Travel

by Joshua Piven

  3. If you are on land, seek higher ground immediately.

  Tsunamis can move faster than a person can run. Get away from the coastline as quickly as possible.

  4. If you are in a high-rise hotel or apartment building on the coastline and you do not have enough time to get to higher ground away from the shore, move to a high floor of the building.

  The upper floors of a high-rise building can provide safe refuge.

  Be Aware

  • The first tsunami wave may not be the largest in the series of waves.

  • Tsunamis can travel up rivers and streams that lead to the ocean.

  • Flooding from a tsunami can extend inland 1,000 feet or more, covering large expanses of land with water and debris.

  HOW TO SURVIVE A SANDSTORM

  1. Wet a bandanna or other cloth and place it over your nose and mouth.

  2. Use a small amount of petroleum jelly to coat your nostrils on the inside.

  The lubricant will help to minimize the drying of mucous membranes.

  3. All members of a group should stay together.

  Link arms or use a rope to avoid becoming separated during the storm and to keep track of group members who might become injured or incapacitated.

  4. If driving in a car, pull off the road as far as possible on the shoulder.

  Turn off your lights, set the emergency brake, and make sure your taillights are not illuminated. Vehicles approaching from the rear have been known to inadvertently leave the road and collide with the parked car. Keeping your taillights out will help to avert this danger.

  5. Try to move to higher ground.

  Sand grains travel across the surface of the earth mostly by saltation, or bouncing from place to place. Because grains of sand will not bounce high on grass, dirt, or sand, moving to solid high ground is advisable, even if it’s just a few feet higher. However, sandstorms can be accompanied by severe thunderstorms, and there may be a risk of lightning. If you hear thunder or see lightning during a sandstorm, do not move to high ground.

  Be Aware

  • Whenever you are in an area with sandstorm potential (basically, anywhere that there is a lot of sand and wind), wear long pants, socks, and shoes. Because of the way sand moves, your feet and lower legs are more likely to be “burned” by the abrasion of sand than the upper part of your body.

  HOW TO CATCH FISH WITHOUT A ROD

  1. Determine the best location for your fishing.

  Fish usually congregate in shadow, near the edges of lakes, rivers, and streams.

  2. Find a forked sapling approximately two feet long. (The forked ends should be approximately one foot long.)

  Cut it down or break it off.

  3. Bend the two ends toward each other and tie them together.

  The tied ends will form the circular frame of a net.

  4. Remove your shirt or T-shirt.

  5. Tie a knot in the shirt just below the arm and neck holes.

  6. Slip the sapling into the shirt, and pin or tie the shirt securely to all sides of the frame.

  7. Scoop up the fish.

  Alternative

  Large fish can also be speared with a pole sharpened to a point at one end. This method works best at night, when fish come to the surface.

  HOW TO MAKE ANIMAL TRAPS

  Holding Traps

  Use a holding trap (or snare) to trap small ground animals. Holding traps capture animals but do not kill them.

  1. Procure a two-foot-long wire and a small stick.

  Wire is essential—animals can bite through string and twine.

  2. Wrap one end of the wire around the stick.

  Twist the stick while holding the wire on both sides of the stick with your thumb and forefinger. You will create a small loop around the stick while wrapping the wire around itself.

  3. Remove the stick by breaking it near the wire.

  Slide the ends out. You will be left with a small loop at one end of the wire.

  4. Take the other end of the wire and pass it through the loop.

  This will make a snare loop, which becomes a snare that will tighten as the animal struggles. The snare loop should be about five inches in diameter.

  5. Twist and tie the end of the wire to a one-foot stake.

  6. Place the snare in an animal track or at the entrance to an animal burrow or hole.

  You can also use two snares, one behind the other, to increase your odds of catching something. The struggling animal caught in one snare will likely become caught in the other.

  7. Anchor the stake in the ground.

  Position the stake in an area where the animal won’t see it. Mark it so that you can find it later.

  8. Check the trap only once or twice daily.

  Checking the trap too often may frighten away the animals. When an animal heading for its home becomes caught in the snare, it will struggle to get away, which will tighten the wire trap.

  MACHINE TRAPS

  Machine traps use gravity, activated by a trigger, to trap or kill animals. The easiest machine trap to build is a deadfall, where a trigger releases a rock or heavy piece of wood to trap or kill an animal.

  1. Look for a well-worn animal path on which to place the trap.

  2. Find three straight sticks or pieces of wood that are approximately the same length and diameter, and a large, heavy stone or log.

  The length and thickness of the sticks you need will depend upon the weight of the stone or log you intend to prop up—use your judgment.

  3. Cut a squared notch in the middle of one stick.

  Cut the point of the stick to look like the tip of a flat-head screwdriver—thin and flat. This is your upright support bar.

  4. Cut a squared notch (to fit into the first squared notch like Lincoln Logs) in the middle of another stick.

  On this stick, cut a triangular notch a couple of inches from one end, and whittle the other end of the stick to a point. This is your bait bar.

  5. Cut a triangular notch into the middle of the last stick.

  This notch should fit on the top of your support stick. Cut one point of this stick to look like the tip of a flat-head screwdriver (to fit into the triangular notch of your bait bar), and cut the other end flat. This is your locking bar.

  6. Anchor your support stick in the ground, perpendicular to the ground.

  7. Attach a piece of meat or food to the end of your bait bar, and insert the bait bar into the notch of your support stick, parallel to the ground.

  8. Place your locking bar on top of your bait and support bar, forming a 45-degree angle with your bait bar.

  The screwdriver tip of your locking bar should fit into the notch at the end of your bait bar, and the tip of the support bar should fit into the triangular notch of your locking bar.

  9. Lean the stone or log so that the top end rests on the top of your locking bar.

  When an animal comes along the trail, it will take the bait, causing the locking bar to dislodge and trigger the deadfall, trapping or crushing your prey.

  Be Aware

  • To increase the odds of trapping an animal, always set multiple traps, preferably 8 to 10.

  • Set the traps where animals live or in areas they frequent, near water and feeding areas. Watch animal patterns to see where they come and go regularly. Dung piles indicate nesting areas.

  • Check traps once or twice daily. Dead animals will quickly rot or become food for other animals.

  • Do not build the trap where you intend to place it. Build the trap components in camp, then bring them to the place you have chosen. This way, you will not frighten away animals by spending too much time in their habitats. Try to de-scent your traps using leaves or bark to remove your smell.

  • Set traps in the narrow parts of animal trails, such as between rocks or in areas with thick brush on either side. Animals will generally only approach traps if there is no easy way around them. Like humans, animals tend to take the path of least resistance.

  �
�� Be careful around traps. Animal traps can injure you, and can trap bigger animals than you expect.

  • Be alert when approaching any trapped animal. It may not be dead, and it may attack you.

  • Do not leave traps or trap elements behind when you leave an area.

  CHAPTER 6

  SURVIVING ILLNESS AND INJURY

  HOW TO DEAL WITH A TARANTULA

  Tarantulas are usually not hostile and do not have fatal bites. However, their bites can cause dangerous allergic reactions in some individuals and can be extremely painful, so take care when one crawls on or near you.

  1. Find something you can use to brush the tarantula off of you or away from you.

  A small stick, rolled newspaper or magazine, or glove works well. Most tarantulas are very skittish, and as soon as you poke them, they will leave in great haste. It is safer to remove the tarantula using an implement than using your bare hand.

  2. If the tarantula is on you and cannot be brushed off, stand up carefully and bounce up and down gently.

  The tarantula should fall off or skitter away.

  HOW TO TREAT A BITE

  1. Do not panic if you are bitten.

  The vast majority of tarantulas give “dry” bites (which look like two pin pricks) first, and then a second bite to inject venom. Avoid Pterinochilus and Heteroscodra, two species of “baboon spiders” in Africa, and Poecilothera, “ornamental tarantulas” in southern Asia, which deliver potent bites.

  2. Treat a dry bite like any other small puncture wound: use an antiseptic to clean it out, and bandage the site quickly.

  3. Observe the area around the bite carefully.

  A few varieties of tarantula may inject venom that can cause swelling and redness in the area around the bite, as well as pain and tenderness lasting 2 to 6 hours. If these symptoms persist for longer than 12 hours, or if other, more serious symptoms develop, seek medical attention. Unless absolutely necessary, do not drive a vehicle.

  4. Treat excessive swelling with antihistamines.

  The allergic reaction can be eased with antihista-mines, although they are usually slow acting. If symptoms such as extreme flushing in the face, blurred vision, dizziness, profuse swelling around the face or eyes, or restricted breathing occur, epinephrine may be necessary.

  5. Watch closely for complications.

  While the bite itself is probably not life-threatening, it can become infected, and this is the greatest danger if you are bitten. Seek immediate medical attention if you see signs of tetanus (muscle stiffness, spasm, fever, convulsions, difficulty swallowing, irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing), tularemia (fever, nausea, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea), or septicemia (spiking fever and chills, rapid breathing, shock, disorientation, inability to urinate, swollen limbs, blue lips and fingernails).

  Be Aware

  • Tarantulas are basically just big spiders. Few will bite you unless you try to pick them up.

  • Tarantulas are not carriers of any known disease that affects humans or other vertebrates. Tetanus, tularemia, and other diseases that may follow a tarantula bite are most likely the result of post-bite contamination due to unclean environmental conditions. (See step 5.)

  • Tarantulas can be found in North America, west of the Mississippi River; in South America; and in warm climates throughout the world. Their habitats vary, and include deep deserts, grassy plains, scrub forests, and rainforests. Most live in burrows, though a few species prefer trees and areas around the base or under the roof of human dwellings.

  • Tarantulas are mostly nocturnal and are difficult to notice unless you are searching for them. Most people encounter adult males, which wander during daylight hours looking for female mates.

  • Never try to pick up a tarantula. Tarantulas have tough bristles on the tops of their abdomens which can irritate the skin. These come loose easily and float freely through the air. They are shaped like small harpoons with barbed tips and may penetrate the skin and cause a rash or hives.

  HOW TO TREAT A SCORPION STING

  1. Remain calm.

  Scorpion venom induces anxiety in victims, so try especially hard to avoid panic. Most species of scorpion have venom of low to moderate toxicity and do not pose a serious health threat to adult humans, other than severe pain.

  2. Apply heat or cold packs to the sting site for pain relief.

  The most severe pain usually occurs at the site of the sting. Also use an analgesic (painkiller) if available.

  3. If an allergic reaction occurs, take an antihistamine.

  Scorpion venom contains histamines, which may cause allergic reactions (asthma, rashes) in sensitive persons.

  4. Watch for an irregular heartbeat, tingling in extremities, an inability to move limbs or fingers, or trouble breathing.

  Most scorpion stings cause only instantaneous pain at the site of the sting; stings feel similar to those of a wasp. The pain of a scorpion sting may radiate over the body several minutes after the initial sting. Pain tends to be felt in joints, especially in the armpits and groin. Systemic symptoms may also occur—possibly numbness in the face, mouth, or throat; muscle twitches; sweating; nausea; vomiting; fever; and restlessness. These symptoms are normal and not life-threatening, and usually subside in one to three hours. The site of the sting may remain sore and/or sensitive to touch, heat, or cold for one to three days.

  5. Seek emergency medical care if you exhibit the above symptoms.

  Small children who are stung should seek emergency medical care immediately. Adults, however, have much more time—the odds of dying or even becoming seriously ill as a result of a scorpion sting are extremely slim. You will have at least 12 hours to get to a hospital—probably more.

  6. Do not apply tourniquets, as the toxins are small and move extremely rapidly away from the site of the sting.

  A tourniquet will not help the wound, and could cause more harm if applied incorrectly.

  7. Do not attempt to cut the wound and suck out the poison.

  This can cause infection or transfer the venom into the bloodstream of the person attempting to remove the poison.

  Be Aware

  • Scorpions are active at night, when they hunt and search for mates. During the day, scorpions hide in burrows or in any available crack or crevice, depending upon the species. Scorpions are notorious for seeking shelter in objects such as shoes, clothing, bedding, and bath towels. Your presence may surprise the scorpion and it could sting if disturbed. If you are in an area that has scorpions, shake out these items before using them, and check bedding before sleeping.

  • Many species of scorpions will readily enter homes and other buildings, which increases the likelihood of an encounter. Scorpions will sting if surprised or threatened, but generally will not sting if unprovoked.

  • Scorpions cannot usually deliver enough venom to kill a healthy adult. While venom toxicity varies among species, some scorpions contain very powerful neurotoxins, which, ounce for ounce, are more toxic to humans than the venom of cobras. However, scorpions inject relatively small amounts of venom (compared to snakes), so the overall dose of toxins per sting is survivable.

  HOW TO CROSS A PIRANHA-INFESTED RIVER

  1. Do not cross if you have an open wound.

  Piranhas are attracted to blood.

  2. Avoid areas with netted fish, docks where fish are cleaned, and areas around bird rookeries.

  Piranhas may become habituated to feeding in these areas and may be more aggressive there.

  3. Stay out of the water when piranhas are feeding.

  When large numbers of piranhas are attacking prey—a true feeding frenzy—they may snap and bite at anything around them. If you see them feeding, stay away, or well upriver.

  4. Cross the river at night.

  Virtually every species of piranha rests at night, and when awakened, will swim away rather than attack. Piranhas are most active at dawn, though some large adults may hunt in the evening.

  5. Swi
m or walk across quickly and quietly.

  Try not to create a large disturbance in the water that might awaken piranhas.

  Be Aware

  • Piranhas are freshwater, tropical fish. In the wild, they exist only in South America, in slow-moving rivers, backwaters, or floodplain lakes. Piranhas generally do not live in either mountain lakes or streams; the water is too cold and flows too fast.

  • Piranhas generally do not attack humans or large animals—unless they are already dead or injured. During the dry season, however, when their food supply is scarce, piranhas can be more aggressive. When driving cattle across a river suspected of containing piranhas, farmers will sometimes sacrifice a sick or injured animal downstream before letting the herd enter the water.

  HOW TO TREAT A SEVERED LIMB

  1. Locate any individual bleeding arteries on the stump.

  The arteries will bleed in pulsating spurts.

  2. Pinch off the large arteries that are bleeding the most.

  The brachial artery in the arm and femoral artery in the leg carry blood into the limb, and are the major vessels you should find. Someone (the victim or another person) should continue pinching while you proceed to the next step.

  3. Apply a tourniquet.

  Choose a strip of material at least an inch wide and tie it around the stump as close to the end as possible so that the tourniquet will not fall off when it is tightened. Tie the tourniquet moderately tight but do not immediately cinch it as tight as possible or you may crush and destroy viable tissue. Tighten the tourniquet just enough to stop most of the remaining bleeding. Keep pinching the arteries.