Marooned soldier survived 120-mile walk in the subarctic after 1943 plane crash.
- Thread starter Angus Og
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I intend to read that fully after the cenotaph parade later today, but just have to point out he was an airman, not a soldier. The U.S. air force had not been formed at this time, and airmen were in the the army. When airmen are called soldiers it really annoys them, and oddly enough is a journalistic trend which continues until modern times, with just about all RAF personnel and their helicopters, being referred to as army lol
mate, that was a fantastic read, thank you very much, it just goes to show you what a little determination can do, if yoiu put your mind to it, thank god he found that cabin, and the rimfire tho.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Ahh, yes, I remember Lars Fält talking about this incident. It would be interesting to analyze it closer. Things like key actions and equipment.
Off the top of my head.
The mukluks: good footwear probably saved him.
Fire lighting skills and equipment.
Skills in making improvised toboggans and/or packframe
Small caliber rifle. Most game is small game, so a .22, or a combo would be ideal. If one uses a round with a little bit more kick than the .22 (.22 mag, .222 or so) one would have the capacity to take down anything smaller than a bull moose or a bear, assuming sensible shot placement.
Good mittens. More important than many think.
Navigation. Following a watercourse will normally lead to habitation. Crossing steep ridges or mountains is not the first choice.
Not giving up. Lars likes likes to emphazise that people who have a reason to make it back, loved ones or something they don't want to leave undone before they die have a better track record of surviving. Could be selection bias, of course.
Off the top of my head.
The mukluks: good footwear probably saved him.
Fire lighting skills and equipment.
Skills in making improvised toboggans and/or packframe
Small caliber rifle. Most game is small game, so a .22, or a combo would be ideal. If one uses a round with a little bit more kick than the .22 (.22 mag, .222 or so) one would have the capacity to take down anything smaller than a bull moose or a bear, assuming sensible shot placement.
Good mittens. More important than many think.
Navigation. Following a watercourse will normally lead to habitation. Crossing steep ridges or mountains is not the first choice.
Not giving up. Lars likes likes to emphazise that people who have a reason to make it back, loved ones or something they don't want to leave undone before they die have a better track record of surviving. Could be selection bias, of course.
Very interesting. Sorry for a late post. Some interesting points that I think are pertinent. People get very excited about knives and other such things but reality and experience makes me think they need to open their minds. This confirms a few things for me.
No map and compass. I have always taken time to keep a map and compass on me when outdoors. Lots of problems on the British mountains are caused by people lost and stuck out in the elements. If you know which way to go you can cover serious distance before hunger kills you.
Fitness. I don't keep myself super fit like I used to but if you can't make 20-30 miles a day on foot you need some exercise.
Clothing. Especially good footwear. Spend your money wisely. People get all excited about some bits of kit when a good pair of boots are crucial.
Follow the river. I have always said it. So have a few survival experts!
No map and compass. I have always taken time to keep a map and compass on me when outdoors. Lots of problems on the British mountains are caused by people lost and stuck out in the elements. If you know which way to go you can cover serious distance before hunger kills you.
Fitness. I don't keep myself super fit like I used to but if you can't make 20-30 miles a day on foot you need some exercise.
Clothing. Especially good footwear. Spend your money wisely. People get all excited about some bits of kit when a good pair of boots are crucial.
Follow the river. I have always said it. So have a few survival experts!
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Depending one may not need a map and compass, just knowing the lay of the land might be all you need. The ones what kow neither are the troublesome ones.
In some terrains 30 miles/day is a |b]lot[/b]. In ungroomed northern taiga it is impressive, in winter with no skis Iron Man level performance.
I agree as to clothes, at least in the cold. Summer around here I could go barefoot, in winter I'd be hypothermic within hours in "city" kit. Apart from footwear most people mess up on the mittens, and once you loose the use of your hands yiu are pretty much a lost case.
Fair points mate.
Maybe it doesn't have to be a map. But one always needs the 'action on' being lost. eg- head south until you hit the river then follow downstream until you find the well stocked hut with food, wood stove and rifle!
20-30 miles on moderate terrain with light pack! If I am honest that would make me sleep well if I did it tonight. I just find it strange how many survivalists and martial arts teachers are a wee bit flabby.
Hats and gloves. Spares always welcome!
Maybe it doesn't have to be a map. But one always needs the 'action on' being lost. eg- head south until you hit the river then follow downstream until you find the well stocked hut with food, wood stove and rifle!
20-30 miles on moderate terrain with light pack! If I am honest that would make me sleep well if I did it tonight. I just find it strange how many survivalists and martial arts teachers are a wee bit flabby.
Hats and gloves. Spares always welcome!
An easy walk for most, but after several days of no food and with no skis it would be quite a bit harder.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Also, if we assume a typical 5 km/h walking speed (easy on a good trail or dirt road, not so easy across muskeeg or through dense brush), we are talking 9 hours or so. Making camp, collecting firewood, etc takes time. Putting up a basha and rolling out a sleeping bag is quick, but building a shelter from scratch, perhaps some stops to gather food, etc is not instant. And as you point out, once one is "down" with lack of food we are looking at more like 1-2 km/h. Add some deep snow and no skis or snowshoes...
As to the wee bit of flab, it really makes a difference what else you have. Lars Fält once pointed out that when he was up in N. Canada, the locals men that hunted and trapped for a living mostly had a bit of extra on the middle. Not much, but a bit of a reserve in case things got though.
you don't have to be able to walk 30 miles a day at all its that sort of macho posturing that gets you into trouble when you keep walking long after you should have stopped and made camp. the most important thing is to stay well rested and alert, being tired means you make bad decisions
It's not flab - it's survival rations that the body can access easily...................
Sorry for a slow reply. Please don't get me wrong. I don't think you have to be marathon man but keeping healthy is important. I am from a sporting and military background and am well aware of the need for putting on the spare rations having heard the reports of skinny guys being taken with exhaustion before the chubbier chaps in the Falklands war.
Macho posturing does make you take bad decisions. I am very aware of that. But so does being tired from carrying more weight around your belly and having to cope with a general level of physical output that you are not used to. A fitter person uses energy more efficiently and tires less.
I am not saying that if you were in such a situation you should necessarily do that kind of distance. I am saying that if you couldn't manage 20-30 miles in moderate conditions as a test for yourself then you are neglecting an element in your repertoire that can be an asset to you. I have known plenty of chaps who you would call chubby that could cover a basic amount of distance and were more suited to physical graft and real work than most athletes I have met.
You are assuming that my ability to cover that kind of distance means I am too macho and will make rash decisions. Is it not possible that I could cover that distance and still make good decisions. Should I not aim to prepare my body as well as mind?
I am not trying to be macho or argumentative. I just believe in a basic level of physical capacity. It is not necessarily what you may call fitness either. My Dad was never a sportsman but as a butcher (among other things) he was a very active and energetic man. As well as a high level of fitness the discipline I learned working for my Dad in his shop was invaluable for the Army. Being overweight and taking no exercise whatsoever is as foolish to an outdoorsman as keeping your tools blunt and equipment in disrepair. The body is a tool and needs caring for.
Macho posturing does make you take bad decisions. I am very aware of that. But so does being tired from carrying more weight around your belly and having to cope with a general level of physical output that you are not used to. A fitter person uses energy more efficiently and tires less.
I am not saying that if you were in such a situation you should necessarily do that kind of distance. I am saying that if you couldn't manage 20-30 miles in moderate conditions as a test for yourself then you are neglecting an element in your repertoire that can be an asset to you. I have known plenty of chaps who you would call chubby that could cover a basic amount of distance and were more suited to physical graft and real work than most athletes I have met.
You are assuming that my ability to cover that kind of distance means I am too macho and will make rash decisions. Is it not possible that I could cover that distance and still make good decisions. Should I not aim to prepare my body as well as mind?
I am not trying to be macho or argumentative. I just believe in a basic level of physical capacity. It is not necessarily what you may call fitness either. My Dad was never a sportsman but as a butcher (among other things) he was a very active and energetic man. As well as a high level of fitness the discipline I learned working for my Dad in his shop was invaluable for the Army. Being overweight and taking no exercise whatsoever is as foolish to an outdoorsman as keeping your tools blunt and equipment in disrepair. The body is a tool and needs caring for.
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Great read and great story. It shows you just what can be done. But also, how important sheer luck can be. If he hadn't stumbled on that cabin, then I imagine the story would have had a different ending. Which is not to underestimate what he did, especially after he fell into the ice, but there comes a point when you just need a break.
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