Winter clinic instructors share insight for staying alive in wilderness emergencies
<p>Tom Bass of Kalispell, from left, and Zane Brown of Columbia Falls, watch as Susan Jasmann builds a fire at the Winter Survival Clinic at Bitterroot Lake on Jan. 12.</p>
<p>Lightly falling snow added a touch of realism to this year’s Winter Survival Clinic near Marion. Eighteen attendees from around the region took part in the clinic, which has been running for 25 years.</p>
<p>Nick Merriman uses a cotton ball and a flint and steel to start a fire.</p>
<p>Frank Bowen points out what to look for on trees for building a fire. Bowen said being able to start a fire is a person’s most essential survival skill. The lower dry twigs with green lichens are called common witch’s hair, and combined with cotton balls, can be used to start a fire.</p>
Frank Bowen is the founder of Northern Lights Training Group. Drawing on his 23 years as a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and 10 years in law enforcement training, Bowen gave a survival presentation at the Winter Survival Clinic held on Bitterroot Lake on Jan. 12.
“I think the funniest part of this experience was Frank,” Lee Lytton of Polson said. Lytton served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and said that Bowen brought up a lot of fond memories of that time in his life.
“One of my favorite moments was listening to Frank telling people what to do first when they get lost. He said to start playing Solitaire and someone would come find you and tell you how to play the game,” Lytton said. “You can just tell he’s done this kind of thing over and over. Frank’s a tremendous teacher.”
Bowen introduced the idea of the coffee can survival kit over the weekend.
The coffee can kit is a simple, inexpensive package for vehicles, campers and boats. Think cheap; think one in every car; think of things to be used while waiting for help.
For more information on courses available from Frank Bowen visit: http://northernlightstraininggroup.com