The Scout's Guide to Wilderness Survival and First Aid by J. Wayne Fears

Author:J. Wayne Fears [Fears, J. Wayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781510778054
Published: 2023-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

It is much cooler to seek shade in a hot desert by digging down under the rear of a vehicle than to stay inside. The vehicle becomes an oven quickly.

Dress for the Environment

In the desert, you should wear light-colored clothing to reflect some of the heat of the sun. Be sure to keep your clothing on, as clothing helps ration your sweat by slowing the evaporation rate and prolonging the cooling effect. It also helps keep out the hot desert air. Long-sleeve shirts and broad-brimmed hats are also recommended

Remember that deserts can be cold during the night, so a jacket in your daypack could be a welcome item of clothing if an unplanned night in the desert occurs.

Basic Rules for Desert Survival

By following a few basic rules, you can assure yourself of a safer trip into the desert:

1. Never go into the desert without filing a trip plan with responsible adults. Stick to the plan.

2. Carry at least one gallon of water per person per day.

3. Watch the weather. Even though a desert is a dry environment, flash floods can occur rapidly even if the rain may not fall where you are. Avoid travel in low areas if thunderstorms are on the horizon.

4. Carry a survival kit and a means of constructing quick shade.

5. Stay hydrated.

6. If water is limited, keep your mouth shut and breathe through your nose. Keep talking to a minimum, do not eat, and do not take salt.

7. Do not sit or lie directly on the ground, which may be 30 F degrees hotter than the air. Sit on your daypack.

8. A roadway is a sign of civilization. If you find a road, stay on it, for there’s a good chance that help will happen along.

9. Always carry a charged cell phone.

10. If you become lost or stranded, stay put in the shade and put out signals.

RIVERS, LAKES, OCEAN

The ability to survive on streams and large bodies of water varies greatly, from a kayak trip on a creek to an offshore fishing trip on a large boat. The one thing they all have in common is in the planning.

Open bodies of water, be they rivers, lakes, or oceans, are subject to become dangerous quickly due to changes in the weather, such as thunderstorms bringing lightning, wind, and heavy rain, all which can make travel dangerous. Because of this, always check out the weather forecasts for the dates of your float trip or offshore excursion. During the trip, a sharp eye should always be kept on the weather.

Wear and carry clothing that is appropriate for the weather and wet conditions you may encounter. Hypothermia is a real threat for trips on water. In Nunavut Territory Canada not long ago, I got severe hypothermia just from the spray of a motorboat on a huge lake.

Regardless of whether a float trip is a half-day trip down a local river or an overnight deep-sea fishing excursion, a trip plan needs to be filed with responsible people.

For canoe, kayak, raft, and

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