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Mono County Search and Rescue Outdoor Safety Tips

Essential Survival Tools To Take On Every Outing

These "Ten Essentials" plus one should be taken on every outing away from civilization ... even the short ones because you never know what might happen. 

1. Map and Compass - to find your way.
2. Water - you can survive 1-5 days without water; 3-4 weeks without food.
3. Extra Clothing - without adequate clothing survival can be numbered in hours
4. Extra Food - can extend your survival by weeks.
5. Flashlight (with extra bulb & batteries) - for signaling searchers or a late hike back to the trailhead.
6. Matches or Lighter & Firestarter - to start a fire for warmth and to signal searchers.
7. Knife - to make kindling for a fire and to construct a shelter.
8. First Aid Kit - to treat whatever may ail you - include medicine you regularly take.
9. Plastic Trowel & Toilet Paper - for burying body waste - trowel may be useful in finding water.
10. Whistle - to signal searchers. Can be heard much further than your voice and takes less energy to make more noise.
11. Mobile Phone with fully charged battery - to call for help.  In urban areas cell phones may work well - In mountainous and remote areas cell phones may NOT work at all.  The same is true of ham radios

Staying Warm In The Mountains 

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, however, if planning a winter outing keep your meals small.  Large meals will cause your blood to be shared with your digestive system, which will actually make your extremities colder.  A full stomach also puts pressure on your diaphragm causing shortness of breath and robs oxygen from your blood, making muscles work harder.  Who wants this when hefting a 40 pound pack?

The answer, snacks.  Snacks that are high in carbohydrates will give you long lasting energy and will not put a strain on the blood system.  Cereal bars and dried fruit make for great snacks.  A personal favorite of mine is jalapeno bagels, loaded with carbs and protein, and the spices will have a warming effect on the body.

Hot liquids are also essential.  Hot water and tea are best, as coffee and hot cocoa can act as a diuretic causing dehydration.  A thermos or insulated water bottle holder will help keep it from freezing.

Food and water should be kept close to the body for easy access, and most importantly, to keep it from freezing.  Let's not forget to take something extra for the strangers we come across.  A warm drink and an extra coat may turn a stranger into a friend.

Adapted from http://www.monosar.org/  

Avalanche Basics

Types of Avalanches:

• Loose Snow Avalanches: These start from a single point incorporating more and more unconsolidated snow as they fan out.  They are caused when the weight of new fallen snow succumbs to the forces of gravity.  This occurs most often after periods of heavy snow (10-12 inches accumulation, or snowfall of one inch or more per hour), especially when piled on top of a smooth snow surface (from thawing, freezing, or rain).  The smooth snow surface provides a slick ramp for the heavy new snow to run down.
• Slab Avalanches: Are caused when well-compacted and cohesive layers of snow aren't anchored to the slope.  If there is a weak layer of snow underneath the compacted layer, the slope is primed to avalanche.  Various forces -- sun, wind, or a person -- can trigger the slab at the release zone.
• Avalanche Sites: Open slopes between 25 and 45 degrees, especially lee slopes (the direction toward which the wind is blowing), which get greater snow loads.

Avalanche Safety

1. Most victims trigger their own avalanche.
2. Be aware of your surroundings.  Watch for evidence of sliding, snow sluffs (small slides indicating avalanche danger), avalanche chutes or slides where trees have been torn away, or snow debris at the bottom of a slope indicating previous avalanches.
3. Keep track of the weather.  The first 24 hours after a heavy snow, high wind, rain, or thaw is the most dangerous period.  Check local avalanche forecasts and be prepared to postpone your trip if the danger is high.  Delaying for 24-48 hours can significantly reduce the danger.
4. Recognize danger zones and be conservative about planning your route or crossing a slope.
5. Travel on ridge tops or heavily wooded areas as much as possible.
6. Avoid the midslopes or the release zone near the top of the slope.
7. Detour completely around a suspect slope.
8. If you must cross an avalanche slope, gather as much information as you can about the snowpack.  Probe the snow to see if there is even resistance (if so the danger may be reduced). If there is uneven resistance to the probe breaks through a crust, punches into layers of loose or unconsolidated snow) then the avalanche danger may be high. Even better, find a safe location on an adjacent slope with similar exposure, snow level and steepness and dig a test pit. Look at the different layers. If you see layers characterized by course, grainy crystals, the slope is probably not safe. If layers are firm and bonded it might be safe.

Crossing Avalanche Zones

1. Remove ski pole straps and undo all pack buckles.
2. Put on additional warm clothing in case of entrapment.
3. Zip on and fasten all clothing securely to keep snow from entering (cuffs, collars, etc.)
4. Use avalanche cords or an avalanche beacon.
5. Look at the crossing. Are there any islands of safety along the way, a rock outcropping, a stretch of trees? If so, head to the island of safety as soon as possible if a slide is triggered.
6. Cross one at a time with all other group members watching.

Self-Rescue

1. Yell to alert the group.
2. Jettison your pack and head to an island of safety if possible.  Otherwise, try to stay on top of the snow using a swimming motion.
3. Before the snow stops, try to make an air pocket in front of your face by punching out the snow with your hands.  Take a deep breath to expand your chest before the snow settles.  The snow will quickly set like concrete.  If your chest is not expanded, you may not be able to breathe.
4. Try to reach your hand to the surface to provide a clue for rescuers (if you can tell where the surface is).
5. If possible, try to dig yourself out.

Group Rescue

1. Watch the victim in the slide.  Where was the person when they were first hit by the slide (point A) and where were they when you last saw them (point B)?
2. Wait until the slope has settled and there is no indication of further avalanche. You don't want to complicate the scenario with another victim.
3. Mark point A and B on the slope with visible objects
4. Visualize the line between point A and B.  This is the path the victim was swept down.  Look for any clues on the surface (clothing, skis, etc.) that might give more indication of the person's position.  Mark these spots.
5. Turn your avalanche beacons to receive and begin search procedures.
6. Probe the snow below point B.  Stand shoulder to shoulder and advance downslope in a line.
7. If you locate the victim, dig him out quickly.
8. Treat for hypothermia and shock.
9. There is a good chance of head and spinal injuries in an avalanche as well as fractures.  Be careful moving the person.

http://www.monosar.org/article20001109avalanche.html