HIGH SIERRA adventures

Skills and Tips    from your virtual guide

Survival Skills

The best thing to do in a survival situation is to stay calm and keep a level head. You need to find your bearings, evaluate the environment around you and be aware of any future danger you might face. Before you can create a plan of action to get yourself out of this dire situation, you need to survey the scene and figure out what you need to survive.

First thing's first:

1. Locate and escape from any immediate dangers

2. Make sure that you have a constant supply of oxygen and access to drinking water.

3. If you're lost in the wilderness, spend some time building a good shelter so that the weather doesn't kill you.

4. Remain calm (by breathing deeply and trying to relax) and create a plan.

An old adage says that "Prevention is the best medicine." It makes sense. Avoid situations that endanger your life. Most people that enter the backcountry and find themselves in a life-or-death situation are victims of dehydration. Prevent dehydration by constantly drinking water and looking for other sources of potential drinking water. Be aware of everything around you and you will most likely be able to prevent a survival situation.

No scenario is the same. But if you ever find yourself trying to survive in the wilderness, here are some helpful skills that could save your life.

Survival FOOD:

Oak
All species of Oak have edible ACORNS. They are bitter unless boiled or blanched in several changes of water. They are HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS and have served as a major food source for natives of the Sierra Nevada and other parts of the world.

Pine
All species of Pine have edible inner-bark or cambium. This is the filmy whitish layer underneath the bark, and also the plant's vascular tissue. Historically a staple food for natives. The leaves or needles can be steeped in hot water to create a rich tea that is high in Vitamin C and other great trace elements.

Grass
Most grasses are edible. The bulbous growth at the base of grass leaf bundles (underground) is edible.

Birds
Beautiful and most hard to catch, all birds are edible.

Fish
All freshwater fish are edible.
And most are delicious.
Sometimes, you can find them trapped in shallow water and simply pick them out.

Insects
Most insects are edible and high in proteins and fats.
Dig in the ground to find worms.
Find termites and juicy maggots feeding and nesting in rotting logs.

Crossing a stream. There are a bunch of ways to safely cross a stream, whether by yourself or with a group. If you cross with a group, you can form a triangle with the heaviest person downstream and gradually work your way across together. In deep water, you could have the first person to cross tie into a rope and cross the stream at an angle downstream. Don't try to battle the current. Move with it. If you cross a stream alone, make sure you use a strong stick or pole. Face upstream and point the stick upstream and use it to balance as you cross. With a stick you'll have three points of contact with the surface below the water. That way, when you move, you still have two points of contact instead of only one. This helps you maintain balance. (Tip dry off your feet thoroughly after crossing a stream to avoid getting blisters when you start hiking again.) It's best to have a pair of camp shoes that can double as river-crossing shoes so that you don't have to soak your hiking boots every time you cross a stream.

Swift water survival: drop your pack and point your feet downstream so that you hit rocks with your feet first, not your head. Gradually swim to shore or find an eddy of slower water. Make sure to dry yourself off thoroughly to avoid getting hypothermia.

Surviving the cold. Most cases of hypothermia (an illness caused by exposure to cold weather) occur between 45-50 degrees Fareinheit. That's far above freezing (32 degrees). The reason is that wind and water can be your worst enemy. Wind blows the layer of warm air around you away and therefore cools your skin and blood. Water on your clothes or next to your skin sucks the heat away from your body by convection. Water has an amazing ability to absorb heat. That's not good. Remember, "Prevention is the best medicine." Dry off if you are wet and try to wear clothes that block the wind. You can also buy synthetic clothing that will insulate your body heat even if wet. BIG PICTURE>> Trapped air, like air in a puffy down jacket, is the best type of insulation from the cold. The trapped air in your jacket is warmed by your body heat and forms a protective barrier against the cold. So, in other words, it is your own trapped body heat that keeps you warm.

Let's assume that you have nothing. You are lost in the wilderness with no sleeping bag, and it's COLD. You need to trap your body heat in order to stay alive. Here are some tips for conserving your body heat.

1. Stuff extra clothing or leaves in your jacket to trap the heat better.

2. Make a nest when you sleep. Use grass, leaves, and anything that will create a fluffy air-barrier between you and the ground.

3. Cover yourself with other material that traps air well.

4. Most of your body heat escapes from your head and neck. Make sure both are covered and insulated from the cold.

5. Your extemeties (hands and feet) will get cold quickly because blood flows slowly to them. Cover them well to avoid frostbite.

Making a snow shelter could save your life.
For the most part, the location and conditions you face when climbing or trekking in the winter will be your reason for building a snow cave. Whether you're simply trying to survive a cold night, or you want to sleep well on a windy ridge, a snow shelter can provide you with a warm retreat from the cold and incessent wind.
Alot of times when you're climbing steep terrain, you don't have space to pitch a tent. If the space isn't a factor, then the wind probably will be. It's hard to set up a tent when the cold wind is constantly blowing your tent away. Solution: build a snow cave. Snow shelters are great in both frigid and windy conditions. Your snow shelter will keep a constant 35-40 degrees inside, regardless of the outside temperature. That may seem cold, but compared to temperatures below zero, it can be a life-saver.
construction: the inside of your snow shelter should be dome-shaped. That gives it strength and stability. You also want to poke a couple small holes in the top to ensure good air ventilation. The door should be as low as possible, with your sleeping platform about 6 inches above the top of the door. That way you prevent cold air drafts from getting inside.
Using a shovel is ideal, but a pot or anything else that will scoop snow better than your hands will work. If you don't have much snow to work with, you may have to pile a bunch up, pack it down, and then dig it out. However, if you have a lot of snowpack, then simply digging out a cave will be all you need to do.

Building a fire could also save your life.
Always carry a lighter. Starting a fire in the wilderness is not as easy as starting one in your fireplace at home. You often have to deal with the elements of wind and water. And neither are good for starting a fire.
So here's the trick>> you've got to find the driest and smallest wood you can to catch the flame of your lighter if you want the fire to start. The teepee method of starting a fire works well. Make a small pile of light and thin wood or leaves. This will be the "tinder" that catches the flames of your lighter. Before you light that pile though, you want to stack a bunch of twigs and small branches in the form of a teepee over top of the tinder pile you just made. That way, when the tinder ignites, it will throw flames on the twig teepee (kindling). Stack progressively larger fuel (wood) on the teepee. But make sure you allow plenty of breathing room for the fire.
Fire requires two things: oxygen and fuel. The oxygen is readily available from the air all around, so you simply need to make sure that your fuel is not piled too heavily on itself. Just make sure that there's room for air and you'll be fine. The smaller your wood fuel is, the easier it will ignite and provide heat to the larger wood, thereby creating fire. So remember, start small and work your way up to larger wood as the fire gains strength.

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