[pct-l] Deep Survival

[Thomas Jamrog]

Gonzales book is a must.  
Kochanski ( Mors) teaches a very useful quick test to gauge hypothermia that can be used as a self check.  It's simple:  Can you touch your little finger to your thumb? If not, stop what you are doing and start a fire, get into your shelter and sleeping bag, etc. Take action, because you are already slipping into  hypothermia if you are unable to do this.  It is also already likely that you will struggle to strike a match, or even work a lighter.  Your greatest friend when hypothermic is the ability to start a fire.   It can dry clothing, melt snow, get hot liquid into you, serve as a signal, etc.   
Uncle Tom     

Blogging about the Great Outdoors 
on http://tjamrog.wordpress.com ( hotlink) 


On Jan 27, 2010, at 1:12 AM, Eric Lee wrote:

> Day-Late wrote:
>> 
> Hypothermia can rob you of your ability to think and to act - you have to
> address the issues before it gets to that condition.
>> 
> 
> It's not just hypothermia - the human brain can do strange and bizarre
> things under stressful conditions that leave you scratching your head later.
> It's just the way we're wired.  It may be impossible to totally prevent the
> phenomenon but it helps to be aware of it and to try to compensate for it.
> 
> For anyone interested in this topic I highly recommend the book "Deep
> Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why" by Laurence Gonzales.  It's a
> fascinating read with lots of information about our brain chemistry and
> physiology interspersed with real-life case studies.  It'll give you an
> appreciation for just how hard it is to keep from making stupid decisions in
> high-risk situations.
> 
> Eric
> 
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