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

I’m sitting in my office today looking out the window at a backyard covered in newly fallen snow – a lot of newly fallen snow! Listening to the radio and watching TV over the last 24 hours would lead you to believe that the city of Colorado Springs is in crisis. And yes the heavy wet snow did tear down some trees and the power was out, and is still out for several thousand people in the area, but is it a crisis? I suppose it is for those who are sitting in an unheated home, without their television and all the other electrical appliances that the typical American family thinks it needs to survive and without any form of supplemental heat, no stockpile of food or other supplies to see them through for a day or two!

This got me thinking once again about the psychology behind our unwillingness to prepare for a natural disaster. Why don’t we prepare better? Eric Holderman, the director of emergency management for Seattle’s King County says that there are four stages of denial when faced with a significant threat to our safety: the first is: it won’t happen. Two is, if it does happen, it won’t happen to me. Three: if it does happen to me it won’t be that bad. And four is, if it happens to me and it’s bad, there’s nothing I can do about it anyway! How’s that for logic? What a cop-out! But it does explain a lot about why we do or don’t prepare in the face of a potentially life threatening event.

I’m not sure how to break through this mentality and motivate more people to get ready. I’m often disappointed in the number of people that show up at the seminars I give around the country. The rooms should be full and overflowing! But they’re not. When given a choice between listening to a speaker talk on “How to catch a larger trout” or perhaps “How to make your first million” verses “How to prepare for an unplanned night out” guess what? The majority of people are going to choose something other than listening to me!

Preparing for an emergency begins with the recognition of the fact that a life, your life, could be in danger. This requires a high level of personal honesty. The honesty with yourself that you are not as prepared as you should be. The honesty that there probably isn’t going to be anyone else around to help you live through the emergency and the honesty that preparing for the event is going to cost you time and money.

A study done for Time magazine by the University of South Carolina – Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute concluded that “91% of Americans live in places of moderate-to high risk of earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, high-wind damage or terrorism.” That’s most of us!

I often find myself “preaching to the choir.” Those of you who take the time to pull-up this newsletter and those of you who take the time to come to my seminars are already converted! You want to learn more about caring for yourself and your family members. I’d like to reach the millions who don’t read the newsletter or attend the seminars! I know I’ll never be able to do that but maybe this coming year a person or two will read my book, listen to one of my seminars or perhaps attend the five day survival and navigation course I give each year in Montana. Perhaps one or two more will call me, as Greg Rodriguez did earlier this year, and tell me that something they learned in one of my programs made the difference! In Greg’s case he and his guide were caught in a storm while hunting in British Columbia. The guide was poorly dressed for the weather and quickly became hypothermic. Greg was able to build a fire using the cotton balls and Vaseline procedure and kept the fire going for fifteen hours until they were rescued.

My book “Surviving a Wilderness Emergency” finally made it into print this year and has been a very good seller. Based on the feedback I’m getting the information contained in the book is right on track. In retrospect there are a few things that I might have done differently but at some point you have to give your material to the printer to get it published. For those of you that purchased “Surviving a Wilderness Emergency” – if you have suggestions on topics that need to be covered, material that should be included in a future book or a revision to this book or any other constructive advice please let me know.

Speaking of books. Several years ago Doctor Paul Auerbach asked me to write a chapter for “Wilderness Medicine – 5th Edition.” If you are not familiar with this book let me tell you a bit about it. Wilderness Medicine is encyclopedic in its coverage of the practice of medicine in the backcountry. Its shear size is impressive. The book weighs nine pounds. Its dimensions are 11½ x 9 x 2¾ inches. It contains 1910 pages divided up into 79 chapters! As I said, it is the encyclopedia that everyone goes to when they want to find out about anything medical in the outdoors. Each chapter is written by leading authorities in their field – someone who is often world renowned for their knowledge. Here are a few selected chapters to give you an idea of what’s included between the green covers:

Chapter 1 High-altitude medicine
Chapter 3 Lightning Injuries
Chapter 6 Accidental Hypothermia
Chapter 7 Frostbite
Chapter 12 Wild Land Fires: Dangers and Survival
Chapter 15 Wilderness Injury Prevention
Chapter 25 Search and Rescue
Chapter 28 Wilderness Survival
Chapter 51 Field Water Disinfection
Chapter 64 Survival at Sea

When I asked him what he wanted me to write on he answered “Living off the land!” As many of you know this is not a subject that I preach very often since few people actually have to live off the land in order to survive. So I accepted the challenge and spent the next year researching the topic and eventually got the job done. I’m proud to say that the end result is a practical look at the different ways to identify and gather the foods available to us in the backcountry.

Needless to say a book of this scope is not inexpensive but if you want a reliable go-to source for up-to-date information you should consider adding it to your library – the book should be available early in 2007.

One final note on books. I still have a few copies of “Wilderness Medicine” published by Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. Doctor Paul Morton and I wrote the chapter on wilderness survival. This is a much scaled downed version of Auerbach’s book with a much scaled down price. ($50) Despite the diminished size and price it is still full of good information on dealing with injuries and illness in the outdoors when there’s no doctor around.

ANNUAL REPORT

This year we celebrated our tenth year of being in business. The time has flown by. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to be as busy as we have been in the last couple of years. In 2006 we were on the road for seven months presenting seminars, workshops and other training programs around the country and only because I have to have hip replacement surgery next month are we home now.

Our year began with our usual January through March swing through the Pacific North-West where I speak at four big regional sportsmen’s shows in Washington and Oregon on behalf of the Subaru Corporation of America -western region. Our association with Subaru has been a marriage made in heaven for us. Thanks to their support it has been possible for me to present in places I would not otherwise have been able to speak. They are strong believers in the driving safety and the recreational safety of their customers. While in the North-West this year I also spoke at various scout gatherings, search and rescue groups, churches and businesses. New to me this year were the programs I presented at C.C Filson & Company (Seattle), and to a Mormon church in Lake Stevens, Washington.

We barely returned home in time to head north once again this time for Wyoming where Mary and I spend our summer teaching at the Safari Club International Wilderness Leadership School. (Please see page six for more information on this program) All told 420 elementary, middle school and high school teachers passed through the school this year each graduated better equipped to go back to their classrooms and teach their outdoor education, science, art and other classes more effectively.

All in all about 2000 people attended my programs in 2006.

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

The nonsense continues on TV with re-runs of the survivor man and now I see there’s a new showing coming out on Discovery channel in November called “Man verse Wild.” It looks like an extreme version of Survivor man! “How I climbed Mt Everest and nearly died doing so!” It seems the public is fascinated with the subject and wants to live through an experience vicariously but at the same time is unwilling to consider that they might find themselves in a life or death situation and that they had better be ready for it! I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on these shows because once in a while I do learn something new.

In earlier newsletters I have mentioned Doug Ritter’s web site (www.equipped.org) to you and mention it once again since some of you are new to the newsletter and because Doug is always coming up with something new – something that is worthy of bringing to your attention. This year he formed the United States Knife and Tool Association, (USKTA) An organization whose mission is to protect and defend the rights of knife, and other tools, makers and users. Similar to the National Rifle Association but for knife manufacturers and users. Don’t laugh! There are those who seek to ban the carrying of knives in this country. Check out www.uskta.com and if you think it’s an organization that needs your support send Doug a check.

On the equipment side of the house the Sawyer Company based in Safety Harbor, Florida have come out with new state-of-the-art disinfecting water bottles. One that removes all the big stuff we worry about, giardia, cryptosporidium etc. and a second one that also removes viruses. Kurt Avery and his staff have done a great job developing water systems that truly do what their literature claims their products will do for you. Check out www.sawyerproducts.com

During the navigation phase of my Wilderness Survival Training program in Montana (please see page six for more information on next years class) this year we used, as we have in the past, Garmin products, specifically the Garmin Etrex Summit and the Etrex Legend GPS receivers and Brunton compasses. I was reminded once again of how good the equipment is that these two companies manufacture. The GPS receivers are rugged, effective tools that take the worry out of getting lost! Not to say that you can stop carrying a map and compass but that when used in conjunction with a map and compass they are a very useful adjunct. It is interesting to note that most of the students that came to the program had GPS receivers of one type or another but didn’t know how to use them! Some of the students had had them for quite some time. The devices are not intuitive and some are worse than others.

New to me this year was the Eclipse family of compasses made by the Brunton Company, www.brunton.com. It was much more accurate than the Brunton 8010 compass I had been using in the past. I enjoyed using it

From the Brunton website:

Part of the Eclipse™ family, the 8097 is designed to take map reading a step further. It features 1:24 USGS and UTM scales. Our patented circle-over-circle alignment system makes quick reading possible and the map magnifier brings map details in close. Our attachable lanyard features a built-in safety whistle that offers added comfort in dangerous situations.

The Eclipse compasses cost quite a bit more than the 8010 ($39.00 verses $19.00) however I think the increase is worth it in terms of improved accuracy and ease of use.

BOOKS THAT I READ THIS YEAR – that you might be interested in!

Lost in the Yellowstone edited by Lee H. Whittlesey. An interesting account of Truman Evertt’s thirty-seven day survival experience in what is now Yellowstone National Park. The story took place in 1870 and is the story of a “lost, nearsighted, inexperienced woodsman who travels for more than a month over fifty miles of Yellowstone wilderness” before being found. This book is one of the earliest written accounts of a survival experience that took place in America that I have come across. A good read!

Journal of the Dead by Jason Kersten. Just when you think you’ve heard it all something new comes along that proves you wrong! Journal of the Dead tells that story of Raffi Kodikian’s and David Coughlin’s odyssey in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. If you are unfamiliar with the account let me highlight it for you. These two young men walk out into the desert to spend the night when the national park campground they had hoped to use was full. They got lost, ran out of water and eventually, allegedly, at the Coughlin’s request, Kodikian stabs Coughlin to death rather than have him die of dehydration!

102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn. This is the story of the fight to survive inside the twin towers of the World Trade Center. I think we all know the story of what happened outside the buildings but not a lot has been said about what happened inside the towers after the planes hit. This is a very enlightening book not just because it fills in the pieces but also because it is reveals how differently people react in an emergency based on the level of physical and mental preparation accomplished ahead of time.

Build the Perfect Survival Kit by John D. McCann. I liked this book despite my aversion to any book the uses the terms “Complete” or “The encyclopedia of….” or “Everything you need to know about …………” or “the Perfect.” I know of no other book that covers the subject as thoroughly, or as comprehensively. If you have heeded my advice to prepare better then this is a good source book for you.

TRAINING AVAILABLE

OutdoorSafe Inc - US Forest Service Survival/Navigation Course.
31 August – 4 September 2007
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 2007 course will be 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 program was 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 12 – August 19 2007
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. Dr Gene Decker, Professor Emeritus, Colorado State University, heads the training program and shares with the students a life times worth of conservation experience ranging from the US to Africa, South America and New Zealand.

Any of you who are teachers or know of teachers who might be interested in this program should contact Don Brown at 520-620-1220 and ask for the application material. Scholarship funding is usually available to underwrite course costs.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS FOR 2007

Host Organization Location Date
Dallas Safari Club Dallas, TX 11- 14 January
Washington Sportsmen’s Show Puyallup, WA 24 – 28 January
C.C. Filson Company Seattle, WA 29 January
Oregon Equestrians Portland, OR 6 February
Pacific NW Sportsmen’s Show Portland, OR 7 – 11 February
Lake Stevens Mormon Lake Stevens, WA 17 February
Evergreen Sportsmen’s Show Monroe, WA 21 – 25 February
Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show Redmond. OR 1 – 4 March
Boy Scouts of America Camporee Portland, OR 5 May
Safari Club International – AWLS Jackson, WY 29 May – 30 Sept

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

Teaching Kids to Survive

It’s never too young to start teaching your children what to do in the event they find themselves in the outdoors alone. It is foolish to think that you or some other capable adult will always be there to take care of them. As I look back through my collection of newspaper articles there are far too many stories of children who have become separated from other members of the family while on a family hike; where children have been the sole survivors of accidents or where they have walked away from their homes to play in nearby wild lands and have been unable to find their way back. Children who were not prepared to cope! So the question is “How should we prepare them for an event where their survival depends in large part on what they do until they are found and rescued?”

CHANGING THE RULES
To begin with I believe that children should be taught that it is “OK to be lost.” They must understand that their parents will not be angry with them – worried perhaps but not angry. Children who fear the wrath of their parents may continue to move in hopes of finding their way back and thereby reducing Mom or Dad’s anger because of the trouble they have caused. They must understand that they are much easier to find if they remain in one place and much more difficult to locate if they continue to move around.

They should be told that if they get lost there will be many people who will come to find them and that these people are friendly people. They should be told that it is OK to talk to these “friendly people” - they are not strangers! The messages our children receive from us are sometimes a bit confusing. On one hand we tell them not to talk to unfamiliar people and now, on the other hand we tell them it’s OK to do so! The problem arises when a child, who has had it ingrained in them that they should not talk to strangers suddenly finds themselves lost and in need of help. In the past some of these children have hidden themselves away and allowed rescuers to pass by without making contact with them. Some of these children have died! Teach your kids that if they are ever lost that it is appropriate to make contact with any people that they meet in the field. Tell them that these people will most likely be wearing a uniform. Most commonly some part of the uniform, usually the shirts, jackets and hats will be bright orange. They should also be told that the people who are looking for them will know who they are and be calling out their name.

CLOTHING
Select clothing that is brightly colored for your children to wear in the field - especially the outer layers. Bright blue, orange and red make your children much easier to see. Choose clothing that will keep them warm when they are inactive – sitting under a tree all night! Select clothing that can be closed up by the child. If zippers are too difficult to use consider selecting clothing, especially jackets, that use Velcro closures or supplement zippers with additional strips of Velcro so that the child can seal up their outer layer keeping out the wind and rain and keeping the heat in. Children who have not learned to tie their shoe laces have been known to loose their shoes when the laces come undone and the shoes come off. Either teach them to tie their shoe laces or select shoes with Velcro or other easy to use fasteners. Speaking of shoes, make imprints of the soles of your children’s shoe. When looking for your child the searchers will have to differentiate your child’s footprints from the many others that may be present. Providing them an imprint of their shoe sole will give them the exact pattern to look for. Since the soles of many children’s shoes are very similar cut a grove in the edge of the sole with a knife or remove one of the lugs to make that shoe sole unique. The easiest way to make an imprint is to have the child stand on a piece of aluminum foil placed on the carpet. Have them press down as hard as possible. When the shoe is lifted a perfect imprint of the sole is visible.

EQUIPMENT
Equipping children for an unplanned night out is also appropriate. This need not be a full-blown survival kit but a scaled down version of a kit that you would carry in the field. As a minimum each child should carry their own waterproof, windproof sheltering material. A large plastic bag works well for this. Make it a brightly colored one not one of the household variety that are usually brown, black or green. Plastic bags of these colors disappear in the shade and are very difficult to see. It is a good idea to cut a hole in the closed end so that once the bag is pulled over the child’s head they can exhale to the outside rather than into the bag. Breathing into the bag increases the amount of condensation accumulating inside the bag. Cutting more than one hole in the bag, additional holes for arms for example, is not recommended since the extra holes allow too much body heat to escape.

A child’s survival kit should also include a good whistle – one that fits the child’s mouth and one that a child can blow. Some whistles need an adult’s lung capacity to be used effectively. The child should be instructed to blow the whistle all day long and to continue signaling even if they hear the rescuers blowing their whistles in return. From the child’s point of view whistling serves several important roles. Firstly it gives the child something to do while they wait for rescue and secondly whistling helps to allay their fears of wild animal attack. Older children should also carry, and be taught to use, a purposefully manufactured signal mirror – preferably a glass mirror with an aiming mesh. Mirrors of this type can be seen in excess of twenty- six miles away and are not difficult for a young person to use effectively.

TRAINING
In addition to the training listed above children also need to be made to feel more comfortable in the dark. It is my impression that modern children are seldom, if ever, in complete darkness. We place night lights at strategic points around the house so that they can visit the bathroom, or get up for a drink of water without stumbling over furniture or falling down the stairs in the dark. Modern homes are full of other light sources, alarm clocks, chargers; computers, smoke alarms etc. and consequently some children are never in total darkness! These children often become terrified by their inability to see and their inability to identify the various night sounds upon finding themselves alone in the dark in the outdoors for the first time! As parents, we further exacerbate their fears in the selection of the stories we read to our children when they are young. Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs come to mind. Start taking your kids out into the outdoors at night and identify the bird and animal calls you hear. Show them that even without the use of a flashlight an amazing amount can be seen – especially on a bright moonlit night. This is also a good time to start teaching them about the stars and how the various constellations can be used to determine direction. Since many children are afraid of the dark their kit should also contain a chem-light stick or two. As it gets dark the stick can be activated and the light produced will a help to ally a child’s fear of the dark through the night.

A water bottle and a few pieces of hard candy provide the means to ward off dehydration and allay the hunger pains that a child spending a scary night out is bound to experience. Having some water with them also reduces the need for the child to obtain water from rivers and lakes where falling in could result in drowning.

SURVIVAL RULES

Carry your emergency pack
Stay together in one place
Keep warm – put clothes on
Find a cozy waiting place
Put out something bright – decorate a “Christmas Tree” with flagging tape
Make yourself easy to be seen
Make lots of noise – blow your whistle
Do not lay on the bare ground – make a nest
Stay away from big rivers and lakes
Do not eat wild foods
Talk to the strangers who are calling your name

For the parent, a missing child in the outdoors is a nightmare. For the parent who has taken the time to prepare their child for an unplanned night out the fear remains but a degree of comfort can be derived from the knowledge that the child is prepared for the event.