Water Requirements in the Desert

Q.} How many quarts of water per person per day should you carry when packing in the desert Southwest in the middle of May?
Submitted by: David, Cedar City, UT

A.} The classic answer, and one I also believe is true, is to drink enough water to keep your urine clear—or at least close to clear. Say no to yellow. But that probably doesn’t help too much. Here’s another classic answer: 3-5 quarts per day for the average desert spring hiker. It’s a range because individual responses to desert heat and dryness vary, partially due to how acclimated you are to desert heat and dryness. If you’re new to desert travel, I strongly suggest you pack water on the heavy side instead of the light side, until you figure out how much you need to keep peeing clear.  —Buck

To add to this, Take your weigh divided it by two and this in the minimum water om ounces you will need for the day. It is always better to carry more water than you think you will need. Use the rules of three. 3 minutes for air, 3 hours of survival due to exposure, 3 days of survival without water, and 3 weeks of survival with out food.

If you have anymore questions you can contact me directly at 775 741 0735 or email me at josh@mountainsurvival.com.

Survival Knives and tools

Every one has their own thought on survival knives. I am not going into that discussion at this time. I am going to discuss one tool that needs to be carried with what ever knife you have.

That tool is a knife sharpener.  A good sharpener to keep it your knife working  and  cutting properly and safely. There is nothing more dangerous than a dull knife.

Every time you cut paper, rope, wood, turn a coin or pry, you dull the blade.

When a knife is sharp, it cuts better with out a lot of force. With a dull knife, you have to work harder, apply more pressure and have a greater chance of not only cutting the object you are working on, but yourself. That creates another situation. One that you do not need in a survival situation.

A knife sharpener will sharpen all your cutting utensils. It will work on a pocket knife, dinner knife, carving knife, axe or a hatchet. It is light weight and easy to carry.

Nothing cuts like a nicely sharpened knife.

In a survival situation, you can get a sense of calmness as you sharpen your knife and you thinks on what else you have to do.

So in conclusion, add a knife sharpener to you pocket or at least your survival pack. It will make your cutting chores a lot easier and safer.

Survival Kit thoughts

Typically wilderness survival kits have first aid items, ways to make fire, a blade of some sort, and some water purification tablets. That’s the minimum in any case, and there are certainly other items in almost any kit that you buy. But of course not everyone is going into the same kind of terrain during the same seasons and engaging in the same activities. In other words, you might not find a kit that has just what you need in it. The solution? Build your own.To start with, you need a good nylon pouch or zippered bag to hold everything. You can start stocking it with the usual items. These should include matches, some other form of fire starter (lighter or magnesium stick), a signal reflector, whistle (also for signaling), water purification tablets, a compass, a knife, some cord, duct tape, paper, a pencil, needle and thread, safety pins, bandages, aspirin, gauze pads, sun block, antibiotic ointment, medical tape, tweezers, and moleskin.

Next, consider the types of environment you are normally going to be in. If you often hike in the desert, for example, a large garbage bag or piece of plastic might be a good idea. It can be used to make a solar still if you need water.

If you canoe to isolated locations far from civilization, fishing gear might be a good addition. A few rolls of line and a half-dozen hooks and split-shot sinkers will add only an ounce or so to the weight of the kit. This better prepares you to feed yourself should your other supplies get washed away.

If you do a lot of cold-weather backpacking you might include an emergency “survival blanket.” One of the metallic-plastic ones might weigh only a few ounces, yet work to warm you as well as keep the rain off of you.

If you hike in the mountains and are prone to twisted ankles or knee problems, add an ace bandage. If the metal hooks snag on things in your kit, you can leave them behind and just tuck the wrap into itself. I also sometimes carry an elastic knee-brace that weighs just a few ounces.

If you travel very far from roads or civilization in general, food can be a great addition as well. Find some granola bars or something else that has an expiration date a year away or more. That way you can leave the emergency food in your survival kit between trips, so you don’t forget it.

If you travel in cold wet places, add a good fire tinder that will light when wet. This could be cotton balls soaked with petroleum jelly, cardboard soaked in wax, or something similar. Alcohol-based gel hand sanitizer can help wet things burn as well (and can be used as a disinfectant).

Finally, consider making small survival kits for your pocket. Losing gear is not that uncommon, but you rarely lose the clothes you are wearing. This kind of kit should have aspirin, waterproof matches, a bandage, and a small amount of duct tape. You can add other items, but keep the whole thing small enough and light enough to comfortably carry in a pocket.

What to do in a Survival Situation

This blog is in connection with MountainSurvival.com. Today we are going to discuss what should be your first steps taken when you are faced with a survival situation or in that case any stressful situation.

First, why should you read what I have to write?

Well, you can never have enough information and second, I have lived everything I am telling you.

I have faced certain death 3 times in my life, I am military trained, and was the youngest casino owner at Lake Tahoe and work with the local search and rescue for the past 9 years.

This web site is part of http://mountainsurvival.com and in assocation with Survival Inc.

What should you do first when faced with a bad situation? You should STOP!

STOP? what is that?

It stands for S: Stop, T: think, O: Observe, P: plan. Then you act.

Stop: You need to calm your thoughts first in any stressful situation. If you are worried, your mind is cluttered and worry never has solved any situation.

Think: you need to calm your fears, and think how to best resolve your situation.

You need to observe your situation, surrounding and mental attitude. Acess what you have. Take inventory of your supplies, time of day, things you will need to take care of the rules of 3’s. ( 3 minutes of air, 3 hours of exposure, 3 days without water, 3 weeks with out food).

Once you have done the above, now it is time to plan. Plan how to survive, get located, protect yourself from the environment and from your fears.

If you can master this, you stand a good chance in surviving any situation from being lost, to combat, to surviving cancer and to managing a sucessful business. I know, because I have done all of these.

If you have questions or want me to answer any questions for you, call me, Josh Ketcham, at 775 741 o735. I am here to help you.