ones. You can also cross as a group with each member in line locking arms.
The strongest person is always in front, with the weakest in the middle. Yet
another option is to secure a rope to objects on either bank; people can work
their way across while holding the rope from the downstream side.
If you do slip and fall and find yourself being swept away, make sure
you’re floating on your back with your feet facing downstream. Your toes
should be pointing out of the water (or as close to the surface as possible),
and your rear end should be lifted as high out of the water as you can man
age, to prevent your cracking your tailbone.
There are thousands of horror stories of travelers who fell out of
their boats and subsequently drowned because they let their feet dangle
under the surface and catch on trees or rocks or other debris in the water.
Once this happens, the force of the flow throws you face first, and holds
you under until you drown. Keeping your feet in front of you prevents
this from happening and allows you to push yourself away from rocks and
other obstacles as you float downstream.
There may be times when you need to cross frozen water. Although
this can be an easy way to shorten your journey, it’s not without risk. Falling
into water in the middle of winter can be deadly. A pair of ice picks bought
at any sports store and a flotation survival suit could save your life.
Expect weak ice in the following places:
where objects protrude through the ice
in straight sections in rivers
where snow banks extend over the ice
at a confluence of water courses
wherever you see sinkholes
where you see darker sections under the snowBasic Survival Navigation
IF YOU VENTURE INTO THE WILD without basic navigation skills such as how to
use a compass, you put yourself at unnecessary risk. The essentials of navi
gation are fairly straightforward and easy to master, and can be learned by
anybody. As you learn how to paddle a canoe, build a campfire, or set up a
(^228) | Survive!