Deborah
Trail Wise!
Yes, that's me.
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Deborah on Dec 29, 2016 13:33:01 GMT -8
Call me cynical, but I have a hard time believing someone would willingly drink urine when they're tromping through 3 feet of snow. I'm glad they all survived, but I hope that next time they do a little research before their next adventure. That one was very perplexing to me too.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Dec 29, 2016 13:38:13 GMT -8
That one was very perplexing to me too. And -- she's a college professor? And has taken wilderness survival training classes? And her husband had a recently broken back? I'd better stop re-reading these stories. My cynicism is growing ...
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davesenesac
Trail Wise!
Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
Posts: 1,710
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Post by davesenesac on Dec 29, 2016 15:23:21 GMT -8
Read some follow up stories this morning and that woman has awesome mental strength to endure what she did that is no doubt a reflection of her marathon training. Walking through snow where one sinks down below the surface is much worse than walking in sand. What an awesome accomplishment!
Anyone out in our higher elevation Southwest desert areas needs to be aware in winter that rather significant winter snowstorms do occasionally occur. And am sure they and many other Las Vegas outdoor enthusiasts are more aware of that now. The drinking urine thing was IMO unnecessary and raises a flag for not questioning some things survival experts may preach. Of course in ancient Rome collecting urine was a major industry for medicinal reasons and supposedly people used it as mouth wash to clean their teeth!
Vaguely recall reading statements years ago suggesting people not eat snow for water when out in cold survival conditions that at the time sounded nuts to me. So just web searched and...
www.survivopedia.com/survival-uses-of-snow-and-ice/
snippet:
Actually, don’t eat snow at all; you may damage the inside of your mouth. Also your body temperature will drop, and that will actually dehydrate you faster so that’s not a good idea at all. Basically, you will have to find a clean source of ice or snow and you’ll have to melt it in order to quench your thirst.
adventure.howstuffworks.com/how-to-survive-the-freezing-cold3.htm
snippet:
Eating snow may seem like a great idea, but it will lower your core temperature and actually bring on dehydration. Melt your ice and snow in a container if you have one. If not, wrap it in cloth and suck the water out as it melts. It's also important to purify the water by boiling it for 10 minutes whenever possible. Snow and ice in remote locations can be safe to ingest, but it's always a risk.
As an alpine resort skier I've read NOT to eat snow while on slopes but that always struck me as nutso. And have always eaten pieces of snow grabbing some off the tops of my skis while riding lifts or off fir and pine boughs that are small enough to immediately melt in my mouth. And look folks amazing...Dave is still alive after all these years! The thing above about damaging one's mouth is common sense. Anyone chomping into a large ball of snow if as a kid they ever bought a snow cone, has an IQ problem. Ok I get the part about not eating snow if one is already risking hypothermia and sitting around quietly. But otherwise NOT especially if one is say in the midst of a survival hike generating muscle heat.
David
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Hungry Jack
Trail Wise!
Living and dying in 3/4 time...
Posts: 3,809
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Post by Hungry Jack on Dec 29, 2016 20:38:17 GMT -8
When I go out to ski, snowshoe, or build snowmen, I always bring some powdered sugar and sprinkles to spruce up my snow snacks.
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tarol
Trail Wise!
Redding, CA
Posts: 582
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Post by tarol on Jan 1, 2017 7:39:36 GMT -8
I cannot count the number of times I dealt with rescuing lost people who relied on their GPS or Google Maps for navigation. Always call the park/forest before you go, check the weather, carry food/water/warm clothing and call ahead, as we say #KnowBeforeYouGo. Even if you've been to the area before, something may have changed (fire closure/flood/rock slide/road wash out/etc)
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