Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2006 17:34:11 -0800
Reply-To: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: "be Prepared" was OT-stranded in the wilderness
In-Reply-To: <11dcddf80612071312v7ae98c2o7fb77ab8bdc942dc@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
That's a good idea.
We were recently 3 days without power as severe wind and rain storms
pounded the southern BC coastline. Some people were without power for 7
days.
We are pretty lucky in that we have city water pressure in our pipes, a
gas stove, an old-fashioned gas water heater with a pilot light and a small
woodburning stove in the back room. We didn't have lights or refrigeration
but were not too badly off. Those with electric stoves or worse, living on
a well, were in much worse shape than us.
Its a good thing that it wasn't very cold or there would have been more
deaths.
On 12/7/06, Dr.Chris <gronski@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I think the blackout of 2004 and Katrina taught all of us that even
> North Americans need to be prepared.
>
> The government of Canada has even launched a campaign to encourage
> people to be prepared to survive in their homes for 72 hours in an
> emergency:
>
> http://getprepared.ca/index_e.asp
>
> Chris
>
> On 12/7/06, ------------- <VW4X4@verizon.net> wrote:
> > I've been on the mission lately about "Being Prepared" .
> > Who needs it!
> > We have our cell phones, we have our MAC card, we don't need nothin.
> > We don't have to think one minute in advance. We're in the USA.
> > We can buy anything, we need. We can drive our SUV's in a winter
> > white out, in a T-shirt. Someone will ball us out! We don't need
> nothin!
> >
> > Right?
> >
> > Joe. W
> >
> >
> >
> > John Rodgers wrote:
> >
> > > It has been a lot of years since I have thought about this, but the
> case
> > > of Mr. Kim and his family has brought it to fore.
> > >
> > > I don't know about todays regulations, but in Alaska back in my flying
> > > days, every aircraft flying had to have an Emergency Locator
> Transmitter
> > > - or ELT - on board, Known various as Crash Locator Beacons and other
> > > names, they were activated by a "G" switch upon impact in case of a
> > > crash or one could simply turn them on. These beacons trasmitted a
> > > signal that would be picked up by search and rescue operations to
> > > triangulate where a a plane was down.
> > >
> > > In time, personal emergency transmitters became available to pilots.
> > > Transmitters that one could carry on ones person, as a supplemet to
> the
> > > one mounted in the aircraft.
> > >
> > > I don't know if such personal loctor beacons are available to day or
> > > not, but it might be wise to look into this and add one to ones
> > > collections of safety gear when out and about. Most episodes such a
> Mr.
> > > Kim's are just that, accidents. And accidents are always unexpected.
> > >
> > > If you are going to run down to the corer liquer store in a blinding
> > > snow storm, then by golly take your personal ELT with you. You may get
> > > disoriented in the storm and get lost. I'm being facetious here, but
> you
> > > get my drift I hope. BE PREPARED.
> > >
> > > One thing I learned in Alaska. You don't goe even the shortest
> distance
> > > in the winter without winter clothing on. Something could happen, and
> > > you are done.
> > >
> > > I lived in Fairbanks, and there was a Mountain top there with an AF
> > > Radar Station on top. A place called Murphy's Dome. One winter night
> an
> > > Airman had to drive up there to relieve the other airmen running the
> > > radar. Back then this place was a drive of a few miles, away from the
> > > city on a dirt road. In 20 driving minutes and the guy should have
> been
> > > there. The Airman was a flatlander, and he didn't put on boots. Wore
> > > street shoes, Jeep broke down half way up the mountain. he tried
> walking
> > > and froze his feet. Nasty damage. Got medically discharged from the
> > > military.
> > >
> > > One cold day on the Kenai where I lived, I did such a simple thing as
> > > walk to my garage, which was 20 feet from the house. In that short
> > > distance I had a Moose Cow and Calf encounter. I couldn't get to the
> > > garage nor to the house. She chased me but I found sanctuary behind
> the
> > > wood pile. I stayed out in the cold for a solid 45 minutes before
> she
> > > decided to give it up and move on. Dang if I wasn't half frozen by the
> > > time I was able to get back in the house. I had to sit in a tub of hot
> > > water to get myself warmed up.
> > >
> > > Something I learned a long time ago from being a Boy Scout. , and it
> > > holds true today. "Be Prepared"
> > >
> > > John Rodgers
> > > 88 GL Driver
> > >
> > > TC wrote:
> > >
> > >> I have been following that story of the SF family that got stranded
> > >> in the
> > >> Oregon coast mountains
> > >> my son asked what we would do if our 2 wd westy got stuck/broke down
> > >> in some
> > >> remote winter area
> > >>
> > >> besides that fact we prolly have 2 weeks of food , propane, dual bats
> > >> etc &
> > >> some Garmin 2 way radios
> > >> we would prolly just hole up & camp out :)
> > >>
> > >> The interesting aspect was that the attempt to make a cell phone call
> > >> and
> > >> the cdr records allowed
> > >> the searchers to grid search a cell phone tower coverage grid this
> > >> allowed
> > >> them to be located
> > >> if everyone has stayed put the story would have a happy ending ...
> > >>
> > >> I was curious the Garmin rino 530 i always have in the van is GPS
> > >> enabled &
> > >> allows other Garmin
> > >> 2 ways to track to each other bu the coverage is only 2 miles in bad
> > >> terrain
> > >> Yet I can usually get a GPS fix as long as there is not much tree
> > >> cover just
> > >> about any remote locations..
> > >>
> > >> Are there any inexpensive devices that would send a gps fix to
> > >> international
> > >> emergency satalite
> > >> the allow searches to home in on sone lost / stranded in the westy
> > >> wilderness ?
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> >
>
--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
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