What If... Lost in Alaska

Start a forest fire. People will come.

 

Can I get a refund?

 

@Dunerunner, I am not familiar with the Zunden fire starter. Better than Light My Fire?

 

Problem is, I'm from the Lower 48 and have no idea any of that goes on. I'd go with my plan.

 

After swimming to shore, my mind immediately springs into survival-mode while my buddy stands on the shore line trying to engage me in a debate of,"how deep do you think the lake is?" After giving him one of those looks, I proceed to find a spot that will be good for a shelter. I know that I will need to fire pit to help warm us because it is chilly and the temp will drop when the sun sets. The fire pit can either be in the ground or ring with rocks. If there is an abundance of rocks near, I know put some extra ones near the fire to use as warm during the night.

Once I get the fire going, I walk over to my buddy to encourage him to move to the fire or maybe start doing something. He tells me that we need to signal for help then describes his plan of setting the lake on fire. I now have to assume that my hunting buddy has an addled brain and must have hit his head during the crash.

I convince my addle-brain buddy to collect pine branches for a shelter and to help create smoke. It is a trying chore because he is determined that we should throw the branches on the lake. I quietly remove the laces from the dry boots knowing I may have to tie my buddy to a tree if his thinking doesn't get better. I do not want him wandering off.

It has only been a few hours since we crashed, it is going to be a long night, I say a prayer that help comes soon.......

 

Or you could just shoot him in the leg.

That will not only keep him from wandering off, it'll attract bears.

Bears are yummy and carry warm blankets around with them.

Cam you skin grizz?

 

Read the book, "Hatchet" before leaving for your hunting trip.
Your "what-if" scenario is almost the same. It's a classic book about a young boy who gets stranded in the wilds after a plan crash.

 

Take my sat phone out of the waterproof bag in my pocket and order a pizza to be dropped off by another local pilot. Catch a ride back to town with them after finishig said pizza.

 

Oh, I agree. But that wasn't in the scenario posted. And the guide changed location in flight.....so I'm sitting there soaking wet, thinking NOBODY has a clue where we went to even start looking......I'd start moving.

 

Realize that even in that depth of water an aircraft with one whole pontoon may not sink initially, one starts a fire the other may head back and see how deep the aircraft is... if viable start taking things out.... if temp is low... when you get out one gets dry clothes and makes the fire to dry out the wet clothes, second gets the sleeping bag for warmth... next is set up shelter not far from lake... (water/food source)... take an inventory of available resources....

 

1/2" ferro...took that to mean 1/2" long not 1/2" diameter. Haha. Been wondering what you were smoking even packing a ferro rod shorter than a zippo.

 

Mai, If you scared just say you scared!

 

God, hopefully I see it before he does, and get to hide everything but the sleeping bag and clothes. We get 2 boxes of ammo, we gonna be here for a while...or at least he is. They find us, he gonna send the rescue party back for a rifle and some camping gear. Never see him again.

If we both see it, NO way we are not going hunting. If it's been 3 days, we will at least have the goods to make a few fish traps started, and be working on getting a trap line going. Should not be too hard to find something I can twist some cordage up out of. Probably have an atlatl , and maybe have a bow stave propped up if their is any decent wood around.
Also, when you say "guard against predators", I read "hunting". We didn't come all this way not to eat something.

 

I gotta admit, my first thought would probably be "I can build a house here and live forever without any regulations or taxes..."

 

My gear in the bag would have the capacity to float on it's own , so that while still in flight ,knowing it is going to crash I'd be making ready for the impact and the water. If you climb, fight fire, or do rescue work ,you train your self to take action ,not wait till its too late to act.
Secondly upon reaching shore I might choose to swim back to the plane to recover more gear , 30 feet deep is a push but in this situation I might push it. providing the plane has lights that are still functioning.
Down deep enough your not seeing anything .
But at least I'd give it a shot.
I would never leave the area knowing the pilot had left a flight plan.
I'd get a fire going for smoke signal and a heat signature .
It is hard to predict how others react in a event such as this if they are untrained, but it is my experience that if you know what your doing and open no discussion as though you don't know what your doing you usually won't will get an argument you will loose .
The movie "The Edge" is similar to this scenario.
I am a strong believer in having more than one means of defense and hunting so after camp is established clothes dried and a semblance of security is established ,preparing cam to be a more permanent situation making things more comfortable and preparing to do some trapping an hunting as required. I would be building a reservoir of spears and defensive weapons in the event of an aggressive bear . Not that it will, but that it an happen .
In search and rescue we teach kids "Hug a tree" as in staying put . A moving target is much harder to find especially if there is a large search area to cover .