Hug a tree (and such)

[frank10]

Hi all, thought this might be a good time to share tips for staying safe at camp... One idea I like is to wrap your water bottle with ten (or 20) feet of orange surveyers ribbon. It is to be used in case you are lost... hang it in the tree you are hugging so you can be found even whiler you are sleeping.

[le Voyageur]

Be aware of sun angles, and star patterns from different locations in your camp....know how to calculate, and use solar noon for directon finding...

[Fuzzy Bear]

wnt,

 

May I also suggest dropping bits of bread along the path to insure that you will always know where you are. It works most every time. I have read about it.

 

FB

[cajuncody]

Wingnut,

I covered Hug a Tree and Survive last year with my pack and even handed out fanny packs with surveyor tape, trash bags, and whistles in them for hiking and camping. I think that wrapping surveyor tape around a water bottle is a good idea. Any thing that helps to remind a boy to stay in one spot is a good idea. If this scout in UT had stayed put when he realized he was lost he would have been found quicker.

In my program we use the surveyor tape to tie to the tree you are hugging so that you can go that far (about 25 foot ) to relieve yourself or to possibly find water. It is much better than walking over to a ditch then to a creek as you have just moved more than 25 foot and have no way of knowing where you started from.

If all scouts would use the buddy system and the hug a tree system it would be a perfect world where no one would be lost.

Kristi

[le Voyageur]

 

 

I'm all for bringing back the old Pathfinding Merit badge, updated of course. Too many suburbia/city kids are hooked on high tech doo dads, and clueless in outdoor basics.

[ozemu]

Sadly reminded of a story from a Northern Territory policeman I knew.

 

A father outback at a lonely fuel station gave his eight year old son a little motorbike. "Always ride on our side of the road. If your bike konks out head for the sun until you hit the road. We will find you there."

 

The young bloke did as he was told one day. But was riding on the wrong side of the road. He headed directly away from the road straight toward the sun until he died.

 

The lesson for me (my daughter will always do exactly as I say - when out of the house) is to explain the why. Why follow the sun? Why stay in one spot. Maybe things like a dam in a desert, a clearing in a jungle, a road 50 feet away might be discussed as well.

[kenk]

Not sure if you'd heard, but apparently the lost Scout that was recently found said he'd seen several searchers but hid from them since they were strangers.

 

Teach your kids to stay put as soon at you don't know where you are (not 30 minutes later), make themselves visible, blow that whistle, and don't be afraid of strangers - they are helping mom & dad look for you. Oh, and don't try to climb stuff (trees, rocks, cliffs) and don't try to wade through water (lakes, streams, wetlands). Stay put!!!!!

 

I also had my Bear den put together fanny packs and developed my own version of Hug-a-Tree based upon information I could find on-line.

 

A GREAT soruce of information is at http://www.equipped.com/kidsrvl.htm'>http://www.equipped.com/kidsrvl.htm . For adults, see http://www.equipped.com .

 

The packs contained:

Cheap fanny pack from http://www.orientaltrading.com'>http://www.orientaltrading.com . It works.

 

1 large orange plastic trash bag - bought them on line from http://www.spectrumtrashbags.com but you might check with your local highway dept. that often uses them for roadside cleanups.

 

1 whistle on a plastic "expando" wristband - bought these from http://www.orientaltrading.com . For my own kids I swaped out the cheaper whistle with orange Windstorm whistles from http://www.wind-storm-whistles.com .

 

1 Princeton Tec Pulsar LED light added to the "expando" wristband - got these on a major sale from http://www.campmor.com . They had a corporate logo on them - kids didn't care. This is mostly for shining at anything that bump in the night. 12 hours of burn time in a tiny package!!

 

Since then, my own kids have added:

1 orange bandanna from http://www.wholesaleforeveryone.com . These are good for waving at searchers, swatting flies, soaking up water, drying tears, etc..

 

1 small pocketknife. Can't think of a better place to store them. Might be helpful for cutting a hole in the plastic bag too.

 

I've been thinking about adding a small bottle of lotion DEET, but would need slightly bigger fanny packs for that.

 

[le Voyageur]

 

I've been thinking about adding a small bottle of lotion DEET, but would need slightly bigger fanny packs for that.

 

 

Make Deet wipes by using 2x2 or 4x4 gauze pads. Store in a zip-lock.....