A "Real Life" Topo Test

[Meckers]

The tragic death of CNET's James Kim made me wonder how much of a help a good handheld GPS with the optional topo maps would have been. I wonder if the readers could put their units to this test. I have an Explorist 210 with only the base map. Using my joy stick and zoom feature, I can "go" to the area where Mr. Kim was lost. My unit had virtually no value but I didn't expect it to.

 

My question is for the higher end hand helds. If Kim had an Explorist 500 or XL or the higher end Garmins or other manufacturer's handhelds with the optional topo maps loaded for the region, would those units have provided clear indicators of the logging roads and distances and directions to civilization?

 

To avoid "discussion drift," I'd like the responders to confine themselves to the "after breakdown" scenario and handheld units.

 

Bill

 

P.S. I love my Explorist 210. I think for the money, its one of the best values.

[Team Sidewinder]

Hind sight is always 20/20 and you could go over what would've and could've happened but that doesn't change anything. Even with the simplest gps you can buy he could have at least waymarked the car when he left or have known how close he was to the car after his trail was leading back to within a mile of the car again. With mapping software and a higher end gpsr the fishing lodge stocked with food within a mile of where the car got stuck might have shown up on his gpsr or he would have know how much farther the river was that he was trying to reach. It is indeed a sad situation and our prayers go out to the family of Mr. Kim.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Team Sidewinder

[+Renegade Knight]

Hind sight is always 20/20 and you could go over what would've and could've happened but that doesn't change anything. ...

 

The point here is to learn the limitations of the GPS as part of your equipment tool kit. As such anything learned is valuable. My GPS maps don't extend to oregon or I've have done the experiment to see if the lodge was on my GPS as a POI and posted the result.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Renegade Knight

[Meckers]

Team Sidewinder, I don’t know how you would get the impression I was in any way criticizing Mr. Kim. I wasn’t and my sympathy for the family is every bit as great as yours.

 

I put the “discussion drift” caveat at the end of my post as a not so gentle reminder that I have a specific question and that if you can’t answer it, please sit it out so others can.

[Hertzog]

The tragic death of CNET's James Kim made me wonder how much of a help a good handheld GPS with the optional topo maps would have been. I wonder if the readers could put their units to this test. I have an Explorist 210 with only the base map. Using my joy stick and zoom feature, I can "go" to the area where Mr. Kim was lost. My unit had virtually no value but I didn't expect it to.

 

My question is for the higher end hand helds. If Kim had an Explorist 500 or XL or the higher end Garmins or other manufacturer's handhelds with the optional topo maps loaded for the region, would those units have provided clear indicators of the logging roads and distances and directions to civilization?

 

To avoid "discussion drift," I'd like the responders to confine themselves to the "after breakdown" scenario and handheld units.

 

Bill

 

P.S. I love my Explorist 210. I think for the money, its one of the best values.

This is something I've thought a lot about over the last week or so. I have a 60CSx and the various MapSource map products, so my observations are from that perspective.

 

Specifically to the lodge: Black Bar Lodge is listed as a POI on the Garmin Topo, but not on the street mapping products (CN etc), so he would have to have had the topo segment from that particular area loaded to see it. Even then, finding it would have been problematical; he would need to hide any other maps he had loaded and then done a search to find it. One other point about the lodge is that the car was actually about 7 miles from it rather than the originally reported 1 mile; however he probably went by the one mile point as walked back along the road, so could in all probability have gotten to it if he had been aware of it.

 

All of the Garmin mapping products show the maze of logging roads north of the "main" route (Bear Camp Road), so a Garmin handheld with maps of the area loaded would have have been helpful in giving him a better idea of what his situation was. He might have seen the route to the lodge, and if he missed that he might have at least continued on the logging road at the point at which he started down the creek.

 

To "drift" slightly, I think the point where the GPSr with maps loaded might have been most useful would be when they first got off Bear Camp Road; once he suspected he was in trouble he might have looked at it, seen the maze of logging roads that he was entering, and realized the folly of continuing along that way.

[vagabond]

I'm not sure where he was found but the closet camp I could find to bear camp rd was camp Howard at coords N42.34.436 W123.44.994 Magellan mapsend topo 3d shows a couple of camps near bear camp rd which is the road near where they were stuck

Also Tu Tu Tun Lodge is about 7 miles from the coast that was the lodge they were driving to before they were lost.

Possibly with a mapping gps they wouldn't have gotten lost.

Edited December 16, 2006 by vagabond

[Alphawolf]

An even better scenario than discussing the maps and their relative value in this situation: Wasn't his wife able to text message someone early in the scenario? It seems to me the news reported that she had been able to get a TM out to someone. Well, if they had a GPS with them, coordinates could have been repeatedly TM'd to everyone on their contact list.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Alphawolf

[Barrikady]

Wasn't his wife able to text message someone early in the scenario?

No, she did not text message or voice message anyone while stuck in the mountains. I believe what you are referring to, is that a cell phone company was able to trace a few seconds of signal coming from her cell phone. Based on that info, the cell phone company was able to give the searchers the general location from where the signal came from. She, or he, attempted to make cell phone contact with the outside world but was unsuccessful. Fortunately, even though there was no communication, a very short signal from the cell phone was received.

 

BTW, I rode my bicycle through that mountain range with Cycle Oregon, but not on that particular road, and it is a wild and desolate place.

 

Barrikady, San Francisco Bay Area

[mtbikernate]

A mapping GPS with topos would have certainly shown at least some logging roads and possibly some POI's.

 

That said, depending on a person's state of mind, that information might be useful...or not. If you are calm and collected, such information would make getting yourself found pretty easy. However, if you're panicked, anything can happen, as your mind is going nuts.

 

The absolute biggest factor in getting out of a wilderness emergency alive is keeping yourself calm enough to make logical decisions about your situation. Most folks who die in the wilderness fail to keep calm and make rational decisions.

[Team Sidewinder]

Team Sidewinder, I don’t know how you would get the impression I was in any way criticizing Mr. Kim. I wasn’t and my sympathy for the family is every bit as great as yours.

 

I put the “discussion drift” caveat at the end of my post as a not so gentle reminder that I have a specific question and that if you can’t answer it, please sit it out so others can.

 

Dear Meckers. Please don't take the high road and take my comments as an impression that you were criticizing you statements of your fourm questions about Mr. Kim. Where you came to this conclusion of my post is beyond me but I will not sit by and take a flaming for something else you have read into it. I have read your caveat at the end of your post and appologize if you feel I have led your post adrift. I will be sure to sit out and ask your permission before entering in on one of your posts again.

Edited December 16, 2006 by Team Sidewinder

[Meckers]

I went to Magellan's website and they have a preview of their topo product here:

 

http://www.magellangps.com/products/webvie...po.asp?load=yes

 

Going to where I think the Kim family was lost, I wasn't able to see any POIs and the roads were pretty sparse too. I'm not a good topo reader however so maybe its me. I wonder when one of the manufacturers will come out with a Google Earth version. With the advances in storage capacity (SD cards) and wireless internet (I know, you'd have to load it up before going out in the wilds) it shouldn't be too long.

 

Bill

[Suscrofa]

I went to Magellan's website and they have a preview of their topo product here:

 

http://www.magellangps.com/products/webvie...po.asp?load=yes

 

Going to where I think the Kim family was lost, I wasn't able to see any POIs and the roads were pretty sparse too. I'm not a good topo reader however so maybe its me. I wonder when one of the manufacturers will come out with a Google Earth version. With the advances in storage capacity (SD cards) and wireless internet (I know, you'd have to load it up before going out in the wilds) it shouldn't be too long.

 

Bill

 

"before going in the wild"

you must above all be prepared and be able not to rely on high tech but basic things like a paper map, compass, proper gear, set up a shelter and of course make a fire (give you warmth in cold wheater and signalling). If you can do that, you won't panic.

 

In this case, better to stay with the vehicule too, gives you shelter and easier for rescue team to locate.

[+BigLarry]

I've read the account in detail out here in the West, and having gone to Oregon myself many times. As I read the accounts, I was thinking there's three points where a GPS would have saved Mr. Kim and his family. Many other things could have helped too. That's the nature of freak accidents. But I'm limiting this discussion to GPS value here.

 

Mr. Kim only had a big low-detail Oregon map with him. He saw the short cut over the mountains after he missed his first exit. He didn't know the pass was difficult for 4-wheel drive in good weather. Worse, the main road turns off at a point and the wrong logging road is actually bigger and easily looks like the main road. The signs were probably obscured by the heavy snow at that time. Locals up in the hills said they turn around people all the time who go up that wrong road. Accounts from his wife indicate they never knew they were on the wrong road, even after a week of being stranded. Walking for help, after over a week of stranded without aid, seemed a good decision to me. But he went the wrong way because he was badly confused about his position. Worse, wrongly thinking he was near a place to get help, he went off the road into a chasm.

 

I find it odd an editor at a tech magazine like CNET didn't have a GPS. I had two (Quest and 60CSx) with me when I went to Oregon, and my 60CSx had all the Oregon Topo and Street maps, which I flip between all the time in my bike trips.

 

So I suspect he'd likely been helped by a GPS at three places:

1. Not missing the first intended exit over the mountains, allowing him to stay on a major road.

2. Not making a wrong turn on the very confusing logging road in the snow.

3. Going for help in a wrong direction because of being confused about his real position.

 

A GPS will NOT help in one respect:

A computer route or GPS would not have told Mr. Kim those local roads are trecherous traps at that time of year. By routing them over those nasty roads, the GPS could just as likely lead someone into trouble. Those roads have killed many others over the years. I think it's clear those roads need better warning signs at the entry off the main road.

Edited December 17, 2006 by BigLarry

[vagabond]

I went to Magellan's website and they have a preview of their topo product here:

 

http://www.magellangps.com/products/webvie...po.asp?load=yes

 

Going to where I think the Kim family was lost, I wasn't able to see any POIs and the roads were pretty sparse too. I'm not a good topo reader however so maybe its me. I wonder when one of the manufacturers will come out with a Google Earth version. With the advances in storage capacity (SD cards) and wireless internet (I know, you'd have to load it up before going out in the wilds) it shouldn't be too long.

 

Bill

POIs will show on the actual map at the 5 mile range although they are kind of hard to see if you don't know what to look for. On my explorist 500 with detail set to medium POIs will show at .40 miles

[truman99]

Given the storm, how likely would it have been that they got satellite reception?

[+Renegade Knight]

My direct experience with Topo and logging roads in general is dismal. My topo is outdated and the roads changed with some being shut off and new ones being opened up. An early cache adventure took two trips to figure out how to get to a cache because the first time my topo got me lost and I had to go back the way I came no closer to the cache.

[Meckers]

After playing with the topo maps on both the Garmin and Magellan websites, its pretty clear to me that Garmin wins hands down. As Herzog reported, the Garmin maps showed the lodge and a better presentation of the logging roads. I'm a Magellan user so I make this observation with regret. Nevertheless, even Garmin's maps left a lot to be desired. This was an eye opener for me and vividly illustrated that one shouldn't expect too much from a GPS.

[GeoidPS]

I was bushwacking in the Shenandoah Mts recently. Using 24K, I deducted that I was about 400' to the AT (Appalachian Trail), sure enough, I landed exactly where I thought I would. Coming back down, I went exactly back to the point I left a trail.

I have been saying, and I continue to say "You never get lost with a GPS".

[+Crystal Sound]

Given the storm, how likely would it have been that they got satellite reception?

 

I'm guessing, not very well.

 

I was pondering some of the same things last night while watching the news. I was not there, so I cant say what is and what isnt, I'm just offering my 2 cents.

 

Depending on any number of factors, I'm not sure a GPS unit would have worked very well. The extreme cold would make an LCD display almost useless as the display crystals wont move freely to create an image. Batteries tend to not work as well in the cold also.

 

Trying to keep the unit warm (inside) clothing, and keeping the unit oriented to best "view" the satellites would be pretty difficult, I imagine. Im not sure I would want to open up my clothing to extract a GPS and expose myself to further cold.

 

A cell phone, i can see being a different matter. You can turn it on, in a few seconds be connected to a tower, punch in the numbers, and make a call. Reading the LCD screen isnt necessary. I've used a number of cell phones with frozen or even broken displays in this manner.

 

In my opinion (as an electronics engineer) - Unless they had a Mil-spec GPS unit and not a consumer-toy GPS unit - I doubt a GPS would be very helpful.

 

I love my Garmins, but I would not rely on one in a "life support" scenario such as what they were in. Relying on it would be foolish.

 

Edit for clarification.

Edited December 19, 2006 by Crystal Sound

[+geobc]

Given the storm, how likely would it have been that they got satellite reception?

 

I'm guessing, not very well.

I've gotten pretty good signal coverage even in extremely heavy rain. Good enough for road navigating, in any case. Besides, they were there for over a week. There MUST have been a lull long enough to get a signal lock and figure out where they were.

 

Depending on any number of factors, I'm not sure a GPS unit would have worked very well. The extreme cold would make an LCD display almost useless as the display crystals wont move freely to create an image. Batteries tend to not work as well in the cold also.

 

The Kims burnt car tires to keep warm so the GPS could definitely have been warm enough to operate. At a minimum, they would have been able to figure out where they were and, based on what others have posted, they would have known how far they were from the nearest lodge.

 

Trying to keep the unit warm (inside) clothing, and keeping the unit oriented to best "view" the satellites would be pretty difficult, I imagine. Im not sure I would want to open up my clothing to extract a GPS and expose myself to further cold.

 

If kept inside clothing, I'm sure the screen would have worked long enough to get a fix.

 

Like others have pointed out, the GPS' biggest value would have been in preventing them from getting lost in the first place.

 

GeoBC

[GreatCanadian]

I have to offer my 2 cents worth. A GPS would be EXTREMELY USEFUL in this situation. For the people who are NOT woodsmen, or very very experienced in the outdoors, a GPS is of more benefit than it is to experienced woodspeople. Experienced woods people are not those who hunt or fish every blue moon, or take a hike on a trail once a month. Nor does geocaching doesn't make you anywhere near an experienced woodsperson (although i am sure may geocachers are great woodspeople - but not because of geocaching). Regardless of the cold and snow, a gps in the above mentioned situation would be much more useful to some people than a paper map. Let me explain.

 

Lets start with paper maps. I worked with the forestry department for 15 years. I learned to use maps and aerial photos to a high degree of accuracy. One guy I worked with could look at an aerial photo and just about pinpoint our location in a stand of trees. I never did get that good at it, and was awfully impressed! It takes a lot of experience to learn to relate a paper cartoon map with the layout of the land. Walk for days, take out a map, and try to pinpoint your location. An inexperienced woodsman/mapreader can't do that. The people who hunt, work, fish, and travel in remote areas are the people who will more easily pinpoint a location on a paper map. My wife hasn't travelled the length of herself in the woods. If she were ever to be lost, I would much prefer she had a GPS with her than a paper map. After just a few minutes of instruction in the house, she can now use my gps to get around the cities. And if she ever had to locate herself on a paper map, she just could not do it. She can turn on her gps, and know where she is. A half hour of instruction can teach a person how to lay down a track on a gps, and mark a waypoint. That alone will get her back to where she started. I would rather she had a gps that MIGHT give out, than paper maps that are of absolutely no use to her. Me? In life and death, I would chose the paper maps along with my trusty silva ranger compass, but only because I can use them properly. Not all people are interested in mapreading. It might be something they might use once or twice in their life. I guess my point is, had the victims of this terrible tragedy had a gps with decent maps, they would not have gotten lost in the first place. If they had a gps with no maps, the husband could have at least followed his track back to the vehicle. Or been able to backtrack to the main road. Assuming some very basic GPS knowledge. Which is much easier to come by than mapreading skills.

Edited December 20, 2006 by GreatCanadian

[+Jeeperman]

I agree.....8 1/2 years in the woods in the ARMY taught me how to use a map...... But most people will never experience an Orienteering class that lasts 3 days and nights....if you don't find the food.....you don't eat....what an experience.....I miss it.

 

Now..... With my PDA(Dell Axim X51-V)...... My BackCountry Navigator Software........ And my Topographical and Aerial maps of the areas I will be traveling through...... Just knowing the abilities of the software and the GPS will make it possible for me to both find my way and know exactly where my family is and how to get back to them..... Having street maps isn't enough...... If my BCN had routing.....it's the only navigation software I would use......

 

I hate that this tragedy happened...... I just hope that people will learn that they can use these new "TOYS, GADGETS, etc." and they will and do save lives. My friends and family always kid me about all my toys.... but when they want to know where something is...or how to get somewhere.......they call me.

[rhitchco]

I agree.....8 1/2 years in the woods in the ARMY taught me how to use a map...... But most people will never experience an Orienteering class that lasts 3 days and nights....if you don't find the food.....you don't eat....what an experience.....I miss it.

 

Now..... With my PDA(Dell Axim X51-V)...... My BackCountry Navigator Software........ And my Topographical and Aerial maps of the areas I will be traveling through...... Just knowing the abilities of the software and the GPS will make it possible for me to both find my way and know exactly where my family is and how to get back to them..... Having street maps isn't enough...... If my BCN had routing.....it's the only navigation software I would use......

 

I hate that this tragedy happened...... I just hope that people will learn that they can use these new "TOYS, GADGETS, etc." and they will and do save lives. My friends and family always kid me about all my toys.... but when they want to know where something is...or how to get somewhere.......they call me.

[rhitchco]

Following the progress of this search was interesting and sad. A tragedy.

 

I am an experienced member (state certified team leader/crew boss) of a search & rescue team and for anybody who ventures into the woods, off of a popular or well-marked day-use trail, I can only offer a few warnings:

1) A GPS can be a lifesaver if you know at least basically how to use it

2) BUT always take a compass and map as well...never rely on only the GPS (we all carry a GPS and 2 compasses and maps...always)

3) Try to get a general sense of the lay of the land before leaving any trail, preferably by topo map

4) NEVER, NEVER ever leave the vehicle if in a situation like they were in...this is your very best chance for survival...and of being found by the SAR teams

5) Stay put wherever you are...this will give the SAR teams the very best chance of finding you

6) If for some reason you must move, never leave the marked trail or road. Bushwhacking is a recipe for disaster if you are not equipped and know what you are doing. You will go in circles unless you are very careful. Mark as you go so you can find your way back; otherwise you probably will not recognize the way back.

 

Nature can be very nasty. Be prepared.

[+Alan2]

2) BUT always take a compass and map as well...never rely on only the GPS (we all carry a GPS and 2 compasses and maps...always)

 

Curious. How often do you use your compass when your GPS is working?

[mtbikernate]

Not sure about ritchco, but I use my compass regularly even when my gps is working. For some things, the compass is just better. I use a Brunton Eclipse 8099 which is more accurate than any electronic compass I've ever seen. Even though my 76csx has an electronic compass and my watch has an electronic compass, I almost never use them in favor of my trusty Brunton.

 

Sometimes, even when I want to figure out where I am, I don't even turn on the gps. I just look at my paper topo, compare it to my surroundings, and determine my position that way. It's easy when there are definite features like hills, mountains, or rivers to compare with. In deep woods, I favor the gps.

 

There are a few things that a lot of folks have touched on with relation to gps receivers that don't really get to the gist of why the Kims got into trouble to begin with. I'm getting a strong impression that the Kims were definite city folk who didn't have a practical understanding of how nasty the remote places can get in inclement weather. I've spent my fair share of time in the mountains, and know better than to venture off of the main plowed roads in a snowstorm. Shoot, I've been caught crossing a mountain range in August wearing shorts, t-shirt, and sandals when a sudden storm dumps 6 inches of snow in less than an hour, so even the main roads are difficult to navigate in a passenger car. If the Kims had any clue, whether they had a GPS or not, they would have known better than to drive where they did. If they had a GPS and the knowledge of how to use it (indicating some level of understanding of emergency preparedness), it's probably fairly likely that they might have had the common sense to avoid the area where they ended up stuck.

[rhitchco]

Not to get off-topic too much, but to answer Alan2's question as to use of compass vs. GPS by SAR crews, I'd guess I'd say it depends on what the assignment or objective is. If ordered to follow a bearing to lay a bumpline or for some other reason, a compass is almost always used more than a GPS. However, the GPS is terrific for getting the distance measurements; much easier and more accurate than the usual pace counting. If we're trying to nav off of a terrain feature or such, most folks will use the GPS with the topo maps on it more. So no real clear-cut answer. The GPS is left on all the time though so as to get a tracklog of the coverage in the assigned search area...this, along with the tracks from other teams, will always get downloaded to a computer and put into Maptech to establish good documentation and to allow calculation of coverage ratios and POD's. This lets the SAR managers determine if a given area needs to be re-searched or not.

 

If a lost subject wants to maximize their odds of being found by a SAR crew, they should not move around much. Somebody moving from an unsearched area into an area that has already been searched will greatly diminish their chances of being found quickly.

 

rhitchco

[+Train_Man]

This is a very interesting discussion. I believe any GPS loaded with software could save him if he know how to use it. Without map software loaded, it's questionable.

 

Here are some screen-shots of my Garmin 60CSx in the area loaded with TOPO and City Nav maps (topo showing). I believe it would have been extremely helpful.

Zoomed in of the area (I'm not exactly sure where the car was)

 

This shows the general area which would get him to towns, and major roads.

[+rambrush]

Way back in 1987 I spent 3 weeks fighting wildland fires in Rouge River stayed at the rouge river park.

We hiked all over them mountains and I can say for a fact it is rough unforgiving country. Of course back then we did not have gps units just studied topos and made our way.

There are old mines ore carts the tracks for the carts to run on all over in the backcountry, we came across pot plantations back in the woods cause it was so thick.

Would be surprised if a gps woulda been able to get out the cover is so thick.

been on huge fires in Yosemete NP up north of Hetch Hetchy resevoir people just need to undertstand there limitiations. spent 15 years in the fire service and I still get a tad turned around at times in the backcountry.

Sorry it happened but it coulda been prevented.

just my 2 cents.

[+Jeeperman]

Google Earth Plotting of Area I found this.... Easy to see how you could get lost.......There's no way he could have forseen the danger without detailed maps of the area......and unless you intended to go into that area......there would be no reason to download the data anyway. This was WAY off course. What a shame.

[Meckers]

Train_man, I'm not exactly sure what your maps are showing (but then I don't even qualify for "novice" rating in map reading) BUT, I don't think the lodge icon is anywhere near where the actual lodge is located. The coordinates don't square with the lodge's location either.

 

I hope I'm wrong because it seems to me that the only thing worse than no information is false information.

 

(Please understand, I'm not criticizing you, I'm just wondering about the mapping software.)

[f5fstop]

If you are talking about just having a GPS, yes it would be invaluable, provided you had spare batteries. (A old fashioned compass would be better in the long run.) As for receiving satellite coverage, staying on roads with little overhead coverage would allow signals to hit the unit, going cross country, not having any idea where you are going, could cut down on coverage and destroy any chance of being seen by a helicopter or plane.

However, a thousand GPS units will not help you if you do not have food and a means to obtain water. The location of the lodge would have been useful and allow them to possible reach food and shelter.

[Hertzog]

Train_man, I'm not exactly sure what your maps are showing (but then I don't even qualify for "novice" rating in map reading) BUT, I don't think the lodge icon is anywhere near where the actual lodge is located. The coordinates don't square with the lodge's location either.

You are correct. The "Black Bar Lodge" shown is located in Merlin, OR. It shows up as a POI in City Nav. The lodge near the car is a POI on the Garmin TOPO map. For whatever reason, the Topo POI location seems to be about 0.1 mi further north than the actual location of the lodge (you can see the lodge in Google Earth if you know where to look). If he had known about the lodge, though, and tried to make his way there, he would have passed the actual lodge on the road leading to the POI location.

Edited December 23, 2006 by Hertzog

[+khaytsus]

2) BUT always take a compass and map as well...never rely on only the GPS (we all carry a GPS and 2 compasses and maps...always)

 

Curious. How often do you use your compass when your GPS is working?

 

My GPS unit doesn't have an electronic compass, so I regularly use my compass when geocaching. A lot of times when I'm getting close, especially when trees/buildings/etc are around, I'll stand still, let things settle, then get out the compass and get a heading and a distance. Usually once or twice of that will put me right on top of the cache.

[Meckers]

Ok, here’s what I learned from this tragedy and from many of the informative responses to this post. First and foremost, just as everyone has basic emergency items in their trunk (jack, spare tire, etc) you also have to have a minimum amount of survival items on the assumption that you never know when you might end up in a nasty situation. A handheld GPS is absolutely necessary but since we are all GPS geeks on this forum, that’s not a big deal. You should also have a car charger for your cell phone. Whenever I buy a new cell phone, I go to eBay and buy an additional battery and a car charger (very inexpensive). I also bought a case of cheap bottled water (six bucks) and threw it in the trunk. I always keep an 8 pack of AA alkalines in the car. Some emergency food items aren’t a bad idea and a space blanket or two (again, very cheap).

 

With those items, you should be able to get yourself out the kind of jam the Kim’s were in. Using the Kim situation as an example, here’s my approach (and please understand, I’m not criticizing Kim; I’m just using the advantage of hindsight, that’s all).

 

Although you may be 10, 20 or 30 miles from any civilization, you are probably not as far from the reach of a cell tower. The first thing to do is to mark your location on the GPS. Then plan daily excursions as far out as you can go and still make it back to the car (guided by your GPS of course) before nightfall. All during your excursions, you are looking for any civilization but more importantly, a cell signal. If you don’t get one the first day, go in the opposite direction the next day, doing the same thing. Whenever you run the car for warmth, charge the cell phone. Perhaps you may need to climb a hilltop to try to obtain a cell signal (some commentary from cell techies would be nice here). If you get a signal, you’re home free; 911 and the coordinates of your stranded car should bring the searchers. Now hoof it back to the car. Not a bad idea to also give your present coordinates when you reach 911 so they can track you down if you get injured on the way back to the car.

 

If your out-and-back excursions don’t reveal civilization or a cell signal, then you have to kiss the family goodbye and then do a one way trek for as far as you can go to find help. At this point, I would never leave the roads. Again, if you do find someone or a signal, the coordinates will direct the rescue. Accordingly, I would write them down the first time I marked the car to ensure you’ll still have them if the GPS is lost, malfunctions or whatever. Also give the coordinates to the wife as cell phone signals come and go with the atmospheric conditions and maybe while you’re out, her cell might get a signal (again, cell techies please clarify this comment). I realize that conventional wisdom is that you should never leave the car. I'm basing this analysis on the assumption that with the GPS you can find your way back to the car with some certainty.

 

Miscellaneous consideration: Make sure you switch your cell phone to allow “roaming” rather than your service provider only.

 

Finally, I’m no survival expert so I may be way off base. I hope to stimulate discussion so perhaps we can all learn from this.