Okay, call me unfeeling and callous but....

[skygazer]

There have been upteen articles in the local paper about this guy who died in the Oregon wilderness. It was on the cover of People magazine. Today there was a blaring headline in the San Jose Merc - "A Wrong Turn! A Raging Storm! Little Food or Water! Could You Survive?" It was like a tabloid.

This was undoubtably a tragedy but an avoidable one. They keep calling this guy some kind of hero and talking about how he was experienced in the wilderness but his actions belie that. And to me, it's a good opportunity to review what to do and not do in that sort of situation.

1. Be aware of the weather forecast. It's unclear to me whether they were aware of the storm or not. They didn't behave as if they were.

2. Stick to main roads in the winter. I'm an experienced winter driver but I know the Sierras are tricky and I would not take side roads at this time of year. If you inadvertantly get on one, the best course is to turn around and get off it.

3. Keep a survival kit in your car. In my car, I have -

A blanket, fleece on one side, waterproof canvas on the other.
Flashlight
Non-perishable snack foods.
A gallon of water.
Waterproof matches.
A machete (a small hatchet is very handy but I love my machete).
A hunting knife.
A change of clothing including sweat pants and shirt, thermal underwear, thick socks, gloves and a hat.
Emergency flares.
In additon, I always carry a firearm. I could conceivably shoot some food if necessary. Obviously not everyone is going to do that.

4. Don't leave the vehicle. They got stuck. They ran out of gas and food. He left to find help. Bad move. It's much easier to find a vehicle than a person in the wilderness. A vehicle means shelter, even without fuel or food. Company means body heat.


It's not like I don't feel sorry for these people. I do, certainly. They did what plenty of people who are inexperienced would have done. But the media is really irritating me. Rather than point out their mistakes, they make it sound like they did all the right things. They didn't do enough of them and now their husband and father is dead.

[Bullwinkle925]

1. I understand how you feel.

My emotions keep going back and forth on this one. I never drive in the mountains during the winter months. I did purchase one of those hand-crank radios that can also charge cell phones for my daughter yesterday. This incident got me to thinking of safety concerns and since she lives in SF - thought it would make a useful Christmas gift.

[Oeditpus Rex]

2. I haven't read the Merc in years

largely for the reason you're talking about.

About three days after the Columbine High School shooting, the Merc ran another lurid hed about it, prompting my ex to say, "Why don't they leave us alone?" I agreed with her wholeheartedly.

Report the news. Do not pluck heart strings.

Sad, too, because the Merc was once a very good paper.