WILDERNESS SURVIVAL

        Black Bead – Survival Priorities & Psychology

Requirement 2

From memory, you will have to describe the priorities for survival in a back country or wilderness location to your counselor.  They can be found in the merit badge book.   Demonstrate to your counselor that you have memorized these priorities.

Survival Priorities

One widely circulated concept to help set priorities is called the “Rule of Three”: Employed a mnemonic device, the Rule of Three states:

1.     Humans cannot survive more than three hours exposed to extreme low-temperature.

2.     Humans cannot survive more than three days without water.

3.     Humans cannot survive more than three weeks without food.

The Rule of Three is often otherwise formulated and is viewed by commentators as a rough guide. An aircrew reportedly lasted 8 days without water in a liferaft. People have survived without food for over twenty-one days.

Please Find Some Fine Scouts Without Fear

Knowing priorities in an emergency lets you start to work immediately and without confusion. Below are listed the logical steps you should take. Later, each item will be studied in detail.

1.     Positive Mental Attitude. As attested by those who have survived wilderness emergencies, a positive mental attitude may be the most essential element in survival.

2.     First Aid. If an injury is life threatening, such as rapid loss of blood, first aid becomes the most important thing to do.

3.     Shelter. Extreme weather conditions, too hot or too cold, make finding or building a shelter of top importance. At such times even painful but minor injuries must wait until shelter is available. This is even more urgent if night is approaching.

4.     Fire. Often, along with shelter, you will need a fire for warmth and signaling. Fuel should be secured and the fire started before dark.

5.     Signaling. When you have taken the first steps in dealing with the emergency, you will need to prepare rescue signals.

6.     Water. Under all circumstances, water is essential. You can live only a few days without it. Finding water is even more urgent when the weather is hot and dry.

7.     Food. A person can live several weeks without food; it does not rate high as a survival priority.

Requirement 3

Describe some ways to avoid panic when lost. Describe some ways to maintain a high level of morale when you are lost.

In An Emergency
DO NOT PANIC
Stop Think Observe Plan
STOP - Take a deep breath, sit down if possible, calm yourself and recognize that whatever has happened to get you here is past and cannot be undone. You are now in a survival situation and that means . . .
THINK - Your most important asset is your brain. Use it! Don’t Panic! Think first, so you have no regrets. Move with deliberate care. Take no action, even a foot step, until you have thought it through . . .
OBSERVE - Take a look around you. Assess your situation and options. Take stock of your supplies, equipment, surroundings and the capabilities of fellow survivors . . .
PLAN - Prioritize your immediate needs and develop a plan to systematically deal with the emergency. Make a plan. Follow your plan. Adjust your plan only as necessary to deal with changing circumstances.

Equipped To Survive™ - Immediate Action Survival Plan™ - https://www.equipped.org/stop.htm
© 1997 Douglas S. Ritter - All rights reserved.

Requirement 5

Make up a personal survival kit.  Be able to explain how each item in it is useful.  List some of the items below with a description of its usefulness.

Each Scout should bring his own survival kit to the course. The kit can be as primitive or as sophisticated as the Scout desires. The purpose is to show the Scout whether or not his preconceived notions of equipment hold up in the field and to expose him to other Scouts’ ideas. The Scouts should be encouraged to share equipment to avoid “my” gear and to familiarize the Scouts with equipment other than their own.

Discussion of Les Stroud a.k.a. Survivorman & Bear Gryllis a.k.a. Man vs. Wild needs to be included.

Survival stories…

Demonstration Gear

Various items marketed as “survival” & personal survival kits.

Red Bead – First Aid

Requirement 1

Show that you know first aid for injuries or illnesses likely to occur in back country outings.  Include the following:

Hypothermia: Defined as the body’s failure to maintain a temperature of 36 degrees C (97 degrees F). Exposure to cool or cold temperature over a short or long time can cause hypothermia. Dehydration and lack of food and rest predispose the survivor to hypothermia.

Unlike heatstroke, you must gradually warm the hypothermia victim. Get the victim into dry clothing. Replace lost fluids, and warm him.

Hyperthermia: is the general name given to a variety of heat-related illnesses.

Regardless of extreme weather conditions, the healthy human body keeps a steady temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

In hot weather or during vigorous activity, the body perspires. As this perspiration evaporates from the skin, the body is cooled.

If challenged by long periods of intense heat, the body may lose its ability to respond efficiently. When this occurs, a person may experience hyperthermia. In other words, hyperthermia occurs when body metabolic heat production or environmental heat load exceeds normal heat loss capacity or when there is impaired heat loss.

The temperature does not have to hit 100 degrees for a person to be at risk. Both one’s general health and/or lifestyle may increase a person’s chance of suffering a heat-related illness.

The two most common forms of hyperthermia are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Of the two, heat stroke is especially dangerous and requires immediate medical attention.

Heat fatigue is a feeling of weakness brought on by high outdoor temperature. Symptoms include cool, moist skin and a weakened pulse. The person many feel faint.

Heat cramps are painful muscle spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs following strenuous activity. Heat cramps are caused by a lack of salt in the body.

Heat exhaustion is a warning that the body is getting too hot. The person may be thirsty, giddy, weak, uncoordinated, nauseated and sweating profusely. The body temperature is normal and the pulse is normal or raised. The skin is cold and clammy.

Heat stroke can be life-threatening and victims can die. A person with heat stroke usually has a body temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Other symptoms include confusion, combativeness, bizarre behavior, faintness, staggering, strong and rapid pulse, and possible delirium or coma. High body temperature is capable of producing irreversible brain damage.

Prevention of Hyperthermia

Prevention hyperthermia is relatively straightforward: Use common sense in avoiding excessive activity in situations in which heat is present. Adequate intake of fluids before, during and after exercise in any situation also is essential.

Treatment of Hyperthermia

If the victim is exhibiting signs of het stroke, emergency assistance should be sought immediately. Without medical attention, heat stroke can be deadly.

Heat exhaustion may be treated in several ways:

·         get the victim out of the sun into a cool place, preferably one that is air conditioned

·         offer fluids but avoid alcohol and caffeine - water and fruit juices are best

·         encourage the individual to shower and bathe, or sponge off with cool water

·         urge the person to lie down and rest, preferably in a cool place

Heatstroke: The breakdown of the body’s heat regulatory system (body temperature more than 40.5 degrees C [105 degrees F]) causes a heatstroke. Other heat injuries, such as cramps or dehydration, do not always precede a heatstroke. Signs and symptoms of heatstroke are—

·         Swollen, beet-red face.

·         Reddened whites of eyes.

·         Victim not sweating.

·         Unconsciousness or delirium, which can cause pallor, a bluish color to lips and nail beds (cyanosis), and cool skin.

Note: By this time the victim is in severe shock. Cool the victim as rapidly as possible. Cool him by dipping him in a cool stream. If one is not available, douse the victim with urine, water, or at the very least, apply cool wet compresses to all the joints, especially the neck, armpits, and crotch. Be sure to wet the victim’s head. Heat loss through the scalp is great. Administer IVs and provide drinking fluids. You may fan the individual.

Expect, during cooling—

·         Vomiting.

·         Diarrhea.

·         Struggling.

·         Shivering.

·         Shouting.

·         Prolonged unconsciousness.

·         Rebound heatstroke within 48 hours.

·         Cardiac arrest; be ready to perform CPR.

Note: Treat for dehydration with lightly salted water

Frostbite: This injury results from frozen tissues. Light frostbite involves only the skin that takes on a dull, whitish pallor. Deep frostbite extends to a depth below the skin. The tissues become solid and immovable. Your feet, hands, and exposed facial areas are particularly vulnerable to frostbite.

When with others, prevent frostbite by using the buddy system. Check your buddy’s face often and make sure that he checks yours. If you are alone, periodically cover your nose and lower part of your face with your mittens.

Do not try to thaw the affected areas by placing them close to an open flame. Gently rub them in lukewarm water. Dry the part and place it next to your skin to warm it at body temperature.

Dehydration: Your body loses water through normal body processes (sweating, urinating, and defecating). During average daily exertion when the atmospheric temperature is 20 degrees Celsius © (68 degrees Fahrenheit), the average adult loses and therefore requires 2 to 3 liters of water daily. Other factors, such as heat exposure, cold exposure, intense activity, high altitude, burns, or illness, can cause your body to lose more water. You must replace this water.

Dehydration results from inadequate replacement of lost body fluids. It decreases your efficiency and, if injured, increases your susceptibility to severe shock. Consider the following results of body fluid loss:

·         A 5 percent loss of body fluids results in thirst, irritability, nausea, and weakness.

·         A 10 percent loss results in dizziness, headache, inability to walk, and a tingling sensation in the limbs.

·         A 15 percent loss results in dim vision, painful urination, swollen tongue, deafness, and a numb feeling in the skin.

·         A loss greater than 15 percent of body fluids may result in death.

The most common signs and symptoms of dehydration are—

·         Dark urine with a very strong odor.

·         Low urine output.

·         Dark, sunken eyes.

·         Fatigue.

·         Emotional instability.

·         Loss of skin elasticity.

·         Delayed capillary refill in fingernail beds.

·         Trench line down center of tongue.

·         Thirst. Last on the list because you are already 2 percent dehydrated by the time you crave fluids.

You replace the water as you lose it. Trying to make up a deficit is difficult in a survival situation, and thirst is not a sign of how much water you need.

Most people cannot comfortably drink more than 1 liter of water at a time. So, even when not thirsty, drink small amounts of water at regular intervals each hour to prevent dehydration.

If you are under physical and mental stress or subject to severe conditions, increase your water intake. Drink enough liquids to maintain a urine output of at least 0.5 liter every 24 hours.

In any situation where food intake is low, drink 6 to 8 liters of water per day. In an extreme climate, especially an arid one, the average person can lose 2.5 to 3.5 liters of water per hour. In this type of climate, you should drink 14 to 30 liters of water per day.

With the loss of water there is also a loss of electrolytes (body salts). The average diet can usually keep up with these losses but in an extreme situation or illness, additional sources need to be provided. A mixture of 0.25 teaspoon of salt to 1 liter of water will provide a concentration that the body tissues can readily absorb.

Of all the physical problems encountered in a survival situation, the loss of water is the most preventable. The following are basic guidelines for the prevention of dehydration:

Always drink water when eating. Water is used and consumed as a part of the digestion process and can lead to dehydration.

Acclimatize. The body performs more efficiently in extreme conditions when acclimatized.

Conserve sweat not water. Limit sweat-producing activities but drink water.

Ration water. Until you find a suitable source, ration your water sensibly. A daily intake of 500 cubic centimeter (0.5 liter) of a sugar-water mixture (2 teaspoons per liter) will suffice to prevent severe dehydration for at least a week, provided you keep water losses to a minimum by limiting activity and heat gain or loss.

You can estimate fluid loss by several means. A standard field dressing holds about 0.25 liter (one-fourth canteen) of blood. A soaked T-shirt holds 0.5 to 0.75 liter.

You can also use the pulse and breathing rate to estimate fluid loss. Use the following as a guide:

·         With a 0.75 liter loss the wrist pulse rate will be under 100 beats per minute and the breathing rate 12 to 20 breaths per minute.

·         With a 0.75 to 1.5 liter loss the pulse rate will be 100 to 120 beats per minute and 20 to 30 breaths per minute.

·         With a 1.5 to 2 liter loss the pulse rate will be 120 to 140 beats per minute and 30 to 40 breaths per minute. Vital signs above these rates require more advanced care.

Sunburn:  Sunburn results from too much sun or sun-equivalent exposure. Almost everyone has been sunburned or will become sunburned at some time. Anyone who visits a beach, goes fishing, works in the yard, or simply is out in the sun can get sunburn. Although seldom fatal (sun poisoning), sunburn can be disabling and cause quite a bit of discomfort.

Mild and uncomplicated cases of sunburn usually result in minor skin redness and irritation. Untreated and with enough exposure, you can experience shock (poor circulation to vital organs) and even death (sun poisoning). Sufficient exposure can become remarkably painful.

Initially, your skin turns red about 2-6 hours after exposure and feels irritated. The peak effects are noted at 12-24 hours.

More severe cases (sun poisoning) are complicated by severe skin burning and blistering, massive fluid loss (dehydration), electrolyte imbalance, and infection.

·         Other common symptoms include:

·         Chills

·         Fever

·         Nausea or vomiting or both

·         Flu-like symptoms

·         Blistering - May range from a very fine blister that is only found when you begin to “peel” to very large water-filled blisters with red, tender, raw skin underneath

·         Skin loss - About 4-7 days after exposure

If you are prepared before going out in the sun, you probably won’t need these tips and techniques. Be Prepared.

Immediate self-care is aimed at stopping the UV radiation.

·         Get out of the sun

·         Cover exposed skin

Relief of the discomfort becomes important.

Medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen are useful, especially when started early.

For mild sunburn, cool compresses with equal parts of milk and water may suffice. You may also use cold compresses with Burow solution. You can buy this at a drugstore. Dissolve 1 packet in 1 pint of water. Soak gauze or a soft clean cloth in it. Gently wring out the cloth and apply to the sunburned area for 15-20 minutes. Change or refresh the cloth and solution every 2-3 hours.

Cool (not ice cold) baths may help. Avoid bath salts, oils, and perfumes because these may produce sensitivity reactions. Avoid scrubbing the skin or shaving the skin. Use soft towels to gently dry yourself. Don’t rub. Use a light, fragrance-free skin moisturizer.

Avoid lotions that contain topical anesthetic medications because you can become sensitized and then allergic to that medicine.

Obviously, stay out of the sun while you are sunburned.

Silver sulfadiazine (1% cream, Thermazene) can be used for treatment of sunburn with appropriate cautions about use on the face.

If your case is mild and not life threatening, the doctor may simply suggest plenty of fluids, aspirin, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs).

Additional topical measures such as cool compresses, Burow solution soaks, or high-quality moisturizing creams and lotions may be prescribed.

If your case is severe enough, oral steroid therapy (cortisonelike medications) may be prescribed for several days. Steroid creams placed on the skin show minimal to no benefit.

Stronger pain-relieving medication may be prescribed in certain cases.

If you have blistering, steroids may be withheld to avoid an increased risk of infection. If you are dehydrated or suffering from heat stress, IV fluids will be given, and you may be admitted to the hospital. People with very severe cases may be transferred to the hospital’s burn unit.

To Summarize:

1.     Get out of the sun,

2.     Take an NSAID such as Ibuprofen (Advil) or Naproxen (Aleve) or Aspirin

3.     Apply cool compresses

4.     Apply moisturizing lotions

Insect Stings: BITES AND STINGS

Insects and related pests are hazards in a survival situation. They not only cause irritations, but they are often carriers of diseases that cause severe allergic reactions in some individuals. In many parts of the world you will be exposed to serious, even fatal, diseases not encountered in the United States.

Mosquitoes may carry malaria, dengue, and many other diseases.

Flies can spread disease from contact with infectious sources. They are causes of sleeping sickness, typhoid, cholera, and dysentery.

Fleas can transmit plague.

Lice can transmit typhus and relapsing fever.

The best way to avoid the complications of insect bites and stings is to keep immunizations (including booster shots) up-to-date, avoid insect-infested areas, use netting and insect repellent, and wear all clothing properly.

If you get bitten or stung, do not scratch the bite or sting, it might become infected. Inspect your body at least once a day to ensure there are no insects attached to you.

Treatment

It is impossible to list the treatment of all the different types of bites and stings. Treat bites and stings as follows:

If antibiotics are available for your use, become familiar with them before deployment and use them.

Immunizations can prevent most of the common diseases carried by mosquitoes and some carried by flies.

The common fly-borne diseases are usually treatable with penicillin or erythromycin.

Most tick-, flea-, louse-, and mite-borne diseases are treatable with tetracycline.

Most antibiotics come in 250 milligram (mg) or 500 mg tablets. If you cannot remember the exact dose rate to treat a disease, 2 tablets, 4 times a day for 10 to 14 days will usually kill any bacteria.

Bee and Wasp Stings

If stung by a bee, immediately remove the stinger and venom sac, if attached, by scraping with a fingernail or a knife blade. Do not squeeze or grasp the stinger or venom sac, as squeezing will force more venom into the wound. Wash the sting site thoroughly with soap and water to lessen the chance of a secondary infection.

If you know or suspect that you are allergic to insect stings, always carry an insect sting kit with you.

Relieve the itching and discomfort caused by insect bites by applying—

·         Cold compresses.

·         A cooling paste of mud and ashes.

·         Sap from dandelions.

·         Coconut meat.

·         Crushed cloves of garlic.

·         Onion.

Spider Bites and Scorpion Stings

The black widow spider is identified by a red hourglass on its abdomen. Only the female bites and it has a neurotoxin. The initial pain is not severe, but severe local pain rapidly develops. The pain gradually spreads over the entire body and settles in the abdomen and legs. Abdominal cramps and progressive nausea, vomiting, and a rash may occur. Weakness, tremors, sweating, and salivation may occur. Anaphylactic reactions can occur. Symptoms begin to regress after several hours and are usually gone in a few days. Threat for shock. Be ready to perform CPR. Clean and dress the bite area to reduce the risk of infection. An antivenin is available.

The funnel web spider is a large brown or gray spider found in Australia. The symptoms and the treatment for its bite are as for the black widow spider.

The brown house spider or brown recluse spider is a small, light brown spider identified by a dark brown violin on its back. There is no pain, or so little pain, that usually a victim is not aware of the bite. Within a few hours a painful red area with a mottled cyanotic center appears. Necrosis does not occur in all bites, but usually in 3 to 4 days, a star-shaped, firm area of deep purple discoloration appears at the bite site. The area turns dark and mummified in a week or two. The margins separate and the scab falls off, leaving an open ulcer. Secondary infection and regional swollen lymph glands usually become visible at this stage. The outstanding characteristic of the brown recluse bite is an ulcer that does not heal but persists for weeks or months. In addition to the ulcer, there is often a systemic reaction that is serious and may lead to death. Reactions (fever, chills, joint pain, vomiting, and a generalized rash) occur chiefly in children or debilitated persons.

Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders found mainly in the tropics. Most do not inject venom, but some South American species do. They have large fangs. If bitten, pain and bleeding are certain, and infection is likely. Treat a tarantula bite as for any open wound, and try to prevent infection. If symptoms of poisoning appear, treat as for the bite of the black widow spider.

Scorpions are all poisonous to a greater or lesser degree. There are two different reactions, depending on the species:

Severe local reaction only, with pain and swelling around the area of the sting. A prickly sensation around the mouth and a thick-feeling tongue may be evident.

Severe systemic reaction, with little or no visible local reaction may be evident. Local pain may be present. Systemic reaction includes respiratory difficulties, thick-feeling tongue, body spasms, drooling, gastric distention, double vision, blindness, involuntary rapid movement of the eyeballs, involuntary urination and defecation, and heart failure. Death is rare, occurring mainly in children and adults with high blood pressure or illnesses.

Treat scorpion stings as you would a black widow bite.

Tick Bites: Ticks can carry and transmit diseases, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever common in many parts of the United States. Ticks also transmit the Lyme disease.  If you find ticks attached to your body, cover them with a substance, such as Vaseline, heavy oil, or tree sap that will cut off their air supply. Without air, the tick releases its hold, and you can remove it. Take care to remove the whole tick. Use tweezers if you have them. Grasp the tick where the mouth parts are attached to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body. Wash your hands after touching the tick. Clean the tick wound daily until healed.

Snake Bites: The chance of a snakebite in a survival situation is rather small, if you are familiar with the various types of snakes and their habitats. However, it could happen and you should know how to treat a snakebite. Deaths from snakebites are rare. More than one-half of the snakebite victims have little or no poisoning, and only about one-quarter develop serious systemic poisoning. However, the chance of a snakebite in a survival situation can affect morale, and failure to take preventive measures or failure to treat a snakebite properly can result in needless tragedy.

The primary concern in the treatment of snakebite is to limit the amount of eventual tissue destruction around the bite area.

A bite wound, regardless of the type of animal that inflicted it, can become infected from bacteria in the animal’s mouth. With nonpoisonous as well as poisonous snakebites, this local infection is responsible for a large part of the residual damage that results.

Snake venoms not only contain poisons that attack the victim’s central nervous system (neurotoxins) and blood circulation (hemotoxins), but also digestive enzymes (cytotoxins) to aid in digesting their prey. These poisons can cause a very large area of tissue death, leaving a large open wound. This condition could lead to the need for eventual amputation if not treated.

Shock and panic in a person bitten by a snake can also affect the person’s recovery. Excitement, hysteria, and panic can speed up the circulation, causing the body to absorb the toxin quickly. Signs of shock occur within the first 30 minutes after the bite.

Before you start treating a snakebite, determine whether the snake was poisonous or nonpoisonous. Bites from a nonpoisonous snake will show rows of teeth. Bites from a poisonous snake may have rows of teeth showing, but will have one or more distinctive puncture marks caused by fang penetration. Symptoms of a poisonous bite may be spontaneous bleeding from the nose and anus, blood in the urine, pain at the site of the bite, and swelling at the site of the bite within a few minutes or up to 2 hours later.

Breathing difficulty, paralysis, weakness, twitching, and numbness are also signs of neurotoxic venoms. These signs usually appear 1.5 to 2 hours after the bite.

·         If you determine that a poisonous snake bit an individual, take the following steps:

·         Reassure the victim and keep him still.

·         Set up for shock and force fluids or give an intravenous (IV).

·         Remove watches, rings, bracelets, or other constricting items.

·