Survival---it is all about preparation

The Key to the Best Vacation Ever--Preparation by Martha Rose Woodward

So you have saved money all year and planned your dream vacation---a week in the pastoral setting of the backwoods in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can see yourself and your family as you are hiking in the woods, swimming in a clear, mountain stream and viewing colorful wildflowers while you listen to birds chirping and tweeting. You and the kids have shopped for hiking boots, stylish plaid shirts and even a snazzy vest and hat, but, even though you are in style and fashion forward, are you truly prepared for a vacation in the environment of what is, in reality, a moderate rainforest?

According to survivalist, Cody Lundin, in his book 98.6 Degrees; the Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive!, you should never go on vacation, not even a day trip, unless you are prepared to meet Murphy’s Law. That’s the law that says, “If anything can go wrong it will.” And, “When anything goes wrong, it happens at the worst possible moment.”

Lundin and others preach that “Preparation is the key to a successful vacation.”

You think you are prepared. You packed new clothes, new shoes, snack food, swim suits, even toys and games, but what do you truly need when things go wrong? How could you survive for three days if you are lost in the woods or are injured and can’t get to safety? Why three days? According to records, most Search and Rescue events end in about three days. It generally takes one day for someone to notice the person or persons are missing and about two days to find them, unless they have wandered extremely far away from the last known sighting.

According to Lundin, there are a few tips you need to keep in mind no matter how short or how long your vacation. First, and probably most importantly, he says to never leave home unless you tell family and friends where you are going. Even if you are driving down the block to the neighborhood store, be sure to tell someone where you are going, what time you are leaving and what time you expect to be back. Also, Lundin says you need to pack a survival kit in your car and leave it there in case of any and all emergencies.

What should you put in a survival kit? First, Lundin says you are better off to make your own kit than to pay big prices for those sold in stores. Lundin says the absolute minimum items you need are: a water bottle filled to capacity and be sure it can be snapped shut; matches or a lighter and be sure it is stored in a waterproof container such as a plastic, zipped locked bag; a blanket; several large trash bags; enough food for 3 days (2 boxes of protein bars will meet this requirement and barely takes up any space); a small mirror for signaling; a knife; a flashlight or lantern; a whistle; a first-aid kit that contains band-aids, bandages, disinfectant cream, pain relievers such as aspirin or Tylenol; a small bottle of iodine; Pepto-Bismol tablets, and extra socks and comfortable shoes.

Lundin says to never rely solely on cell phones or computers as batteries will go down and many places are too remote to have cell phone towers. Lundin says we are way too dependent on modern technology and we need to develop a back-up plan.

Lundin says it is the responsibility of all parents to discuss the seriousness of going into a new environment with their children; things can turn deadly quickly. Lundin says to instruct your children as to proper behavior that is expected of them in the new setting. He says to never take children into a forest without placing a whistle around their necks and teach them how to signal in case they are in trouble. Also, teach children to never wander away from adults and to never stray away from paths or walkways.

Lundin says that survival situations usually begin after a series of several seemingly insignificant events. Flat tires, flash floods, taking the wrong turn, a sudden fall that results in a broken limb and various other scenarios are all situations that have happened to people we know. People have died less than a mile from safety due to fear and panic.

Experts agree, by taking a few hours to prepare the true essentials, you can experience the vacation of your dreams.

Cody Lundin is the star of the television show, Dual Survival, and has a new book: When All Hell Breaks Loose; Stuff You Need In Order to Survive When Disaster Strikes published by Gibbs Smith Publishers in Utah. It is available from www.amazon.com