Survival in the mountains. How to survive in the mountains, desert and taiga. Incredible rescue stories (3 photos)

In 2007, two were found in China Russian tourists from a group rafting down the Yurunkas River. They spent more than 20 days without food. All this time, rafters Andrei Pautov and Alexander Zverev had to fight for their lives. They call their salvation nothing less than a miracle.

Tragedy on the Yurunkas River

Alexander Zverev, after being thrown out of a catamaran, found a cave and lived in it for 20 days. According to the tourist, every evening he “struggled not to freeze.” He was wearing a short-sleeve shirt and a light windbreaker, as well as a “miracle helmet,” which, according to Zverev, saved him. “I was thrown onto the rocks. It’s some kind of miracle, God helped...” says the surviving tourist.

Chronicle of the rescue operation

In 2004, the world was shocked by another incredible rescue story. Former hockey player Eric Lemarque became lost in the Sierra Nevada wilderness. He was riding on alpine skiing, but accidentally drove off the ski slope, after which he could not find the way to the ski resort. Lemark lived on pine nuts and needles for a week.

Rescuers found Lemark in the snow. He was conscious, but could barely move. The rescuers were surprised that Lemark was able to survive in such inhuman conditions. Even if we consider that he was in good athletic shape, he was unlikely to survive another night.

Another case miraculous salvation happened in 1994. Then the Italian Mauro Prosperi had to spend nine days in the Sahara Desert.

Prosperi took part in the marathon. Due to a sandstorm, Prosperi lost his way. In the end, he got completely lost and ran in the wrong direction. As a result, he ran out of water and drink. Not wanting to die a long, painful death, Prosperi was going to commit suicide - cutting his wrists. However, this attempt was unsuccessful: the insufficient amount of water in Prosperi’s body led to the fact that the blood quickly thickened and the wounds quickly healed. After 9 days he was found by a nomadic family. Prosperi was taken to an Algerian military camp, and from there to a hospital. In 9 days, Prosperi lost 18 kg.

And in June 1992, 25-year-old Colby Coombs and his friends decided to climb Mount Foraker in Alaska. The friends were almost at their destination when a snowstorm began. The avalanche carried Coombs and his friends down. Coombs regained consciousness 6 hours later. He had two broken cervical vertebrae, a shoulder and an ankle. Both of his friends died.

For the next four days, Coombs stubbornly pushed away thoughts of his dead friends and continued to look for a way down the mountain. “I just had to force myself to keep my eyes open and forget about the pain,” recalls Colby Coombs. Even when he got to his starting point, he still had to walk another five miles and try not to fall into a crevice (he could not be rescued from there).

After many years, Coombs says: "When you get into trouble, any thing that stands in the way of success must be discarded - be it emotion, fear, pain. This is a psychological factor that can interfere with salvation."

In 1971, 17-year-old girl Juliane Diller Köpcke was the only survivor of a plane crash over the Peruvian jungle. The plane was caught in a severe thunderstorm and crashed. At the time of the fall, the girl was fastened to a chair. As a result, she broke her collarbone, injured her right arm, went blind in one eye, but remained alive.

At first, Juliana tried to find her mother, who was flying with her. For 9 days, Juliana wandered through the jungle, trying not to leave the stream, believing that sooner or later it would lead her to civilization. The stream also provided the girl with water. After 9 days, Juliana found a canoe and a shelter in which she hid and waited. Soon the girl was found in this shelter by lumberjacks. The next day she was taken by boat to the nearest station, from where she went by plane to her father.

In the documentary series The Science of Survival Les Strode will travel the world and try to survive alone in the most extreme places planets without food, without water and without a film crew for seven days. Each episode is personally directed by Les Strode himself. His equipment consists only of clothes, a set of video equipment, a harmonica, a multi-tool and, usually, everyday items that a person may have depending on the scenario of a particular episode. For safety reasons, Strode is equipped with a satellite phone. However, Les complained that during the filming of several episodes the phone did not work and he was left completely alone with nature. Les Strode stopped filming the television show after the third season, explaining that each episode of the program required enormous physical effort and sacrifice.

An excellent series of programs with a very interesting survival expert - Les Strode. If you watch the series in the original, you will definitely appreciate the humor and resourcefulness of the host. In addition, Les is an ardent conservationist and professional musician. His short musical performances on the harmonica in the middle of the night in the desert or forest deserve special mention. I recommend it to everyone. Not everyone can spend seven days in complete isolation from civilization, and even film themselves on camera.

Les Strode: The Science of Survival - Mountains.

Mountains- these are vast areas of the earth's surface, raised several thousand meters above sea level and characterized by sharp fluctuations in altitude.

Man has coexisted with mountains throughout history. Routes of trade and communication between peoples, countless wars, and ineradicable curiosity constantly pushed man to search for ways to overcome mountain obstacles, master the specifics of the highlands, and expand his geographical knowledge. Over time, mountains began to be perceived not only as a manifestation of formidable, sometimes deified forces of nature, but also as a source of livelihood.

The climatic and geographical conditions of the highlands differ significantly from the conditions of the plains that are familiar to most people. Weak people don't go to mountains. Living and moving in the mountains is very difficult. The human body must adapt to the features characteristic only of mountains: lack of oxygen and moisture in the air, sudden temperature changes, strong ultraviolet radiation, and extreme brightness of daylight. Moreover, all this is accompanied by significant physical exertion associated with overcoming numerous dangerous areas and great psychological stress.

Steep ascents, steep descents, narrow winding paths, gaps barely covered by fragile snow bridges, treacherous cornices, pebble screes disappearing from under your feet, furrowed with cracks, glaciers create many difficulties. Overcoming them is associated not only with great physical stress, but sometimes with significant risks to health and life.

Therefore, a trek in the mountains requires careful preliminary preparation, assessment of the strength of each member of the group, the quality of hiking equipment, etc. The planned route should be assessed from the point of view of possible natural obstacles and, if necessary, adjusted in order to possibly reduce them, even by lengthening total length transition. The order of movement on the hike is pre-established (mode and speed of transitions, weight of the load being carried and food, water supply, etc.). To prevent fatigue on a hike from setting in prematurely, it is necessary to save energy, spend it sparingly, in proportion to the difficulties of the route.

In the highlands, victims will face approximately the same problems as in high latitudes - a lack of food of plant and animal origin, low air temperatures, the presence of snow cover, lack of fuel for emergency fires, etc. The forest belt provides approximately the same opportunities for survival , as the taiga, etc.

However, there are purely mountain dangers, both threatening the life of a person who has suffered an accident, and themselves capable of causing a disaster.

The most serious risk factors include, first of all, specific mountainous terrain, having a predominantly vertical structure, and the associated increased avalanche danger, rockfalls, serious thunderstorm danger, the possibility of falls from vertical plumbs, and falls.

For example, according to statistics, almost 80% of amateurs died from falls on rocks, avalanches, rockfalls, falls into cracks, collapses of cornices, and lightning strikes. mountain tourism and mountaineering from the total number of victims. And only 20% of the deaths were those who froze, those who died from exhaustion, illness, and other causes.

The next most important threat factor is climate. Bad weather itself rarely causes emergencies (most often it is general hypothermia, which occurs as a result of a sharp drop in temperature, strong wind), but it provokes avalanches, mudflows, rockfalls, makes it difficult to navigate during heavy fogs, rains, and leads to the overflow of mountain rivers, which become extremely dangerous for crossings, strong winds complicate work on rocky terrain, etc.

Oxygen deficiency, caused by rarefied air and beginning to affect itself at altitudes above 2000 m, has a noticeable effect on people’s performance, their attention, reaction, and psychological stability.

A significant number of accidents in the mountains are associated with crossing mountain rivers, with underestimation of strength water flow and low water temperatures. Hence, it is very important, especially in the event of an accident, to take a serious approach to crossing even the smallest and seemingly safe water obstacles.

The general strategy for survival in the mountains comes down to the fastest possible descent from high mountain areas to safer mid-mountain and foothills (although there are exceptions here, for example, in case of fire it is better to climb snowy slopes and glaciers).

In this case, you should always prefer the return route, moving along a known, previously covered route. Walking in the mountains at random in order to shorten the path is unacceptable, as this can only lead to aggravation of the situation of those affected by disaster. Mandatory safety measures when conducting mountain trips include: the ability to organize reliable self- and mutual insurance on dangerous sections of the route, to build Various types frame fabric and especially snow shelters, navigate.


Particular attention should be paid to the ability to give a distress signal and organize the reception of a rescue helicopter, since rescue operations involving aviation are most common in the mountainous regions of the country. You can read more about traveling in high altitudes and the associated dangers in widely circulated tourist or mountaineering literature, in specialized magazines and newspapers.

The only thing I will mention is the use of ropes for self-organization and mutual protection. Again, not from the point of view of mountaineering, but of survival. Moreover, in a situation where it is necessary to overcome a dangerous section of terrain, not without the risk of falling from a height of several tens of meters, a person may find himself not only in the mountains.


For ropes used in mountaineering, there are their own GOST standards, strictly defined and no less strictly enforced. Still would! They have to trust their own lives. Here hack work is at your own expense. In an emergency, ropes that meet all quality standards may simply not be available.

Therefore, in exceptional cases, when it is impossible to bypass an obstacle, the use of improvised ropes is permissible. They can even be made from natural materials. But I do not dare publish these recommendations that I know of, for fear of liability for possible misfortunes associated with their failure.

In any case, before using all the ropes you have as insurance, you need to check them with double, or better yet, triple load, including for breaking. If you have to hang on it alone, do the same, but in safe place, two or three.

For example, hook onto a high branch on a tree and, grasping everything together, jump from a height of 2 - 3 m, strongly pulling the rope on which you are hanging. Then carefully inspect the rope along its entire length to see if there are any broken fibers, ties, deformations, etc. defects.

But even if this rope has passed the test, it must be used extremely carefully, constantly monitoring its condition. When belaying with a random rope, you should try to keep it tight, thereby reducing possible breaking loads.

I repeat once again - the tactics of climbing belay in the case of using a non-standard rope can only be used to a very truncated extent. This equally applies to overcoming vertical obstacles in general.

Where the climber walks, you better crawl; where he boldly releases 10 m of rope, you are better off limiting yourself to two; where he rates an obstacle as moderately easy, you would be better off finding it particularly difficult; and finally, where he goes up the mountain (that’s why he’s a climber), you better look for workarounds.

The last one is the most reasonable. And the rope can be used for making fabric shelters, fishing, drying clothes and other household needs. It won't be useless.

Abseiling from steep slopes on a rope is only permissible in cases where all other possibilities have been exhausted. To do this, the rope is wound around a support (stone, tree), stretched to the middle and so, in a double form, passed through the leg and shoulder (see figure).


After lowering, the rope is carefully, without jerking, pulled out at one end until it is completely released. Before you go on a risky journey down a slope, you should practice somewhere safe.

The same rope can be turned into a more or less reliable safety harness, necessary when moving along steep slopes and working on plumbs. In addition to ropes, you can use ribbons cut from strong fabric. One of the options for an improvised harness is shown in the figure.

In any case, primitive harnesses made from random materials cannot be considered a full replacement for natural ones made using technologies described in specialized literature. It is permissible to use a primitive harness only for simple belays and low altitudes, having previously tested it for rupture and self-tightening. The latter is extremely important, since chest straps that spontaneously tighten when falling from a height can cause serious injuries to a person.

When traveling on steep mountain slopes Victims must be prepared for the fact that at any next moment they may slip or trip and fall. Moreover, we must remember that any fall in the mountains can be fraught with a subsequent multi-hundred-meter flight into the abyss, if it is not stopped at the very beginning, while the sliding speed is still low. In tourism this action is defined by the term "self-arrest".

On grassy slopes and screes, self-restraint should be carried out by resting against the surface of the slope with the lower end (bayonet) of an ice ax, alpenstock, or a strong, pointed and fire-burnt stick that replaces them. When sliding begins, you should roll over onto your stomach, spread your legs slightly and, thereby increasing the area of ​​friction, stop.

If this is not enough, you need to rest against the slope with an alpenstock, a stick, or, in extreme cases, a knife. If you fall on an ice slope, you must cut the beak of an ice ax or some similar sharp object (axe, knife) into the ice and do not release the pressure until you stop.

To descend and ascend mountain slopes, it is best for people who do not have mountain training to use improvised rope ladders. A rope ladder is the most convenient and affordable piece of climbing equipment for victims of disaster, as it does not require special skills to use.

Rope ladders can be either traditional - two ropes 20-30 cm apart, connected by wooden crossbars, or unconventional - single-rope with loops connected from the same or a different rope.

In the absence of a suitable tree, you can get by with just a rope, tying loops of steps along its entire length. Rope ladders are more convenient, where the knots on the loops are increased due to additional weaving with rope. Such “steps” provide greater support to the leg.

Considering that the basis of any mountain traveler's equipment is a rope, here are a few drawings that show: how to mark a rope into a coil that is easy to carry and store; how to make a thick rope from several thin ones by twisting or weaving; how to splice ropes of the same and different thicknesses.


I will not go into more detail in the chapter on mountain self-rescue, for the simple reason that, unlike, for example, a sea emergency, taiga or even desert, an ordinary person cannot easily get into a high-altitude emergency.

To do this, at a minimum, he will have to purchase specific mountain equipment and learn how to use it, for which he will have to go to a mountaineering section for consultations or read special literature. That is, you are forced to undergo, in one form or another, preliminary training, which will be much more effective than my theoretical recommendations.

"School of survival in case of accidents and natural disasters"
Andrey Ilyin.

Winter transition
Average speeds of movement on snow without skis are: 2 km/h - with a snow cover thickness of 30-50 cm; 1 km/h - with a thickness of 50-70 cm; 0.5 km/h - with a thickness of more than 70 cm. On smooth, dense crust, walking speed can reach 5-6 km/h. Therefore, without skis, it is better to move in open areas, where frost and wind have formed a reliable crust. In addition, such an area has a number of advantages: it is easier to install a reliable block shelter here, it is easier to navigate the space and, finally, there is a greater chance of meeting people and housing. Hunting lodges, lodges, forestry lodges, dachas are extremely rarely placed in dense forests, but most often on open place, near reservoirs, on the edge.

Determine in advance the group’s movement tactics - approximate speed, stopping times, placement of people in the column. Everyone walking should know how far they have to walk today, how long the rest is planned, who is walking ahead and behind. This will allow us to organize mutual insurance and mutual assistance. The movement should be a group movement, not an individual one.

You have to walk in deep snow in a chain, trail after trail. The person walking ahead makes a path, compacts and tramples down the snow. He should take small steps, comfortable for those walking behind him. The most experienced and powerful people close and open the column. The speed of the group is determined based on the speed available to the weakest. There is no point in pushing and pushing. Through force, a person is able to walk for several hours, or at best, a day. The next day, exhausted, he won’t get through even half of what he could. Another thing is that it is possible to equalize the strength of the participants in a hike by redistributing the load: the weak go light, the hardy go with equipment. Then the average speed of the group actually increases.

And now - the main rule of any emergency crossing. It sounds short: don't take risks! In tourism, unjustified risk in itself poses a threat. In an emergency, it increases the danger tenfold. If an emergency on the route puts the group on the brink of an accident, then an emergency in an emergency situation often deprives people of hope for salvation. Therefore, in an emergency, be especially careful and careful.

Speed ​​is not the most important thing when recovering from an accident. And therefore never choose short but dangerous paths. Any injury will reduce your movement speed. It is better to travel a long and difficult path than to find yourself in a hopeless situation.

Do not risk moving in bad weather or in the dark. It is safest when the bulk of the day's journey occurs in the morning.

If you have the slightest doubt about the safety of the crossing, change the route. If there is a dangerous area in front of you, arrange insurance, calculate your strength, and do not rely on chance. And do not try to quickly pass through the danger zone.

Avoid movements associated with risk: you can cross or even crawl over an obstacle - do not jump; You can get around - don't storm.

Don’t lose things on the way and don’t forget things at rest stops. Distribute all equipment and personally assign it to each participant. Before traveling, it’s a good idea to check its safety every time. Take special care of your clothes. There is physical work ahead - take off all warm clothes so that they do not get wet. Try to avoid overexertion and heavy sweating. Wet clothing will no longer protect you.

Don't overwork yourself. The step should be measured and calm. Fast movement requires significant energy expenditure (and therefore increased nutrition). Constantly calculate your strength and learn to fight fatigue before it comes. When you feel tired, take a break. Don't try to rest on your feet. You can't rest while standing. And do not stay in the cold and wind without moving for more than 5-8 minutes. Rest comfortably: near a hot fire or in a safe shelter.

In an emergency, what is important is not the ability to walk quickly, but endurance: the ability to cover the greatest possible distance with the least amount of effort.

But never, under any circumstances, despair! No matter how severe the frost and wind are, no matter how hopeless your situation may seem, fight, believe in salvation. It is not the weak who die, but the desperate. A person who has not lost his presence of mind, who knows what and how to do in any situation, is able to overcome fate. He is stronger than the elements.

How to protect yourself from the cold


The most important task of accident victims is to insulate their feet (see P.I. Lukoyanov, 1988; Yu.A. Sturmer, 1972; V.G. Volovich, 1989). In the vast majority of cases, frostbite occurs in the lower extremities. And their chronic hypothermia leads to colds (even pneumonia). How to avoid cold injuries?

The first way is to have enough spare socks. If you don't have them, use sleeves cut from a sweater, large woolen mittens, or pant legs from spare pants. A good replacement for socks is foot wraps made from unwanted clothes or any other material. From the same cut off sleeves and trouser legs, you can make improvised gaiters that will protect your shoes from snow getting into them. To prevent the gaiters from riding up when walking in deep snow, you need to attach small rope straps to them and pass them under the sole.

Ordinary plastic bags will also help protect your socks from getting wet and your feet from hypothermia. Sew 3-4 large plastic bags into the inner pocket of your storm jacket in advance. And for packaging products, choose bulky polyethylene containers - they will come in handy!

It is best to wear a plastic bag between two socks - this will protect the film from rubbing and mechanical damage. Of course, in such a “hermetic” package, the foot sweats and the sock may become slightly damp after a few hours, but in water and in deep snow the feet will not get wet through.

If there are no bags, cut a rectangular strip from a large piece of polyethylene, a cape, an awning, or a bivouac bag and wrap it around your leg like a footcloth.

A good insulation material is ordinary newspaper. They wrap the leg in two or three layers and secure it with a thin sock put on top. But in any case, no matter what kind of insulation you use, your foot should feel free in the shoes! If there is strong pressure, no socks will save you from frostbite!

The best way to protect your shoes from snow is with shoe covers. In an unforeseen situation, you can make them yourself from excess outerwear, covers from sleeping bags and tents, cut backpacks or any other durable material.

In an emergency situation, it is very important to inspect your shoes daily and, if you find even minor damage, to repair them. Losing your shoes in winter can cost your life. And at the same time, do not lose heart if trouble happens and you are left without shoes. Wrap your legs in any warm clothes, then with a thicker cloth and tie it all together with a rope or belt. Try making a sole from a piece of bark. Be courageous and inventive - there are known cases when people in trouble replaced lost shoes with ordinary ear flaps and walked considerable distances.

And now the prevention of frostbite on open areas of the body.

The face freezes the fastest. A windproof mask made of fabric or even thick cardboard with slits for the eyes will help to avoid frostbite on your face. The upper edge of the mask is pressed against the forehead with a hat, the lower edge is tucked under the collar of a storm jacket or sweater. If there is no mask and there is nothing to make one from, constantly rub the whitened areas of the skin. To protect hands, mittens-bags are sewn.

In frosty weather and strong winds, you must constantly monitor your condition! Rub exposed areas with a soft cloth, or at least with a dry hand. Inexperienced people try to rub snow on their skin. Do not do that. This method is dangerous! You can increase hypothermia and damage your skin from ice crystals.

How to warm your face? Do several deep bends forward or walk for some distance with a strong bend at the waist to get the blood flowing to your head. The fingers and toes are warmed with wide, sharp swings of the straight limbs, “driving” the blood into the capillaries (Abalakov’s method, see V.A. Abalakov, 1958). Try, leaning on ski poles or a tree stuck in the snow, and swing your leg back and forth, like a pendulum. The wider and more energetic the swing, the faster the warming occurs. Usually 40-50 movements are enough. When warming up is accompanied by severe pain in the fingertips, as if boiling water had been splashed on the skin, this means that the fingers are “coming back to life.”

So, there are many ways to prevent freezing of hands, feet, face, etc. (see V.G. Volovich, 1989; V.N. Sheinis, 1963; P.I. Lukoyanov, 1988, etc.). Use them actively and remember that avoiding freezing is much easier than warming up a frozen person and warming up yourself. Much more dangerous than local frostbite is general hypothermia of the body. In these cases, you need to act immediately - every missed minute can be costly. Overwork, malnutrition, and blood loss contribute to freezing.

In case of hypothermia, it is better to provide first aid to the victim in a warm room: a hunting hut, a heated tent. After undressing, wrap him in towels soaked in hot water or any thin cloth. If there is not enough material, cover at least the head, neck, armpits, chest, groin and abdomen. When the fabric cools down, it is immediately changed to warm. And you shouldn’t wrap a frozen person in blankets if the room is warm enough - at first they only isolate the hypothermic body from the effects of warm air. Do not try to speed up warming by placing the victim near hot pipes, hot stones, a fire, or a stove. Heating should only be gradual and uniform. If certain parts of the frozen person’s body overheat significantly, this can lead to death.

The rescuers' task becomes more difficult when there are no warm rooms nearby. Then, after removing wet, icy clothes and shoes from the victim, try to warm him up with your body heat. You can warm the victim with the heat of two bodies at the same time. A frozen person, no matter how warm the clothes he is wearing, cannot warm up on his own. Place him on your lap so that his back is in close contact with your chest. And the fewer layers of clothing separate the bodies, the larger the contact area, the more effective the warming will be. The victim and the rescuer are wrapped on all sides with blankets, clothes, covered with cloth, plastic bivouac bags and awnings. Without hesitation, free participants in the hike build large fires, preferably “nodya”, boil water, and build reliable snow shelters in treeless areas. After warming up, give the victim hot tea, coffee, cocoa, if there is no nausea and vomiting, feed him and put him to bed (under the mandatory supervision of the person on duty).

And finally, a little theory.

Skin reactions to cold

The first stage is blanching. Under the influence of cold, arteries and capillaries narrow, blood flow decreases. The skin turns pale and its temperature drops. The muscles of the hair follicles contract and the so-called “goose bumps” appear - a sign of primary chills. With goose bumps, the secretion of sweat glands, water exchange and blood flow (from the internal organs to the surface of the skin) are slowed down (the skin is drier, the blood is in the internal organs), therefore, there is less heat loss from the body.

The second stage is redness. Exposed areas of the body can adapt to moderate cooling. Cooling is accompanied by dilation of blood vessels, a rush of blood, and for a long time a person does not seem to feel the cold.

The third stage is cyanosis. Chills appear - thermoregulation mechanisms do not provide the body with sufficient heat. The skin turns pale, acquires a bluish tint, and the lips turn blue.

Daily energy expenditure consists of energy expenditure for basal metabolism, digestion, absorption, transport and assimilation of food, work and rest of the body. At the same time, various organs act as energy suppliers: the main source of thermal energy is muscles (under intense load - 90, under normal conditions - 65-70 percent of heat), the second is the liver and digestive tract (20-30% of heat).

The body's adaptive reactions manifest themselves primarily in reducing energy expenditure by reducing metabolic rate: increasing oxidative processes and spending internal energy reserves. The reserves are impressive. For a body weight of 70 kg - 15 kg of fat fiber (141,000 kcal), 6 kg of muscle protein (24,000 kcal), 0.225 kg of muscle and liver glycogen (300 kcal), which amounts to an energy reserve of 165,900 kcal. It is physiologically acceptable to spend 40-45% of this amount. With an average daily energy expenditure of 1800 kcal (resting state), these reserves should be enough for 30-40 days of complete fasting. However, nitrogen losses that are irreplaceable in this case (25 g per day) limit the specified period by half (see V.G. Volovich, 1989).

Energy consumption also increases due to increased heat transfer. For example, the heat transfer from the body of a person who is motionless in windless weather is 0.85 kcal/min. At a wind speed of 0.5 m/s, heat transfer doubles, reaching 1.9 kcal/min; at a wind of 1 m/s, heat transfer is 2.3 kcal/min, at 1.5 - 2.8; 2 - 3.2; 3 - 3.5; 4 - 4.2, and at 10 m/s - 6.5 kcal/min. Energy consumption when walking on flat terrain at a speed of 4-4.5 km/h arctic conditions are 442 kcal/h, for comparison: in a temperate climate - 227 kcal/h. When digging snow, energy consumption reaches 670 kcal/h.

How to protect yourself from a bear

The manuals for survival in extreme conditions, used in the preparation of sabotage groups consisting of commando thugs, especially emphasize: never mess with bears!

It is advisable not to use bear trails when moving through the taiga and tundra.

If in the spring, when there is still snow, you come across the trail of a brown bear, turn back or try to go around the place where the animal is supposed to be located in open areas.

When you come close to a bear, do not look him in the eye or look at him closely at all.

If a brown bear notices a person and does not flee, but, on the contrary, shows curiosity, you should try to drive the animal away by shouting, using your voice...

You should know that, contrary to popular belief, a bear standing on its hind legs is not aggressive. He simply gets up to take a good look at the surrounding area to confirm what his good sense of smell and keen hearing have already told him.

Remember that an unexpected and close (less than 5-7 meters) meeting with a bear often provokes the animal to attack. Therefore, it is better to avoid such encounters, knowingly notifying the bear of your approach.

If you unexpectedly see a bear sleeping or eating prey...

If you unexpectedly come across a bear near its prey, then, first of all, remain calm! Show the bear that you didn't come to steal his food...

Stand up straight and make your presence known by speaking loudly...

If the distance is small, then a bear disturbed on prey in most cases goes on the attack!

No matter how undesirable it may be for you to meet a single bear on the trail, meeting a group of these animals is even more undesirable...

While protecting the cub, the bear will not scare you; she will try to kill you.

If the bear did not notice you, then it is better to leave as quietly as possible. If for some reason this is impossible, then you should clap your hands or make noise to the animal in some way. A good shot in the air helps in this situation.

If the bear begins to approach you, this does not mean aggression on its part. Bears are blind and often the animal approaches simply to either examine an incomprehensible silhouette, or comes into the wind to pick up your scent. As a rule, these approaches end with the bear quickly moving away as soon as it realizes that there is a person in front of it.

You can drive away an approaching bear or a bear that, while maintaining a distance, stubbornly follows you, you can use loud and sharp sounds, for example, hitting a mug against a pot, or, in extreme cases, against a mug.

Attention! Only special concentrated pepper-based aerosols are effective against bears...

Any other compositions (CS, CN, etc.), as well as low concentration pepper compositions designed for defense against humans, have almost no effect on large predators.

You need to know that the bear is usually also not sure about the need to attack you, he is afraid of you.

Even throws in your direction are most often an imitation of an attack, designed to force you to leave. Do not show signs of aggression towards the bear, do not throw stones or sticks at the bear...

If this doesn't help and the bear attacks...

If you have a can of pepper spray, then spray it right in front of the bear’s face, preferably directing the stream into the eyes and mouth of the animal...

If you were unable to distract the bear and you do not have a balloon, then lie down on the ground in the fetal position or on your stomach. Close your hands around your neck and protect your head. Play dead. There are many known cases where attacking bears lost all interest in a motionless person. Do not move, even if it seems to you that the bear is not looking at you, or that it is moving away. He continues to watch you closely. It's better to wait until he actually leaves. This will happen the sooner the more still you are.

If, despite all these measures, the bear begins to torment or gnaw you, then fight back.

Don't be afraid of pain, at this moment you won't feel it.

The main thing for you is to save lives, and for this you need to stop the bear’s attack. Try to hit him as painfully as possible. Don't expect to inflict a fatal blow on him, hit him in the eyes, if you have a knife, then hit him with a knife, aim for the eye...

The main thing to remember is that in the most seemingly desperate situation, there is a chance, albeit not a big one, and your life depends on how you manage this chance.

Yes, in hand-to-hand combat with a bear, there’s really nothing more to remember...

If you have a firearm, do not rush to use it.

Using the wrong weapon can only aggravate a conflict situation rather than save you.

It is best to shoot at an attacking bear at the shortest distance - no more than five meters, when the chances of missing him are minimized. Never shoot an attacking animal in the head. Try to keep your cool. Remember - composure will save your life!

Cleaning dishes with wood ash or how to get soap in the forest?


Survival experts advise using Natural resources

During a large-scale disaster or simply while relaxing in nature, we often try to do everything the traditional way, like at home. However, what works well in a civilized society is not always suitable for survival in extreme situations, when usual resources are limited or do not exist at all.

Consider the daily routine of cleaning utensils after meals. There is no doubt that properly cleaning your mess kit is an important task during survival. When it comes to foods that come into direct contact with utensils, lack of proper hygiene can put you out of business in a very short time.

FREE ACCESS TO SOAP IS LIMITED

In an extreme survival situation, you will always be short of soap. It takes up space and adds extra weight to an outfit in which every cubic inch should be used only for the most essential items. This is especially true when walking: the less you carry, the better for you.

When practicing outdoor survival skills, I typically don't bring soap with me to clean my eating utensils. To save space and weight, I prefer to forego any soap in favor of a mixture of water, sand and dirt that can be used to rub the dishes and thus get rid of food residues. Of course, rubbing with sand helps to get rid of residual food products, but this method cannot completely remove fats. As a result, the dishes will wear out much faster.

USE WOOD ASH TO WASH DISHES

Wood ash has been used for centuries as a source of lye in the soap making process. When lye made from wood ash is mixed with fats and oils, a chemical reaction occurs and the end result is what we call soap.

Lye is a consistency of ash infused with water. Mainly composed of potassium and sodium carbonates. Has highly alkaline reactions. The lye in the ecovillage is used for bathing and washing. Unlike various detergents sold in stores, this substance is completely natural! From this word comes the name of the class of chemical compounds of alkali.
Cold method of preparing lye:

Fill 2/3 of the bucket with wood ash
add water and stir
remove large debris and leave for three days (do not stir anymore)
A clear liquid will remain in the upper half of the bucket - this is lye (soapy to the touch).
If you wash with highly concentrated lye, the clothes will wear out quickly. To do this, you need to dilute the lye with water (about 1/10).

Only well-diluted lye can be used to wash your hair and body!

If you have wood ash and grease or oil (in your dirty dishes), then you have soap!

HOW TO USE WOOD ASH AS SOAP

Before moving on to a detailed description of the process of using wood ash as soap, I want to emphasize the importance of following one rule: wash dishes far from a water source. Do not pollute water that other people, animals, or even yourself can use during survival.

Follow these basic steps to clean your dining equipment. The description is quite verbose, but in practice everything turns out to be simple:

Before you start cleaning dishes with wood ash, you need to keep in mind:
Wood ash should not contain any leftover plastics, food or other debris that has been burned in a fire; these substances can be quite toxic. To ensure clean wood ash, make sure you are not using a fire pit that may have burned anything other than wood. You may have to light a fire in a fresh place.
Water is a valuable resource that is easily polluted. Try not to wash anything closer than 60-70 meters from a water source.
Water for washing dishes must be free of pathogenic organisms.
Wood ash lye can make your hands dry if left for a while. Be sure to use gloves or rinse your hands in clean water after cleaning your equipment using this method.
Do not use wood ash to wash your body or equipment that cannot withstand harsh soapy solutions.
Ash from hardwood trees is better suited for making soap than ash from softwood trees.
Allow the fire to burn down enough so that you can easily remove the ashes.
Choose the greasy pot. If the food scraps are not very greasy, you can make the soap making process easier by adding a small amount of fat or oil to the pot. Anything will do: butter, margarine, olive oil, animal fat, etc. A few drops will be enough.
Add a few cups of ash to the pan. If a few pieces of charcoal get into the solution and mix with ash, then this is only beneficial, since the charcoal will promote cleaning. Usually, I carefully add a few hot coals from the fire to heat the water as well (see next step).
Dilute the ash with enough warm water to form a paste. Since you are cleaning dishes that will come into contact with food, you must be sure that the water does not contain disease-causing organisms. You can boil the water immediately or add coals to the pot as mentioned above. Hot coals should bring the liquid to a high temperature, etc. make water safe.
Hot water will create potassium salt from the wood ash, which will mix with the fats or oils in leftover food. This will form a crude soap that will remove dirt and grease from your kitchen utensils.
When the water and ash paste have cooled sufficiently, spread it all over the bowl and leave for a few minutes. At this time, a chemical reaction will take place, which will turn wood ash into soap.
Wipe the dirt off your dishes.
Rinse with clean water.

WOOD AND SAVINGS

When surviving, I prefer to make the most of natural resources. This approach reduces the weight and bulk of your gear and also saves you some money.

Since wood is always available in my area and open fires are not prohibited, I use a wood stove (potbelly stove) for cooking. Advantages of wood over other types of fuel:

No need to buy
No need to carry it with you
Huge reserves in almost every corner of the planet
During cooking, the wood burns and turns into ash, which is then used for washing dishes.
Thus, wood is not only free fuel, but also an excellent source of soap during survival.

Autonomous existence in the taiga

There are many cases where people, having gone to the taiga, but not having sufficient experience, unfamiliar with local conditions, easily lose their way and, having lost their orientation, find themselves in distress. But often a person, lost in the taiga, finds himself in the grip of fear and confusion.

How should a person behave when lost in the forest? Having lost his orientation, he must immediately stop moving and try to restore it using a compass or using various natural signs. If this cannot be done, the best thing to do is to organize a temporary parking lot, build a shelter from scrap materials, build a fire, replenish food supplies from nature’s pantry and wait for help to arrive.

Having made this decision, it is necessary to find a suitable site for the future camp. Right choice space will allow you to avoid many unnecessary inconveniences in the future. First of all, it must be dry. Although it is not easy to find such a site, especially in moss forests, where the ground is covered with a continuous carpet of sphagnum, which greedily absorbs water (500 parts of water to 1 part of dry matter), the time spent on the search will more than pay off. You won’t have to constantly dry wet clothes and shoes, and shiver at night from the chilly dampness.

It is best to locate yourself near a stream or rivulet, in an open place, so that you always have a supply of water at hand. In addition, the cool breeze that constantly blows during the night hours will better protection from the attack of hordes of midges than repellents and smoky fires.

Temporary shelter can be a canopy, hut, or dugout. The choice of shelter type will depend on the skills, abilities, hard work and, of course, the physical condition of the people, since there is no shortage of building materials. However, the harsher the weather, the more reliable and warm the home should be.

For ease of placement, each group member should have approximately 1.5 square meters of space. When starting construction, the required amount of materials should be prepared in advance. Of course, all construction work will be greatly simplified if there is an ax among the property.

However, this ordinary object in the hands inexperienced person may cause serious injury. That is why, when working with an ax, you must adhere to some mandatory rules. First of all, you should check how securely the ax blade is attached to the handle.

If it dangles or slides, you need to secure it with a wedge-shaped spacer made of hard wood. The ax handle should not have cracks, otherwise it may break off during chopping. The ax must be well sharpened. When using a dull ax, it requires the use of more force, and thereby reduces the accuracy of strikes.

Having chosen a suitable tree, you need to remove the lower branches and clear the base of the trunk of bushes and tall grass. Then, having stood in a comfortable position, so that both legs have a strong support, the first notch is made at a height of 30 - 40 cm from the ground on the side where the tree should fall (preferably from the side of the natural slope).

Having deepened the notch to half the thickness of the trunk, apply several blows from the opposite side, just above the notch made. If the ax handle is short, you need to chop while kneeling. After finishing the work, the blade should be thoroughly wiped with a rag and stuck into a dry log or stump.

It is not recommended to use freshly cut wood for this purpose. The ax must be carried in a case and must be carried so that its blade faces away from the body. This will prevent injury if a person unexpectedly falls.

Construction of shelters

In the warm season, you can limit yourself to building a simple canopy. Two one and a half meter stakes as thick as an arm with forks at the end are driven into the ground at a distance of 2.0 - 2.5 m from each other. A thick pole is placed on the forks - a supporting beam. 4-5 poles are leaned against it at an angle of 45 - 60° and secured with rope or flexible branches.

3-4 rafter poles are tied to them parallel to the ground. On the rafters, starting from the bottom, tiled, i.e. so that each subsequent layer covers the underlying one by about half, spruce branches, branches with dense foliage or bark are laid. Bedding is made from spruce branches or dry moss.

The canopy is dug in with a shallow ditch to prevent water from flowing into it in case of rain (see picture). A gable hut is more convenient for living. It is built according to the same rules, but in this case the poles are laid on both sides of the supporting beam. The front part of the hut serves as the entrance, and the back part is covered with one or two poles and braided with spruce branches.

Before starting construction, the necessary materials are prepared in the required quantity - branches, beams, spruce branches, bark, etc. To obtain pieces of bark of the required size, deep vertical cuts are made on the larch trunk (to the wood) at a distance of 0.5 - 0 .6 m from each other. Then these strips are cut from above and below with large teeth 10 - 12 centimeters in diameter and the bark is carefully torn off with an ax or knife.

For several people it is better to build a so-called wigwam, or tent. Having prepared eight poles 3 - 5 m long and 8 - 10 cm thick and sharpened at the thick end, install them in the form of a cone, carefully tying them together with slings or rope. The parachute sheet is tied from above to the ninth free pole and with its help the awning is pulled onto the frame.

The frame poles are carefully pushed apart in an imaginary circle until the fabric is stretched, and then its lower edge is secured to the ground using stakes and guy lines from slings.

If the snow cover is high, a “snow trench” can be dug at the foot of a large tree (see picture).

The top of the trench is covered with a tarpaulin or parachute fabric, and the bottom is lined with several layers of spruce branches. As soon as the construction is completed, you should take care of the fire.

Making a fire

A fire in conditions of autonomous existence is not only warmth and light, it is dry clothes and hot water from melted ice and snow, protection from midges and an excellent signal for a search aircraft. But, most importantly, a fire is an accumulator of vivacity, energy and activity.

Before starting a fire, you need to prepare some fuel. To light a fire, use dry twigs, which are planed so that the shavings remain on them in the form of a “collar.” Thin wood chips, split dry bark (preferably birch), and dried moss are placed on top.

Fuel is added to the fire little by little. As the flame increases, larger branches can be placed. They must be laid one at a time, loosely, to ensure good air access. If you forget about this, even a hot burning fire can “suffocate.” But before starting a fire, you should take all measures to prevent a forest fire. This is especially important in dry, hot seasons.

A place for a fire is chosen away from coniferous, and especially dried out, trees. Thoroughly clear the area about a meter and a half around of dry grass, moss and bushes. If the soil is peaty, then to prevent fire from penetrating through the grass cover and causing the peat to ignite, a “cushion” of sand or earth is poured.

In winter, when the snow cover is high, the snow is carefully trampled down, and then a platform is built from several tree trunks. Anyone who has read Jack London's story "The Bonfire" will never forget how dangerous it is to make a fire under a large tree. Snow accumulated on branches can easily collapse, extinguishing the fire. This mistake cost the life of the hero of the story.

There are many types of fires that are used depending on their purpose. For example, for cooking and drying clothes, a “hut” fire is most convenient, producing a large, even flame. A “star” of 5 - 8 star-shaped dry trunks is suitable for this purpose. They are set on fire in the center and moved as they burn.

For warmth during overnight stays or in cold weather, 3-4 thinner stems are fanned out on a thick trunk. Such a fire is called “taiga”. For heating for a long time they use a “nodya” fire. Two dry trunks are laid one on top of the other and secured at the ends on both sides with stakes. Wedges are inserted between the trunks and kindling is placed in the gap. As the wood burns, the ash and ash are cleaned off from time to time.

When leaving the parking lot, smoldering coals must be carefully extinguished by filling them with water or covering them with earth.

To make a fire in the absence of matches or a lighter, you can use one of the methods that have long been known to mankind before their invention.

If you have some hard rock at hand, it can be used as flint; the flint will be the butt of an ax or machete knife, or a piece of steel. Fire is struck by sliding strikes of flint on flint, keeping them as close as possible to tinder - crushed dry leaves or dried moss, cotton wool, etc.

making fire by friction Civilized people are very skeptical about making fire by friction. Nevertheless, this method, if the relevant rules are strictly followed, always promises success. For this purpose, a bow, a drill and a support are made: a bow - from a meter-long trunk of a young birch or hazel tree 2 - 3 cm thick and a piece of rope as a bowstring; drill - from a 25 - 30 cm pine stick as thick as a pencil, pointed at one end; support - from a dry log of hardwood (birch, oak, etc.).

The support is cleared of bark and a hole 1 - 1.5 cm deep is drilled with a knife. The drill, wrapped once with a bowstring, is inserted with its sharp end into the hole, around which tinder is laid. Then, pressing the drill with the palm of your left hand, with your right hand you quickly move the bow back and forth perpendicular to the drill.

To avoid damaging the palm, place a pad made of a piece of fabric, tree bark, or put on a glove between it and the drill. As soon as the tinder begins to smolder, it must be fanned and placed in kindling prepared in advance.

On a cloudless day, fire can be made using a burning glass by focusing the sun's rays on a piece of paper or cotton wool. The lenses of a camera, glasses, or binoculars can serve as burning glass. You can make a lens from two watch glasses, if you fold them with the convex side outward and, filling the space between them with water, cover the edges with clay.

"Man in extreme environmental conditions"
V.G. Volovich

Making primitive tools

Hit the cobblestone with a hard, smooth stone to create a flat surface.
The blow should be struck at an angle of less than 90°.

Treat the chip with blows from another stone (a), then make a platform (b) on one side, by striking which you can knock off a series of vertical plates (c).

Then, using softer stones, bones, or a piece of hard wood, hammer out small pieces to be used as scrapers, cutting tools, arrowheads, and spears.

Bone tools.

Bones and antlers can be used to make useful tools: diggers, chisels and hammers.
Carve them with stone tools or sharpen them on rough stones.

The shoulder blade makes a good saw(s).
First, split it in half and then use a knife to cut out the teeth on it.
You can also make a small bone scraper with a sharp edge (b).
The ribs make good incisors or awls (c).

To make a bone needle, select a bone of the appropriate size and sharpen it.
Burn the ear with a piece of hot wire or scratch the hole with the tip of a knife or a sharp piece of flint. Do not heat the knife blade in a fire.

Axes

axes To make an ax handle, you should use any hard wood that does not have cracks or knots.
The butt ridges-buttresses of some trees are ideal for this purpose.

The wood in these areas is slightly curved, has a straight grain structure and is easy to work.
On the butt buttress, make two cuts located at the required distance from one another (b, c).

Hit the wooden comb right next to the cutouts: the piece of wood you marked will break off to their depth.

Impaling an axe.

mounting an ax Plane the resulting piece of wood to give it the shape of an axe, and make a cut for a wedge at one end of it.

Having put the ax on the handle, drive a wedge into the cut, then put the ax in water overnight so that the wood of the ax swells - this will ensure a tighter fit of the ax.
Always check that the ax fits tightly on the ax handle.

Fitting a stone axe.

Make an ax handle from hardwood. Tie it with a rope at a distance of 20-25 cm from one of the ends. Using a knife or wedge, split the ax handle down to where it is tied.

Insert a flint ax into the split and tie the ax handle with a rope on top.

Sharpening an axe.

Sharpening an ax Use a file to remove burrs, and use a whetstone to straighten the edge. Remember that a file is a tool that works by moving away from you, not towards you.

Secure the ax between the log and the stake driven into the ground (a). To avoid the formation of burrs, always sharpen in the direction from the blade to the butt.

First of all, remove the burrs with a file or a rough stone (b). Finish with a fine-grained stone, making circular movements (c). Turn the ax over and repeat the sharpening process on the other side.

Using an axe.

Holding the ax firmly in your hands, perform sweeping chopping movements, always directed away from the body, arms and legs.
Be careful not to let the ax hit you or anyone else if you miss your target. Never throw an ax on the ground - put it in a case or stick it into a log.

Forest felling

felling forest Check that there are no dry branches or hornet nests overhead. Trim creepers and branches that might interfere with the work, deflecting or weakening the blows of the axe. Cut off the branches on the side opposite the cut.

Cut the tree from both sides: first make one cut at a 45" angle, then another on the opposite side below the first - this is where the tree(s) will fall.

When you start cutting down the tree from the other side, the first cut should not be deeper than the middle of the trunk.
A tree with most branches remaining on only one side of the trunk will fall in that direction, regardless of the location of the cuts.

Work at a constant pace. If you apply too much force to the axe, you will get tired very quickly. Alternating the angles of striking will avoid the ax getting jammed in the cut.

An angle that is too steep causes the ax to bounce, and strikes at right angles cause the ax to jam in the barrel and are ineffective. Strike at a 45° angle.

Log cutting.

cutting logs Position yourself in front of the log, place your feet wider than your shoulders.
Cut the side of the log(s) farthest from you. Do not strike at right angles (b).

To cut a thin log, place one end of it on another log (c).
Do not place your foot on it under any circumstances.

Broken axes.

broken ax handles An ax handle breaks when the ax misses the target and the blow lands directly on the ax handle. To remove a piece of handle from an axe, place it in a fire and cover the blade with earth to prevent the metal from releasing - a regular ax (b), a double-edged ax (c).

Using a string saw.

Using a string saw Always use this saw so that the cut opens (a) rather than closes (b), jamming the string.
Make sure that when working, the saw is in a tensioned position (c) in the same plane as the cut, but try not to place it at an angle (d).

When working together, maintain a constant rhythm. If the saw twists, forming a loop (e), then it may break if moved carelessly.

Typically, one person can cut through a log quite easily by running the saw underneath it and cutting from the bottom up (e).
Place one end of the log on some kind of support to raise it above the ground and thereby prevent the cut from closing.

And vice versa, when you need to saw off a branch, throw the saw over it and, standing below, saw so that the cut goes from top to bottom (g). Be careful when working.

Branches located very high can be sawed off by tying ropes to the handles of the saw. Watch the branch and be prepared to jump to the side when it starts to fall.


"Survival using SAS methods, a practical guide"
Under the general editorship of A.E. Taras.
Drawings by the author.

In the mountains there is always a danger of falling, rockfall and avalanches. Therefore, you should be well prepared for the hike and know basic survival skills in the mountains and forest. Don't forget that at altitude things change climatic conditions: oxygen levels drop, it becomes colder. This leads to oxygen starvation, pressure or altitude sickness.

Problems with the body occur at altitudes of more than 3000 meters. If you feel unwell, go downstairs and rest. Walk back, following the original route. Move correctly: rest on your entire foot, breathe and maintain a slow step. Avoid difficult areas: if there is a choice between a straight but dangerous road and a safe one long route, choose the second one.

To survive in the mountains, it is important to know how to determine the weather using available signs.

Signs of worsening weather:

. rapid drop in atmospheric pressure

. appearance of cirrus clouds

. sharp gusts of wind

. morning dawn has a reddish tint

Signs of improving weather:

. gradual increase atmospheric pressure

. slow movement of clouds with little wind

. night fog passing in the morning

. red evening dawn

Unlike the weather on the plains, climate change occurs faster in the mountains. Timely and correct interpretation of visual signs is important for safety and survival in the mountains. At the slightest danger, stop and assess the situation. Perhaps the best solution to the problem is to wait out the sudden wind or snowfall.

Be aware of avalanches and rocks that can fall at any moment. When crossing, carefully examine the slopes: if the depth is more than fifty centimeters and the steepness is more than 20 degrees, you can cross them only a few days after the snow has fallen. However, if the thickness is much greater, you need to wait at least a week. These are the basics of survival skills.

If it is impossible to avoid an avalanche, free yourself from the load: things, backpack, tent. Take a horizontal position, trying to stay at the top of the snow flow. Don't panic: you need to maintain strength to get out of the situation. It is very important not to fall asleep.

To survive in the mountains, you need to be able to build a shelter that will protect you from bad weather. As a rule, this is a cave located in a secluded place or an ordinary tent installed at a safe distance from the snowy slopes. If you plan to use a cave as a shelter, choose a slope with a cover thickness of more than two meters. Rake the snow out of the shelter. Avoid cold overnight stays, which can lead to frostbite and injury.

Eat regularly, although high blood pressure may cause your appetite to decrease or disappear. Problems with food will be solved by pasture: fish, berries, plants or game. Water can be obtained from mountain lakes, ponds or springs. If there are no sources nearby, melt the snow. Eating it in its usual form is not recommended.

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Life support in the mountains has its own characteristics. When faced with an extreme situation in a mountainous area, autonomous existence depends on what altitude the person is at and in what climatic zone. Equally important is the extraction of water and food until reaching civilization.

As for nutrition, you need to know that many people quickly lose their appetite at an altitude of two thousand meters and above. Most foods taste unpleasant and even repulsive. Moreover, the body stops absorbing them. The higher the altitude, the stronger the symptoms. There is only one way out - to go down as quickly as possible along the safest route.

On the other hand, in the mountains on high altitude most often there are no problems with . You can find it even in high mountain deserts. The best place for searching - the foot of a high mountain plateau in places with big amount green vegetation. In addition, water condenses on the stones after the night, accumulating in bowls - recesses.

There is also water in the beds of apparently dry streams (you need to dig in a depression) and in karst cavities. On a sunny day, it accumulates in dry riverbeds in the afternoon, flowing down from melting glaciers and snow. Ice or snow can also be used to obtain melt water by melting it over a fire.

It should be remembered that melt water itself can be dangerous, since it contains almost no salts. Moreover, if it is extracted from snow, then it will contain a large percentage of carbon dioxide, which in itself can lead to the opposite effect - an increase in the feeling of thirst and drying out the oral cavity.

You can get food by hunting small animals - rodents, as well as birds. Plants suitable for consumption are found in all climatic zones, but it is better to find out information about this in advance, before going to the mountains, since there are too many of them to describe in a short article.

One of the common problems in mountainous and treeless areas is lighting a fire and finding fuel. Moreover, it is almost insoluble in the zone of eternal snow. There is only one way out - to go down below 2500 meters. On the other hand, if vegetation is available, it can be mixed with dried wild animal droppings and used to maintain a fire and cook hot food.

 

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