Would You Survive This?

Would You Survive This?

By Jerry Smith

December 21, 2013

You are just going out for a “simple” Jeeping afternoon with a friend or wife and 4 young children (two your own and two relatives). 

Conditions are 3" to 4” of snow on the ground and cold temperatures and you plan to just follow some easy roads to a well-known destination about 20-odd miles from town and maybe “play” in the snow. 

You left word with friends that you were going and would return that afternoon.  Just a simple… “done it many times” Sunday drive.

Just a while after leaving the highway, you drive through a small wash and as you’re climbing up the other side of that wash, you spin out and the Jeep goes sideways on the hill and suddenly rolls over on its top.

Now, what are you going to do?

Imagine staying two frigid days and nights in this

This scenario recently became a reality in northwestern Nevada.  Sometime Sunday, they rolled their TJ over on its top and spent the rest of Sunday, all of Monday, and till sometime Tuesday afternoon waiting for rescue in sub-zero nighttime temperatures.

Unfortunately, the news sources reporting this tragedy doesn’t get into the details of how they were equipped when they left on this adventure, but miraculously they were all able to survive with relatively little physical harm.

The survival skills of these people must have been very good.  Reportedly, they burned their spare tire… presumably for heat and as an educated guess, as a signal by smoke.  The report doesn’t say exactly when the tire was burned, but apparently, the fire was one of the first things they did to survive.

They also warmed rocks and other “things” in the fire to take inside the vehicle to keep much warmer than would have otherwise been possible.   

The fire was maintained the entire time they were stranded in the upside-down TJ.  From the picture of the scene, finding fire-making materials must have been quite difficult.

The other major thing they did properly to survive was that they stayed together with the vehicle.  The TJ would have been much easier to find than a frozen body lying in the snow.

For years, I have preached and written; “whenEVER you go out, ESPECIALLY alone… go prepared to spend a night or more”.    Food, water, and coats are an absolute minimum you MUST have ANYTIME you go out.

Being equipped to easily build and maintain a fire is another thing that helped.  Can you build and maintain a fire under nearly any circumstance?

In this instance, having a 10-year-old, two four-year-olds and a three-year-old, makes me believe that they had snowsuits for at least the three younger children.  For the others, it’s anybody’s guess.

Any way you measure it, having that many in a TJ… even on its wheels, was a full vehicle.  Dealing with the three youngsters must have been quite a feat for that long in that cold.  Add the fact that the vehicle was wheels up… well; just imagine that for one hour, let alone days.

How many of you reading this could have survived this ordeal?  Do you take enough to get through something like this when you go out… always?  I sincerely ask you to sit and contemplate this for a while.   After all, it could happen to you.

For further info on the actual story, go to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521545/Family-rescued-2-days-huddled-jeep-Nevada-snow.html#ixzz2oDeDnPs2

Safe Jeeping should include a bag full of survival gear you can grab on a moment's notice.  This bag should have coats, hat(s), blankets, gloves, boots, trash bag(s), and a change of clothes (for when you get wet or dirty while trying to work on something). 

Even your fire starting materials and a hatchet or other firewood gathering tool(s) could be included.

My gear stays in Happy Trails.  I often leave for a drive without ever going home.  I want that gear… EVERY TIME!  The gear has been used for personal use and to get others through some tough times at wrecks we’ve come upon and made a HUGE difference on MY one unplanned overnighter.

You never know when it will be needed, but if you don’t have it, it can be very hard to improvise.

A checklist for other gear like food, water, cooking gear, tools, and whatever is a good thing to work with.

The point is; GO PREPARED! 

Now get prepared and then get out and enjoy.

While you’re out there, always remember; “When you come to a fork in the road… take it!”

Happy Trails.

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