# My True Survival Story? What is your most harrowing survival experience?



## OldeTSgt (Jul 25, 2012)

I see some intelligent posts here and I love reading about them but I am wondering who/what happened where your survival skills saved yourself or loved one.

My story happened in 2013 - I was doing a solo horseback trip - Aux Ailment Du Pays (off the fat of the land) which is a requirement for AMM but I was not AMM at the time - I was in the ALRA and love doing this stuff - I was re-creating the 1823 Ashley/Henry expedition up the Grand River in South Dakota to the Headwaters of the Grand River near the end of August - Think Hugh Glass and the Revenant (horrible movie by the way historically speaking) 

My horse spooked and I found myself laying on the ground with a severe concussion (vomiting, vertigo and the works) and a what later proved to be an unstable fracture of my c2 vertebra (hangmans fracture) later requiring surgery to repair. Overall, I was in good shape - I had a quart of water in a canteen (although the strap was broke from the force of the fall) I had my fire starting kit (I carry my kit and a fishing kit in a small bag on my belt) a knife, a flintlock pistol and rifle - although I had to scavenge my flint from the pistol to the rifle (I had one shot with each gun - the pistol loaded with shot (smoothbore 20 ga) and one solid shot in my rifle - during the 30 yd or so bucking fit before my saddle slipped and catapulted me into the ground - I had lost all my shot and tools in in shot pouch - It took me over 12 hrs to gather my scattered equipment strewn about in the waist high prairie grass - but my axe and food and bedroll were still on my horse (he was found later about 30 miles away) it went from 80s to mid to low 40s overnight - it was as cold as I could remember being - sometime in the night I was able to fight down the vertigo and nausea to crawl some and gather most of my gear - I had a cell and it worked however in the breaky country of the Grand River - rough broken country with lots of ravines and buttes - it only worked on the highest elevations - I had set up with my son to call every day around 12 pm - but would not be considered overdue for another day

I knew that night (would have been my 2nd night out) there were thunderstorms predicted and a cold front that would drop the temps to low 40s that night again - I had planned to be snug in a rock cave that night halfway through my 60 mile ride. Anyway that was no longer an option, and I was pretty sure I would not last another cold night - - so I knew that overland about 7-10 miles there was a major highway that I might be able to get help and a house or two within 12 miles. - I decided to try to walk crawl out to help - (I was pretty sure my neck if not broken was pretty badly injured) as well as a badly injured foot (fractured 2 toes in mocs) - the next morning I crawled to an old corral - lifted myself to standing upright position and used my long rifle as a walking aid - one slow foot in front of the other to walk out the 7 miles (it took me about 8 hrs) was able to find help and be transported to the hospital 60 miles away by 5 pm on the second day. I survived it.

My injuries were as follows - unstable fracture of my C2 in neck/spin, a concussion, 2 broken toes, my core temperture had plunged to 94F (they pushed an IV of warm saline about two liters) and my kidney function was failing. 

So, what is your most harrowing story?


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

My respect to you. Years ago I did some of that long hunter ala Mark Baker stuff. Spent some really rough nights along the Missouri river in winter storms. Fortunately, my best story was


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

the fact I survived my first wife.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

In western maine born and raised, On the playground was where I spent most of my days. Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool. And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
When a couple of guys who were up to no good, Started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared - She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'

I begged and pleaded with her day after day, But she packed my suit case and sent me on my way. She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket. I put my Walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'. Well, the plane landed and when I came out. There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out. I ain't trying to get arrested yet I just got here I sprang with the quickness like lightning, disappeared

I whistled for a cab and when it came near, The license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror . If anything I could say that this cab was rare But I thought 'Nah, forget it' - 'Yo, holmes to Bel Air'

I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8, And I yelled to the cabbie 'Yo holmes smell ya later' I looked at my kingdom, I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel Air


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Interesting how many injuries, accidents and deaths are caused by horses. But they want to ban guns. Just hope you learned your lesson??


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## Waterguy (Jul 15, 2015)

I had a story published in American Survival Guide years ago about bears, wolves, and a 30' tide changing a pleasant hunting trip into quite the ordeal on Kodiak Island. Biggest take away is that no matter how short the trip, take the basics with you, and have the knowledge to improvise.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I've had many close calls on the road, but this one stands out:

My wife and I were on vacation and turned off the highway onto a one-lane gravel to see the "scenic area" advertised. We fell in behind a giant, slow moving road-grader like machine and crawled slowly up the mountain, a steep dropoff to our left. Without warning, the huge machine stopped and began to back up. I slammed it into reverse, but couldn't get away before one huge tire drove my engine into the road and began pushing us backward. I was giving him solid horn, but the driver had to be sitting 15 feet up over a diesel, and didn't hear us. Huge steel hooks (called 'rippers' I learned later) smashed through the windshield and side windows, and I screamed at my wife to get out. We bailed out the passenger door as the car was slowly crushed up to the firewall, and the driver finally realized what was happening and stopped.

No one seriously hurt, but I was picking glass out of my skin for 2 months. I negotiated with the mining company, and ended up declaring a "casualty gain" on my income tax that year.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

got my pecker stuck in the zipper once


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

I turned on the TV and the H-Beast appeared, thank God the remote was close by.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Great story. Glad you survived. 
My most recent horror story came when we was out hunting on a big ranch around here. The game warden for the ranch had a pet Javeleno...or collard peccaries as they are called by the zoology majors..which loved Oreo Cookies. The guy would say in a deep voice..."Here piggy piggy" and get down on all fours and offer the critter a cookie from out of his mouth. Well we was sorta beered up so I decided to try it. I say here Piggy Piggy in the same tone of voice and offered him a cookie from my mouth. He took one then suddenly decided I was not on the approved list..guess they go by smell or something. Anyway the crazy peccary became uncorked..and attacked me with giant fangs gnashing They said I can move pretty fast for a fat boy. It was pretty danged close call.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Medic33 said:


> got my pecker stuck in the zipper once


Only once?


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

That is why Jews get circumcised most likely. In fact..who knows what they call an uncircumcised Jewish Baby?


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## OldeTSgt (Jul 25, 2012)

Chipper said:


> Interesting how many injuries, accidents and deaths are caused by horses. But they want to ban guns. Just hope you learned your lesson??


Hell, no I ride all the time - you got to remember part of the AMM and ALRA creed is to emulate the mountain men and longhunters of old and much of that was solo adventures - not all but enough - I still ride horses hard and will continue to do so.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

I think my most harrowing was when we had a home invasion on December 1 of 1997. Probably the most amped up and on fire I ever was.

All of my wilderness SHTF scenarios were never really that bad because I had planned and brought the right gear, paid attention to the weather, and was smart enough to know when to challenge mother nature and when to go with her - oh and a lot of praying. You end up bamboozled in the great outdoors and it turns into a perpetual conversation with God.

So strangely I don't have any harrowing stories. Just stuff that goes like this, "This one time there was this beautiful place we went and then the Shizzle hit the fan and I pulled this thing out of my back pack and we made it back to the truck before sun up the next day. We were dirty as hell but treated ourselves to the Waffle House on the way back home. Then I slept for 18 hours straight and went to work the next day."


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Angry liberals?


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

GW and pork would had been in the cooker around here. GW at prison, pork, dinner.

How much fat on the Warden vs Pg?


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I survived a year in Quang Tri Province, Republic of Viet Nam.
They say it was the most dangerous Province in the country, I'm glad I didn't know that then.

Oh, yeah - one of our horses head butted me once. It hurt. The same horse broke my wife's wrist with a side kick.


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## Olaf (Feb 5, 2016)

I don't have any such a experience in wilderness where I would be in real danger. Horses are nice animals but they are bigger than me so I don't really trust them. And my Subaru Outback obeys me always. When I'm thinking about that all .....actually for me the biggest challenge is to survive from salary to salary. To pay mortgage and all other outlays and yet have enough money for family to live as normal life as possible. And between all this worries there has to be some very small possibility to prepare for SHTF .... we are doing small steps but they are better than nothing at all.


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## OldeTSgt (Jul 25, 2012)

Waterguy said:


> I had a story published in American Survival Guide years ago about bears, wolves, and a 30' tide changing a pleasant hunting trip into quite the ordeal on Kodiak Island. Biggest take away is that no matter how short the trip, take the basics with you, and have the knowledge to improvise.


Absolutely - I was as prepared as I could possibly be - certain things I always carry on my body when trekking/solo horseback - they include my canteen, flint and steel plus my charcloth and fishing kit, and knife - with those three things where I was I could procure - food shelter and warmth. Had I not been so badly injured I could have continued with my trek after catching my horse - or if I had caught him - believe me had my injury not prevented it I would have shot him and waited for - someone to come help - the thought did cross my mind because - my bedroll was and remained tied behind my saddle - it is a waterproof oil cloth with 2 heavy wool blankets and it had another two gallons of water in canteens (1 gal wooden ones I found a long time ago from a civil war vendor) with that I could have waited out another one or two days until I was overdue and my son came looking for me - I had a cell phone but no service - I took pics and sent messages or at least tried to and had I perished there (it was a possibility) at least everyone would have known what happened - because unlike the mountain men of old when they came on the remains of friends/companions everyone would have known what happened. In order to get cell service you had to climb to high points above the breaks - we did have service that way and had it just been my horse leaving me I would have just gone along on a solo foot trek cursing my horse all the way and it would have taken me 5 or 6 days to complete the trek instead of 2 or 3 (depending on weather and my daily miles gained)

The reason I did not was I would have to have climbed several buttes to get service and the way I went was flat and shorter using game trails that I knew very well - and since I was upright and walking (even very slow and purposeful) I continued to go on - it taught me two things - I am tougher than I look and I have an inner fire I never knew I had before and the mental attitude to survive is sometimes more important than the gear you carry or have.


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## OldeTSgt (Jul 25, 2012)

Maine-Marine said:


> In western maine born and raised, On the playground was where I spent most of my days. Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool. And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school
> When a couple of guys who were up to no good, Started making trouble in my neighborhood. I got in one little fight and my mom got scared - She said 'You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air'
> 
> I begged and pleaded with her day after day, But she packed my suit case and sent me on my way. She gave me a kiss and then she gave me my ticket. I put my Walkman on and said, 'I might as well kick it'. Well, the plane landed and when I came out. There was a dude who looked like a cop standing there with my name out. I ain't trying to get arrested yet I just got here I sprang with the quickness like lightning, disappeared
> ...


Trying to figure out how this has anything to do with survival - I remember that song/rap from Will Smith when he starred in that sitcom?


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Nothing has really been long term off the beaten track enough to really count, but as far as challenges. I rank them like this

1. Winter without heat, this was a month or so of fighting off subzero temperatures without any heat. I did have some use of a propane stove to cook meals (rice) and making hot chocolate from chocolate protein powder. The real struggle here was to keep the grind going. To be honest it was getting sleep and keeping my toes from freezing solid, and getting out of bed that was the real challenge. My toes did actually freeze once or twice and that was the scariest part of the ordeal. (Sleeping in a flooded marsh was way easier than sleeping in subzerotemps)

2. My first motorcycle trip to my new place up north. Ok so this was the first time I took it on the highway (first road trip like 1000+ miles) too but long distance so it took a little bit of edge, as I also had a large molle II rucksack backpack tied down to the back-seat which created a tail fin (which made windy open highway sections far more perilous). I got over the highway speeds, I really only felt comfortable to around 80 and after 90 felt death could occur at those speeds it was more about falling than dying as I feared surviving the fall not simply dying. I made a couple stops on the way sleeping outside, and using what I had for food. Then did a week or so trapping course, then I went on to the second leg of the trip which was a shorter leg, but more dangerous as it involved driving a cruiser on gravel and dirt/sand with relatively steep hills. and soft sand patches, and tons of potholes and washout areas. This was not lethality for me but I felt the bike was in danger, it took me to almost clearing the first 100kms of back road before I felt comfortable bringing it up to the speed limit. It felt good to hit highway again. I also got caught on a large hill with the bike seized just before the top of the hill where if anything had come the other way I would be dead. I had to push it up on that hill facing the threat of getting hit by another vehicle. Then I had to take it up the last section which was arguably easier than the first... until my bike stopped working (I later found out it it was the air filter being clogged with dirt from the industrial roads) so I ended up doing the night sleeping in my clothes in a chilly new house without any services. I had my water filter though so got a little water to drink, I had a little food on me. This to me was the edgiest few days of my life, but not particularly a survival situation. (speeds are in KMs not Miles.. fyi)

Thankfully I've never been put in a situation I havn't prepared for.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Were subzero temps in C or F?



Will2 said:


> Nothing has really been long term off the beaten track enough to really count, but as far as challenges. I rank them like this
> 
> 1. Winter without heat, this was a month or so of fighting off subzero temperatures without any heat. I did have some use of a propane stove to cook meals (rice) and making hot chocolate from chocolate protein powder. The real struggle here was to keep the grind going. To be honest it was getting sleep and keeping my toes from freezing solid, and getting out of bed that was the real challenge. My toes did actually freeze once or twice and that was the scariest part of the ordeal. (Sleeping in a flooded marsh was way easier than sleeping in subzerotemps)
> 
> ...


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## Dirk Pitt (Apr 21, 2015)

My survival story is ongoing, I live in California and in Los Angeles, I am a White, Catholic, Conservative gun owner, every day is a survival story!


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

OldeTSgt said:


> and since I was upright and walking (even very slow and purposeful) I continued to go on - it taught me two things - I am tougher than I look and I have an inner fire I never knew I had before and the mental attitude to survive is sometimes more important than the gear you carry or have.


That's the essence of the experiences you have requested OldeTSgt. I have been sitting here in front of this keyboard debating within myself if I could or better yet even should begin to recount the far to numerous survival experiences I have lived through? If I did there would just be some keyboard commando that would antagonize me for my trouble. So it shall have to suffice, that the worst of my survival experiences have ended without having someone left to talk with that shared the experience.


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## Grinch (Jan 3, 2016)

I went through the ice when I was 12, my buddy and I were out ice fishing and I went out of the tent to take a piss and went through, no float coat or anything didn't know how to swim, but I had ice picks which I made from my mother's shepherd hook the day before ( she's still mad about that ). Luckily I threw my arms out and held myself above long enough to get the pick out and pull myself up out, from the bottom of my sternum down was completely soaked, ain't nothing like going to your neighbor's house at 3am in your underwear to tell him you fell through the ice while trespassing on his land and you needed some help.


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