Death By GPS: Can Too Much Technology Kill You?

Any GPS can be wrong and provide inacurate information.

Can too much technology in the  backcountry be dangerous? Can you depend on GPS and other electronic  devices and technology  to the point of  it becoming deadly?
That seems to be an increasingly recurrent pattern of  behavior in  some parts of the country, as the following story: “Death By GPS’   indicates.
Whenever I see a particularly interesting or, in this case,  disturbing story related to land navigation, I forward it for comment  and analysis to land navigation expert Blake Miller.
Here are Blake’s thoughts on  “Death By GPS” by  Tom Knudson, and published in the Jan. 30, 2011 “Sacramento Bee.” (To  read the rest of the story, click here.)

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Runner's Urban Survival Kit Can Be a Lifesaver

Make a runner's survival kit.

Survival situations can happen when you least expect it, or in places where such a thing doesn’t make sense.
Maybe you’ve gotten into the habit  of taking a run in the same urban area every evening. Then, one evening, the endorphins kick in, and you decide to double the usual mileage. As darkness approaches, you realize you have to get back to the car before it gets really dark. You slip, twist your ankle and can’t move.
Or you might decide to go for a walk and just take off without thinking to tell someone where you went. You’re strolling along, relaxing and enjoying the iPod, and letting the stress from the office dissipate. Then, as it starts to get dark, you realize you’ve taken a wrong turn and are lost. And pretty soon, it will be pitch dark, and you can’t see the path.
Even if you are running and need to go light, you can still carry a survival kit. Here are some of the survival items you need to carry with you.

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Use a Trash Bag as Part of Your Survival kit

I first noticed trash bag shelter use at an Iowa State University football game in the early 70s. The weather got really bad during the half, with snow, rain and wind.
But one row of die-hard Cyclones pulled out a roll of plastic trash bags, cut holes for their heads and arms, and weathered the storm. I don’t recall how the football team did!
Since then, I’ve taken shelter in trash bags on a variety of outdoor activities. Trash bags are particularly valuable on hunting trips, because a large bag gives you a place to lay meat while you’re butchering.
Obviously, if you anticipate bad weather, be prepared for it, stay home or take along a  lightweight, four-season backpacking tent.
But you can adapt a trash bag into a very effective emergency shelter. Here is how to choose the right one for your survival kit and how to use it.

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How to Choose the Right Sleeping Bag

There are many decisions to make before choosing a sleeping bag

There are endless varieties of sleeping bags, and choosing the right one for yourself depends on a lot of variables. Here are some suggestions to help you decide which bag is best for your circumstances.

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Keep the Family Safe in the Outdoors

Wilderness enthusiast and Search and Rescue member Blake Miller gives some tips on keeping your family safe on outdoor excursions!
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Boy Scouts Learn Winter Survival Skills for Oregon Backcountry

Learning how to survive in deep snow is mandatory if you participate in snow sports in Oregon. Here are some tips from the annual Central Oregon Boy Scouts Winter Skills Day.

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Scouts Learn Winter Survival Skills

The Cascades are beautiful on bright, sunny days and that was a great setting for the annual Winter Survival Skills Day south of Bend!

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Search and Rescue Vet on SurvivalCommonSense.com Radio

Todd Teicheira, a veteran search and rescue volunteer will be the guest on SurvivalCommonSense.com Radio on Jan. 21, 2010. Todd will be discussing some of the common problems and situations that get people into trouble in the Oregon backcountry

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BlogTalk Interview with SurvivalCommonSense.com

Here is the audio transcript of the Jan. 3 Survival CommonSense.com interview on the Dr. Prepper Show on the Preparedness Radio Network. This Friday, Jan. 7, SurvivalCommonSense.com Radio will debut on that network.

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Make a Car Winter Survival Kit

Here's what you need to carry in your car during the winter!

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Five Top Survival Psychology Books

Survival is mostly psychological. If you develop the will to survive (called by some a "survival mindset") you can get through most crises. If you don't have that attitude, no amount of gear or preparations will help you. These suggested psych books can help you develope that fundamental basis of all survival training.

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Bug Out: The Complete Plan For Escaping a Catastrophic Disaster Before It's Too Late

The evacuation sirens sound, and you have 15 minutes to leave the area. Where will you go, and what will you take with you? Hopefully, you'll have a plan. But if you don't, the new book "Bug Out" will give you the information to get started. Read this review for some survival common sense tips!------------------------------------------
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Make a Common Sense Urban/Wilderness Survival Kit

Common sense should be a critical part of any wilderness and/or urban survival kit. Gear won't save you if you don't know how to use it! Here's some thoughts on how to choose the best items for your personal survival needs.------------------------------------------
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Survival Food: Make Small Game Jerky

An under-used resource is small game meat, and here's how you can make tasty jerky out of rabbits, squirrels, ducks, geese and other animals. The technique is simple, and small game jerky is a great, long-lasting survival ration!

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Use Trash as Part of Your Survival Kit?

One person's trash may be another's survival tool. Look around you to find those discarded items that might make the difference in a survival situation.------------------------------------------
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Healthy Hudson Bay Bread

This easy-to-make recipe results in a hearty, healthy survival ration. Hudson Bay Bread is chock-full of nutrition and vitamins, and it tastes good, too!------------------------------------------
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Include Homemade Energy Bar Recipes in Your Survival Kit

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Foil Wrap Food: Tasty Fuel for Survival

Learning how to cook with aluminum foil over a campfire or in coals can be a very useful survival skill. It's quick, easy and requires virtually no other cooking impliments

Bits and pieces

Gardening-
I just dug up the last of my overwintered Yukon Golds, they sure were tasty baked with a olive oil and sea salt rub. The onions that overwintered sprouted some great green onions, they just needed a little clean up from last years onions. I had planned to let them seed this year but decided to relocate things.
If you're near Yamhill County join us at the Master Gardeners plant sale at the fairgrounds. Many other counties have similar events this weekend and coming up soon.
I've been prepping my raised beds for planting this weekend, a few beds have already sprouted and growing but my big push is just starting.

Wild goodies-
This is a great time of the year to get out into the field for spring goodies; cattail shoots, nettles, dandelion greens and buds, truffles and fiddleheads. It's also a great time to harvest pine needles for tea, the young needles just seem to taste better to me.

Unemployment is up 3%-
Yamhill county numbers jumped this month, personally I think they finally got realistic, I've seen way more than 10% looking for a job and it's getting worse. The local newspaper has 5 job offerings, the fewest I have seen in my 40+ years.

Got a GPS?
If you're near McMinnville I have tough 5 point gps course you can play with. 5 colored clothes pins hidden by dense vegetation, but still in plain site. I didn't set it up but I passed the test this week, you can expect 2 hours. If you want to play send me an email and I'll send you the coords.

Rick

Native plant sale

Native plants are a great option in your yard and garden. In addition to promoting a return to the natural state of your area, native plants tend to thrive with a minimal amount of care. Many species can be used for food, shade, ground restoration etc.

If you live near Yamhill County check out the upcoming native plant sale. I'll be there on the 13th so I can pick up some blue camas in addition to a few others I've ordered. For roughly 10,000 years natives burned local fields to encourage the growth of camas quamash and reduce weeds and douglas fir; at the same time it helped encourage the supremacy of oaks that provided acorns for food. Now we put out fires, I guess we know more in 200 years than they did in 10,000 - go figure. Sorry, I stepped up on the soapbox and that's not my intent for this forum.

Evergreen huckleberries, salal, elderberry, and Oregon grape are tasty additions to your yard, all can be eaten fresh, made into jams/jellies or used for wine. Kinnikinnick makes a great ground cover and the berries can be mixed with other berries for jams, and yes, it's been smoked by Native Americans as well as being used as a tea for urinary problems.

Pacific Yew is a great option too, though it likes to be under a canopy; such as doug fir and potentially oak; it will do well on the northern side of your house where it can get some shade. It makes a great self-bow if you're into that sort of thing but expect 8-10 years to get a 6" stick out of it. It's burned as waste during commercial lumber harvest, but it's bark is used as a cancer treatment after some serious lab work. I mention it here because it is disappearing from the environment and it's medical use make it worth preserving as a species that, and I like archery.

Wild ginger root is tasty too, if you want to plant it on the north side of your house as an herb. Bleeding heart is just beautiful, you should have some just for variety.

Last and most important, native plants are a perfect choice for guerrilla gardens if you're into such a thing. I appreciate the food aspect and the flowers are nice, but they should be responsible enough to only plant native plants.

Rick