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Smart - and so simple

by Kay King
15 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
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In Nevada (I think it's Nevada) there are two adults and 4 children missing in a cold, snowy wilderness area. They went there two days ago to "play in the snow" and did not return. They are in a silver jeep with a black top and so far air rescue has had no sightings.

A TV anchor was passing on some safety tips for driving in bad weather conditions and one thing he said was so brilliant and so simple.

He advised drivers to keep a blue tarp in the trunk of their car. Theory is the color blue is not found in nature so if you are lost or stranded and can't phone out - spreading a blue tarp over your car will help searchers find you.

A $20 tarp could save your life in a car - and it struck me that it's a great idea to carry on small planes as well.

Wilderness campers and hikers carry tents - usually green or brown in color to blend in with natural surroundings. How smart would it be to line those tents with bright blue so they could serve in an emergency, too?

One of those simple, smart ideas I would have never thought of.

kay
  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    Good idea on the blue tarp.

    Breaking News. Family has been found alive and well. Thank goodness.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    He advised drivers to keep a blue tarp in the trunk of their car.
    Good idea...

    ...and good news.

    Breaking News. Family has been found alive and well. Thank goodness.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    I pack a blue tarp. It's cheap cover from the elements and can be made into ponchos, collect water, etc. I also have some mylar emergency blankets which are cheap and highly reflective. They make good "attention getters" and should be in every vehicle.

    A couple of road flares are also a good idea. They can get attention, but also are good for starting a fire in conditions where other fire starters will fail.

    But as far as blue not occuring in nature, sounds like the guy has never seen a sky, big lake or an ocean. Many survival tarps are camo on one side and orange on the other. To be found, I'll take orange over blue any day...
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Sky, lake and ocean - yes. But in a desert, rocky terrain, mountainous area, flat prairie or snow covered area - the blue would stand out. You don't get lost in the sky - and better have more than a tarp if you are in the water.

      Sounds like the couple were smart folks. He built a fire and heated stones and then put the warm stones inside the car. Nature's space heater.
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      • Profile picture of the author Kurt
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        Sky, lake and ocean - yes. But in a desert, rocky terrain, mountainous area, flat prairie or snow covered area - the blue would stand out. You don't get lost in the sky - and better have more than a tarp if you are in the water.
        .
        My comments were based on the comment that there's no blue in nature, which is factually incorrect. And if we're talking about being seen, orange, yellow and even red are better than blue.

        I'm not sure when the last time you were on a ridgeline on Mt. Mississippi, but it is possible to be lost "in the sky", if the search crew is on the ground on you're on a ridgeline.

        Don't forget, I packed a blue tarp before this thread was made. And I also pack refective mylar blankets. Had this family had the mylar blankets, they could have refleced much more of the heat from the rocks back at them had the put the mylar blankets over their windows.

        Large arrows or X's can be made in snow using pine branches, or anything else that will contrast with the snow. A simlar effect can be made with any contrasting materials such as charcoal, rocks, etc.

        Rearview mirrors on vehicles can also make good emergency signals.

        In addition, I carry potassium permanganate which can be used to make a bright pink/purple dye that is very good at marking snow.

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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          I'm not sure when the last time you were on a ridgeline on Mt. Mississippi, but it is possible to be lost "in the sky", if the search crew is on the ground on you're on a ridgeline.
          Hard to get lost on a ridgeline in S Mississippi - didn't think of that.

          Marking snow is a good one - such a guy thing
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          ***
          It actually doesn't take much to be considered a 'difficult woman' -
          that's why there are so many of us.
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      • Profile picture of the author Richard Van
        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        Sky, lake and ocean - yes. But in a desert, rocky terrain, mountainous area, flat prairie or snow covered area - the blue would stand out.
        In Australia, the bush is either red, orange or yellow with virtually no water, so blue would be good, or anything reflective.

        I appreciate the conversation is on America though. Are any of you in that cold snap that I saw hit this week? I saw it was minus 40 or there about.
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          We have a cold snap here! Of course, where I live, a cold snap is 40 degrees ABOVE zero....but still. It's chilly

          Some really nasty cold weather in states north of here, though.
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          Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
          ***
          It actually doesn't take much to be considered a 'difficult woman' -
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          ...jane goodall
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    Smart idea about heating the rocks, makes the heat last longer.

    The black smoke from the burning tire would also draw attention for miles...
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    • Profile picture of the author HeySal
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      Smart idea about heating the rocks, makes the heat last longer.

      The black smoke from the burning tire would also draw attention for miles...

      Don't count on smoke to help anyone find you in mountains. I lit a nice damp fire that was the size of a large RV - about 10 feet high and at least 15 feet long. It was damp wood so smoked to hell and back. Nobody ever saw it.

      It isn't often you actually WANT people to see you. It can be dangerous if it's not the right people. I had a cop tell me just last week that near the homeless camps is getting dangerous now. However - if you need to be seen sometimes just a small flashlight and a hand held mirror will do the trick. When the mirror reflects that flashlight it seems to amplify it.

      I was just thinking about color the last time Ricky and I were out together by the lake. I had on all browns and remembered when I got there that it was hunting season. Oops. That's a mistake I didn't like realizing I'd made.
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      • Profile picture of the author yukon
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        Originally Posted by HeySal View Post

        Don't count on smoke to help anyone find you in mountains. I lit a nice damp fire that was the size of a large RV - about 10 feet high and at least 15 feet long. It was damp wood so smoked to hell and back. Nobody ever saw it.

        It isn't often you actually WANT people to see you. It can be dangerous if it's not the right people. I had a cop tell me just last week that near the homeless camps is getting dangerous now. However - if you need to be seen sometimes just a small flashlight and a hand held mirror will do the trick. When the mirror reflects that flashlight it seems to amplify it.

        I was just thinking about color the last time Ricky and I were out together by the lake. I had on all browns and remembered when I got there that it was hunting season. Oops. That's a mistake I didn't like realizing I'd made.
        I'll take black smoke from burning tires to draw attention over nothing at all.
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  • Profile picture of the author JackiPigford
    Thanks for sharing sweet and simple ideas here. Keep 2 or 3 olde tires in jeep. You can get double benefits by burning the tires 1- you can get attention of researchers as well as other folks, because others can see the black smoke of burning tires from miles away. 2- You can get heat.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
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    Also helps that she had a cellphone and they searched where the phone last pinged from.

    I prefer to watch people playing in the snow in sub-zero degree temps in the mountains on TV
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I should add a bright tarp and other stuff to what I have in my van, but I do have a super-good down sleeping bag and some cheap down jackets in there at all times. Takes up very little space. Major highways can quickly close for hours in the winter around here, making simple trips more difficult than you'd plan.

    Very good idea on heating the rocks. I've heard candles recommended, but I tried them once (in my Astro mid-size van) to see and I don't think they put out enough heat. And the fire danger and the fact that they could take your oxygen...

    In that same van, I've also tried Coleman catalytic heaters and they do very little. (Those are the ones that are supposed to be about 100% efficient so they don't put out Carbon Monoxide. And they run off little propane cans.)

    Speaking of being careful about who finds you: One time I was car camping and came across this guy who seemed just a little bit off. And he had a hand gun on his belt. I was on a road near camp and he came up on horse back and asked where we were. Then he started to argue with me about the location I indicated and I was only a mile or two from the campground. He creeped me out and I realized he now knew my vehicle. I went home quickly and early. The end.

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  • Profile picture of the author SteveJohnson
    Good ideas, along with a blanket and basic survival gear if you're going snow sporting.

    Hit -10F here a couple of nights ago. Coldest its been in many years.
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