Attitude Attitude
I have enjoyed watching the TV series "Alone". Aired by The History Channel it is the story of ten men chosen for their survival skills. Each man was given certain items useful in a survival situation and then dropped off somewhere on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. No one was aware of anyone else's location. Each contestant was equipped with camera gear to film their own adventure and a satellite phone to call for help if needed. The phone was also used to notify the producers when they had enough and wished to be extracted. The motivation was $500,000 in cash to the last man standing.
The first to call it quits did so after spending one night in the wild. He was visited by a couple of curious black bears and was totally undone by their presence. One tapped-out when he lost his fire-striker and with it his will to continue. Some gave in to homesickness, another drank bad water and became ill and yet others were affected by the dismal and sometimes stormy weather. On the positive side, one guy built a yurt, a canoe and even a guitar. Each man built a shelter and all found some manner of food although some food items were more appetizing than others.
One by one they tapped out for various reasons. Finally there were two men left. One finally talked himself into making the call when he dwelt on his personal situation at home. The eventual winner actually cooked and ate slugs. He also ate fish, shellfish, bull kelp and sea lettuce. His shelter wasn't the fanciest, nor were his skills the best. What he did have was a positive attitude and the ability to laugh at himself and not to get down in the dumps when it was cold, wet and windy. In the end it was his attitude that kept him going for 56 days and rewarded him with a $500,000 payday.
Then there was the 62 year old woman near Fresno, California, who recently went for a day hike with her Sierra Club friends. When her group returned to the base camp, she was discovered missing. Nine days later she was rescued alive and hungry. She reportedly carried a few supplies in her backpack, although not exactly equipped for an overnight outing high in the Sierra Nevadas. She had somehow fallen and fractured a bone in her lower leg, then spent two days crawling to a creek. She did have a small water filter to purify her drinking water. The nighttime temperatures had fallen to the low 30's and after nine days she heard the voices of searchers. Using her whistle she got their attention and was flown out to a hospital where she was treated and released. Attitude!
Equipment is good, food is necessary, and good skills are vital, but in the final analysis, if you're going to survive any disaster, it's your attitude that will carry the day! As always send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com. Dave Robinson is the Postmaster in Bandon, Oregon, and the author of "Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us."
