What are the first three things I’d worry about if I became stranded in severe weather?
Written By Uncle Jon
As I thought about the question. I realized, the answer isn’t much different if I was stranded or if it was planned outing. I’ve spent a lifetime in the outdoors. I’ve made 19 trips to Alaska where I camped out. I’ve made countless trips to the Uinta and Wind River wilderness areas and camped in wilderness settings. I spent pretty much every fall of my life hunting deer, elk and other large game in remote settings. I’ve floated most of the white water rivers of the West and camped on the banks of those rivers.
One thing I’ve learned, If I’m 2 days into a 5 day trip, I can’t go home just because it starts to snow. You just have to figure out how to survive, and ideally how to be comfortable. Survival is dictated by the survival “Rules of Threes”. This assumes you are not threatened by immediate life-threatening injuries. The Rules of Threes help you define what is trying to kill you first
Rules of Threes #1: Core Temperature Control.
You need to be able to regulate your body temperature. You can survive roughly 3 hours without shelter in harsh, extreme environments. Hypothermia from cold and wet conditions, or heatstroke from intense sun, can kill you faster than dehydration or starvation. Your immediate needs are thermo-regulation. That decision involves clothing, fire, and shelter. Your first line of defense against the elements is a layered clothing system. Have a base layer, insulating layer, durable layer, wind and waterproof layer.
These layers allow you to thermoregulate your body depending on the activities you are involved. I remember a pack trip into Hawks Rest, Wyoming. It’s 28 miles from the nearest road. We packed in, planning to stay 6 days. On the 4 th day it started to rain. We spent the day under a tarp, standing by a fire. The weather forecast was for 4 more days of heavy rain. We decided that packing up and coming out in the rain on day 5 was better than standing around all day in the rain and coming out in the rain on day 6. So we packed everything on the horses and climbed in the saddles with our rain coats on and rode the 28 miles back to the truck.
It was 8 hours in the rain. It wasn’t great fun, but with proper layers it was tolerable and we survived. After you have adjusted your layers of clothing, the next priority is usually a fire. It’s often better to have heat from a fire first, then build a shelter. If you get cold, your hands get stiff and won’t function as well. It can be hard to start a fire when your hands are so cold they can’t hold a match or gather firewood.
Rules of Threes #2: Hydration You can survive roughly 3 days without water.
Becoming dehydrated can reduce your body’s ability to regulate its own temperature, No sweating. It can reduce your physical strength. It can affect your decision making process. Most adults need two to three liters per day. But hot or desert conditions or lots of physical exercise can demand much more water.
Once you are safe from the elements, search for a water source. Water from lakes and rivers will usually carry germs that can make you sick. You will need to filter, chemically treat, or boil it before drinking. I usually carry a filter straw that can filter water as I drink it. A filter straw can fit in your backpack, saddlebag, or your go bag. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to replace. They are not what you want to protect water for a group of people. There are larger water pumps that can filter greater amounts of water faster for group outings. But for personal emergency use, a water straw can save the day.
Rules of Threes #3: Food.
You can survive roughly 3 weeks without food. While food is not as necessary as water, Food does provide the energy to keep your body warm and perform heavy physical tasks. Miss a few meals and your body starts to cloud your judgement with the need for food.
I was at the check out in the grocery store once. The fellow behind me asked about the food I was buying. I said I was going camping. He suggested several other choices that he thought tasted better. I replied, Your choice may taste better, but they would all spoil in 2-3-4 days. My choices can sit in my saddle bags for 6 months and still be good to eat. I keep granola bars, hard tack, and jerky in my saddle bags because it keeps. No matter the temperature, Most are individually wrapped so weather has no effect on it. If my horse and I spend a unplanned night on the mountain. I will have something to eat.
- Uncle Jon
Disclaimer: Uncle Jon is a seasoned trail hound and grease-monkey, not a doctor, certified paramedic, or licensed engineer. The advice shared here comes from decades of getting stuck, breaking stuff, and making mistakes so you don't have to. Take everything you read with a grain of salt, a heavy dose of common sense, and a solid backup plan—because if you take medical or rigging advice strictly from an internet blog without doing your own homework, that’s on you!
