Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Intuitive hunches have been credited with saving many a person's life. On the other hand, there
are a lot of people, myself included, who wish they had followed their intuitive hunches. In
1981, Debbie Kiley and four other members of the crew hired to sail 1,000 miles to deliver a
large sailboat to its owner were cast adrift in a small raft for five days at sea when the sailboat
sank during a hurricane. While drifting in shark-infested waters without food, water, or ad-
equate clothing, three of the five crew members succumbed before Kiley and the other remain-
ing crew member, Brad Cavanagh, were rescued. When author Laurence Gonzales asked her
what advice she had for others, she replied, “Trust your gut. I had misgivings about the trip all
along. It just didn't feel right. So I have just one piece of advice for people: Your gut tells you
what to do. Believe it. I didn't, and a lot of people are dead, and I have to live with it. Also,
never forget that you can't depend on anybody. You really have to have it within yourself to do
it.”
Don't Give Up
Survivors are not saints who never doubt and never have moments of weakness where they
give up hope. But at some time during their ordeal, most survivors relate that they had an epi-
phany, a moment when they felt certain that they would survive their ordeal, and that this mo-
ment gave them added strength to battle their inner demons and regain control over negative
defeatist thoughts.
Compact Survival Kit
Be prepared. The following basic survival kit is small enough to slip into the top pocket of a
knapsack or a coat pocket. It fits into a 2-ounce tobacco tin or other small case, and its weight
is hardly noticeable. Polish the inside of the case to a mirror finish for signaling. Check the
contents of the case regularly, to replace items that have exceeded their shelf lives. Tape the
box seams with duct tape to waterproof the container.
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Matches.
Fire can be started by other means, but matches are the easiest. Waterproof
matches are useful, but bulkier than ordinary stick matches. You can waterproof or-
dinary matches by dipping them in molten candle wax. Break large kitchen matches
in half to save room for more matches. Include a striker torn from a topic of paper
matches.
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Bic lighter.
A small compact cigarette lighter can make stating a fire immensely easi-
er.
