Truth Time: Could you survive 24 hours?

Are you always prepared to survive for at least 24 hours?

The recent rash of rescue posts has inspired me, with the help of Keith (SAR-EMT40) to post this poll. In order to keep it fairly simple, there are only two answers, yes or no. Keith postulated a likely scenario which we will place you in (hypothermically speaking )

You are day hiking. You are injured, or lost, late in the day. The sun is setting, and before it rises again, you will encounter 50 degree temperatures and rain. You can assume that the injury itself will not cause your death in 24 hours.

This is really a self-examination question. Answer honestly. I'm not sure I could myself, so truthfully I would have to say no. Please try very hard to put yourself in the most appropriate bucket.

Tim

For me, this is an especially true scenario in that I often get extremely painful cramps in my calves for some reason. Should one of my calves actually cramp-up bad (they'll twitch a bit at first...and if I stop exercising, it might go away), I'll usually a day or two (up to a week, depending on how bad it cramped up) before I can walk normally again.

I normally carry enough to be able to deal with some eventuallities...but I've never actually tried to survive while compleletely soaked (After some hard hiking!), with what I'd normally have in my pack on a day hike. It would be a very interesting experience to do...once which I've told myself many times I should do. Perhaps this winter...

Fish

If Jack Bauer can do it, so can I.

I would try this: "Scotty, beam me up".

It depends on what the injury was. Severe corneal abrasion, dislocated shoulder, herniated lumbar or cervical disc, femoral fracture (yikes!). These might prevent me from getting dressed warmly and building a shelter. Anyway I voted yes.

(Perhaps we could run some scientific experiments. All volunteers to be given green squares. Who wants the corneal abrasion? Johnny Knoxville?)

Give it a try

This is directed not to the author of this thread, but to anyone (myself included): Try it and see. Not kidding. Not being a wise a**. Some day when the forecast calls for a rainy 50F night, start up Valley Way at about 5pm with your usual daypack. You don't have to go far, maybe a few hundred yards up the trail. Then say, "oops, looky there, compound tib-fib fracture", then walk a hundred feet off trail into the woods. This "simulates" your injury on an off-trail hike in a remote area. Once you walk to the spot where you "broke" your leg, you have to stay there or else crawl with that leg immobilized. See if you can make it through the night using nothing but your wits, the woods, and what's in your pack. If you want to bail, big deal, you're only 10 minutes from your car. Not sure if I have the guts to try this, and not sure the wife would dig it. Would make for a five-star trip report.

You know whether or not you are prepared to survive the described conditions (overnight, 50 degrees, rain) on your average day hike. Answer the poll truthfully. Nobody expects to be in that situation, but it is a realistic possibility. That's why I asked Keith to come up with it. You can assume that the injury itself will not cause your death in 24 hours, if that helps.

Tim

I always have at least a headlamp, matches, a clothing layer or two, and one of those metal-looking thermal blankets, if not more gear depending on the hike. I'd like to think that unless it's the kind of injury that puts me into shock, I could make it a night.

Neil said:

(Perhaps we could run some scientific experiments. All volunteers to be given green squares. Who wants the corneal abrasion? Johnny Knoxville?)

Click to expand...

I already tried one, but fortunately I didn't have to wait 24 hrs...

Only I chose winter (20F at the time of the accident) and a broken leg. I had enough gear that I believe that I would have been able to survive 24 hrs--my problem was that I was having difficulty getting to it.

Doug

The injury is the real wild card - if it's severe enough to cause you to go into shock I don't think anyone could confidently answer "yes". However, in terms of having enough clothing, supplies, etc. I'm usually overpacked.

It depends upon the injury, but I'm confident I could survive 24 hours. No matter how short my hike, I always carry a little extra food, reasonably warm clothing, rain gear, and material to start a fire.

I can't really take credit for this preparedness though . . . my wife won't let me out the door without running through her "checklist" first

Yes - I always carry the gear - of course, that extra weight may be what gets me into trouble in the first place.
Always have dry layers and waterproof optinons...fire starter, lights, extra food, some method of leaning water, etc...
Being unconcious, or in shock - all bets are off...
You never know...

Oops, I answered NO based on the "always" part of the question before reading the original posters question. I believe I could survive based on the scenario posted. I may not be able to survive if solo on a sub-zero night, with blizzard conditions after an injury.

I'm frequently asked, "Isn't you're day pack a little large ?" It is because I tend to solo quite a bit and I always carry a Gore Tex bivy, a Z rest pad and I usually have my JetBoil. If the injury isn't severe enough to prevent me from getting my fleece on and climbing into the bivy, I actually think I could have a comfortable night.

YES- I always carry a gortex top and bottom, waterproof bivy sack, enough insulation to comfortably stay out for the night depending on the season (hat and gloves), headlamp, fire starting materials both windproof and waterproof, iodine tabs for H2O, some low bulk/ high calorie food- My friends all tease me but hopefully I’ll never have to use this stuff or end up as a rescue post on VFTP.

Spent 24 hours on the trail quite recently, unplanned (not injured, just stranded). No problem below treeline (temps barely dipped to 50 in the Notch where I curled up for a couple hours - I was glad to have rain since it kept insects away). Confident I'd have survived above treeline (forties, rain, wind), but it'd have been no fun at all. My nightmare is an immobilizing injury that happens during the inevitable (for me, in summer) five minutes of stupidity between getting soaked and realizing I need to get warm.

dvbl said:

This is directed not to the author of this thread, but to anyone (myself included): Try it and see. Not kidding... Would make for a five-star trip report.

Click to expand...

I've often thought about trying it and would be willing to participate under monitored conditions. Here's the basic problem; this would be good practice, but not a valid test. If you were prepared to be "lost and/or injured" you would not be under the same mental and (obviously) physical stresses. Stess can be good and bad in emergency situations; endorphins etc.

But it would be good practice and would make a good trip report. I'd try to join anyone else willing to organize this or submit themselves to it. I'd insist on some sort of overnight monitoring, with a very light trigger, due to the risk of hypothermia.

Sorry about this, I want to become a better guy, but not yet.

It is unfortunate that "This is a silly question" was not included in the choices, because I would have opted for that. I don't buy the notion that I should have to be prepared to survive 24 hours every time I leave civilization.

Out of about 2 gazzillion hikers, a small number get lost or need to be rescued during a summer. They are invariable trashed for being unprepared and having bad judgment and yet most of them survive 24 hours before help arrives or they stumble out of the woods.

So pardon me while I continue to hike my local mountain with a fanny pack after work, and bushwhack remote mountains without telling anyone where I'm going on the weekend.

Hike free or die.


Or was it hike free AND die.

Quod me nutrit me destruit, dude.

bikehikeskifish said:

The sun is setting, and before it rises again, you will encounter 50 degree temperatures and rain.

Click to expand...

So, is it Cascades or Olympics? (Or as Rooney is wont to note, turning west or east makes all the difference in a "survival" situation. )

Actually, can't be either one, because the rain apparently isn't continuous . . .

Of course I could survive 24 hours. All I need is the clothes I'm wearing and my flint.

Love, Bear