Guide to complete survival
Survival Guide:
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The power is in the will:
We must keep in mind that a survival situation is a test of resistance. And in this type of tests the muscle that should never fail is the will. Will to overcome, will to survive, this is the most important factor. In the end it all boils down to a strong psychological attitude that allows us to confront ourselves without despairing to despair, anguish, boredom, pain, hunger, fatigue ... If we are not mentally prepared to face the worst we will have little chance To survive.
How to act:
Having an action plan increases our confidence and keeps our mind occupied. The following points can help us to elaborate it.
1.- Analysis of the situation: The situation must be analyzed to organize a plan. Maybe there are injuries, or some danger threatens me. Having water and food is important, just as you can get them around. When designing a plan you have to set priorities. You have to take into account the dangers of the environment and how to avoid them. Sometimes, depending on each specific situation, the order of priorities must be altered or replaced by each other. For example:
-First aid
-Prepare the signals
-Being water
-Take a shelter
-Getting on food
-Prepare to move (usually it is better to stay next to the injured vehicle)
It is useful to prepare an inventory of the material, water and food available to us and to prepare ourselves to supply ourselves on our own before the reserves are exhausted.
2 .- Do not be in a hurry: Except in cases of medical urgency, the conservation of our energy is a more important factor than time. On the other hand, the exhaustion by a physical activity without a precise objective causes a situation of helplessness that undermines our moral. Therefore, everything we do has to respond to a precise plan and objective.
REFUGE BUILDING
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The main function of the shelter is to protect us from the dangers of the environment. Extreme heat can produce syncope or heat stroke; On the contrary, the excess of cold produces hypothermia and freezes. In the marshy areas we can devour the mosquitoes and if we calm down to the bones while we sleep we can catch pneumonia, apart from the discomfort, the absence of rest and the blow against our moral that this supposes.
A good shelter, besides protecting us from the elements above, provides comfort, security and psychological firmness.
The type of shelter we build will depend on our needs, the time we will remain in that place and the tools we have. We should always include in our luggage at least a good knife, a mountain knife and a plastic sheet of 2x2 meters or similar that occupies and weighs little and provides us with a waterproof roof. If the weight does not matter, we can also include a small ax or a machete.
Site:
Obviously, we will look for a dry and sheltered place, as far as possible, away from stagnant water or swamps to avoid mosquitoes devouring us, although a nearby fountain or a small stream would be ideal.
It is advisable, in order to minimize the risks, to flee from the banks of the rivers, because a flood can be surprised, even in sunny weather, by the rupture of a prey formed naturally due to the accumulation of branches, as happened not so long ago In a Spanish camping, that was devastated in a matter of few minutes. People died inside their vehicles and caravans, which were dragged by the force of the current. The same can be said of the dry riverbeds, which with a storm can become torrents before we know it.
It is also discouraged to camp under the trees because of the risk of a branch falling on us. I recognize that I skip this rule often, because trees protect from dew.
TYPES OF SHELTERS:
Vehicle:
If we are in a situation of real survival due to having suffered an accident and our vehicle is still habitable, it can constitute a good refuge. Otherwise pay attention to the material inside and that could serve us. Newspapers are a good insulator; If we have them we use them to cover the windows and better protect us from the cold. If we need to make a fire and we do not have matches or a cigarette lighter we can soak with gasoline a piece of cloth, paper, sponge of the seats, etc. And make sparks over it by crossing the battery terminals. If we burn or add engine oil to the fire we will get an excellent black dense smoke to signal.
Natural refuges:
They are shelters whose construction requires little or no effort on our part. They are improvised in crevices and hollows of rocks, caves, formations of the terrain and vegetation. A cleft in a rocky wall that protects us from rain and wind and does not offer risks of landslides is ideal. We will only have to worry about building a dry and comfortable bed.
Improvised shelters
They are the ones we build with the materials that we find in nature or that we carry in our luggage.
Shelter with a plastic sheet:
If we have a sheet of plastic big enough we can improvise a shelter by laying a rope between two trees and placing the blade as a classic tent. At the ends we will wrap some stones that we will hold with some wooden orquillas or tie them and we will affirm them with ropes and improvised piquetes with some sticks of resistant wood. If we dig a ditch around we will avoid waterlogging in case of a storm.
Shelter with lifeboat:
A lifeboat turned upside down and raised on one side with the help of sticks is an excellent refuge.
Shed:
It is probably the most classic of survival shelters. It uses a wooden frame, but if we use one or two trees as columns we save a lot of work and the shelter will gain in solidity. In cold climates we will use a fire to heat us and a reflector of logs behind to take advantage of the heat better. Therefore it is important to take into account the direction of the wind if we do not want to finish smoked. The roof will be covered with vegetable matter. In some areas it is easy to find large leaves with which to build a waterproof roof by assembling them as tiles. You can also improvise tiles with pieces of bark. If not, a roof of dry grass and straw, if it is thick enough, also gives us some impermeability.
Refuge with a fallen tree:
You have to cut some branches to make a hollow in the fallen cup. It is a cozy refuge and, if the tree is lush, it will protect us from the wind, but not from the rain.
Shelter with support of branches in form of A:
It is another classic shelter and offers more shelter than the shed. It is built with a frame of sticks that take the form of a traditional Canadian tent or an A. It is covered with a layer of large sheets like tiles, and above these a layer of grass, litter, branches that Do not pierce the tiles to prevent the wind from lifting the roof.
Shelter of trunk:
It is a type of shelter only suitable to spend short periods of time because it is not usually very on a fallen trunk and covering them with the above materials comfortable, unless the trunk has a large diameter. It consists of a simple shed that is realized supporting a series of branches.
WHAT TO DO IF WE LOSE
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Anyone who ventures to a remote or unknown area must be careful to obtain at least one compass and maps of the area. Neither is an altimeter and a pedometer.
It is necessary to indicate in the map our route and to relate it with the most significant geographical features (rivers, streams, peaks of mountains, coasts, etc.). It is good to make a mental picture of it all.
Fear is a natural reaction when we get lost, but we must avoid at all costs to panic. When someone realizes that he has been lost, he is usually not far from the right path, but if he begins to stumble from side to side, to move in an irrational way, it will aggravate his problem. The first action, when we notice that we have gone astray, must be to sit and reflect quietly looking for all the signs and signals that help us to place ourselves.
When we move back to find the correct route, we must leave some mark on the ground to make sure we do not circle in a row (rows of stones or branches that indicate our direction, cuts in branches or trunks, etc.).
If the terrain permits, we can climb to an elevated point from which the area is dominated and look for the most notable landforms. If we have a map and locate them in it, we will not have problem to locate our position, as we will see in next articles. If we do not have a map, perhaps we can identify some characteristic feature of the terrain that we have seen before we lost. If we have with what, we must draw a small map of what we see.
If we suspect that we are very close to the right path, we should look for a rock, tree, or other near accident that looks good from the surrounding area and spin around it by making an increasing spiral until we find our way.
In case of an accident with a vehicle in a remote area, we must consider what is best for us: wait for rescue teams at the side of the vehicle, who will offer us shelter or move us for help. Usually the first option is usually the right one, as rescue teams will see a vehicle better than a man wandering alone.
In any case, and although we decide to wait for the rescue teams, we must explore the surroundings in search of resources (water, food, firewood ...). It would be tragic to die of cold for not knowing that there was a mountain refuge 500 meters away.
When we leave the shelter to explore the surroundings we must pay close attention to the landscape, turn from time to time to see how it is in the direction of return and leave well visible marks to be able to return.
We will increase our chances of rescue if we prepare signals that the rescue teams can see from the sky. We must have prepared fires to ignite them to the minimum indication that an airplane or helicopter is approaching. Pouring moist grass over or even oil the vehicle will get a column of smoke visible in the distance. We can also write "SOS" on the ground with rocks or with furrows if we do in a meadow. These signs should be as large as possible so they look good from the sky.
If we leave the vehicle to seek help on our own, we must not forget to indicate our address in case the rescue teams locate it.
In case our situation is extreme, we do not know how to orient ourselves or see the possibility of being rescued, we should not despair. Look for a fountain, a stream, will lead us to a river whose course will take us sooner or later to an inhabited area
Guidance techniques: how to orient without a map or compass
Clock method
We can use a watch of needles and the position of the sun to find the north with ease. For this we must know the solar time, which in Spain and the countries of its time zone is two hours less in official summer time and one hour less in winter.
In the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, if we align the hour hand (the small one) with the sun, in the bisector that forms this with the figure "12" of the watch is always the south.
For the Sun
The sunrise and sunset are also a reference. We have all been taught that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However it only does so by the exact point on the equinoxes, that is, around March 21 and September 23 and if we find ourselves on level ground. The rest of the year and surrounded by mountain ranges, the reference is only approximate.
By the moon
The moon can also give us an approximation of the cardinal points. When it is in crescendo, the points always point towards the east and when it is in waning, toward the west. If you have doubts to know when you are in one form or another, think that the moon "lies." When it has a "C" form of "growing", it is actually waning.
With the shadow of a stick:
If we nail a stick to the ground, we mark the end of the shadow, we let fifteen minutes pass and we mark the new end of the shadow, joining these two points, the line we get will indicate east and west (the first Point west and second east). When tracing a perpendicular we will have the north and the south. This system only allows us to have an approximate reference. The longer we let pass between the first and second mark and the closer we find the noon, the more it will increase its accuracy.
There is another method more precise, but limited to noon.
We nailed on a level ground a pole that projects a shadow of about 30 or 40 cm. And mark the end of the shadow. Then, with a shoelace, a branch or another improvised method, we will draw a semicircle using the length of the shadow as the radius. Now we must wait for the movement of the sun. The shadow will grow smaller as we get closer to 12:00 noon. The moment when it will reach its smallest size and then grow back. At the point where the shadow reaches the semicircle again we will put a mark. By joining the two marks we will draw a west line (first mark) - east (second mark). In the perpendicular will be the north and the south.
THE FIRE
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In a situation of survival in cold areas, our life may depend on our ability to ignite and maintain a fire. Without reaching these extremes, we may need fire to dry, warm up, signal rescue teams and cook by removing possible germs and parasites from our food.
"Hardwoods: They give little flame, but their slow and prolonged heat makes them excellent for cooking and heating.
Maple: Well, good flame Carpe: Excellent fuel, flame alive, good ember
Fresno: Good, good coals, slow fire Beech: Good, good coals, clear flame
Olive tree: Excellent, long-lasting coals Elm: Strong heat, burns slowly
False Acacia: Good, bad embers, very chisporreanteante Oak: Good (also for charcoal) is consumed slowly, becomes black and carbonized.
Tender fire: They are quickly consumed with continuous flames; Are therefore excellent woods to light or illuminate.
Birch: It burns well and fast, clear flames. Firewood to light and illuminate
Poplar: Mediocre
Alder: It burns well and fast
Hazelnut: Firewood to light
Chestnut: Little heat, sparks
Horse Chestnut: Bad wood
Majuelo: It burns well and fast even if it's green
Banana: Mediocre and noisy
Willow: Clear and lively flames, firewood to light
Sauco: Small firewood to light
Resinous wood: Its branches, of hard wood, are a better fuel than its trunk, of wood more tender. They burn with a living flame, but little lasting. They often emit strong smoke.
Spruce: Live flames, lots of smoke
Larch: Medium, sizzling, good coal
Spruce: Heats quickly, good flames, short-lived embers
Pine: Heat and live flames, short duration. Pineapples are excellent for lighting the fire. "
Fire with improvised methods:
It is best not to commit the awkwardness of not carrying a reserve of matches or a cigarette lighter. But if we see ourselves without these conventional means to light a fire, there are other improvised systems, some simple and effective, and others more complicated if we have no practice. In these cases, it is especially important to have enough tinder (dry grass, litter, etc. well compacted for the ember to spread easily) and fine, dry wood to avoid wasting a flame that may have taken a lot of effort to get. It is usually effective to blow gently when the first red dot appears to fan the flame. The methods are as follows:
The lenses:
A magnifying glass or a camera lens, binoculars or certain glasses are a very effective means to light a fire, but it will not serve us if there is no sun. First prepare a good tinder that will easily catch and point the spot of light at them.
Flint and link:
It is a good system that works under all circumstances. If we do not have flint we can try a hard stone. (We must try until we find one that emits good sparks, and then save it for other occasions). We will hold the flint near the tinder and strike it with a piece of steel, such as the blade of a knife, trying to direct the sparks to the tinder.
Strap method
We will use a strip of clothing or other strong fiber and a branch of soft wood. We will raise the branch slightly placing it on a stone. We will pass the belt underneath the stone and we will pull alternately of one end and the other to produce the friction. Previously we will have placed the tinder under the branch, touching the belt.
Sunshine
Other Methods
We can use a battery to make sparks by connecting the cables of both poles.
Also, in theory, it is possible to make a lens with a piece of ice that will be worked with the knife and we will end up forming with the concavities of the hands. Although if the cold is intense the risk of freezing our hands may be too high. It is also possible to use a concave object (the ass of a bottle, for example) to make the lens, pouring water over it and allowing it to freeze. If we make two, we can glue them with a little water that, if the cold is intense, will freeze immediately.
Occasionally, throwing a few drops of gasoline or alcohol on the tinder may facilitate inflammation, but do not completely soak it.
If you use gasoline or other fuel in a container to warm you up, be aware that there is a potential risk of an accident. Never add more fuel until the flame has gone out and the container has cooled down.
Fire to warm
In order to take better advantage of the heat of the fire we must construct a reflector with a logs or use a natural one (a rock formation, a depression of the ground, a thick tree ...) we must pay attention to the direction of the wind so that the Smoke to the face. Between the fire and the reflector we will prepare a dry, soft and comfortable bed where we will place ourselves. And Coineau and L. P. Knoeffler say in this regard in their work Living and Surviving in Nature. Ed Martinez Roca: "Light an intense fire well before the hour of rest, shortly before this, cover the bed of embers with a thin layer of ashes." The heat, returned by the reflector, heats for about 8 hours the area So delimited. "
Cooking fires
For cooking, a small bonfire is best, which consumes less firewood and is easy to maintain. It is always more practical to cook on the embers than on the flame.
We can build a home that will serve to put the casserole making a small fire between two logs, two stones, etc.
If our casserole has a handle like the one of the cubes we can hold it on the fire with an improvised "crane" with an inclined branch fastened between some stones and another branch.
WATER
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Find water
In a situation of survival, after treating the wounded, the search for water is usually the most pressing need.
If we lack water, our life expectancy is around two days in the desert and a little more than a week in cool climates.
The amount of water we need depends on the temperature and humidity and the physical activity we play, but it will never be less than 2 liters per day. In a desert we will need 10 or 12 liters to carry out normal activity.
Find water
In temperate zones, it is not often difficult to find watercourses. In dry and desert areas the thing can be more complicated. Scrubbing in the dry beds of rivers or streams sometimes gives good results. Clusters of vegetation in a certain place are indicative of water existence. In calcareous terrains we can look inside the caves. Animals also need to drink; Observing their journeys early in the morning or late in the afternoon can give us clues as to where the water is. Certain plants, which vary according to geographical area, only grow where there is water.
In case we do not find any source of water we can still take advantage of the condensation that occurs even in the deserts improvising a still.
We will need a 2 x 2 m plastic. And a bucket or other vessel for collecting water. A plastic tube to drink without disassembling the distiller is also very useful. With this system we can get between 0.5 and 1 liter of water a day.
We must dig a hole in whose bottom we will place a container that will receive the water of the condensation that is produced in the walls of the plastic with which we cover this hole. A stone in the center of the plastic will lead the drops to the cube. The distiller will be more effective if we introduce plants into the hole to take advantage of its moisture.
Purify water
If there is a risk of contamination, it is necessary to purify the water with one of these methods and wait at least one hour before consuming it.
Purifying Pills: It is the most practical and 100% effective method. It consists in adding to the water purifying tablets. These release silver ions that kill germs, prevent new infections and cause no damage even if the dose is exceeded. They are sold in boxes with a variable number of tablets according to each tablet to purify 1, 5 or 20 liters of water. You can find them easily in mountain shops, also on the Internet.
Iodine: To disinfect the water with iodine tincture we will use about 10 drops per liter. The coloration takes a while to disappear.
Bleach: Bleach leaves an unpleasant taste in the water. We will use 4 to 6 drops per liter.
Boiling: Boiling water does not end with all the germs (hepatitis, for example, resists boiling), but it does away with most of them and with all the parasites. You have to boil it for about 10 minutes. In this case you can drink as soon as it cools.
Filtering the water
Sometimes the only water we can get will be the one that is stuck in puddles, dirty by the mud. Before drinking it, and without forgetting the aspect of the purification, we must clarify it to eliminate the particles in suspension.
The easiest way is to allow it to stand for several hours in a vessel, and then, with a plastic tube or the hollow and flexible stem of a plant (for example a water lily), transfer it to another vessel in a lower position.
It can also be filtered using several layers of fabric or with clean sand, aided by an improvised filter with a piece of bamboo cane, whose end, pierced, will plug with a few blades of grass.
HUNTING AND SURVIVAL
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In this article we will discuss methods for hunting and fishing. It is necessary to clarify that these systems are tremendously cruel and inhuman and often cause much suffering to the animals; On the other hand, its use is illegal in most countries. For all this it is more than evident that its use would only be justified in a case of extreme necessity.
Basic rules for the use of traps
Knowing how to build traps does not guarantee the obtaining of food. If we set the traps without ton and are, anywhere, and without being clear what we want to hunt, chances are that we lie down without dinner.
First we have to observe the place to get an idea of what we can find and where. The best time for this is the sunrise.
It is necessary to look for traces, dejections, paths and other clues revealing the presence of the hunt.
Many mammals, especially the smaller ones, have regular habits. We can find their burrows or their tracks marked in the morning dew or in hollows and galleries in the bushes.
If we have a stable camp, we must put as many traps as we can control and
Check them in the morning and at night.
The mechanisms must be fired easily to prevent the prey from fleeing with the bait.
Loop traps
Loop traps are simple and cruel. In order to hunt small animals, such as rabbits, they can be built with a string, heavy fishing line, wire, etc. The loop will have the thickness of a fist and will be placed 4 fingers from the ground.
Mechanism in the form of 4
It is a classic and effective device that is usually used to support slabs that kill animals by crushing. It is useful for hunting both mammals and birds. If we replace the slab with a basket we can capture them alive.
Hook traps
They allow to catch small birds such as blackbirds and thrushes and also water birds. They are simply baited hooks, for example with earthworms, and are tremendously cruel and painful for animals, who try to flee scandalously, so it is best to place them near our camp and check them frequently.
FISHING
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If we find a river or a stream our survival will be almost assured, since in rivers there is a greater concentration of food.
Angling
No improvised rig will be as effective as a good steel hook attached to a line, so it is important to always carry them in our equipment.
In general, it is often said that the best hours to fish are in the early morning and at dusk. When a storm approaches, it can also be a good time, although fish may sting at any time of day or night.
If we lack lines and / or hooks we will have to improvise them. As a line it is easier to use thread of our clothes than to improvise a cord with vegetable fibers (nettle, thistle ...). The improvised hooks are usually made of wood or thorns, although we can also use nails, pins and other sharp objects.
The baits will be found in the river itself, looking under the stones, and between the vegetation of the shore and the surroundings. The best way to know what fish feed is to open the stomach of the first fish we catch.
Fishing by hand
It is a prohibited system in Spain and very effective in shallow water as soon as a little practice is acquired. Better not to do it where there are dangerous animals (electric eels, venomous aquatic snakes ...). It consists in placing the hand carefully under the stones, roots or hollows where fish tend to hide in search of the belly of animals. We will slide the hand gently towards the gills and sink the thumb and index finger to capture them.
Fishing with spear, spear or trident
Fishing with these tools in deep water requires practice and skill due to the distortion of light. However, in shallow water you can put these gear under the stones and in cavities and stranding the fish. Of course, it is also an illegal method. We can easily improvise a wooden harpoon with a sharp point of bone or carved in the wood itself.
Sleepers
They are hooks that are left fattened and tied to a flexible branch of the river bank waiting for a fish to sink. It is a fairly effective and completely illegal system.
We should not forget that, apart from fish, water courses offer other sources of food, such as frogs, crabs, mollusks or reptiles.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS I: SUN AND HEAT
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Even when we have enough food and water we can succumb if we do not know the effect that the physical environment can have on us and we do not prepare for it. The cold and the heat can cause many disorders, sometimes lethal. We must know them to prevent them and, in the worst case, be able to identify and treat them. If the disorder is serious, it is necessary to try to evacuate the patient to be recognized by a doctor.
Sun and heat
If we do not protect ourselves adequately from the sun and heat we can suffer various types of disorders, some of which, like burns, we do not perceive them until the damage is done. Others, such as cramps in the limbs and abdomen, are symptoms that should alert us to much more serious alterations, such as heat exhaustion.
Sunburn
As we have said, sunburn does not manifest until we have already burned. If, in addition, a fresh breeze blows, it will take even longer to notice us. The ultraviolet rays, causing the burns, cross the clouds, so we should not trust ourselves because the day is cloudy. In snowy areas, in the sea or in the deserts, the sun's rays are reflected in snow, water and sand, respectively, increasing the effects of the sun.
The ideal is not to commit the stupidity of burning avoiding exposure to the sun especially when the radiation is more intense, between 12 and 4. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, a handkerchief that protects the neck if necessary and carry arm warmers And legs as well as using sunscreen in the exposed areas of the body is the best way to prevent.
If you travel to areas at risk we must wear a high-factor sunscreen, 15 or more and a cream for burns.
Heat exhaustion
Heat exhaustion occurs when we lose excess fluid due to excessive sweating when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. It is not necessary to be exposed to the sun to undergo heat exhaustion. If dehydration is very serious, death can occur.
It manifests with cramping in the limbs and abdomen caused by loss of minerals po sweating, pale and clammy skin, but does not have to increase body temperature, confusion and inconsistency on the victim, the amount of urine is reduced.
The treatment consists of knocking the patient in the shade and with the legs raised. Water will be given with a pinch of salt (½ or 1 teaspoon only) and sugar that will drink in frequent sips.
If possible, the patient will remain in this situation until the urine expulsion normalizes.
Insolation
Heat stroke is a disorder of the internal thermal regulation of our body, is a very serious problem that can even lead to death or is not treated properly.
When we perform intense physical exercises in hot environments neglecting rest and hydration we may suffer a sunstroke.
The symptoms depend on how long we have been exposed to the sun and gravity. In principle it manifests with headache, fatigue, dizziness, lack of appetite, light fever. If we continue in the sun, nausea, vomiting, cramps, vision disturbances, high fever (above 40 °), rapid pulse and breathing, cardiorespiratory collapse and death may occur.
We must reduce the rate of absorption of heat and lower the temperature of the body. He will lay the patient in the shade in a place as fresh as possible. To cool it will be left in underwear, sprayed with water and fanned to increase evaporation of the skin. You can also wrap the patient with a blanket that we soak with water regularly to keep it cold.
If the sunstroke is very serious, after the initial cooling period, the patient can be slowly immersed in water and massaged through the body.
When the temperature goes down, the cooling process can be stopped but it can be monitored in case it rises again. It is also important to rehydrate the patient in the same way as in case of heat exhaustion.
Miliaria
The miliaria is an annoying but not severe rash. It can happen in warm climates when there is no good acclimatization, the sweat is not removed properly and the clothes rub against the skin. Then the sweat glands are blocked.
Commonly it presents like little annoying little blisters or red vesicles and inflamed in torso, arms and legs, more annoying than the previous ones.
It is advisable to wash well and put on dry clothes to break the pores. Drinking can make the situation worse by increasing sweating, but we should not make the mistake of dehydrating ourselves.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS II: COLD
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In cold areas, such as the Arctic or high mountain, the first need to survive is to protect yourself from the cold. This is achieved from three fronts: clothing, shelter and fire. In this article we will discuss the dangers that lurk in the cold areas, how to recognize them and how to treat them.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a drop in body temperature below 35 ° caused by excessive exposure to low temperatures. If the body temperature drops below 33 °, hypothermia is severe and can lead to loss of consciousness and death. Strong wind, wet clothing or immersion in water can aggravate the effects of cold. Also poor diet, exhaustion, extreme thinness, stress and anxiety or wearing inappropriate clothing can help the onset of hypothermia.
Its symptoms vary depending on the severity, and sometimes can be difficult to diagnose, so if we go as a group, we should pay attention to each other to detect possible symptoms.
Hypothermia can quickly develop or develop over hours and not show at first anomalies in the pulse, breathing and blood pressure of the affected.
The most frequent symptoms are sudden changes of mood and energy, lack of concentration and slowness in responses, loss of coordination with tripping and falls, tremors, paleness, loss of agility in the extremities.
The treatment consists of protecting the patient from further heat loss by introducing him into a shelter that protects him from wind and rain. You must also isolate it from the coldness of the floor and put dry clothes if necessary. You will be provided with heat, either by means of a bonfire or good body heat from your companions, cover it with blankets or thermal blankets. Administer food and hot liquids, but not alcohol, tea, or other diuretics.
If mild hypothermia is not treated it can lead to severe hypothermia with loss of consciousness. Immediate evacuation to a hospital is necessary. If we can not or until the aid arrives we will wrap the patient in blankets and impermeable layers and apply heat with, for example, stones heated in the bonfire and wrapped in fabrics, in the following places: armpits, wrists, nape, lower back, mouth Of the stomach and thighs. Keep the patient in position as horizontally as possible, and if you have to move it will be done with extreme care. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be necessary in extreme cases.
Freezing
It occurs when intense cold causes the formation of ice crystals under the skin. The most exposed parts of the body are the hands, feet and face, especially the fingers, ears and nose. It can cause serious injury and even loss of limbs and death.
The way to prevent frostbite is to have good boots and thermal socks, gloves and mittens, and hats, masks and scarves that cover most of the face. Grimacing and moving your fingers will help activate blood circulation and detect freezing in the early stages.
In its initial state, when the superficial layers of the skin freeze, the freezing is manifested by prickling and numbness of the frozen area, the skin is very cold and it looks whitish like wax or pink in people of black race.
We must act quickly to prevent the situation from getting worse. It will proceed to warm the affected person applying body heat, or from another source. If the freezing is in the hands they will be placed in the thighs or in the armpits, if it is in the feet they will be heated by a companion placing them in his belly. The face, ears, nose will warm them with our hands (but not rubbing), those of a partner or other heat source. When the treatment works, the skin becomes red and painful. The risk of a frozen zone being refrozen is high, so we must be vigilant.
If freezing progresses, the skin hardens, becomes rigid, becomes inflamed and may appear blisters, later turns bluish or blackish and eventually the tissue dies, which can lead to infections, gangrene and death.
The most sensible thing is to try by all means to evacuate the patient to a hospital as soon as possible. Meanwhile we will get you warm and shelter in a shelter, we will give you hot food and drink, we will remove rings, bracelets and any clothing that could constrict the blood circulation to the frozen zone. We should not rub or manipulate frozen parts, break blisters, apply ice or snow, or smoke.
If hospitalization is not possible we can try defrosting by immersing the affected areas in water at 28ºC.
Snow blindness
It occurs when the intensity of the sun's rays, reflected by ice and snow, especially when the sun is on high (can also appear in cloudy weather) injures the eyes.
It manifests with sensitivity to light (you have to narrow your eyes to look) flicker, tearing. Later on, there is inflammation, redness, a feeling of grit and even blindness.
It is very easy to prevent blindness caused by snow using proper sunglasses. If we do not have them we can improvise them with bark of trees (see illustration in Environmental Hazards I) or painting of black with ash or a cork burned around the eyes.
The treatment is to seek darkness, blindfolding if necessary. If they hurt the eyes can be alleviated applying wet cloths on them and on the forehead.
Feeding with wild plants
The list of edible wild plants is enormous, many of them, now considered wild and weeds, were cultivated for centuries for human consumption. Nevertheless, nature also possesses powerful poisons, and in the doubt it is better to abstain. At this point it should be clarified that sometimes the poison of a plant is concentrated only in a part of it. Potato tubers are edible, while their fruits are poisonous.
On the other hand, the identification of wild plants is a skill that needs to be practiced. Many plants are consumed when they are young, and their appearance may differ greatly from that shown when they are adults. In order to recognize them safely, an observation and a study are necessary throughout its life cycle.
It is estimated that in Europe there are about 10,000 species suitable for human consumption. Many of them have little nutritive value, so we must concentrate on recognizing those with higher nutritional value, greater distribution and abundance.
Edible parts of plants
Roots and tubers: these are the subterranean parts of the plants, so we must dig to collect them. If they are not easy to start scrape around and lever with a stick.
Leaves and stems: They are collected when they are young, of paler color than the rest of the plant, since they tend to be more tender. Do not tear or wilt on journeys. Sometimes they can be somewhat bitter, in that case we will change the water (dyed green) and cook them again.
Fruits: Nuts are the most nutritious and rich in protein. Also fleshy fruits such as blackberries or blueberries are an important source of food in nature. The seeds and grains can be ground and mixed with water like porridge or toasting. We must make sure that the ears of grain do not carry ergots (black beetles in the form of a bean) because they are hallucinogenic and extremely poisonous.
Bark: the inner bark of some trees, such as certain species of pines, have been used in times of famine to make a kind of bread.
Precautions when collecting
If plants are not known safely, avoid:
Test of edibility
If we are lost in an area of which we do not know the vegetation, many authors recommend a test of edibility to make sure that a plant is edible.
Before doing this we must make sure that the abundance of that species justifies the risk. We should never skip any part of the process nor accelerate it. Obviously, only one member of the group will perform the test:
Plant poisoning
Most of the venomous plants of Europe belong to families such as ranunculaceae, euphorbiaceae and papaveraceae. The species responsible for the greatest number of poisonings in Europe are the major hemlock, which can be confused with parsley or chervil; The aconite, which is easily confused with the angelica, much appreciated for salads; The white eleoboro, similar to the great Gentian (Gentian lutea).
If you have stomach pain, you can swallow a lot of warm or hot water. In case of intoxication, induce vomiting by inserting fingers into the throat or by ingesting charcoal.
We must try to evacuate the patient to the hospital and notify a doctor. We will search and store the remains of the plants in order to identify them and facilitate the work of the sanitary equipment.
We should keep in mind that the edibility of a plant is sometimes somewhat relative. Aromatic condiments can kill in high doses, such as rosemary or nutmeg. Other edible plants are only in small quantities, such as sorrel or alleluia (contain oxalic acid); And as we know one part of the plant can be exquisite and another deadly.
Be careful with plants that grow in wet meadows if there are flocks nearby, as they could transmit parasites. They will never be used in salad, but cooked, so we avoid risks.
There is also some risk of catching parasites by eating berries that grow at ground level, such as wild strawberries or blueberries, if they have been contaminated with the feces of the animals that transmit them.
