Doctor says will to survive is key in extreme situations

Ed Yeates reportingA critical-care doctor who knows a lot about how people survive, as the Garners did, says it always begins with the psychological will to survive. It's one thing to stand out in the cold for about two minutes, but when you lengthen that stay to days and weeks, the mind-body connection plays a big role.

When aboard Life Flight, critical-care physician Colin Grissom sees that human will to survive all the time. "I refer to it more as an attitude - attitude that you're going to make it," he says.

That psychological will comes first, followed by a physical drive. Some call it the perfect mind-body connection, if only for a while.

You can last only a few days without water, but with water you can survive weeks without food.

Dr. Grissom said, "The longest reported survival in the wilderness that I'm aware of is 42 days of a young man in the low hills of the Himalayas in snow, in a cave. And he melted snow in the sun for 42 days before he was found."

It's important to stay hydrated, conserve energy and, when you have them, eat high-caloric foods that can generate heat to a body already under stress. If that caloric reservoir is not refilled in the cold, the body gives you tradeoffs, like frostbite.

Dr. Grissom says, "The initial reaction to cold - to conserve heat - is to conserve the core. And that means constricting the blood vessels, the arterial blood flow to the hands and feet."

Dr. Grissom has advice meant for all of us should we get in a situation like this. "Turn around before you get into trouble, because we rescue a lot of people who push it a little too far and don't have enough provisions with them."

Incidentally, Dr. Grissom says small, easy-to-carry snacks like energy or granola bars are good for producing body heat when you need to conserve it.

Here are some other tips to Stay Safe, because really, even a simple accident can put us in a dangerous situation.

You should carry in your car a small kit containing some of the essentials. An outdoor recreation specialist recommends a light source, like a headlamp.

Extra clothes, especially water-proof gloves, are important. A whistle's a good idea too. One of the most important items is a "thermalite" blanket.

They're easy to find. They weigh 6 ounces, and you climb right into it like a sleeping bag. They trap body heat, unlike the normal blanket many of us carry in the trunk.

Outdoor recreation specialist Brian Brawdy said, "As much as I love the blanket, if it gets wet, it's not going to block the wind, and it's not going to do anything to trap your body heat."

Brawdy says, if your emergency plan is your cell phone, you could be in trouble when there's no service. Just a little planning could make the difference.

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