By C Kohn
Waterford WI

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In order of their importance to survival, the Seven Basic Survival Needs:
1. PMA – Positive Mental Attitude
2. Air
3. Shelter
4. Warmth
5. Rest
6. Water
7. Food

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It takes much more than the knowledge and skills to live successfully through a survival situation.
A key ingredient in any survival situation is mental attitude.
Having survival skills is important; having the will to survive is essential.
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• Some people with little or no survival training have managed to survive life-threatening circumstances.
Some people with survival training have not used their skills and died.

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In an emergency survival situation, your best ally is your own self-confidence and instinct.
The first step is to size up your situation.
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Size up your Surroundings: know what is around you and determine what can be used to your advantage
Size up your Physical Condition - do you have any wounds or injuries? Are you at risk for an injury (such as hypothermia)?
What do you need to do to stay at a maximum level of health and well-being?

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Size up your Equipment – check to see what you have available. Think of how things can be used in a nontraditional way to save your life
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• A life jacket is an excellent way to preserve body heat
A shiny knife can also be used as a signal to alert planes
An umbrella can be used to collect dew and rain water when inverted

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Use all your Senses
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• Be sure to use sound judgment and rational logic when making a decision
In an emergency, shock can cause you to react in ways you otherwise wouldn’t
Plan your moves – know where you are going, what you are doing, and what you expect to happen.
Be aware of your surroundings to prevent injury and maintain your health and well-being

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Remember where you are
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• If you have a map, try to find where you think you are and confirm it with landmarks and other visual evidence
If you have no map or sense of location, identify the cardinal directions
 The sun rises in the east and sets in the west
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 Moss tends to grow on the north size of a tree
Try to identify sources of water, shelter, and food

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Vanquish panic
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• Panic is perhaps the most dangerous factor in any emergency
It will cause you to make unwise decisions and potentially endanger your own life and/or likelihood of rescue
If you feel panic rising, take a moment. Force yourself to breathe deeply. Focus on what you have at hand, not the odds of your survival or the threats to your well-being. Envision yourself being rescued.

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Improvise
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• Take a tool or object designed for a specific use and envision all possible uses for it.
Look for objects in nature that can fill a needed but missing item
 Rocks can become hammers
 Cattail fluff can become insulation
 Pine bows can become a dry bed

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Value Life
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• Convince yourself that cold, hunger, or thirst are only the price to pay for survival
DO NOT dwell on why you are suffering – only that it may be necessary to preserve your life
Focus on what the suffering will accomplish for you, not on how it feels or why it happens.

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Act like Animals
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• Do not feel as though you have to reinvent the wheel – watch animals for clues about the location of water, food, or shelter
Watch where migrating birds land to find open water
Observe rodents and squirrels to find nutrientdense foods like nuts and berries
DO NOT assume that because it is safe for an animal, it is safe for your. You are NOT an animal.

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Learn Basic Skills
• If you are going to be in situations that may become survival emergencies, make an effort now to obtain specific skills that may prove to be the difference between life and death, particularly in regards to…
 First Aid
 Navigation
 Region-specific survival strategies

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It is more difficult for you to satisfy your basic water, food, and shelter needs in a cold environment.
You must not only have enough clothing to protect you from the cold, you must also know how to maximize the warmth you get from it.
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Always keep your head covered - You can lose 40 to 45 percent of body heat from an unprotected head and even more from the unprotected neck, wrist, and ankles.
These areas of the body are good radiators of heat and have very little insulating fat.
The brain is very susceptible to cold and can stand the least amount of cooling

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There are four basic principles to follow to keep warm. An easy way to remember these basic principles is to use the word
COLD--
C - Keep clothing clean.
O - Avoid overheating.
L - Wear clothes loose and
D - Keep clothing dry.

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Hypothermia is when your core body temperature stays below 98 degrees.
Hypothermia is the greatest risk to survival in cold-weather emergencies (including stranded cars on WI highways!)
Prevent hypothermia by dressing in loose layers.
Consume high calorie foods like chocolate, nuts, and fruit to maintain your core body temperature.

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Stay dry – avoid circumstances in which you will get wet and avoid excessive perspiration. Remove layers if you are physically exerting yourself.
Avoid cotton, particularly on bare skin, as it will keep moisture on the skin. Opt for synthetic materials or wool (which will keep you warm even when wet).

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Mild Hypothermia (above 90.0 ° F): Look for consistent shivering and blue lips, progressing to slurred speech, dazed expression, and stiff muscles.
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Severe Hypothermia (below 90.0 ° F):
Shivering has stopped. Person appears confused and unaware; muscles are rigid and unconsciousness sets in.

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Get victim out of the weather and remove wet clothing. Replace it with dry clothing or a sleeping bag. You must get the victim warm.
If possible, get to a warm place (inside heated shelter or car). Get several people to huddle around the victim to slowly add heat.
If conscious, give victim warm liquids to drink. They should see a doctor as possible

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Frostbite occurs when ice forms on or inside living tissue, disrupting blood flow and lysing (breaking open) cells
This causes the permanent loss of that tissue or limb
The best way to prevent frostbite is keep all extremities covered at all times
Wear facial covering and avoid wind by seeking shelter (see later slides).

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• Pain or burning sensation in exposed area
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• White spot forms surrounded by red skin
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• Numbness in affected area

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Slowly and gently warm the affected parts by placing a hand on the exposed part, or putting in lukewarm (not hot) water.
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If the body parts are numb, the victim should see a doctor.

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A simple shelter in a cold-weather emergency is a tarp or blanket supported by limbs with pine bows for a floor.
Avoid contact with the cold ground – use branches, blankets, or dry leaves to prevent contact with cold surfaces (rocks, snow, ice)
Do not wait until you are cold to insulate your body – by then it is too late.

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Do not overlook the obvious – if you are in a car, stay with your vehicle and wait for help.
Start your car periodically to warm it, but do not let it run continuously – carbon monoxide poisoning can easily kill you without warning.
Any combustion will create carbon monoxide, particularly in an enclosed space
• This includes camp stoves, car heaters, and wood fires

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Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, difficulty breathing, and cherry-red gums and membranes.
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Get fresh air immediately. Also be aware the carbon monoxide is “heavier” than standard air – you may have to hold your head between your knees and exhale forcibly.

Outdoor experts offer this advice for people driving or hiking this winter.
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Before leaving, check the weather.
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Tell others of your route and expected arrival time.
 Source: Joe Fitzgibbon © 2009

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Be smart. The mistakes people make stem from being poorly prepared, underestimating the risks and making poor judgments.
If the hazard level is high and snow is falling, be prepared to change your plans.
If you become stranded, remain calm, set out rescue signals and stay with the vehicle.
Keep in mind the rule of threes in severe weather.
• You cannot survive more than 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, 3 months without hope.

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Take along the 10 essentials for emergency survival:
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A first aid kit
Flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries
A blanket or sleeping bag
Nutritional bars
Rain gear
Pocket knife
Waterproof matches, candles or fire starter
Map
Compass
Bright, lightweight tarp.
Also good: flares, cell phone, a book, handwarmers, whistle