April 27, 2009 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.
Summer is almost here and
temperatures will soon be soaring above 100*F and a review of some
summer survival techniques might be appropriate at this time. Each
summer we read or hear about a tragic death or deaths resulting from
dehydration, exhaustion or sunstroke occurring during the hot summer
months on the Sonoran Desert. These summer deaths could be easily
prevented with the proper preparation and training.
Living in the Sonoran Desert for sixty
years doesn’t make me an expert on the topic of desert survival.
However, I would like to pass on a few things I have learned over the
decades. Veterans of many desert sojourns in the summer months have died
tragically because they took the desert for granted. The older we get
sometimes the more careless we become. The most basic rule of desert
survival is tell somebody where you are going and when you expect to
return. This simple rule can save you or your family’s life.
Now, if you insist on going into the
desert during the summer months when temperatures exceed 110 degrees on
the ground, you need to consider some other basic rules of survival. For
each adult in your group you will need a minimum of one gallon of water
per day to prevent dehydration. Yes, you can survive on a quart of
water per day under ideal conditions. This means you are in the shade,
off of the hot ground and not exerting yourself. Even under these ideal
conditions a quart of water per twenty-four hour period will not prevent
the onset of dehydration. A rule of thumb is always one gallon of water
per day per person on any desert outing in the summer time.
When a family or group of four go
trekking into the desert with their four-wheeler, sand buggy, ATV’s or
family car they need to carry sufficient water for any emergency.
Remember, if you are planning a three day trip into the desert and there
are three adults in the group you need a minimum of nine gallons of
water. If you have a sufficient quantity of water your survival has been
increased threefold.
Large quantities of water can be carried
in a vehicle, but what about horsemen and hikers. A hiker or horseman
must know the sources of permanent water along the route he or she has
chosen. I would like to believe a reasonable hiker or horsemen wouldn’t
find themselves in a remote desert setting during the summer months.
However, that is not the case anymore. Each summer Search and Rescue
pulls dehydrated hikers out of the Superstition Wilderness Area.
Some succumb to the elements of the summer heat.
The next thing one should consider is
their method of travel under extreme desert conditions, whether it is by
vehicle, horse back or afoot. Surface temperatures can reach 180
Degrees F. on a hot summer day. Temperatures three or four feet above
the ground may be only 110 Degrees F. depending on the color and texture
of the surface. Dark colored material can increase your body
temperature by thirty to forty per cent on a hot day. The best clothing
to wear is clothing that reflects the suns rays and heat. The best
material is always white. If you are hiking you also must protect your
feet from extreme ground temperatures. Few people will attempt hiking in
the desert during the heat of the day (1 p.m. until 4 p.m.). If one
must hike in the desert during the summer months it is best to hike in
the early morning, late evening or at night. Hiking or walking at night
does have its disadvantages. The desert is a host to a variety of
poisonous reptiles, insects and even an occasional mine shaft.
Vehicle operators often go into the
desert during the hot summer months not giving a second thought to the
operating conditions for their vehicles. Tragedies can be cause by a
flat tire, broken fuel line, dead battery, or a punctured oil pan in the
summer time or just simply running out of fuel. A simple flat board
might serve as a platform to jack up a stuck vehicle in the sand or to
change a flat. Brush placed under a wheel to gain traction when stuck in
sand can save your life. A vehicle will do better in sand if you lower
the air pressure in the tires. Prior to the many deaths of illegal
immigrants trying to cross the border between the United States and
Mexico more than sixty per cent of the desert deaths resulted from
vehicle becoming stuck in the sand or high centered on a rock. A large
percentage of victims perished from the over extension of their physical
capabilities.
Remember survival begins immediately,
not ten hours after you have become stranded and you realize the
consequences of your decisions. People have worked all day in the hot
sun trying to free their vehicles suddenly realize they are in a
hopeless situation. Once panic controls a person’s actions, survival is
dramatically reduced.
No situation is hopeless if preplanning
has been undertaken. As soon as you know that you are in a dangerous
situation there are three basic rules for survival. One, don’t let
yourself panic, Two, stay where you are, and Three, try to signal for
help.
You can build a signal fire from desert
brush for immediate signaling with smoke. Automotive tires make the best
smoke signal. The tires will give off a dense black cloud of smoke that
can be seen for miles. You can use your car mirrors to signal aircraft
with. One important rule is always to keep a signal fire ready to ignite
if you see an aircraft in your vicinity. The international signal for
distress is three shots, three fires, or three of anything that can be
recognized as distress signals from the air or from a distance.
Many times an individual will not panic
until the second or third day. The only control for panic is
self-confidence in the fact that you know how to survive the situation.
Staying with your vehicle is very important. It is much easier to spot a
car than a human being on the desert from the air. Most searches are
conducted from the air. If you decide to leave your vehicle it is
important that you leave some kind of signal letting rescuers know what
direction you are traveling away from your vehicle. Sticks and rocks can
serve as excellent markers if properly arranged to indicate direction.
The above suggestions are not guaranteed
to save your life, but they will increase your chances of survival. If
you choose to walk out, try to walk during the cooler hours of the
morning or late evening. Walking after dark would be the best, but there
are many hazards on the desert if you don’t have proper lighting.
Cactus spines, venomous animals, mine shafts, and pits are just a few of
the hazards you could encounter while walking in the dark. The
Superstition Wilderness Area, and other desert regions of Arizona have
claimed hundreds of lives over the decades from dehydration, exhaustion,
and sunstroke. Many illegal aliens die each summer trying to cross the
border between the United States and Mexico. Often, summer deaths on the
desert exceed one hundred human beings.
