Trust me, there's no paradise when lost

[fgoodwin]

Trust me, there's no paradise when lost

 

 

http://tinyurl.com/36o2pa

 

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor

Published August 2, 2007

 

WITHLACOOCHEE STATE FOREST - Hiking through the pine flatwoods, I had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong.

 

I looked around the woods - no predators or machete-wielding psychopaths - so I kept walking. But the feeling would not go away.

 

"Wait a minute," I thought to myself. "I haven't seen a trail marker in quite some time."

 

I stopped, did a 360, and came to the conclusion that I had wandered off the trail.

 

My initial reaction was panic. The sun was about to set, and I knew there was no way I would find my way back to camp in the dark. I didn't want to spend a cold night in the woods when I could be sitting next to a warm fire sipping hot chocolate.

 

Then I remembered one of the first lessons I had learned in Boy Scouts. When lost in the woods, S.T.O.P. It is a basic survival skill taught to every Tenderfoot: Stop, Think, Observe and Plan.

 

The worst thing you can do when you've lost your way is to keep walking. All you do is get more lost.

 

So I put down my day pack, ate a granola bar and had a look around.

 

As I stood there chewing I noticed a large pine tree about 50 feet away. It looked vaguely familiar, but I often think that about pine trees. That's when I came up with my plan.

 

Why not walk back to that vaguely familiar-looking pine and look for another landmark, just like Hansel and Gretel did after their dad and wicked stepmother ditched them in the woods. Fifteen minutes of going from spot to spot brought me back to the main trail, which led to the camp.

 

"Where's the firewood?" my friend asked.

 

"Geez," I said. "I knew I forgot something."

 

But that is how it happens. You start daydreaming, lose track of time and next thing you know you are lost.

 

Trust me; I'm an expert. I've lost my way in the mountains of New Zealand, the deserts of Australia, the jungles of South America, the farmlands of Europe and half the states in the union.

 

I remember one particular night, lost and alone in the Everglades (I wasn't totally clueless - I knew I was somewhere in southwest Florida) when I wound up sleeping in my kayak, tied to some mangroves. At least the mosquitoes had a good meal.

 

Over the years, however, I have learned (through trial and error) how to keep those embarrassing, and potentially dangerous, moments to a minimum by practicing my ABCs.

 

A is for ALWAYS tell somebody where you're going and when you'll be back. Before you hit the trail, check in at the ranger station or park office. That way, if they see a strange car parked in the lot after closing, they will send out a search party.

 

B is for BE prepared. This is more than the Boy Scout motto; it is the recipe for survival. That means know where you're going - i.e., look at a map - and have some idea about what to expect when you get there.

 

Don't be like me and head out for a spring hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains in shorts in a T-shirt, get caught in a blizzard, then have to jog 5 miles uphill just to keep from freezing. Being young, strong and stupid will only carry you so far.

 

C is for CARRY a survival kit. It doesn't matter if you are going for a day hike along the Hillsborough River or flying to a field station in the middle of Venezuelan rainforest, bring some emergency gear in case things get ugly.

 

I have two survival kits. One, I call my "little problem" kit. It has a flashlight, matches, compass and whistle. The other I call my "Oh, - - - -!" kit - i.e., the plane crashes in the jungle. It has everything from water purification tablets to a spear point made of Spanish steel, just in case I'm forced to kill a wild pig to feed the tribe.

 

Survival, I tell my Cub Scouts, is all about attitude. The trick is to prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and enjoy everything in between.

 

Times Outdoors Editor Terry Tomalin, the fearless leader of Cub Scout Pack 210, hasn't been lost in the woods for several weeks now. If he's not lost, he can be reached at (727) 893-8808.

[Gunny2862]

I've never been lost, off the map a few times - 7P's would have fixed that, but never lost.

 

But yes, the small - always on your person day kit and the pack carried hit-the -fan kit are great and longstanding ideas. Just because you know where the pick up point is doesn't mean your transport will find it when they are supposed to, or at all.

[scoutldr]

"to a spear point made of Spanish steel, just in case I'm forced to kill a wild pig to feed the tribe."

 

Just curious as to how one would get that past the TSA x-ray machine?

 

[epalmer84]

Trust me, you aren't lost until you are in the middle of a desert with no discernible landmarks and your trusty compass is flaky. That compass is now safely stowed on my memorabilia shelf as a reminder.

 

Ed