Tell us your best survival story

[Houndoc]

Did not become a survival situation due to being with very well prepared group but had a heck of an experience camped on the tundra in northern Canada (about 100 miles north of Churchill). Difficult travel conditions turned an 8 hour trip by ancient snow coach (keep in mind the nearest roads other than in town are 100 miles south of Churchill) into a 42 hour adventure- but that is another story.

We were camped in tents (Canadian military tent with wood stove) at an abandoned Hudson Bay Company outpost. Temps averaged about -15F. Wood stove kept it feeling warm inside, but water bottle kept under our cots still took 30-45 minutes on the stove to thaw enough to drink.

Then had a blizzard blow in. Lasted about 36 hours, temps still below zero, winds over 60 mph and dropped around 2 feet of new snow. I was responsible for the well being of about 100 sled dogs in camp, so still had to go outside frequently, except for the second night when the conditions where so severe it was agreed no one would leave the tents for any reason.

When the snow blew out and skies cleared before dawn, temps dropped to -30F but winds still in 50-70 mph range. Rough conditions to dig out camp!

Once winds died down helicoptered in additional supplies (and I hitched a ride on it back to Churchill since my flight home left the next day.) Took the rest of the group about 5 more days to travel the 100 miles to the town of Arviat were the race was scheduled to end. Normally would have covered the distance in one.

Learned great lessons in being prepared and keeping calm when things go wrong. The trip was problem after problem, all of it out of our control but the leaders took everything in stride, did not get upset and just dealt with it. Very impressive!

 

[skeptic]

No great survival stories here, but I've done a fair bit of camping and I ALWAYS have these things on me: small flashlight, some form of lighter, folding knife, multi-tool. I probably should come up with some kind of tiny first aid kit to keep in my pocket as well, but in a real survival situation in the woods it's enough for a minimal shelter and fire.

 

[spencurai]

While out in the Wyoming desert I decided to take an alternate, unexplored road back to town after leaving the drilling location at about 4am. It seems like it was early spring and most of the snow was melted off or blown into low lying ruts in the road. I was about 10 miles north of the rig location when a spring blizzard hit with ~45mph winds. I was in my long bed quad cab duramax with fresh tires and half a tank of fuel which would usually be adequate for the return trip to what I hesitatingly call civilization.

I was traveling across country with my GPS showing me the old oil field roads I was to follow out to I-80 when I took a hard left at about 20mph right into a 2' deep 100' long heavily packed snow drift that had formed in a depression giving the visual impression of flat ground. The duramax being the heavy bastard it is got about 20' into the snow before it sunk to the frame. After trying in vain to drive out for about 30 seconds I realized it was time to take stock of the situation.

I was stuck, in the snow, in a blizzard. I was also on a road that no other person would travel since it was not the prescribed route to the rig. I was alone, but had a shovel, half a tank of fuel, and warm clothing. Things could have been much worse. Walking back to the rig in a blizzard quickly covering my tracks was not a good idea as leaving the vehicle rarely is. Walking back to town was an equally foolish idea so the shovel it was.

I excavated under the front bumper to see that the snow was too deep to travel forward. I them excavated under the rear and dug several pilot holes to gauge the depth of the snow to the rear to discover going back was the only way out. I found a come-along in the back of the truck and decided to try the "bury the spare in the ground" winch anchor trick but found the ground frozen and the snow too shallow to give a meaningful bite to the tire so entirely digging out the truck was the last option.

It took me about 3-4 hours to completely dig out underneath the truck taking care not to dig the snow cave out and have the truck slide on top of me. I was soaked to the bone and dehydrated as well as probably pre-hypothermic but I got out and back to the shop without dying so that's a bonus right.

Shovels are indispensable tools. *edit* prayer was not necessary as I end up doing all the work anyway. *edit*

 

[mesha]

Showed some fellow RMErs the spot where my grandpa dropped me off. Great place for that lesson.