Desert Survival Skills

You are on a holiday to Las Vegas. After arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, you boarded a small, 20-seater airplane for the short 2-hour flight to Las Vegas.



It is about 10am in the middle of summer and you 20-seater airplane has just crash landed in the Sonora desert in the southwestern United States. The pilot did not survive the crash when the plane crash landed and burned. However, you and your entire tour group from Singapore survived the crasn and except for some minor bruises, everyone is safe.



Your tour leader recalled that the pilot could not contact anyone on the radio just before the crash. However, the pilot did mention that you were about 150km south-southwest from an old mining camp, which is the nearest place you might seek for help. You heard the pilot said that your plane was approximately 120km off the course that was filed in your VFR (visual flight rules) Flight Plan.



The area around the crash site is quite flat and, except for a few cactus plants, does not have any other trees or greenery. The last weather report you heard on the plane's radio said that the temperature would be around 40 degrees Celsius. This, the pilot said, would mean that the temperature on the ground would be about 45 degrees Celsius.



You all are wearing light summer clothing with sandals or sneakers. Everyone has a handkerchief. All together, your group has US$75 in bills, US$5.80 in coins, a packet of cigarettes and a ballpoint pen. Before the plane caught fire after crashing, your group was able to save the following 14 items:

Flashlight (4-battery type)
Sectional air map of the area
Plastic raincoat (large)
Magnetic compass
First aid kit with bandages
9mm pistol with 15 rounds
Parachute (red & white)
1000 salt tablets
1 litre of water each
Book titled "Edible Animals of the Desert"
A pair of sunglasses each
2 litres of Vodka 100% proof
1 overcoat each
A small mirror
Rank the above 14 items according to what you think is their importance for your survival. Start with number 1 for the "Most Important" item and end with number 14 for the "Least Important" item.

what a load of crap
plane don't arrive on time or goes of radar ppl look for it
END of your book

2006-09-08 04:38:08 by LawrenZ

I take desert survival serious. In 2003 I was stranded during a long distance mountain biking trip. I survived on this water procurement technique...

where would you sleep, what would you eat, how would you catch your food, etc?

wonderful question.

Id eat bananas and coconuts, I'd use aloe vera on my face from one of those lovely trees, I'd make a bed of palm leaves to sleep on, and hopefully be rescued within the first day, as I'd prpbably be dead within 3 days.

2008-03-12 00:33:29 by mistiki

Price: $10.95

I love surivival shows and the way they can live out in the woods,deserts make fires, hunt food, make water ect and survive i know that the military teaches these skills but other than that is there anywhere to learn them?

The best author I have found in survival skills teaching is Tom Brown, Jr. He also teaches classes and has many former students teaching classes also throughout the U.S. Do a search on Tom Brown, Jr. and you will find his books. Here is the web address for his school:

2007-09-14 04:13:58 by Anthony

Price: $3.00

I know allot of my friends go on hunting/Camping trips with their fathers/uncles but I never really learned any wilderness survival skills. I'm a city boy I never really learned how to survive in the woods or a stranded island, The only survival I've ever learned is what they call inner city survival ha ha. I've never gone hunting either I have shot guns before but never learned to hunt different animals, or how to live off the land... are there any good books you could tell me about? like I would be really interested on a book on hunting,and a book on survival in different parts of the world(the woods,the desert,alaska etc.. I just think it would be cool to learn all this stuff especially after I learn how to survive in like the woods I could then learn how to survive in a different climate.

Well I`m born and raised in the Bronx and know what you mean when it comes to city survival. But I joined the boy scouts and our troop goes camping every month- rain or shine. I`ve learned a lot of the skills I know from starting fires without matches or a lighter to setting deadfalls and snares (althought he latter is no longer officially taught by BSA). Either in the spring or fall we have a survival trip where they build their own shelters collect their water and then demonstrate snares and dead falls and then they go over how to signal rescuers. If I were you I`d look into the different troops in your area because believe it or not there will be quite a few and find out which ones go camping most often. Because there are troops that will never leave the city, unfortunately, and thats not what you are looking for.

Some books I`d recommend:

BSA Field Book- (especially last/previous edition not the newest edition) will show you about tracking animals collecting water building shelters starting fires.

"The Way of the Scout" by Tom Brown - This isnt a boy scout book its about a man who was taught skills by an Indian (native american) scout back when he was a kid. Tom Brown actually has his own survival school in the Pine Barrens of NJ. He trains gov`t agencies in tracking and in concealment/camo. He`s also the real deal. Google his name. I think any of his books are good reads but this was the best one. -True Stories

Youtube- Ray Mears as Mtn man suggested. He`s the original survivorman, the real deal.

"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer- Not really an informative instruction manual but its about a boy who quits school to go live in the Alaskan wilderness- True Story

Those airforce/army survival manuals you see in the army surplus stores are pretty good on showing different skills, not a book i`d read cover to cover but there are a few good things that`ll come out of it.

JIM:
Okkkk I`m sure you`re living in Alaska surviving in the wilderness right now on your solar powered computer. Just because you live in Alaska doesnt mean you`re in survival mode. There are cities in Alaska, its not all wilderness. Relax. I recommended the book to him as an eye opener. You cant know the good without the bad. Obviously you didnt read what I wrote after I suggsted the book. I said its not an instruction manual and gave the summary of the story. I never said he could learn how to survive using that book. But again it does illustrate how a simple mistakes of mistaking one plant for another and not using common sense can get you killed. I dont see a problem with that, do you?

2009-04-01 23:30:59 by Chris aka $M.D.$

My last Q about this was horribly written.
What I am asking is why do some folks think that they are born to survive in a wilderness?
Even Native Americans aren’t born with the skills of their ancestors. Yet I have met quite a few people of all races who think they just know it all, about how nature works and how to survive in it.
This has scared me for them many times, like a young man who wants to “live off the land” in a remote area, who will not listen to experienced advice, nor seek such advice.

How do you get it across to them that having a gun and knife doesn’t make you an instant wilderness survivalist?
Here is an example of what I am asking about;
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Story?id =3680748&page=1
People are getting killed in remote places, from the deserts of the south west, the woods and swamps in the Deep South, through the Rockies and the rest of North America, from inexperience, lack of outdoor skills and lack of proper equipment.
How can we get across to such people to save their lives?
Our Government spends millions warning us about everything from cigarettes to cosmetics, but not that the outdoors can kill you. Don’t you think this should be taught in every classroom in America?
Do you have any idea how to save some of these lives?
Another example; http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&am p;cpsidt=1600388
METRO.. you have an excellent point. However I live where these kinds of people visit; remote Alaska, and every year we have people die here. I used to help search and rescue some years ago look for such people. And I have helped recover what was left of them IF we found them. I found a family of 5 and a big dog, in a small inflatable raft 8 miles from shore, with no life jackets. It took me a ½ hour to convince the moron dad that their lives were in peril. He had no clue, but the Coast Guard gave him a few after I called them! Stupid people or not that was lives saved.
shimmitail1 to answer your Q’s in your answer; yes I can. The wife and I have homesteaded while we raised many kids. Today we grow our own food, catch our own fish, hunt for our meat and are 80% self sufficient. I have about a half century of farming, hunting, fishing and food preservation experience. At the moment I am training a 26 year old man and his wife wilderness survival skills, here in Alaska.
Folks I appreciate your answers. But despite the morons out there, I believe many are just uninformed. In the city there are signs that warn you; “watch your step”, “wait for light”, “sharp turn ahead” etc, there are none in nature. So unless people are taught; they just don’t know. Therefore I think we as hunters should make an effort to teach. Donate some time to speak at schools and teach kids the basics. Lets share our knowledge, maybe it will save a life.

Some people are just idiots, straight up. I am Native American and I lived in Alaska for about 7 years, but there's no way in hell I would go and try to survive out in the wilderness unless I knew EXACTLY what I was doing. Many people just do stuff like this to prove something to themselves or others. That Alexander Supertramp (Chris) guy was just a dumb rich kid who should have thought things through. My sister lives in Fairbanks and she thinks he's a huge dumbass for what he did. To the locals out there, he is a joke. You can't stop people from being stupid, but you CAN inform them and try to help them see the light.

2008-05-18 03:05:35 by Bear Crap