Truth Time: Could you survive 24 hours?

Mike P. said:

Not drinking water because you think it may have giarda is silly. While filtering or other purification is preferrable, passing out, or suffering severe dehyration is dangerous Don't know how long it would take to get the unpleasant symptoms but it would not ne immediately upon touching your lips.

Click to expand...

I believe I have read (probably here somewhere) that Giardia takes 3-7 days to manifest itself and wreak havoc on your intestines - that is a lot longer than dehydration takes to become a problem...more like hours...

Grab Bag of Emerency Equipment

I always put a small sack of emergency equipment into my pack; Life Boat matches, Plastic Tube tent, cord, fire starters, emergency blancket, and painkillers, etc. I have been criticised more then once about the added weight but the peace of mind is worth it.

I did that very thing once. Survived a night out, low 50's with drizzling rain, with a severe leg injury at the bottom of a cliff face after taking a fall. No one knew where I was and I wasn't missed for around 30 hrs. In my case, I was not prepared gear-wise for the situation (was wearing cotton shorts and t-shirt). Just had to grit my teeth and pull through it. I learned three things from the experience:

1. Think about what you're doing before you do it - evaluate the risks beforehand. Plan accordingly.

2. Let someone know what you're doing and where you'll be, and when to expect your return.

3. You're a lot stronger than you think you are. Don't be too quick to pick up the cell phone and dial 911 (not that I had that option). Have confidence in your inner strength.

I voted yes. I plan for it and, god willing, hope it will never happen. I think survival is a mind set of never giving up, never surrendering. It's only 24 hrs.

I started considering an unplanned night out as a very real possibility after my older brother had to spend a night out in the Green Mountains last February. He and one of his friends got lost on a dayhike and were well prepared for the short hike they had planned, just not for a night in a snow cave. He and his friend were fine, SAR found them in the wee hours of the morning the following day, but it's not something that's easy to forget.

Among other things, I added a space blanket to my survival kit and beefed up my med kit (the older one was housed in an altoids tin). I put the survival kit together a few years ago and have updated and amended it over time. The current incarnation is as follows: a 4"x6" mesh bag with a draw string top, a compass, a bottle of iodine tabs (enough for 25 liters), a 2"x3" mirror with a plasticy sleeve, a key chain size LED flashlight, a safety whistle, a bic lighter, a spark stick, a small biner, a key ring, and three safety pins. I always carry at least one additional light source in my pack, along with a knife, compass, couple of biners, and a length or two of paracord. I'm trying to think of what other stuff I just automatically toss in my pack and I can't think of what else there is right now. Darn.



I can survive 24 hours.

Well, since the only question of any importance is "can you survive until you get help?", I will have to admit that I have absolutely no freaking clue. My answer to the pole is "no."

Here's a couple of unorganized thoughts about various ideas mentioned already:

1. The injury. Either you can move around, somehow, or you can't. If I can move then it is either an annoyance (not an emergency) or at worst a situation I think I probably would survive. There are so many options when you can move, even if slowly. But if you can't move, all bets are off because everything hinges on how you're injured and...

2. ...Where you are. Odds are (outside of skiing) I'm not going to break my leg on an easy trail. It's going to be on something steep, or with talus or blowdown. It's the probably not that cozy spot in my mind (you know, by the hemlocks and the bubbling brook) where I can lazily take my time unfolding a bivy and donning layers that require pulling arms into sleeves and whatnot.

3. Surviving by building a fire. Okay, so scratch that one in the blowdown or on the talus. Even if you happen to be in the hemlocks by the bubbling brook (in the rain) you've got to gather all the (wet) materials and then convince them to flame. This is an art, difficult to achieve by experienced people. Besides, if you have the energy to wander hither and yon gathering tinder, kindling, and fuel enough to keep you going all night, you might consider devoting that energy to walking out, or maybe...

4. ...Stuffing your clothes with leaves or any other material that will create additional dead air space even if it is wet. This may not be a magic bullet, but unlike a fire, at least I can imagine actually doing this.

Finally, on a philosophical note, at a certain point I think all these "what ifs" become counterproductive to understanding and enjoying the woods. It's like going to New York City and then spending all your time worrying over every shady looking person you encounter. You may perhaps be ever-so-slightly safer, but you're not going to enjoy the city very much.