In order to survive an extreme situation, there are many things you need to have. Not all these things are physical things, though. Sure, you need things like water, rafts, and a flashlight, but you especially need the education. You need to pay attention to small details and survive based on the education you have received for the past years. You need to know things like “white and yellow kill a fellow, purple and blue good for you.” You need to keep in mind what to apply to your skin if you get a cut or how many times to shoot the gun to get attention from people who can help. Staying alert is also very important, it can keep you from getting killed. You don’t know what animals can be out there to easily eat you in your sleep. You need the
Throughout the story, the author goes into great detail about the heavy physical loads that the soldiers had to carry with them. Even the way O’Brien describes the many loads seems to grab your attention on the extreme conditions these men had to go through just to survive another day. The most interesting thing I found while reading this story is that even though the soldiers carried a ton of weight around with them, they insisted on carrying as much as possible to insist they were prepared for any given situation. Also, just as we are all different individuals, each soldier carried their own personal things that depended on their own habits and hobbies. Some examples of the necessities the soldiers had to carry with them include, “Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pockets knives, heat tabs, wrist-watches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C-rations, and two or three canteens of water (O’Brien 125). These were just some of the things these men had to carry with them just to undergo some of the conditions surrounding them. Besides those items I explained things like weapons and magazines made up most of the majority of the weight. What really shocked me at this point is that with all this weight the soldiers had to carry with them, they were expected to be very mobile and able to haul around everything for miles at a time. The only benefit I could possible see coming out of all the things they carried is the protection the backpack gave the soldiers from the spraying of bullets during battle. Other than that, the more the men carried, the more their moral went down under those conditions. I think that the author brilliantly described this story. It was almost like I felt my backpack getting heavier as I was reading on and the items kept increasing. Towards the end of the story I kind of felt just as the soldiers did, weighed down and dead tired.
In World War I and in the Vietnam War, the soldiers used tools such as guns, medications to keep them calm, first aid kits, melee combat weapons, rations of food, a form of communicating such as walkie talkies, or morse code. Due to the different kinds of terrain that soldiers would be in, different tools would be needed to assist in their survival. In rocky terrain, for example, they might wear heavier and more durable boots to keep being able to trek through the terrain. “When a mission took them to the mountains, they carried mosquito netting, machetes, canvas tarps, and extra bug juice.” In World War I, the soldiers from America traveled over seas to places like Europe, the Middle East, and Asia so that they could go fight in the war. Due to the soldiers having to travel, they needed to take medications in order to not contract diseases from those foreign
Kearny, Cresson H. Nuclear War Survival Skills. Cave Junction: Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, 1979. Print.
The pain that was felt on the body was created by all of the literal things that the soldiers carried. The most important of these physical objects were the numerous weapons, explosives and ammunition cartages that had to be carried at all times. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs.and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed between 12 and 18 pounds. They all carried steel helmets that weighed 5 pounds.
viVigilance tasks require great deal of attention for an extended period of time. (Helton & Warm 2008) People who take place in such tasks usually find themselves struggling to concentrate after a period of time, this leads to decrease of accuracy and speed of the task, also known as vigilance decrement. There have been previous researches that suggest studies that have been the introduction to vigilance decrement theory. During the years of World War 2, radar system were used to detect enemy’s means of transport (submarine) while being under water. (Caggiano & Parasuraman , 2004). The radar monitor was also used couple of years after the world war 2 on Royal Air Force, same results had occurred. (Helton & Warm 2008). It was concluded that there has been a decrease in performance, the longer someone spends staring at radar monitors, their level of vigilance drops significantly. (Caggiano & Parasuraman , 2004) There have been many more studies that were carried for people who work for Macworth, studies showed attention can only be sustain for a short period of time, the longer the period of time was for vigilance task the worse they performed. This has been said for both human beings and non-human beings. (Helton & warm 2008)
What traits give one the ability to survive? Some examples of survivors can be found in these texts, Hyeonseo Lee: "My Escape from North Korea", "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, and "Trapped", by Aron Ralston. The survivors in these stories show how sheer determination, clear decisiveness and a deep internal drive, are necessary to survive a challenging and dangerous ordeal.
No one wants to survive in the wilderness alone and injured. In the book Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, a thirteen year old boy named Brian Robeson is put in this situation. Brian was flying over the Canadian wilderness in a small two-person plane when the pilot has a heart attack. The plane crashes despite Brian’s attempts to keep it going, and survives the crash and makes it out of the wilderness with a hatchet as his only belonging. I believe I would survive like Brian did.
To start with, we can see a multitude of real life examples of survival just through our television. Reality TV shows like Naked and Afraid and Man vs. Wild focus on people being pushed into survival situations. These shows help to demonstrate just how far humans will go to survive; participants eat bugs, create tools, and brave diseases. That’s not to mention all of the other real cases in which people have had to go out of their way to live. It happens every day, enough that we consider them commonplace. From events as big as the influx of Syrian refugees making dangerous journeys to Europe, trying to escape danger, to normal people having to take care of themselves after being caught in deadly situations such as house fires or car crashes.
Krieger, Leif. "How to Survive Any Situation." Silvercrown Mountain Outdoor School. Silvercrown Mountain Outdoor School, 3 Apr. 2014. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
"To be the best you must be able to handle the worst" (Wilson Kanadi). There are many situations that can test a person or group of people's abilities to survive. Bethany Hamilton, got her arm bit off by a shark. Hyeonseo Lee, escaped Noth Korea and Aron Ralston got his hand stuck in between two canyons. These are all people who are able to stay strong in spite of difficulty. For a person to be a survivor it takes mental fitness, perseverance and courage.
If you see a zombie right out your door you think to yourself “what do you do”. Well, the first thing you do is go to a place where it’s safe and quiet. There are three tips you need to know in order to survive a zombie apocalypse. First of all, you would have to already be in good enough shape and condition, also know as to have good cardio. Second, you would need to have a plan to find food and water for energy along the way. Third, it won’t always be easy to run from zombies, so you need to find a weapon to defend yourself.
Imagine seeing a close friend, or family member getting tossed down a mountain face through trees and rocks in the middle of a raging avalanche. When the avalanche finally comes to a halt they are nowhere in sight. As panic begins to set in you realize there is no cell coverage, no ski patrol, or even a road within several miles. In that moment you are wondering if you will ever see your friend again, and if you do will they be alive. Every year several lives are lost in the backcountry due to avalanches. Many of those people could be alive if they had taken avalanche courses, and learned the basics behind avalanche safety. There are many precautions that need to be taken when entering the backcountry, it is crucial to bring all necessary gear, understand the danger and mechanics behind avalanches, and know how to conduct a rescue if someone is buried.
Kearny, Cresson H. Neclear War Survival Skills. Cave Junction: Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, 1990.
Group C commenced the Desert Survival assignment by determining a problem-solving process towards ranking the available provisions. We first decided to analyze the situation entirely before ranking. Group dialogue emerged concerning our main purpose and the obstacles in achieving it. Group consensus was swiftly attained in determining our main purpose, to “stay alive”, and the presumption that dehydration was our leading hindrance in reaching this goal. Discussion consisted of an encouraging, supportive, and non-judgmental atmosphere with active listening and members providing and requesting clarification. These group dynamics quickly nurtured a set of norms which were continuous throughout the Desert Survival Group Exercise. Although these norms were not explicit, they were validated by all members’ attitudes and behaviors during initial discussion. Key group task and maintenance roles were identified but shared collectively throughout the group; the role of the recorder was appropria...
Survival in an extreme environment requires bravery and intelligence. In a short story name “The Story of Keesh” by Jack London and Life of Pi by Yann Marvel, the authors describe characters who are brave and intelligent to survive in an extreme environment.