Smiliesafari wrote:Thanks, Tom. In that wilderness area I would suppose that there are a few critters that would make a meal of a human. The searchers may never find anything.
According to Vancouver news reports, authorities have called off the search for Mr Chretian. 160 trained professionals and volunteers have been looking for him along all likely routes and have found no clues.
Sadly there is no chance of survival. Even if you were a expert outdoorsman with no proper gear and no map and no compass you don't stand much of a chance. GPS is great untill the battery dies then its just extra weight to carry. If you had a axe and a lighter it would increase your chances of surviving as you could make a fire and shelter but just setting out on foot cross country your screwed. It is only because his wife had a good shelter that she made it out alive. It is truly amazing that she could last for seven weeks out there. They could look for a very long time and still find nothing it sounds as thou he didn't leave markers of his path. If he walked for 3 days before something happened he could have covered 30-50 miles in any direction that leaves a huge search area.
1999 Safari Touring edition.
trailer tow pack with a 3:73 posi
Bucket bench seats, Rear heat, Rear Airconditioning.
teal green
300 000 kms
AirRide air bags in the rear to fix soft stock suspension.
Onboard aircompressor to make it all work nice.
Good points all, Kevin. I heard that they hit a snow drift and slid off the road, so his first night could have been spent in the snow. Hypothermia set in,...
A guy on the Expo forum brought up a good survival idea:
deflate the spare tire, dismount it from the vehicle, place in a spot far enough away from the rig, syphon some gas out of the rig, start the tire on fire and keep adding to it. We all know the smoke that billows from a tire fire.
There was some discussion about this on a local 4x4 forum I frequent. Personally, I'd have walked out too. Staying with a vehicle in a remote area where nobody knows to look for you will likely lead to death. It's amazing the woman lived as long as she did.
But with that being said, if you are going to walk out, you should, almost without exception, retrace the route you came in on. If you are going to die, at least make it easy for rescuers to find your corpse! Besides, if you are following a road, you have a better chance of being found and are less likely to get lost.
The final piece of the puzzle though is being prepared. I try not to ever go out without having some proper clothing for the weather. If it is cold, every person should have along a good coat, gloves and a hat. Boots too! If a person wanders off the beaten path, they should have a small survival kit tucked in their vehicle or on their body. You certainly need the capability to make fire.
I'm always amazed how people put so much faith in their GPS. It's a great tool and a lot of fun, but it shouldn't be allowed to override common sense.
On my 4x4 forum, people are always repeating the mantra "never go alone". Sorry, I've got no problem doing things alone or with only one vehicle. Whether it is my single 4x4, ATV, mountain bike, snowmobile or hiking. Yes, there are added risks when you are alone... and a person needs to tailor their actions to minimize the added risks. (Older people do this better than younger. I've been both so I know!) But for me, to not get out in the great outdoors is far worse than the possibility of dying out there. (Besides, our pioneer kin did it all the time!)
Matt
Selah, WA
-96 GMC Safari AWD Hi-Top Conversion -->Stalled 5.3L swap & 5" lift
-74 Ford Bronco -->Far from perfect but mine!
-99 V-10 Ford Super Duty Super Cab 4x4 -->Stock with 285 Cooper ATs
-00 Ford Focus Wagon -->The Red Turd
-95 Ford 24' Class C Motorhome -->My big block sleeper
-07 Can-Am Outlander XT -->My yellow 4x4 quad for work & play
-04 Ski Doo REV Summit -->Still several chassis behind!
I spent years as a British Canoe Union Sea Kayak Coach Level 3 and a 4 Star paddler with 5 Star training. They will not pass you as a 4 Star paddler if you do not have a dry bag in your sea kayak with a change of clothes, a kit to repair your fiberglass boat on the water, and you get marked down if you do not carry a thermos of hot drink in the boat (tea of course).
There may be 3 million people with in an hour or two from you when you are paddling, but if you get into trouble, you may as well be the only person on the face of the earth. Be prepared.
Because of the very nature of the use of my van, I carry the 10 essentials ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Essentials ) plus a dry bag with capilene underwear, synthetic wool socks, gloves, hat, mini binoculars, and a rain shell. Overlanders are suggesting a prepacked "bug out backpack" just incase things like that happen.
When i go on solo trips, I usually carry my enduro on back, or atleast a mtn bike.
