June 21, 200520 yr After all the sad endings lately, YEEEEEEEHOOOOOOO! I'm really happy for his parents and him!
June 21, 200520 yr Brennan carried no food or water, and his family said he did not have a good sense of direction. Future Scout Master right there.
June 22, 200520 yr QUOTE(knightni @ Jun 21, 2005 -> 02:53 PM) Future Scout Master right there. One of the very first things we teach our Scouts, after the buddy system, is STOP Stop Think Observe Plan The best plan is usualy to "hug a tree". Find a place where people can find you and stay put. As a Scoutmaster, the thing that worries me the most is making a phone call home telling some parent that something has happened to their child.
June 22, 200520 yr Author QUOTE(Texsox @ Jun 21, 2005 -> 07:56 PM) One of the very first things we teach our Scouts, after the buddy system, is STOP Stop Think Observe Plan The best plan is usualy to "hug a tree". Find a place where people can find you and stay put. As a Scoutmaster, the thing that worries me the most is making a phone call home telling some parent that something has happened to their child. Well, he obviously did not "hug a tree." They found him 5 miles from the rock climbing wall. I was always taught to follow the river. It goes down the mountian and will lead to some sort of civilization. He crossed the river, but apparently did not follow it down.
June 22, 200520 yr QUOTE(mreye @ Jun 22, 2005 -> 06:57 AM) Well, he obviously did not "hug a tree." They found him 5 miles from the rock climbing wall. I was always taught to follow the river. It goes down the mountian and will lead to some sort of civilization. He crossed the river, but apparently did not follow it down. Since he was not very far from camp when first loss, and a search crew would be starting pretty quick, hugging the tree and staying put is a better choice. If you were on your own and needing to self rescue, following the river may be an excellent choice. It also helps if you are familiar with the terrain, have a map and some skills in reading it, maybe a compass. Sometimes rivers will dead end into a canyon. Vegetation is also greater around a river making spotting you more difficult. But the river provides a key priority, water. What always gets overblown is the lack of food. You will dehydrate long before starving to death. Humans can easily go 30 days without food but only 3-4 days outdoors without water.
June 22, 200520 yr Author QUOTE(Texsox @ Jun 22, 2005 -> 06:32 AM) Since he was not very far from camp when first loss, and a search crew would be starting pretty quick, hugging the tree and staying put is a better choice. If you were on your own and needing to self rescue, following the river may be an excellent choice. It also helps if you are familiar with the terrain, have a map and some skills in reading it, maybe a compass. Sometimes rivers will dead end into a canyon. Vegetation is also greater around a river making spotting you more difficult. But the river provides a key priority, water. What always gets overblown is the lack of food. You will dehydrate long before starving to death. Humans can easily go 30 days without food but only 3-4 days outdoors without water. Good points. That's what I meant, is when you need to self rescue. I'm just glad they found this kid. While he made it out alive and apparently did some things right, I'm not ready to make him an Eagle Scout yet. He obviously made some major mistakes.
June 22, 200520 yr Most of the Eagle required merit badges are not outdoor skills. Personal Management ($$), Family Life, 3 Citizenship, Environmental Science, Personal Fitness, etc. They also have to show leadership, and community involvement. The only outdoor merit badge they would need beyond "basic training" is Camping. Surprising to most people is Eagle Scout has a list of requirements that almost any kid could complete if he makes a couple year commitment. The skills he needed were all taught, or should have been, in his first month or to. This is a good teaching opportunity for my guys which I will be doing tonight.
June 22, 200520 yr Author QUOTE(Texsox @ Jun 22, 2005 -> 06:54 AM) Most of the Eagle required merit badges are not outdoor skills. Personal Management ($$), Family Life, 3 Citizenship, Environmental Science, Personal Fitness, etc. They also have to show leadership, and community involvement. The only outdoor merit badge they would need beyond "basic training" is Camping. Surprising to most people is Eagle Scout has a list of requirements that almost any kid could complete if he makes a couple year commitment. The skills he needed were all taught, or should have been, in his first month or to. This is a good teaching opportunity for my guys which I will be doing tonight. I meant "Eagle Scout" as a metaphor. Quit being such a damned know-it-all!
June 22, 200520 yr QUOTE(mreye @ Jun 22, 2005 -> 08:14 AM) I meant "Eagle Scout" as a metaphor. Quit being such a damned know-it-all! I know, there are very few things I actully know anything about dammit, let me show off.
June 22, 200520 yr Author QUOTE(Texsox @ Jun 22, 2005 -> 07:15 AM) I know, there are very few things I actully know anything about dammit, let me show off. Oh, OK. Just this one time, though. I only went through Boy Scouts. (My troop "disbanded" and I moved out of the area.)
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