utahbryant

I volunteer my time to the scouting organization. Please dont tell me to go to he&*. I hope your can pass on your experiences to your girls. The more that are prepared, the better boys or girls. I am teaching my daughter their is more to getting your car fixed than a cell phone to someone else. Unfortunately scouting will not change, which is sad because the world is changing rapidly.

habanero

Anybody who volunteers their time in the best interest of kids is alright in my book, as it should be.

I was in Girl Scouts. We did camp a few times but they didn't teach us anything while we were doing it, unless you count making s'mores. Bah! The most important stuff I learned came from my mom and dad. Mom taught me to cook and basic sewing and that can't isn't can't, it's a challenge to go ahead and figure out how to do. Dad taught me to think and use puzzle skills and common sense when working on cars, that girls are just as capable of knowing 'guy things' as men, that when it comes to people the wrapping isn't often the present inside. Everything else I've had to figure out for myself, some trial and lots of error.

Mudpigg, I'll take my parent's teachings over my Girl Scout experience any day of the week- and snowshoeing over cookie baking for sure!

I'll bet there're good scouting groups out there, I'm just having problems finding them in my area. We've attended great programs through the Conservation department, though.

Pumpkinyota

The spirit of this post is right, hypothermia is something that you try to prevent, instead of functioning with. That being said, whatever you do, don't leave the vehicle to idle overnight, this will kill you as dead as the hypothermia will.

For the last 5 years, I have operated a new model Tucker Terra Sno-Cat during the course of my career in the telecommunications industry. As such, we are required by OSHA to train all operators on winter survival, especially as it pertains to winter vehicle operation, for not less than 40 hours every two years. One of the main things that get discussed in this class is the fatal mistakes that people make when their vehicle is stuck in the snow. The two biggest are :

1) Leaving your Vehicle
2) Leaving the Vehicle running

Leaving your vehicle running, especially when it is snowbound, can cause dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide to build up in the cab of the vehicle. When you inhale carbon monoxide, it bonds with the hemoglobin in your blood, preventing oxygen from bonding with said hemoglobin. As a result, your body starves for oxygen and suffocates. Sometimes, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause delirium and hallucinations, which can make you leave your vehicle and become suceptible to hypothermia.

Some basic ways to combat this:

1) Remember that you are in a survival situation. You will NOT be comfortable. You WILL be cold. Accept that fact, and don't try to be comfortable, try to stay alive.

2) Run your vehicle and heater for 15 minute intervals, one 15 minute vehicle run per hour. You will be cold, but you won't freeze.

3) Pick up a few space blankets, and some refrigerator magnets. Your windows are the biggest source of heat loss in a vehicle, cover them with the space blankets, and use the magnets on the vehicle's frame to keep them in place. Duct tape also works well for this.

4) The coffee can heater: get your hands on a metal coffee can or clean metal paint bucket with a lid. Keep a roll of toilet paper in this can, and a few bottles of isopropyl rubbing alcohol nearby. If you get stuck, pour enough alcohol into the can to thoroughly saturate the toilet paper. Put this somewhere safe, and light it on fire. The TP won't burn, but the alcohol will, and one bottle of alcohol will give you several hours worth of 15 minute burns.

I hope this is helpful, and that nobody here ever needs to use it.