Page 38 - 2004 DT 9 Issues

Escape the desert heat or celebrate the limited and can sometimes be misinter- useful since they can readily be seen, day
end of winter with a few days of adven- preted. In daylight, smoke is one of your or night. Just keep the fire hazard in mind.
ture. But before you do, some words to best bets. Except for smoke-making canis- And how about those small, pulsing blink-
the wise . . . ters, this means using fire. Extreme ers that can produce a brilliant flash. Mine
caution has to be used, particularly during uses a single “D” battery, attaches to the
SIGNALING . . . When you’re the drought conditions now affecting much belt and will run for hours.
lost, hurt or just need help. of the West. One spark can set off a disas- Don’t forget the
trous fire with loss of life old-fashioned
by Chuck Kleber
(maybe your own), devas- “SOS” or an “X.”
tation of the natural land- These are recog-
elp! How often have we heard that
scape, and loss of property. nized distress
cry in films or seen the waving of
Harms together with shouts of Of course, you have signals, but be sure
brought a good supply of they can be seen
“Here we are!” from people marooned or
waterproof matches with from the air. Make
lost in the wilderness. Of course, these are
you as well as a fresh, those letters no less
real-life situations that are all too often life
windproof lighter. If your than 20 feet and get
threatening. The unforeseeable is always
lurking out there. What should you do? vehicle is with you, remove contrast, such as
the spare tire, douse it with dark wood or rocks
What can you do?
a little gasoline or motor oil on light-colored soil
and set it afire . . . well away from any other or sand. Incidentally, many people think
Foresight/Common Sense
combustible material. As a last-ditch, des- SOS means “Save Our Souls.” Sounds
Before you leave on that outdoor va- perate measure, you could even set fire to
cation, hike, or trek, think about it. Are there the vehicle. This would be better in, say, good for a Titanic situation, but it’s not the
any special signaling precautions for you case. It was chosen for simplicity. Three
snowy conditions or a rocky area where dots, three dashes, three dots. Easy to re-
to take? For example, it would be unthink-
there was no foliage to ignite. member and use with your flashlight—the
able for a power boat or sailing craft to be
White smoke is the most easily seen one with the fresh batteries and a spare
on the ocean or a lake without proper navi- on clear days. Build your fire away from
gation lights, flares, radio equipment, and foliage and keep the wind in mind. Cin- bulb. Not only does it provide a great sig-
signal flags. You never know when one will naling device, it can get you around in the
ders can easily be blown for surprising dark if you have to move.
serve better than another; and it always
distances. Put moist wood or leaves on the
pays to have backup.
fire. Any greenery will do to get the best
Let’s look at some of those signals; the effect. If the sky is overcast, darker smoke Audio Signals
ones you can see and the ones you can hear. may be better. A whistle beats shouting every time;
Use them with your good sense and they and it doesn’t suffer from laryngitis. Its
An unbreakable signal mirror is always
can save your life. Some years back, a man
good to carry; and it’s convenient. Its flash
in his 50’s was stranded by snow on a high
can be seen for miles. Don’t forget the
logging road in Oregon. He had several re- rearview mirror in the car. Flares are very Signaling, continued on page 7
sources and options at his disposal, but
didn’t use them. He had a truck-camper,
plenty of fuel, a live battery, and a work-
ing engine. He was only 18 miles from a Answers to Quiz
town he had passed through earlier. At one
time, a search crew was less than a mile notice anyway.
away. Among his mistakes—he didn’t scientific name is nonexistensis nebulosum. But don’t tell anyone; they won’t
blow the vehicle’s horn periodically. He to squirrels and birds. You are kind. Three and under . . . truly, is it possible! Your
eventually died. natural treasure. Four to seven right means your sturdy trunk and broad leaves are home If you got eight or more correct, Nevada and California will proclaim you a protected

Visual Signals Lake Tahoe. larrea tridentata, and in No.8 Nevada has a small part of the Sierra Nevada near
The waving of arms is probably the The truth about those false answers: In No. 6 the scientific name for the creosote bush is
oldest and most instinctive method of
getting attention. Unfortunately, it is very 1 – (c); 2 – (T); 3 – (T); 4 – (b); 5 – (d); 6 – (F); 7 – (T); 8 – (F); 9 – (a); 10 – (d)