Category — Survival

Check it out adventurers!!!

Spot LLC the company that provides the wildly popular SPOT Satellite Messenger has issued a recall on it’s newer devices.

Any SPOT purchased after Oct 1 2009 might not meet the appropriate battery requirements according to the company.

For more info on this recall click the SPOT picture above. The original SPOT is a bit larger and has “Satellite Personal Tracker” written on it. Below is a comparison of the two.

The old version is on the LEFT and is NOT affected by the recall!!!

Now if this was on your Christmas list and you eagerly open your presents and see you have the new dud SPOT follow the instructions on the recall site and get your fixed version with now worries, other than having to wait a few more weeks to get it.

I also want to take this chance to warn all SPOT users that this is no replacement for a solid knowledge base. If you plan on venturing into the outdoors you should be well suited with proper equipment, the 10 essentials, and proper knowledge of both 1st aid as well as MAP AND COMPASS skills!!!

Personally I think anyone with any battery operated device should only use it as a back up, you should know and understand the necessary skills first and foremost. This is a prime example of the dangers should your batteries die and you have no clue what all the squiggly lines on a map mean or how to read a compass and understanding declination. OK enough ranting make sure your SPOT is not spotty and get out there and enjoy yourself!

Thanks to the GearJunkie for the heads up!

Another sad day in the outdoor world as news comes out concerning the 3 lost climbers on Mt. Hood. The 3 climbers who names have been reported as Luke T. Gullberg, 26, of Des Moines, Washington, Anthony Vietti, 24, of Longview, Washington, and Katie Nolan, 29, of Portland, Oregon. Set out on a semi technical route at 1AM Friday December 11 and were reported missing around 10pm that same day.

Early into the search the body of Luke T. Gullberg was found. No sign of the other two missing hikers has been found. Unfortunately the rescue effort has been delayed by nasty weather and substantial avalanche danger. Rescuers had planned on resuming the search this morning, should the weather cooperate.

Mt. Hood is no stranger to danger with over 130 reported deaths on the mountain since records started being kept. All the hikers were reported to be experienced and well prepared but with the avy danger as well as the poor weather sometimes there is nothing more you can do. I’ll update this more as it breaks.

UPDATE: As of 15 Dec 2009 11:30MST no further info..

UPDATE: As of 16 Dec 2009 08:00MST Rescue has been suspended.  In the last few days more than 15 inches of snow has fallen and avalanches are dropping all over the mountain. Gullberg died from hypothermia. Given the length of time the remaining hikers have been exposed to the elements in all probability they have died as well, however they were healthy young and well prepared, let us hope they survive and take this as a lesson in the true natuer of chance.

After three days and two long very cold nights of getting their Subaru high-centered in the snow, Keith and Jennifer Lee are safely home.

On Tuesday December 1st the Medford, OR. couple set out for the high country in hopes to find the perfect Christmas Tree (a Silver-Tip Fir that only grows at high elevations). After successfully finding their tree the couple loaded it on the roof and set for home. As they were driving the road conditions were fine until they went around a bend in the road. They slammed into two feet of snow trapping their car. It wasn’t until the third day of their life threatening ordeal that Keith used rocks and wood in front and behind the vehicles tires getting it to grip. His efforts were successful and the couple was able to drive themselves out. During their drive they heard on the radio that a search was in place for them. They called 911 and reported their status.

The couple also got lost last year in the Siskiyou Mountains near the California border, also looking for the perfect Christmas Tree (I think it’s time to buy Poinsettia). They however did learn a little from the previous years misfortune. The couple was armed with a case of water, three blankets, a cell phone with GPS, and two maps of the area, but NO FOOD! Note: PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS POST about the 10 Essentials. They did tell a friend they were heading out, but no one really knew where they had went to. Leaving a contingency plan with not one, but two RELIABLE people is a good method to practice.  Let’s face it things can and will go wrong. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go out in search of your perfect Christmas Tree, but be prepared.

Living in Colorado where our weather does what it wants, when it wants, I keep an emergency/survival kit under the backseat of my truck, just in case. It’s never been used and I hope it never has to be, but it gives me assurance that’s it’s there. More importantly if something does go wrong it buys me more time. There are many places online you that show you how to make your own survival kit. There are also a wide variety of these carried at your local gear stores, ready for sale. Buy one or make one, it could save you and your families lives. Their news interview ended with Jennifer saying ”What were we thinking? Thirty dollars for a Christmas tree. Just pay the $30 and be done with it. Thirty dollars wasn’t worth our life.” In case you are wondering, the tree did make it back with them.

Over 1oo years ago Explorer Ernest Shackleton lost his ship, the Endurance to the ice of the Weddell Sea off of Antarctica, forever locking in his place in history. The Endurance lasted for 11 months, from January 1915 until it was crushed and eventually sank in November 1915. For those that know the tale of this amazing adventure you would be please to know that all though this was one of the most successful failures of all time. Shackleton was an amazingly fortunate man who’s determination and will power is still a thing of awe. Known for his tenacity, a man greatly respected in the small elite field of polar explorers, Shackleton would no doubt be proud to know that the scotch he had reluctantly discarded during an unsuccessful south pole bid will be recovered.

Now with great excitement the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust has announced plans to recover the two crates of McKinlay and Co whisky lost during Shackleton’s failed bid to cross Antarctica. The crates were discovered in 2006 but it was deemed impossible to recover them due to their depth in the ice. However the Trust is not the only group out there trying to recover the whisky, Whyte and Mackay, the distiller that now owns the McKinlay whiskey brand is eager to get a bottle in an attempt to recreate the scotch.

This tale of recovery is almost as intriguing as Shackleton’s life and let’s hope both cases are brought back unscathed much like Shackleton’s men to which during his failed south pole bed he did not lose a single man, the sign of a true leader.

If you wish to read more about the Endurance and the amazing tale of survival check out Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Journey To The Antarctic by Alfred Lansing.

Our pals over at Spadout are joining forces with Timmy O’Neill who is undeniably one of the best climbers around! Even if you’re not a rock junkie this guy is FN hilarious and will be sure to entertain so stay posted and we will bring you the shiz.

Here is where it will all happen Timmy Tuesdays.

Oh yeah and here is an older video of Timmy so well er you get to know the host!

Be sure and check back often and if unfamiliar with what Spadout is all about check our previous write up.

With the sun setting earlier and the temperatures dipping as we head into fall and eventually winter you should be sure and check all of the gear you will be using for your cold weather adventures.

Tune the skis, check the clothing for wear and tear, sharpen the ice axes, and make sure you can find both gloves!!

One of the most overlooked aspect of season change is your survival gear, especially the Ten Essentials. This is the time of year when I like to set it all out, from my personal survival kit to my ditch kit and vehicle first aid. Winter brings new dangers that require a separate list of equipment.

For my personal survival kit I check and change the following:
Signal: Check that the whistle has not cracked, and signal mirror is in working order, and add red Kool-Aid for signaling in snow.

Fire: I check that my lighter is full and still works in cold weather (a lot of gas station butane lighters falter in extreme cold) and that I have adequate tender often I will switch to Vaseline coated cotton balls because the Vaseline can be used for cold and wind cracked skin as well! I also will add a small piece of heavy duty aluminum foil to the pack for a fire base.

Food: I switch out the Powerbars to Clif bars because a frozen Powerbar will easily break a tooth whereas the frozen chunky Clif bar is easier to snap apart. And the Clif bars take longer to digest for more inner warmth.

Tools: I lube my multi-tool or knife and ensure the blades are sharp, and make sure I have 25′ of 550 or parachute cord as well, because I use it for everything I often will have shortened it a great deal over the summer.

Clothing: I add a balaclava or Buff as well as a few hand warmers and wool glove liners. And I sometimes switch out my sun glasses for glacier style glasses to protect my eyes from reflected light off of snow.

I also make sure I reread about land navigation in snowy conditions and try and get out to build shelters in winter conditions as soon as we have some snow on the ground.

For those of you still using metal whistles or whistles with cork or plastic balls in them the cork will break apart and the plastic ball can shatter!! You have been warned!

Be sure and try to use all of your gear with gloves on. Things change rapidly and in cold temperatures you definitely don’t want to have to remove gloves to utilize your survival gear!!

The worst time to realize you are hazy on your survival skills is during a survival situation, so be sure and study up and be prepared.