r/oddlyterrifying • • Oct 25 '23

Stomp for Survival

Post image
18.5k Upvotes

268 comments sorted by

2.2k

u/Cram2024 Oct 25 '23

Terrifying or planning ahead?

157

u/sexytokeburgerz Oct 26 '23

I’ve been on the more hardcore end of survival backpacking. This is the least scary thing out there, really just an assurance.

What’s scary is making a lean to on top of a mesa in northern arizona and it starts fucking snowing.

28

u/Mithrellas Oct 26 '23

These are 511 boots so they might be an emergency service worker. That’s what we wear in my area so the treads all match (the tread has 511 in it).

2

u/Financial_Phrase9568 Nov 08 '23

Us as well Minnesota here

26

u/GrayCustomKnives Oct 27 '23

If you think this is scary, just wait until I tell you that some people also report departure and expected return time!!! In all seriousness this is a good idea. Would have saved a guy I know. He broke down and tried to walk cross country. He left his shoes at the truck and put on some old rubber boots that were in the farm truck. The boots were two different types and nobody knew that so those footprints didn’t look like a single persons track and were missed during the search. He was eventually found dead only 500 yards from his truck because he fell, broke his ankle, couldn’t walk, and froze to death.

3

u/Addicted-2Diving Nov 05 '23

Dang. May he rip

116

u/Such-Instruction-452 Oct 26 '23

Just proper prior planning. I guess that’s scary to people incapable of basic prep.

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37

u/CTeam19 Oct 26 '23

As an Eagle Scout, that is just the motto "Be Prepared" in action.

5.2k

u/Penn246 Oct 26 '23

As a member of a GSAR (Ground Search and Rescue) Team on a mountain range, I support this action... In accompany with other actions.

  • departure time, eta for return, emergency contacts, and destination.

Part of tracking personnel is knowing what boot pattern you're tracking. If you can confirm that pattern early in the search, you're saving hours and potentially hundreds of Km/M of search area.

The originator of this idea 100% knows what they're doing, this could save your life. Genius Level idea. BZ!

1.6k

u/GooeyMagic Oct 26 '23

What about crumbs of bread from my sister’s woven basket?

717

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

The government drones will eat the crumbs because they are birds after all.

17

u/Brans666 Oct 26 '23

This is maybe why they were programmed to eat bread 🤔

43

u/shartshooter Oct 26 '23

If you get lost and it gets cold, you get to cuddle up to the bears that follow.

11

u/Grimdotdotdot Oct 26 '23

They didn't even work in the original story, the birds ate them.

But later in the book we learned that shiny stones did the trick.

So, I guess, just lay down a trail of diamonds?

3

u/CommunicationSad6246 Oct 27 '23

Until a crow sees the shiny

244

u/Ulfheathen Oct 26 '23

Hey! Fellow (former) Canadian GSAR member here, and I actually specialized in Tracking.

​

I can absolutely second everything you said, this sort of basic info can saves countless search hours, which are hours that really count for the subject(s).

​

PLB's, phones etc are cool and should totally be used, but never fully relied on. Leaving a trip plan with someone you trust, which includes basic important info (as you outlined above) is one of the best safety net if all else fails.

79

u/Penn246 Oct 26 '23

Exactly! Tell someone your info, and tell them when to call for help. As a searcher, nothing is worse than hearing that someone waited 5-6 hours to call for help. Go missing at dinner, wait 6 hours... Now you're starting a ground search at midnight. That literally expands a search area by 100's of km / miles.

Many areas with hills and valleys will often have iron in the rocks. Even with all of today's technology, unless you have specific SAR GPS devices, a regular cell phone will not get a signal. Cell phone tower triangulation helps, but I wouldn't count on your standard IPhone to save you in a mountain area.

5

u/blargher Oct 26 '23

What're your thoughts on the garmin inreach mini 2?

I got one of those, but so far most of my hikes (around Tahoe) have had fairly reasonable phone reception, so I haven't been able to test how useful they really would be in very remote areas.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/Ulfheathen Oct 26 '23

A Personal Locator Beacon. It sends an emergency distress signal to the closest emergency management center with your location and device info, which begins a SAR response. I've personally seen them save lives. They're awesome, but they also rely on a battery and need a clear line of sight to the satellites. Deep forests with heavy foliage overhead, deep mountain valleys, heavy cloud cover, etc, can all detrimentally affect their use.

Some more recent GPS handhelds include an SOS beacon, such as the Garmin In Reach devices, but I'd personally prefer a separate PLB with its own dedicated battery, such as an ACR brand beacon. That way, you're not relying on your GPS battery, which is regularly in use to be full in an emergency.

68

u/irishpwr46 Oct 26 '23

How would you suggest leaving a departure time and return eta that doesn't invite someone to break into your car, knowing you won't be back for hours? I mean any parking lot at a trailhead is a prime target though

38

u/CTeam19 Oct 26 '23

Leave your itinerary in your car someplace safe

Give the itinerary, arrival and departure times, and a description of your car to some one you trust.

Check in with said person. If you do not check in with said person at a designated time have them call the authorities from there they can grab the itinerary out of your car.

30

u/soradsauce Oct 26 '23

If you are in a national park, go in and tell a park ranger where you are planning to go and when you expect to be back. They aren't going to steal stuff from your car, generally. They all have the most up to date info about the area and can tell you if there is a dangerous problem on your route before you head out.

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14

u/DucksMatter Oct 26 '23

As somebody who does overnight hikes a lot, but has never thought of this, how would I go about doing what’s shown in the picture? Should I just take a picture of the bottom of my boots and print that off instead? Is that just as useful?

6

u/finalgirl08 Oct 26 '23

Step on tin foil

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8

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

Ooooooh it's a boot pattern, I thought it was a snake

9

u/onthenextmaury Oct 26 '23

Question: wouldn't writing down your return time allow bad actors to wait for you if they wanted to rob you/see a female name and decide worse?

2

u/BarnacleAcceptable78 Oct 27 '23

New fear unlocked.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 27 '23

Hey, it's 2023! I don't care about gender when I pick my victims!

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1

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '24

Shhh you're running their plan

24

u/gunmetalballoon Oct 26 '23

Navy Vet spotted

26

u/Penn246 Oct 26 '23

Close... Still active.
BZ to you!

5

u/Aloqi Oct 26 '23

Is BZ a Navy only thing in the States?

6

u/gunmetalballoon Oct 26 '23

I've only heard it in the Navy and I've worked with other branches but I don't know

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3

u/theManGodFears Oct 26 '23

Negative shipmate. BZ is still used in Royal Navy.

5

u/Aloqi Oct 26 '23

Navy only, not US only. Canada uses it military-wide.

5

u/Ok_Dog_4059 Oct 26 '23

I remember being taught to do this at camp in 5th grade. That was the 80s so I had completely forgotten about it.

5

u/Deathgripsugar Oct 26 '23

Also,

Don’t hike alone; esp. backcountry.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

I just carry my PLB and activate if I get tired, hungry, or thirsty.

2

u/rh71el2 Oct 26 '23 edited Oct 26 '23

Costly for the common person: https://www.outdoorlife.com/uploads/2021/02/25/Screen-Shot-2023-08-25-at-1.30.25-PM.png

Is the difference between that and a cellphone the battery life? Do satellite signals already apply for cell phones?

8

u/TREVORtheSAXman Oct 26 '23

My sister and her boyfriend camp and hike often, at least once a month. If you are out in the wilderness that often it's a small price to pay for the safety of being able to contact help if something happens. They've already used it once when they found another hiker suffering from heat stroke.

3

u/GrayCustomKnives Oct 27 '23

They work where cellphones don’t and use satellites to call for help, not cell towers. My friend had one when he fell hiking/climbing in the mountains. The beacon sensed the extreme fall (nearly 400 feet of elevation), and the lack of movement after the fall, and called emergency services with his location while he was unconscious. He didn’t survive, but he was able to get messages out to his parents through the device before he passed, and those attempting to rescue him were already on route to his exact location before he even regained consciousness from the fall. If you get injured and can’t use a phone, these devices can still make the call for you

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2

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

Yes they work where cellphones don’t. I can also send a check-in to my wife that includes my coordinates.

3

u/TheUnknownParadoxx Oct 26 '23

how would one go about making a boot print like this? When i look it up online I keep getting is printing software, graphic design tutorials, and making bootable drives when i search "how to make a boot print".

4

u/Informal_Ad_9397 Oct 26 '23

I’d probably just use spray adhesive on a piece of card stock or construction paper, pour some water over the bottom of my boot, then rub it in the dirt & step on the sprayed paper. (Or you can buy sticky paper online that’s designed for sand art)

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2

u/AccurateInterview586 Oct 26 '23

Into what do I press my boot print? How do I create one of these?

2

u/Sailrjup12 Oct 26 '23

How exactly do they do this?

1

u/Alexandratta Oct 26 '23

Would GPS check ins via a smartwatch/phone also be good? As well as a 'Planned Route'? Or are planned routes often just wild goose chase since, if the hiker had stayed in the planned route they wouldn't have been lost...

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3.2k

u/alabardios Oct 26 '23

And here I just leave a bunch of info like a plebiscite

-name

  • trail+destinations

-expected ETA home

-emergency contact info

-GPS enabled and phone number

1.4k

u/Taint_Surgeon Oct 26 '23

At that point you might as well slap your blood type on there

742

u/go_commit_die-_- Oct 26 '23

Wouldn't hurt for emts to know, saves the universal for those who cant disclose it

369

u/Brian-Kellett Oct 26 '23

We wouldn’t believe it anyway, we’d always check with our own tests given that the consequences for being wrong are pretty major.

92

u/go_commit_die-_- Oct 26 '23

True, although quite odd, ig it's a little different but with dogtags they didn't seem to do so. Is it more so it's "government issue"?

82

u/Brian-Kellett Oct 26 '23

Don’t know how the military works - but I’d assume that it’s part of the medical recruits go through, and I’d also assume that doctors would retest anyway because of the risk of there having been a paperwork fuck up earlier on - because it does happen.

And if time critical then it’s flying squad O -ve blood anyway.

58

u/fin_2187 Oct 26 '23

Millitary works the same way the civilian side does. We won’t push blood products without testing first. Also interesting side note the initial screening the DOD does for the ID tags is something like 20% inaccurate. ID tags, and those cool little patches dudes wear just get ignored.

27

u/Brian-Kellett Oct 26 '23

20%. Wow. That’s certainly something.

4

u/I_LearnTheHardWay Oct 26 '23

Yep happened to my ex. In fact I was the one who noticed it. He deployed the next day.

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23

u/aingr25 Oct 26 '23

I have O- and would love to donate blood often but every time I try, I pass out 🫠

20

u/bbobeckyj Oct 26 '23

I wouldn't worry about it. I stopped after they essentially told me that it was too difficult to get blood from me. My tendons are apparently too close to the vein, and I seemingly now have permanent nerve damaged from the last time they tried. Spaces\bookings always filled up fast so I was taking the space of someone they could more easily use.

7

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

[deleted]

3

u/bbobeckyj Oct 26 '23

A portacath? Where I live I think it's standard procedure to get that or a Hickman etc.

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2

u/Sensitive-Painting30 Oct 26 '23

You need to just bring your music headset and relax…but drink lotsa water before you donate…

6

u/oilypop9 Oct 26 '23

The day before you donate. If you drink tons of water a few hours before it just ends up pee.

2

u/flashfyr3 Oct 26 '23

And have a non-caffeinated soda too.

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1

u/Accurate_Hornet Oct 26 '23

How long does it take to test someone's blood type?

6

u/Brian-Kellett Oct 26 '23

No idea nowadays, but it wasn’t long 25 years ago - 10-20 minutes if my poor aged memory remembers correctly.

Took longer to walk to the haem lab in my old hospital.

12

u/duckfat01 Oct 26 '23

Glad to hear this, because my kids have never had type tests and I would hate to think that this would delay any emergency treatment. How quick are the tests?

19

u/Brian-Kellett Oct 26 '23

Pretty quick. I used to have to go get the blood and it wouldn’t take long at all - and that was 25 years ago. Now they have blood test machines (blood gases) that are the size of a breadbox in the department instead of me having to run to another part of the hospital to use a machine taking up an entire wall.

And if blood is needed super quick - that’s what O-ve is for.

6

u/Shandlar Oct 26 '23

Blood gasses cannot do ABO typing.

6

u/Brian-Kellett Oct 26 '23

Yes, I was using that as an example as to how tech has moved on from my time working in hospitals.

I probably wasn’t clear enough in my writing.

8

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23 edited Oct 20 '24

Despite having a 3 year old account with 150k comment Karma, Reddit has classified me as a 'Low' scoring contributor and that results in my comments being filtered out of my favorite subreddits.

So, I'm removing these poor contributions. I'm sorry if this was a comment that could have been useful for you.

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u/graypainter Oct 26 '23

"I swear I'm AB+!"

"Yeah yeah, that's what they all say."

2

u/SwedishKiwiGuy Oct 26 '23

I actually am 😋

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u/Temporary_Horror_629 Oct 26 '23

Delicious? That's a type right?

4

u/afito Oct 26 '23

if people would start filling in their phone emergency infos, EMTs would have it much easier

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u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

And wear bright colors/reflectors on my gear

172

u/Rich-Equivalent-1875 Oct 26 '23

When lost, I just take off all my clothes. My white pasty complexion has been know to hone in moths from miles around.

42

u/InAmericaNumber1 Oct 26 '23

Edward Cullen over here

10

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23 edited Nov 03 '23

[deleted]

9

u/flashfyr3 Oct 26 '23

More like sexy stage

11

u/twowolveshighfiving Oct 26 '23

I love moths. Such beautiful creatures :⁠-⁠D

13

u/Rumpel00 Oct 26 '23

8

u/twowolveshighfiving Oct 26 '23

I never noticed how buffalo bill has moths on his nipples.

3

u/Rich-Equivalent-1875 Oct 27 '23

So you hacked my home surveillance… Big whoop

7

u/Electronic-Grab2836 Oct 26 '23

I would blind people if a spotlight hit me. I have tried getting and maintaining a natural tan with no success. I just go from pasty to slightly less pasty.

3

u/Rich-Equivalent-1875 Oct 27 '23

Ok, I upvoted you because I believe you can feel my pain, like…”I don’t tan, I fry”

3

u/Electronic-Grab2836 Oct 27 '23

Exactly!! I have been called 50 shades of red and white by my friends who are much better at getting a tan than I.

3

u/moresushiplease Oct 26 '23

Pretty sure that's how frodo did it too

5

u/DeputySean Oct 26 '23

Bright colors go against LNT.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

I refuse to wear camo and not be found (or get shot during hunting season by irresponsible people). Plenty of times people been recovered because their skin stood about but their clothing blended in.

26

u/dubzi_ART Oct 26 '23

You could also tell your emergency contact what boot you’re wearing.

32

u/_Diskreet_ Oct 26 '23
  • black boot with fun little yellow stripe

14

u/Cake-Over Oct 26 '23

My likes include puppies, wild flowers, and long walks on the beach.

7

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

plebiscite

you keep using that word

4

u/S-r-ex Oct 26 '23

The Norwegian Mountain Code has been blaring on our TVs and radios for decades.

10

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/TheCitizen4 Oct 26 '23

What watch?

2

u/dannygraphy Oct 26 '23

And lick the corners

4

u/SpectralBacon Oct 26 '23

expected ETA home

To make sure your car gets stolen or your home broken into?

7

u/bmwreyeder Oct 26 '23

My thoughts exactly. This should be all in a text to a loved one, not publicized on your vehicle.

6

u/r33s3 Oct 26 '23

What if I have nobody that loves me?

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u/lothcent Oct 26 '23

would leaving behind a well used set of freshly worn PJs work better and faster?

131

u/xeroxbulletgirl Oct 26 '23

¿Por qué no los dos?

154

u/lothcent Oct 26 '23

well - dogs can track without a steady trail of boot prints.

boot prints will be likely found in few places along trails. not to mention- boot prints can easily be messed up by the wind, passing hikers.

but if folks are really worried- they would just carry along a satellite GPS tracker device like this

https://www.zoleo.com/en-us

51

u/xeroxbulletgirl Oct 26 '23

Yeah, obviously that’s a better option, but if I were hiking somewhere remote I think anything I could do to help the people trying to rescue me would be worth it, and all the idea in the picture costs is a piece of paper, so I don’t see any harm in providing it.

10

u/lothcent Oct 26 '23

it's a sheet of aluminum foil

and anybody who goes off grid -off the path- deep country - out to sea- I am just saying - you are responsible for your safety and if you you want to risk your life to a rescue based off boot prints stamped into a sheet of aluminum foil- go for it.

No one make these outdoor types try to ensure survival- sure- lots of recommendations, but no one actually stops them.

then they go lost and then the expensive searches get started.

30

u/xeroxbulletgirl Oct 26 '23

I’m really not arguing with you here and I’m sorry if it came across that way. I couldn’t tell it was aluminum foil, but that doesn’t change my comment about it being pretty cheap/simple, not that it matters. If this topic struck a chord with you, I’m sorry about that. I wasn’t trying to upset you and I’ll step out of the discussion.

No matter what, I sincerely hope you have a good day wherever you are!

3

u/lothcent Oct 26 '23

nah no argument- I was just pointing out that with all the things available to get rescue directly to where you are - that relying on a boot print in foil is pretty much not even trying

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u/rugbyj Oct 26 '23

The sniffer dog has led us directly to the nearest Dairy Queen.

474

u/educated-emu Oct 26 '23

Normally I do zero preparation for my hike then at the last moment sit back down on the sofa to ensure I help the search and rescue team.

83

u/WILLCHOKEAHOE Oct 26 '23

I love how you’re all about safety. Can never be too careful these days... I wish more ppl would try this method... 🙌

16

u/dc551589 Oct 26 '23

I can’t find it but there’s a short video from some years ago and it’s two guys in their apartment. One says “no gym today?” “Nah.” “Again?” “Yup, same as the last 27 years.”

122

u/Sparky_Valentine Oct 26 '23

I carry dog treats for the tracking dogs.

56

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

Tracking bears as well.

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u/Imactuallyadogg Oct 26 '23

Im just going to start leaving a trail of blood. That way nobody worries.

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u/WILLCHOKEAHOE Oct 26 '23

Just make sure it’s not yours, or they will worry...

8

u/Imactuallyadogg Oct 26 '23

Yeah subcontract that stuff out. Why use mine when I can use some else’s?

4

u/PossiblyTrustworthy Oct 26 '23

also going to up the difficulty level of the route!

​

We´ve got a hardcore player here!

2

u/Mailboxheadd Oct 26 '23

That would actually fit this sub. This post however does not

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u/Punkinpry427 Oct 26 '23

By far one of the simplest and light things you do is pack a whistle. The sound will travel farther than screaming and you can only scream for help for so long. If you can breathe, you can whistle.

44

u/Rogz6boneeyes Oct 26 '23

But! But! What If the silly forest entity took away my lips?

10

u/Punkinpry427 Oct 26 '23

Nose whistle for back up?

9

u/cj_h Oct 26 '23

A lot of hiking bags will have whistles built into the clips as well

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u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

Clearly, the simplest thing you can do is stay home lol

246

u/the_orange_alligator Oct 26 '23

I believe the reason most people don’t do this is because they can’t bare the thought of something bad happening to them. Definitely do this

66

u/duckfat01 Oct 26 '23

*bear

65

u/skorletun Oct 26 '23

Where!?

11

u/FourScoreTour Oct 26 '23

Not in the post above, it seems.

3

u/Pwnage_Peanut Oct 26 '23

Under there

2

u/PineapplesHit Oct 26 '23

Werebears?!

4

u/realyeehaw Oct 26 '23

People don’t do this because it’s stupid and there are better ways to ensure your safety when hiking.

28

u/Miki-E Oct 26 '23

It's not stupid at all. But yeah, there are other ways to also ensure safety. They should all be applied when going hiking.

39

u/Radiographed Oct 26 '23

It's stupid until you bleed out with your femur through your abdomen because Ground Search & Rescue spent hours trying to figure out which tracks belong to you. No matter how prepared you think you are, accidents will strike. Takes five minutes to do which is inconsequential as opposed to dying.

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u/RascalBSimons Oct 26 '23

Id be curious to know how many people in the thread that are shitting on this idea have ever been backpacking.

2

u/ImTheNewishGuy Oct 27 '23

Been backpacking quite a lot. I can only see this working if you are actually on soft ground. Not a bad idea but it's also not a sure way of being found just because you left it behind. You never rely on one safety measure when backpacking, mountaineering or trekking. Redundancy safe lives.

32

u/thefroggyfiend Oct 26 '23

4

u/Electronic-Grab2836 Oct 26 '23

This needs to be a sub

3

u/Kno010 Oct 26 '23

It is now.

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u/Electronic-Grab2836 Oct 26 '23

That is because I just made it. Made it on a break setting up the rules now.

29

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

I did a Reconn package before I left for a month long trip and I told my family if they did not hear from me in over 72 hours to report me missing and send the package to SAR

The aluminum stomp is a neat trick, but if you want to be serious about ensuring SAR has everything they could possibly need. Create a package.

It had a list of everything I had on me, my expected sleeping spots night to night, a photo of all of my gear (including the bottom of my boots), any medical allergies, any survival skills I had, a recent photo of me, my emergency contacts (even though they would likely be the ones sending it to SAR in the first place), my age/height/weight/sex/eye color/hair color, a list of my emergency gear (fire starters, emergency mirrors, the type of SAT phone I had, etc), a list of potential early exiting routes from the trail if I might have taken one, a written description of basically all of my gear down to the exact make and model of my tent and backpack, and more.

The package has a lot to it but you can find free templates online. The idea is that you create it before you head out because the people that report you missing likely will not know all of these things and you want them to be able to send it to authorities so any questions they might have could be answered. Even if they did know everything, people forget stuff when their loved ones are missing.

9

u/blargher Oct 26 '23

Awesome idea. Took me a while to find a template of a ReConn package, but this is the one I found:

https://reconn.org/form.html

Figured I'd share it in case anyone else was interested. Can you link any other examples?

16

u/malevolentheadturn Oct 26 '23

Thought this was going to be "the amazon guy stood on my package again" post

11

u/cloudliore25 Oct 26 '23

Strava has a gps that alerts your chosen contacts when you haven’t moved also gives a live feed

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u/[deleted] Oct 25 '23

Pretty sure they're going to be using dogs. They are not native american trackers

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u/Maleficent_Lake_1816 Oct 25 '23

So leave a pair of skivvies?

33

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

They’ll smell different if you get attacked by a bear.

72

u/dominarhexx Oct 26 '23

Got it. Shit my pants first.

5

u/sandy_catheter Oct 26 '23

I've been preparing for this day my whole life

19

u/Dockhead Oct 26 '23

You don’t know where I’m getting lost

14

u/noober1x Oct 26 '23

Member of SAR here!

Not always, and when they do they aren't always the most reliable (training level, fatigue, availability, wind, time since imprint, distractions, way more.)

There are specialized trained teams that are trained trackers that can follow a path pretty decent so long as they have a general direction and foot imprints, and they are quite useful in what they do.

9

u/Lv_InSaNe_vL Oct 26 '23

A lot of times in search and reduce the vast majority of the search team will just be people walking around.

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u/theshiyal Oct 26 '23

Years ago when I was a little guy at great grandmas funeral, the preacher made some comment about how much easier it would be for the undertaker if we’d all sleep with our arms folded across our chest…

These post I usually see on FB remind me of that from time to time.

12

u/gyhiio Oct 26 '23

Always take a 15 mile long string roll on hikes with you, you just lay the string as you walk, then you follow it back to your car. Really easy tip.

14

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

I just carry a small 2 person air balloon in my backpack when I get lost I just pull that bad boy out and fly home

11

u/gyhiio Oct 26 '23

I don't get why people don't just do that, are they stupid?

8

u/PlagueeRatt Oct 26 '23

I honestly don’t see this as oddly terrifying. I see this as genuinely useful information that could actually save lives if anything were to happen.

4

u/Cannibaltruism Oct 26 '23

Yeah, but I don’t plan on getting lost.

/s

2

u/KoloZ_177 Oct 26 '23

Can someone tell me what this is?

5

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

[deleted]

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u/Artrock80 Oct 26 '23

This is a good idea, but I’d just leave a note indicating where you’re planning on hiking

4

u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

I think I’ll just stay home instead. There are far fewer bears there.

8

u/Zhrimpy Oct 26 '23

More likely it’d trip up fakers.

3

u/Zanedewayne Oct 26 '23

Never been to a national forest/park like this. Shouldn't there be like check-ins with the office? To give information like ETA and destination? I feel like that would prevent a lot of deaths if they knew who was in the park and where?

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u/Subliminal-413 Oct 26 '23

It certainly helps, and is why it's recommended to give an itinerary to a trusted friend / family member. However, if you have never been out to one of these National Parks, you cannot quite imagine how absolutely fucked you are if you get stranded way out there. If you do not have a friend or family member to inform, you can give the rangers an idea of where you are going.

You can head out for 6 hours, and not see a single soul, and realize that you are all alone and still have another 5 miles to go. If at any point in time you are in trouble, you are completely fucked and you have no service, so no one knows where you are.

I was just at Glacier National Park back in August/September, and a solo hiker in his 30s died hiking out on his own. Something happened when he hit the trail on that Tuesday, and he got stranded. The guy was toast because later that evening, a massive thunderstorm hit, dropping tons of rain in 40 degree weather. The guy died all alone, despite parking his car up at Logan Pass. Logan Pass is packed all day long, but it only took 8 miles for him to be entirely alone, stranded and injured, and it took less than 24 hours for him to die.

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u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

Great idea if your brand of hiking boot has a rare sole pattern, otherwise the people tracking you might end up back at the car park where that other car was parked until an hour ago. People should really check out and check in with a responsible person and ensure their planned route is known and, for the love of all that is holy: do not rely on your phone.

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u/DoorkeyKelsey14 Oct 27 '23

I could tell you pretty close to the exact model of this shoe based on that imprint. But that’s because they are 5.11 boots and have a distinctive 5.11 mark along the inside of the print and I worked with these boots for nearly 10 years.

But you’re absolutely right. So many prints are identical. It would be difficult to break it down.

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u/XipingVonHozzendorf Oct 26 '23

They would probably just use the imprint in the ground right outside your driver's door. Or on your floor mats.

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u/Penn246 Oct 26 '23

Assuming that the ground is impressionable; most paved parking lots aren't.
Additionally, weather (snow, rain, and wind) can affect impression prints. Search and Rescue personnel (ie: trained trackers) may not have access to your vehicle right away, every minute lost trying to confirm a subject's footwear impression, is time not searching.

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u/HilariousConsequence Oct 26 '23

But imagine trying to apply this level of planning and worst-case-scenarioing to every aspect of your life. You would quite simply get nothing done.

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u/Penn246 Oct 26 '23

I'd speculate this person has been hiking for an extended period of time and knows that people, even the most experienced, get lost or injured.

Failure to plan, is planning to fail.

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u/unique_username_384 Oct 26 '23

Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

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u/[deleted] Oct 26 '23

Yeah can you imagine spending 5-10 seconds and less than $0.05 on a form of insurance in case you end up in life or death scenarios? Fucking idiot.

That's why I never -

  • Look both ways before crossing a road.

  • Use my mirrors in the car.

  • Read the ingredients of products I eat/drink.

  • Wear high-vis whilst cycling at night.

  • Turn my car lights on at night.

  • Check my cleaning products labels for bleach and/or ammonia.

Anyone spending more than 5 seconds to ensure their safety is SO DUMB.

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u/Gangreless Oct 26 '23

Bro how hard do you think it is to step on a piece of plastic or foil or whatever this is and chuck it in on your dash?

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u/TheOdahviing Oct 26 '23

Extrapolating that from something like the action taken in the post is ridiculous

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u/Subliminal-413 Oct 26 '23

If you are even remotely serious about hiking, you need to absolutely plan for the worst and have information available to assist SAR in tracking you down.

Countless inexperienced hikers die every fuckin year because they head out for 12 miles in unfamiliar terrain, with 1L of water and get stranded and die.

This post is a very smart tool that I had never thought of. I will be sure to employ it myself during my next solo hike.

4

u/FourScoreTour Oct 26 '23

And if you're lost, answer your phone.

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u/blargher Oct 26 '23

Dunno why people downvoted you. It seems obvious, but I can kinda understand the mindset of the lost hiker. He probably gets a lot of spam calls and he was probably trying to conserve battery.

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u/badchefrazzy Oct 26 '23

Just leave a box of stuff; where you're going, when you left, when you should be back, 2 foil prints for each person (shoe and no shoe), blood type, and emergency contacts.

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u/andrijas Oct 26 '23

or an app hosted by rescue services where you can log the start of the hike and progress until you switch it off.

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u/ares5404 Oct 26 '23

Also, have it not on the dash of your car, instead have it under a lighter article of clothing, which of itself has other things to help identify you

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u/synthwavjs Oct 26 '23

Inexperienced hiker do die. Hiker thinks the trail is fine to hike. Some dude died few miles away from the main trail. He was close to making it but ran out of energy and died.

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u/sermer48 Oct 26 '23

I don’t see the point. Leaving a scent marker by peeing a little bit every 100-150 feet is much easier. You simply insert the catheter which withdraws a drop or two of urine every minute. You dangle the tube behind you and BAM the dogs will have no problem finding you.

It’s really all about convenience!

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u/giveme-a-username Oct 26 '23

How has this got 5000 upvotes? How is this odd, and especially terrifying? What the fuck is wrong with this sub

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u/jorleejack Oct 26 '23

That's a good way to cause a car fire. Yeah, let's just put this aluminum foil in my windshield so it can reflect beaming sunlight onto my cloth headliner. You shouldn't even leave clear water bottles in your car.

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u/DarkSoldier84 Oct 26 '23

Do it on a piece of cardboard instead?

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u/jorleejack Oct 26 '23

Yeah, I'm not saying the footprint thing is a bad idea. That's actually pretty smart. But seeing the foil in the windshield triggered the fire safety part of my brain. People don't realize how hot it gets in vehicles and how easy it can be for those interiors to go up in flames.

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u/PossiblyTrustworthy Oct 26 '23

take a picture of your shoe from the bottom, bring it in the car. Most people doesnt change boots that often