By CRYSTAL SCHELLE, The Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland
January 18, 2010

Although the Tri-State area has seen recent temperatures in the 50s, no matter what a certain groundhog decides next month we officially have several more weeks of winter.

That’s why Scott Smoot, vice president of the Mason-Dixon Council of Boy Scouts of America, said it’s best to remember the Boy Scout motto: “Be prepared.”

Smoot, 38, of Clear Spring, has been a scoutmaster for 10 years. He also owns his own construction and home-improvement company, which means plenty of long hours in harsh weather conditions.

Boy Scouts of America doesn’t offer a winter survival merit badge, Smoot said. But Scouts do have a wilderness survival badge.

A Scout must show that he knows first aid, describe how to survive in certain weather conditions, demonstrate three ways to treat water found in the outdoors for drinking and know the proper clothing to wear outdoors, among other things.

The Scout must also stay overnight in a shelter the boy has built.

“We usually do that in the spring, summer and fall, but not winter,” Smoot said.

Some units, he said, do a winter-survival camping trip. This past weekend, some Scouts in the Mason-Dixon Council held a Winter Camporee in Needmore, Pa.

We came up with two basic scenarios and asked Smoot about the best way to handle each situation.

Lost in the woods

Scenario: It’s a relatively nice day for January and you decide to go on a hike by yourself, forgetting to tell anyone. Instead of going on a familiar trail, you decide to go among the trees. Dressed in a pair of sneakers, thin socks, sweat pants and a light jacket, you venture out for what you think will be a quick hike. As you realize it’s starting to get dark, you head back in the direction you think you came. In a few minutes you’re lost. Really lost. And the worst of it all? You forgot your cell phone.

Solution: The biggest mistake was that the happy hiker forgot to share his plans with anyone before venturing out.

“You should always tell someone where you’re going, what you’re doing, your plans for the day and when you plan to return,” he said.

Having a plan, he said, will allow someone to quickly alert help.

• Carry a backpack filled with the 10 essentials. Items in there will help anyone stuck out-of-doors for long periods of time.

• Don’t eat snow. If you’re dehydrated, don’t be tempted. If you absolutely need something to drink, melt it first than drink it. He said it can dangerously cool your body temperature if you eat snow over a long period of time.

• Wear layers and dress properly. Sneakers aren’t meant for hiking. You need footwear that’s waterproof and that protects your ankles. Sweat pants can get easily wet, which can mean loss of body heat as the sun dips down. Smoot suggests wool or a man-made synthetic material that can wick moisture away from the body. And a light jacket isn’t enough to protect your body.

“That’s when you use those extra clothes to change into to get dry,” he said.

• Take a breath. If you are lost, calm down and don’t panic, Smoot said. Look around for geographic features to help you figure out where you were when you came in.

• Stay put. If you are completely disoriented, it’s best to stay in one spot, he said.

• Find shelter. If you realize that it’s going to be a while until help arrives, Smoot said to make shelter. Block yourself from the wind, he said. He suggested going under a tree, especially a pine. The needles can help act as bedding, and the branches can protect you from the wind. In the morning when the sun comes up, Smoot said a pine tree’s branches will allow the sun to come through to warm you up. Falling through the ice

Scenario: It’s been cold enough to freeze the local pond, so you and some friends decide to go out on it and have fun. The ice holds you at first, but you venture out even farther. Big mistake. Within a minute, the ice has cracked and you’re now in the icy water.

Solution: Smoot said sternly: “Don’t go out on it.”

Smoot said most years, the weather hasn’t been cold enough to even freeze the water thick enough to support the weight of a person.

This winter, it has been cold enough over long period of time to freeze up some areas, but with this recent influx of higher temperatures, the heat has already done the damage.

This year, many bodies of water have frozen over. But don’t be tempted. Falling through thin ice into freezing-cold water is extremely dangerous.

“A person can lose motor skills quickly in cold waters,” Smoot said.

According the U.S. Search and Rescue Web site, a normal body temperature averages 98.6 degrees. Shivering starts in at 96.5 degrees. Amnesia sets in at about 94 degrees. A person will slip into unconsciousness at 86 degrees. Death usually happens at 79 degrees, the site reports.

Either in or out of the water, Smoot said don’t panic.

If you’re in the water:

• Turn to the direction you came. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said this is the strongest ice.

Use something sharp. Use a screwdriver, nails, anything sharp to poke and grip the ice and use as traction to pull yourself up. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface, the Minnesota DNR suggests, and dig in with the object.

• Get rid of extra weight. If you can’t get yourself out, make sure to take off your backpack. As a last resort, take off the heavy clothes. These will weigh you down as you try to tread water.

If you’re helping:

• Get a piece of wood. Or maybe even a hiking pole, he suggested, to span the hole in the ice. This will help keep the person above water as you quickly try to figure out how to get them out. Don’t throw the item to the person, he said, always slide the object to the person in the water.

• Don’t to walk them. Although it’s tempting to walk on the ice to the person, if the ice didn’t hold your friend’s weight, it probably isn’t going to hold yours.

• Get something long – a long stick, a pole, a ladder – something to help you safely reach the victim.

“Only as a last resort get on the ice yourself,” he said.

• If you must go on the ice, lay on your stomach to help distribute your weight across the ice, Smoot said. You can make a chain of people to get to the victim if needed.

• Get them warm. As soon as the person is out of the water, immediately get him out of his wet clothes. Smoot said he always carries an extra sleeping bag when hiking for extra warmth in such situations.

“If you have a camping stove with you, sit the person beside it,” he said. “You want them to get warm.”
CRYSTAL SCHELLE, can be reached at crystal.schelle@herald-mail.com

For more Survival Common Sense tips, click on the highlighted words:

• STOP: Use this exercise to reduce stress and focus your thoughts.
• Write a note to let people know where you went, before you left.
• Take your Ten Essentials on every outing.
• Dress with the right fabrics.
• Have a plan to make a tarp shelter.