I have tried it and it actually works! But, I like the prospect of something more stable/reliable for floatation so I began to ponder how this method could be improved. In a previous article, “Gallons Of Flotation” I discuss that a gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds, and conversely, a gallon container of air can support eight pounds of flotation. This gave me an idea that empty containers could be used to fill the pants legs to provide reliable flotation if needed. In fact, empty 2 liter soda bottles would fit nicely down the pant legs for this purpose.

 
 
I tied the bottoms of the pant legs together then inserted 2 bottles in each leg resulting in a total of 4 bottles that equated to almost 17 pounds of flotation. Then I tightened the belt to close the waist area. I slipped the pant legs over my head with the tied end behind my neck while I used the remaining belt strap to wrap around my leg to secure the improvised PFD to my body. As I entered the water I was glad to have the strap around my leg as it helped to support my body as I floated on my back and freed my hands to paddle in any direction as needed.

When improvising a PDF, any buoyant material could be used as a filler to any clothing, tarp, net, or other surrounding material.

My first experience was the need to raise a drooping deck that was cantilevered off of a dock. It had dipped into the water but should have been positioned nine inches above it. I had considered using temporary pylons to use in conjunction with jacks but the pond floor was muddy and unstable. Another approach could have been to attach a come-along winch to the dock’s pylon and attaching to the end of the deck, but that would only draw the deck closer to the dock but not lift it up. Then I remembered gin pole trucks.

Gin pole trucks function like portable cranes using poles in conjunction with winches to lift loads up for repair or onto their flat bed for transport. Of course they could be used a number of ways but they use the angle and height of lift to accomplish their task. That gave me the solution to my problem. I placed a 2×4 stud midway between the deck’s outer edge and the dock’s pylon. When I applied the come-alone winch it lifted the deck up to the needed height whereupon I could refasten the original suspending timbers.

More recently I was tasked to remove a couch that had been lifted into a dumpster. It not only was too large to fit but it also was not allowed by the waste management company. It was too heavy to just pull it up and out by myself. I needed a mechanical advantage. I remembered my dock experience and wondered what I could use for a gin pole. I decided that an extension ladder might do the trick. Instead of using a winch I decided to use my vehicle to pull on the lines that I would attach to the couch and ladder.

I anchored the bottom of the ladder by tying it to the dumpster base then proceeded to attach a second line to the couch, ladder, and my vehicle. As I backed up the vehicle the ladder rose up, pulling the couch up and out. Had it been a heavier load it would have been advisable to use guy-lines off to the sides as well as a higher extension of the ladder. As it turned out I was able to maneuver the couch and ladder off of the dumpster’s edge as they slid down off to the side in a controlled fashion.

In both cases a higher angle of force was needed to lift each load and that may be just the ticket for you on your next project or in an emergency situation. Be sure to exercise safety precautions and use side guy-lines for stability with heavy loads.

Photo provided by searcher Lucia Gonzalez ©AP

In the process of travel their Jeep had overturned just off a road (see photo) and could not be up-righted nor could they start their engine for warmth. The man who was a mine worker and hunter built a fire beside the vehicle just minutes after the Jeep rolled down the snowy embankment on Sunday and kept the flames going until rescuers found them on Tuesday. They found scrap wood for the fire and burned a spare tire for warmth and to create black smoke for signaling. They also heated rocks for warmth while the group stayed in the upside-down vehicle for shelter. Fortunately they were dressed for cold weather conditions.

I’ve seen hot rocks used to bring a container of water to a boil but I had not thought of rocks as a heating device. In an enclosed area this would exclude the danger of flames and carbon monoxide. Fortunately they had some food and water available.

Although they were located in a patchy cell phone area – rescuers used cell phone signals and footprints to locate the family. Some of the group suffered from slight exposure and dehydration, but none had frostbite.

Under the circumstances I thought that the survival techniques that they employed worked well. A news website article reader, Corey Jordan, offered these suggestions for off-road travel: “1) Never wander far from civilization alone. Always have more than one vehicle. 2) Don’t depend on a cell phone. Have a two-way radio, a CB radio will do. 3) Have an emergency kit aboard. This would include first aid kit, blankets and something to start a fire. Mylar blankets can double as shelter halves. Include anything that you may need in a situation like that which occurred. 4) Have a recovery kit. Recovery straps, come-along (or a high-lift jack). Include a jack board and a compressor (runs on the car battery). If they had a recovery kit, it would have been possible to have righted their Jeep. 5) Food and water for two days. 6) Get some experience driving off road in rugged terrain…”.

My wife called his cell phone but was unable to connect, and could only leave a message on the automated voice mail. Remembering a blog that I once wrote “Text Messaging has it’s benefits…” I realized that a text message had the best chance of making the contact that we needed. While I texted we would get repeated calls that lasted a few seconds then silence. Although they were hard to hear and frequently interrupted, we got a sense of their situation. I completed the message and sent the text and bingo! a positive connection was established. I was able to get clear directions on where to meet and I was able to deliver gas and lend assistance in getting the car started and on it’s way to the nearest gas station.

So, remember, that when a regular call fails, text has the special properties of small bandwidth and “message persistence” that can get through when voice transmission fails.