a crash landing or to be turned on manually by the survivors of the accident. Similar beacons also transmitting on the 121.5MHz frequency are available for hikers, hunters and others who end up in trouble in the backcountry to alert the authorities that they need help. In 2009 the satellites that support the 121.5 MHz frequency will no longer operational. The signal will still be detectable by Search and Rescue personal using direction finding equipment and by other radios, tuned in to that frequency but the satellite link will no longer be there. This will significantly impact the usefulness of these devices to effect a rescue.

PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACONS (PLBs)
In the marine world, Emergency Positioning Indicating Beacons (EPIRBs) transmitting on 406 MHz have been in use for many years. In recent years PLBs that transmit on this same frequency have also become available to both the flying community and to those of us that travel the backcountry on foot, by ATV, horseback, canoe or any other means of locomotion. While there are a number of manufacturers of PLBs, ACR Electronics based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida www.acrelectronics.com have been the leaders in the industry and produce reliable, easy to use beacons that have resulted in many quickly rescued people. Upon purchase, the owner is required by law to register the PLB with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency - the owner of the satellite constellation that supports the beacons and to periodically reregister the PLB to insure that the most up-to-date information is available to SAR authorities in the event your PLB is activated. This can all be accomplished using the internet. 406 MHz beacons can be used anywhere in the world but are most effective between 70° north latitude and 70° south latitude. The COSSPASS – SARSAT satellite system detects the signal and downlinks it to a Local User Terminal which in turn sends the signal on to a Rescue Coordination Center (RCC). The RCC than forwards the information to the Search and Rescue agency closest to the geographic location to the origin of the signal. This is made possible by the Global Positioning System coordinate that is transmitting by the PLB as part of the distress signal. Another significant advantage of this process is that each PLB also transmits a unique code that identifies the owner of the PLB. So not only do the authorities know who is in trouble they also know where that person is! This eliminates the 95% false alarm rate experienced by beacons transmitting on 121.5 MHz and speeds up the rescue process because those tasked to recover you know where you are.

PLBs cost around $600 but once purchased, there is no additional subscription fee to use the service.

SPOT Tracking and Messaging
A brand new piece of equipment, the SPOT Messaging and Tracking Device, offers some interesting options not found on EPIRBs and PLBs. As with the PLBs, following purchase, the device must be registered only in this case, the SPOT is registered with the manufacturer using the internet. After filling out the customary owner information, level of service needed and payment options the owner also designates up to ten people to whom either a text message or an email message is sent when the SPOT is activated. These people are your “SPOTteam members. The first option is the “I’m OK/Mode” choice. By pressing the “OK” button a message, that the owner designs when registering the SPOT, is sent to those you have selected informing them of your status. It could read, for example, as my SPOT does “Everything is fine. I’m OK and just checking in to let you know my status.” The second option which would go to the same or different recipients is the “Help” button. In this case the owner of the SPOT is in some difficulty, usually a non-life threatening situation, and needs some help but does not need to or want to involve the authorities. This might include a vehicle breakdown, possibly becoming lost or some similar situation where the user is unable to resolve the problem and requires outside assistance. Once again either an email or text message is sent to the addressees you have selected. Select the recipients of the “Help” message carefully. They should be people that can react to the “Help” message and provide the assistance that is needed. When selecting these people you should confer with them ahead of time and make them aware that they might receive such a message and discuss what to do in the event that a “Help” message shows up in their email or a text message.

The third option is the “911” option. When this button is activated an emergency signal is sent to the GEOS Global Command and Control Center, in Huston, Texas. They in turn contact the appropriate rescue organization or agency in the area from which the signal is emanating. Pressing both the “HELP” and the “911” results in your emergency signal going out to both the Global Command Center.

A link to Google Maps is also provided when any of the buttons on the SPOT are activated. Contained in the email message will be a link to Google Maps which, when selected, result in a Google Map appearing which shows your location. When text messaging is used the message will contain your latitude and longitude position.

A forth choice is also available. For an additional $50/year the SPOT can track your movement. Assuming the SPOT is turned on and left on, your position is transmitted every ten minutes, for 24 hours. Once again these positions can be seen on the Google Map link.

When compared to a PLB the upfront cost of a SPOT is lower, $150 for the hardware, however the owner must also pay an annual subscription fee $100 to $150 depending on the level of service.

Despite the fact that the SPOT has been available less than a year there have already been four rescues attributed to the device in the United States.

BOOKS THAT I READ THIS YEAR.

It has been a banner year for me in the world of books with many new, and some not so new books coming to my attention.

Laurence Gonzales, the author of Deep Survival has come out with a new book titled Everyday Survival – why smart people do stupid things. This is an insightful book that explains a lot of the things we do in terms of our past behavior and experience and how that sets us up for making mistakes in the future. It’s good read.

Lost Person Behavior by Robert Koester is a must read for anyone in the Search and Rescue business. Bob has done a tremendous amount of research into what lost people do and shows that, depending on the activity that we engage in, in the outdoors, our age, health, gender other factors determine what we are likely to do when we get lost. We are predictable and because we are predictable the search and rescue community can expedite locating and recovering a missing person. While this book is not a “what to do if you get lost” type of book it does share a lot of information that any outdoor man or women would find interesting.

The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley. “Amanda Ripley, long-time staff writer for Time, has been extensively involved in the magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ cover stories and now covers homeland security and risk.” Based on interviews with survivors, psychologists, and others involved with the rescue, recovery and rehabilitation of disaster victims Ripley has put together a very interesting book that we all can learn from personally. For those of us who are in the business of providing survival and disaster preparedness training, important conclusions are presented that we can share with our students.

When All Hell Breaks Loose by Cody Lundin. In his totally unique way Cody has once again come up with a book that is both practical and irreverent at the same time. As I said in my review of his earlier book 98.6 degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive don’t let Cody’s somewhat different sense of humor put you off. If you read the book and practice what it preaches you will be much better off when all hell does break loose!

Dare to Survive by Rick and Amy Rinehart. This book looks at the variety of situations where people’s survivability is challenged. The chapter titles include animal attack, missing, snowbound, air accidents, accidents related to water, and severe weather. The book is based on the real world experiences of people who have been in trouble and lived to tell about it. A person shouldn’t always model their behavior ina similar situation on the actions of those that have gone before them. Sometimes people survive in spite of what they did not because of what they did. That subtle difference often doesn’t make it into print!

On a more humorous note I read Oh No! We’re Gonna Die by Bob Bell this year and was reminded of how often it is that something that sounds so “right” at the time can become so “so wrong” so quickly. Having beaten around the bush for sixty years now I was able to relate very well to the predicaments that the author shared in this easy read.

TRAINING AVAILABLE

OutdoorSafe Inc - US Forest Service Survival/Navigation Course. 4 September – 8 September 2009
Once again the US Forest Service and OutdoorSafe Inc will be offering a survival program at the Nine Mile Heritage Training Center, Huson, Montana. The 2008 course is actually be two programs in one. Two and half days of survival training followed by two and a half days of map, compass and GPS training. You can sign up for one phase or the other or both. The 2006, 07 and 08 programs were very successful with most people attending both courses. For more information or to sign-up please call Linda Carlson at 406-626-5201. Since I limit this course to 15 people it tends to fill quickly - I recommend signing up early!

American Wilderness Leadership School. June - August 2009
Each year the Safari Club International Foundation hosts a series of six teacher training sessions at the American Wilderness School located about 45 miles south-east of Jackson, Wyoming. The six day long programs are designed to provide elementary, middle and high school teachers credible information on the environment, conservation, the responsibilities of the federal and state land management agencies in overseeing the use of public lands and the role that hunting plays in the management of game animals. During the six days the teachers are briefed by representatives of the Bureau of Land Management, Us Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife, National Parks, and Wyoming Fish and Wildlife.

Any of you who are teachers or know of teachers who might be interested in this program should call 520-620-1220 and ask for the application material or go to www.safariclub.org. Click on Foundation, on Education and then on American Wilderness Leadership School. Scholarship funding is usually available to underwrite course costs.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS FOR 2009

* Open to the public.

If you would like me to speak to your group please give me a call as soon as possible to make the necessary arrangements.

Survival by the Numbers

#1. The only person you can count on is yourself. You must prepare yourself for an unplanned night out as if there will be no one else there to help you survive. No one else to provide you the equipment you need to shelter yourself, build a fire, procure water, signal or all the other tasks that need to be done if you are to survive. All too often we place our survival in the hands of others thinking that if a disaster happens someone else will come to our aid! If recent natural disasters have taught us anything it should have taught us that we need to be able to stand on our own two feet, provide for our own needs, render whatever medical aid is needed and then either survive on-site or move to wherever survival may be possible. Knowing that you are capable of surviving is empowering! Your life depends on what you do - not on the chance that some other person will be available to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.

#2. Under normal conditions the number of quarts of water needed daily by the human body to maintain an adequate level of hydration. This amount can change very significantly depending on the environment you find yourself surviving in, the time of day you are forced to work and the amount of work that you have to do to survive. Dehydration is not just a “desert survival” phenomenon! Dehydration can happen in any environment when insufficient quantities of water are consumed - when water loss through urination, defecation, respiration and sweating exceeds water intake. There is no magic quantity to drink to keep you hydrated. We are all different and we find ourselves in a wide variety of situations. Don’t ration the water you have trying to make it last for many days. Drink what you need. It is better to have water in your stomach than it is to have water in your canteen! There have been many people over the years that have died with water still in their canteens. Conserve your water by minimizing your sweating

#3. To build a fire you must insure that the three elements of the fire triangle, oxygen, fuel and a source of heat are combined in appropriate amounts. All too often, when watching novice fire builders struggle to get a fire going, the fire triangle principle is totally forgotten. Usually it is the lack of oxygen that is the problem. Rather than sit back and evaluate what the problem is they will continue lighting match after match in hopes that one will work never stopping to consider which part of the fire triangle is missing! When it’s not working don’t waste your matches or other heat sources. Stop and identify what’s causing the problem. Is the fuel thin enough and dry enough? Is the heat source hot enough to light the tinder? Is there enough oxygen reaching the point where the heat is being applied to the fuel? Identify the problem and then proceed.

#4. As a crisis evolves remember the four letters in the acronym STOP
STOP whatever it is that you are doing. Get off your feet, sit down, have a drink of water, take several deep breaths and, assuming it is safe to do so, sit tight for at least thirty minutes. Control the urge to panic. You have to give yourself a chance to survive! Everybody is going to panic to one degree or another when confronted by a real or perceived life threatening circumstances. Those people who have been in similar situations before will quickly recognize the situation for what it is and understand that while they are in trouble, it doesn’t have to be life threatening situation - just an inconvenience to be handled. For the inexperienced the consequences of panic can be fatal. Walking leads to walking faster and then to running and then running even faster. The victim will be quickly totally out of control and then an accident, often resulting injury, will happen. Sit tight for thirty minutes and allow the adrenaline that has flooded through your system putting you into the fight or flight mode, to subside and then you may find that you can think clearly again.

THINK about your situation as objectively as you can. Admit that you are in trouble. Think about what needs to be done to ensure your safety. Do you need to move to a safer area? Are there injuries that need to be taken care of? What are your priorities – fire first or shelter? How much time do you have before it gets dark? Critically appraise your situation then make good decisions.

OBSERVE the area you find yourself in. What are the hazards? What are the natural resources that you can benefit from? Are there sources of help available? What can you take advantage of to help you survive?

PLAN your next move carefully. Base your plan on the application of your prior training and preparation while always allowing for the unexpected to happen. Do the plan in your head first. If you are satisfied that the plan is workable then proceed. If you can’t make the plan work in your head then revise it until you develop one that you are comfortable with.

#5 contingencies that you should prepare for;

- Becoming lost. All too often we believe that “our sense of direction” is good enough to prevent this from happening but all too often, when weather, heavy timber or darkness obscures the landmarks we depend on, our ability to find our way back to camp is grossly impaired. Always carry a compass and a map. GPS receivers are very useful too.

- Darkness. Modern man (or woman) doesn’t do very well in the dark! With darkness comes the switch from “seeing” to “hearing” and when we don’t understand the noises coming from the dark it gets downright scary! Sometimes scary enough to panic a person into moving when they should be holed-up. If being out in the dark make you apprehensive identify what it is about the dark that you are afraid of? Is it the fear of being attacked by an animal? Is it nocturnal insects? What bothers you? How real are these threats? Get informed. Get with someone who can explain all those sounds you are hearing. You might find that you will come to enjoy the night hours!

- Stranded. Cars beak down, horses buck us off, ATVs topple over, ski bindings fail – the list is endless but the result is the same. We find ourselves stuck a long way back in the wilderness faced with a cold night out. Anticipate that you might become stranded and plan for ways to make your way out or to alert others that you are stranded. Plan to survive a stranding.

- Illness or injury may cause you to spend an unplanned night out. Not only do you have to deal with the illness or the injury but once again you are faced with caring for yourself until you are rescued. Make sure that your wilderness first aid skills are up-to-speed.

- Weather, snow, rain, high wind cold or hot temperatures, can all impact on your ability to survive. Your clothing and the ability to shelter yourself and get a fire going will be the keys to remaining alive.

#6. The component parts that make up the definition of survival – “the ability and the desire to stay alive, all alone, under adverse conditions until rescued.”

- Ability. There’s no way around it you must be able to shelter yourself, build a fire, signal for help and keep yourself hydrated.
- Desire. You must want to survive. You must be optimistic! The desire to be reunited with your loved ones is the most important psychological aid you have to help you endure a tough situation and survive.
- Stay alive. While shelters, fires and the ability to signal are important your ability to effectively deal with any life threatening medical conditions has the highest priority. Take a Wilderness First Responder course. It is much easier to prevent a medical problem than it is to treat one in an emergency!
- Under adverse conditions. The more you know about an environment the less adverse that environment will be when you find yourself surviving in it. Remove the mystery and you will remove the fear.
- Alone. Never count on others being there to help you. Count on there not being anyone to help you.
- Until rescued. Be patient. Be alive when rescue gets there by doing everything you can to defend your body against the onslaughts of the environment.

#7. The seven enemies of the wilderness survivor
- Pain
- Cold
- Thirst
- Hunger
- Fatigue
- Boredom and Loneliness
- Unwillingness to “stay put” and wait for rescue

#8. On average the number of hours from full dark to dawn. The number of hours you will have to endure sitting out in the dark, under a tree, cold, isolated, hungry, wet and alone. Despite the hardship it doesn’t have to be life threatening if you have prepared for such a circumstance. Remember too that the value of your clothing, its ability to keep you warm, will be determined when you are inactive – when you are sitting still! Not when you are active and producing heat.

#9 basic rules for surviving a wilderness emergency
Avoid under taking an outdoor activity alone.
- Always leave a travel plan behind and stick to it
- Dress for the expected weather
- Carry an emergency kit
- Know your personal limitations and abide by them
- Know your geographic area
- Carry a topographic map of the area and compass
- Don’t fool around
- Don’t let your ego kill you

#10. The number of “must have” items you should have in your emergency gear
- 1 heavy duty , 4 mil., orange plastic bag
- 1 metal match with a scraper
- 2 match cases, one filed with REI matches and one with cotton balls saturated with Vaseline or two filled with the cotton balls/Vaseline mixture.
- 1 glass signal mirror
- 1 plastic whistle
- 1 small folding knife
- 1 orienteering compass
- 1 plastic water bag
- 1 Small LED light with a headband
- 1 25 foot piece of nylon line
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FINAL THOUGHTS. Again, if you’d like to continue getting a hard copy of this newsletter please drop a couple of bucks in the mail to cover the paper and the postage. Otherwise send us your email and we can get it to you electronically

Also consider placing your Christmas orders early this year. Mary and I will be traveling during the month of November and December