When your smart phone can't save you

There are no cell towers out here

When your smart phone can't save you. That would have been a better title for the book reviewed a few posts back.
The truth is when you are really in the "wilderness" or "the bush" as we call it here in Northern Ontario you better have some skills other than how to wiggle your thumbs.
Case in point, you have fallen through the ice. What are you going to do, search YouTube for a way to get out? Or maybe you have been attacked by a bear and are being dragged away. Do you pull out your hip, sleek, digital device and calmly type: What to do if my head is in a bear's mouth?
Even if you did call out to The Cloud, it would fall on deaf ears because there is no Internet service out here, you see. That's why it's called the wilderness. There are no people or any of their inventions like cell towers.  In the Wild, the real Wild, you have to think and fend for yourself.
I've spent most of my life living in or writing about the Boreal Forest and while I don't know everything there are a few tips not often heard that I would like to pass on.

Black bears

The usual advice -- make noise, don't give them anything to eat -- is all that just about anyone needs to avoid bear trouble. But despite taking such precautions it should be noted that there are a few bear attacks every year in Canada, some of them fatal. (Keep in mind there are millions of people entering the bush every year and almost none experiences threatening situations. The odds of meeting a mean bear are incredibly low.) In nearly every case the culprit is a large male bear exhibiting predatory behaviour. My advice is if you ever see a large black bear, leave the area immediately. For instance, if you are canoeing and plan to make camp at a certain location but see a large male black bear anywhere near that spot, keep going. Get at least five miles away before stopping. How do you know if it is a male bear? Because it is large. Females usually are quite small.
Another thing to know is that these bears almost always attack lone people. So travel with a buddy.
If you ever need to do battle with a bear, know this: other than a gun your best weapon is a stout club. Something like a 1 1/2-inch- thick, three-foot-long birch sapling. It won't break when you swing it with two hands and all your might right across the top of a bear's head. Right between the ears is the best target. That's where the brain is located. A bear's skull is not very thick, nothing like a moose, for instance. You can crush it with a club and in so doing kill the bear. You just need one properly-placed hard blow but if you miss slightly and the bear is only stunned, hit it with all your might again, this time in the right spot, then get away.
Chances are the reason you might ever need to club a bear is because it has already grabbed someone who was alone when the bear attacked. Biologists, prospectors and forestry workers are the ones most at risk. They usually work loosely in pairs, sometimes hundreds of yards apart. Many times the threatening bear flees when the second person comes running after hearing cries of help. If it ever comes to stabbing a bear you need a knife with at least a six-inch-long blade to reach vital organs. A better idea is to club it. Bear spray must be sprayed right into the eyes of the bear and even then sometimes doesn't stop an attack.
Never climb a tree to get away from a bear. That's what bears do when they are afraid. A bear that was going to leave you alone might attack if it sees you climb a tree.
Likewise, walk but don't run away. If the bear follows you, even at a distance, make a club and be prepared to make a stand if the bear gets too close.

Traveling on ice

No matter how cold it has been, places with current such as narrows, rivers and creeks should be avoided. The entrances to long, narrow bays also are hazardous. So is the area in front of a beaver house.
Falling through the ice is only one hazard. There can also be areas with slush that can bog down snow machines and get your feet wet. Wet feet become frozen feet.
If you aren't sure about the ice conditions, don't travel.
We must also keep climate change in mind when considering ice travel. Lots of people just have a date in mind to make that first ice-fishing trip. For instance, they might have always gone ice fishing on the first of December because the ice is always solid by that time. Well, no longer. Even if the lake has been frozen for a month, the temperatures might have been insufficiently cold to make thick ice.
Check it first.

Store fuels outside

Never bring fuel cans inside a building where there is fire, machinery or electric motors that can make sparks. Keep the watertight caps secured on the fuel cans and leave them outside in the fresh air.

Just don't take risks

Just like there are no old, bold bush pilots, there are also no old reckless trappers, prospectors, biologists, etc. If you encounter a risky situation where you think you will probably be OK, don't do it. You must KNOW you are going to succeed.
Have you ever heard this saying? Never step on a log that you can step over and never step over a log that you can walk around.

Take out your boot liners

Every time you take off boots with felt liners, take out the liners and place them and the boots where they can dry. The liners will always be damp with perspiration and if worn in frigid conditions the next day can lead to frozen feet.

Carry a butane lighter

All you need to do to survive is make a fire. It will keep you warm and bring help. A butane lighter can light thousands of times. Keep the lighter warm in an inside pocket in frigid conditions or it won't have the pressure to light.
You also need to know how to make a fire in inclement conditions but that will be the subject of a future post.

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