Survive Anything!

Share your tips for safe hiking, surviving in the wild and managing hiking injuries!
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Crusak
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Location: Oregon

Re: Survive Anything!

Post by Crusak » March 31st, 2012, 6:48 pm

ForestKeeper wrote:Hey Jim,

In response to the Outdoor Life kit, in pertaining to the local plant life, would over-the-counter skin rash medicine/ointment be a good addition for poison oak/ivy??? ForestKeeper
My personal experience hasn't ventured into the realm of poison ivy or poison oak encounters. I've never reacted to the stuff, which probably means I've never been close enough to it. :)

Good idea! From what I've heard (stories like yours!) any relief one can get from the discomfort caused by that stuff is a good thing. I suppose it'd be part of your first aid kit in areas known for poison oak or ivy. Or just carry it all the time?

Next question: what to use?
Jim's Hikes

Solvitur Ambulando

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Roy
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Joined: January 25th, 2010, 6:35 pm

Re: Survive Anything!

Post by Roy » April 4th, 2012, 2:07 am

ForestKeeper wrote:;) I wasn't joking though. Somehow, have a light weight material that would be somewhat waterproof on the outside, while have some sort of emergency blanket material on the inside for warmth. A type of jumpsuit that would be used in an extreme emergency, and if, to at least, prolong death. Have a few breast pockets filled with inexpensive hand/feet warmers, waterproof/windproof matches, small first aid kit, an eight ounce packet of water, and a packet of freeze dried fruit/nuts. Maybe on one of the pant legs, have a out seam pocket with a small aerial
flare that could be used to signal a rescue copter or be used as a source of heat. And a small gps locating device fastened around the hood.It wouldn't have to be overly expensive, just in the $100 range for backcountry use. Mountaineers, pilots and SAR's would have a slightly more expensive unit do to severe weather exposure.

If I were actually smart with a pocket full of cash, this might be something to venture into. But, maybe it's only a dream. Maybe someone in the apparel business would like to venture into this. :)

Will

suits are not new they are expensive because of low volume sales.

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Andrew- ... lt,sc.html

http://www.summitpost.org/outdoor-gear/ ... suits/4938

http://www.amazon.com/Walls-10X-Polar-S ... cr_pr_pb_t

http://www.allseasonsuniforms.com/wacat ... RQodAmgGcQ

most of these have minimal weight.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

forestkeeper
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Re: Survive Anything!

Post by forestkeeper » April 4th, 2012, 6:48 am

:lol: :lol: :lol: You are soooo right, Roy!!!! Suits are not new. Neither are bathing suits, rain suits, or the suits that you will wear to my funeral. None of these suits that you listed, fell under my inexpensive survivor suit. Nor were any of the above listed AS survivor suits, SO my beautiful dream of a lightweight, inexpensive, fold up or deflatable hiking survivor suit IS still a NEW concept. SO THERE!!!!!!!!!!!hehehahahoho! :D

ForestKeeper

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CampinCarl
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Joined: June 17th, 2011, 7:41 am
Location: Salem

Re: Survive Anything!

Post by CampinCarl » April 4th, 2012, 7:57 am

Depends where you are but Tecnu is good stuff for poison oak / ivy.

http://www.teclabsinc.com/store/poison- ... nu-extreme

payslee

Re: Survive Anything!

Post by payslee » April 4th, 2012, 9:36 am

Crusak wrote:* BONK * this was an interesting day. Talk about finding out the limits of your endurance, the hard way. :) I always have one of these tarps in my pack.

Image
I especially like the emergency Pringles. I never leave home without those!

But seriously, I second all the comments on the ace bandages... I gave those out on two occasions last year out on the trail. About the only thing I've ever pulled from my first aid stash.

Maybe guys have an easier time staying warm... Aside from a pack of wax/woodchip fire starters AND of course Purel I have started carrying those chemical handwarmer/body warmers. Starting / stabilizing a fire in the rain is challenging even with gasoline, and I am prone to hypothermia. Having an absolutely reliable heat source in any weather is a life saver. Also, they're cheap and lightweight. You can get a pack of 20 at Freddie's for like 10 bucks.


-payslee

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windmtnpete
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Joined: January 28th, 2012, 4:19 pm
Location: Nelson, BC Canada

Re: Survive Anything!

Post by windmtnpete » April 4th, 2012, 9:43 am

ForestKeeper wrote:SO my beautiful dream of a lightweight, inexpensive, fold up or deflatable hiking survivor suit IS still a NEW concept. SO THERE!!!!!!!!!!!hehehahahoho! :D

ForestKeeper
Sure, but does this survivor suit come in slime green to complement bright pink nail polish?
I'm just thinking of the important things here for ya! ;)
“Not all who wander are lost.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien

Lurch
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Re: Survive Anything!

Post by Lurch » April 4th, 2012, 11:02 am

Hey guys, I guess I was blind to this thread for awhile!

All the gear in the world won't keep you safe if you don't have training/experience/technique to go with it. Fire building is a prime example of that. You can have all the coolest gadgets, the butane lighters and fuel tabs, road flares and gasoline, but if you don't have experience and knowhow at best you probably won't get a fire going in the middle of an Oregon downpour, at worst you'll injure yourself. Most probable you'll speed up hypothermia by wasting time and energy trying to build a hopeless fire instead of limiting exposure and finding/making shelter.

Forestkeeper: I would go with carls suggestion of Technu, there are a few different types depending on the situation, but the far better technique spending some time getting familiar with the plant in all its stages and learning to identify it. Eventually you'll get to the point where you'll subconsciously "see" it and get that hinky feeling that something isn't right, then it will click that you're standing in a field of doom and misery.

If you're tromping around in winter with pants and gators you'll usually be just fine, just remember the the oils from poison oak and a PITA and will transfer. You may only touch the plant on your leg, but when you scratch that you pick the oils up on your fingers, and then you touch your face, or that other itch on your arm, and in about 2 weeks you're covered in rashes. They say the oils can still be potent on clothing up to 7 years after inital contact, so if you have reason to suspect you've gone through the evil oak wash your stuff carefully and be aware of where you touch! Personally I've never had much of an issue touching clothes that have brushed poison oak, but different people have different sensitivities. I know of someone that got into their sleeping bag with their clothes on, and got a sad present after using their bag again the next month.

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Roy
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Re: Survive Anything!

Post by Roy » April 4th, 2012, 12:14 pm

ForestKeeper wrote::lol: :lol: :lol: You are soooo right, Roy!!!! Suits are not new. Neither are bathing suits, rain suits, or the suits that you will wear to my funeral. None of these suits that you listed, fell under my inexpensive survivor suit. Nor were any of the above listed AS survivor suits, SO my beautiful dream of a lightweight, inexpensive, fold up or deflatable hiking survivor suit IS still a NEW concept. SO THERE!!!!!!!!!!!hehehahahoho! :D

ForestKeeper
people have made lots with dumber ideas, i would make it like a snuggie and let the sham wow sell it for you :lol:

no serious you can not get any where if you do not try ;)

good luck- Troy
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

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Roy
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Re: Survive Anything!

Post by Roy » April 4th, 2012, 12:27 pm

Lurch wrote:



If you're tromping around in winter with pants and gators you'll usually be just fine, just remember the the oils from poison oak and a PITA and will transfer. You may only touch the plant on your leg, but when you scratch that you pick the oils up on your fingers, and then you touch your face, or that other itch on your arm, and in about 2 weeks you're covered in rashes. They say the oils can still be potent on clothing up to 7 years after inital contact, so if you have reason to suspect you've gone through the evil oak wash your stuff carefully and be aware of where you touch! Personally I've never had much of an issue touching clothes that have brushed poison oak, but different people have different sensitivities. I know of someone that got into their sleeping bag with their clothes on, and got a sad present after using their bag again the next month.

do you have to be alergeic to these plants? i have bushwacked a lot in 30 some years and never had a problem. stinging nettles now those have bit me.
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

Lurch
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Re: Survive Anything!

Post by Lurch » April 4th, 2012, 2:31 pm

Some people just don't react, although that doesn't mean you never will, and chances are if you straight up grabbed some poison oak and rubbed it on you you would. Sometimes you just need a large enough exposure. By in large people's reaction tends to get worse and worse over time, or if they've had a large reaction it will typically be worse the second time.

That said, don't forget about the oils thing, if you come home from a solid bushwack, or even climb into your car you can transfer those oils and someone else could pick them up and have a reaction.

Nettles have never really bothered me as much, but if they do it comes down to identification, avoidance, and technique if you can't get around. You should be just fine pinching the back side of the leaf on stinging nettles and pulling it out of the way. They're flimsy enough you can usually get them out of the way, although you may leave a swath of destruction in your wake (hardly leave no trace) since they tend to grow in clusters.

With nettles at least you have an immediate learning experience, you touch a plant and you *know* not to touch that one again, and you'll quickly learn what it is and where it grows. Poison Oak is much more nefarious and you won't fully react until long after your interaction with the plant. Connecting the two can be much more difficult, and if you don't have someone to show you want a poison oak plant looks like *for sure* I would highly recommend finding someone! Even the stems can cause a reaction when they don't have leaves in the winter.

Now Devils Club.... that stuff I hate...

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