As per your pre-exam briefing, knowing what the acronym
S-U-R-V-I-V-A-L stands for is important to your success. Since the class period is shortened you will be given only three survival scenarios to assess using the acronym.
I want to see you apply the survival philosophy and you will be graded accordingly.
We discussed the concept of survival. We analyzed a complex camping trip that turned into the loss of two lives. Much of this may seem hypothetical, meaning how does this pertain to me as a student-cadet in Norwalk, CT. We have snow storms, hurricanes, and storm surge flooding; but a tornado or a earthquake in or near Connecticut...come on. Lets take a look at how you would need to survive an earthquake.
Survival is not just about getting lost in the woods and getting rescued. Sometimes it is about surviving from a natural disaster. During a natural disaster the first responders and city services will be overwhelmed and may not be able to help you for 2 or 3 days. You need to learn to prepare and in extreme cases solve your own problems as a person, household, neighborhood, and community. Lets see how one city dealt with a severe earthquake....
Yesterday, we were introduced to the concept of survival and a brief discussion of some of the key elements of survival. You were formed into groups and developed your own group definition of what survival is. (See the comment section from the previous blog post). Orientation to the video and the associated homework: We are going to look at a story of two young men who were stranded in the Canadian wilderness. They had experience being in the woods and a adequate amount of skills and equipment. They were confident in their abilities. Watch this video and I want you to take notes during the video viewing and afterward your homework is to make a comment today or tonight in the blog post comment section.
Homework Questions to post in the Comment Section of this Blog Post: Question 1: What was their plan for their wilderness outing? Question 2: Where they properly trained and equipped for this trip? Question 3: Describe what happened to them which they didn't expect or plan for? Question 4: What planning and preparation could they have conducted which would have helped them minimize the risk and increase their changes of survival? This is due tomorrow.
We are starting the third Marking Period of Academic Year 2015. We are going to talk about Survival. The topic of survival is in Unit VI of the book, Introduction to Navy JROTC which is part of the NJROTC curriculum. You should consider Survival as a part of your life skills.
Enduring Learning Objective for this Survival Module: Each student-cadet develops an understanding of the concept of survival in a variety of situations and conditions so that they can survive themselves or assist others. Additionally, the goal is to develop the concept for prior planning and preparation and survival skill development ensuring their safety, security, and mental well being.
Classroom Activity: Form into three groups and take about ten minutes to develop a group definition of the concept of survival without looking anything up. Have one person write down the group definition. Following the group discussion, you will share the group definition with the entire class. The intent of this activity is to generate each person determining their start point on an understanding of what survival means
Here is a 8 minute video about the concepts of survival from an experienced outdoor guide. Like many people with some survival experience he has many opinions, some of them you might agree with and some perhaps not. The goal is you need to be the "eternal student" (vice self proclaimed expert) when it comes to developing your survival capability.
This short video (3 minute) on the basic components of How to Survive. Final Comment: There is a tendency to think of survival in terms of big disasters such as surviving a plane crash or a tornado. But consider the following:
What about your family's care breaking down at night in an unknown location?
How about visiting your family in another country and you get lost in an urban environment?
A simple hike in a national park where you get lost and the weather turns bad?
What if there was a terrorist attack and you were separated from your loved ones? Dad is at work, mom is at home with your little sister, and you are away at college. How will you link up? What if there is spotty cell phone coverage and power is down?
What if you were on vacation on an enormous lake and the motor broke down and you were miles away from anyone? Everyone is just wearing their bathing suits and there is poor cell phone coverage. Would would you do?
This seventeen year old cross country skier left the ski trail and got lost. As is the case with Murphy's Law (If Something Can Go Wrong at the Worst Time, It Will Go Wrong), it was the one time he didn't take his cell phone with him. He made a snow cave in the snow which gave him shelter (from low temperatures, wind chill, and weather) and he insulated the floor of his snow cave with tree branches which gave him some insulation from the cold floor. He tried to make fire but didn't know how, and by day he drank from a stream and would follow the noise he heard from snowmobiles until he was found. Not panicking, having basic knowledge of survival skills (which he learned from TV), keeping sheltered and hydrated were all key to his success.
Some Discussion Points in particular for Cold Weather Outdoors:
Always bring communication with you and tell someone your route and time you expect to be back.
Always travel with a partner, the two-person rule is important.
Always bring the basics (compass, butane lighter, small knife, and a whistle) in a Zip Lock bag in your pocket. Or carry a small Day Pack (small Tarp, dry socks in a zip lock bag, other items below) with things if you had to stay overnight.
You can add some Granola bars and always have a wide mouth (a small mouth bottle will freeze shut) water bottle.
You can also have a Fire Starter kit (waterproof matches, tinder, flint & steel, magnesium bar for shavings) in a small zip lock bag as well.
If you are walking, skiing, or snow-shoeing in relatively fresh snow and you know where you were when you started, JUST FOLLOW YOUR TRACKS BACK OUT. It is a very simple technique that very few people realize, especially if they panic. Relax and think, if you here noise (= civilization) that might be your guide.
The minute you leave a marked trail realize you are making a bigger decision than you may realize...?
You will be cold in a snow cave but not freezing like you would outside with no shelter.
CAUTION: It is OK to practice building snow caves, but always do it with someone else until you get proficient in case you dig it wrong & it collapses. Tell a parent / guardian what you are doing. Never do this alone, unless it is a life or death situation of survival.
Just a few thoughts on Cold Weather Survival / Survival, but your brain and some knowledge can go a long way to help you survive.
