What To Do If Lost In The Bush

Chronicle (Levin), 19 December 1949, Page 5

What To Do If Lost In The Bush

WELLINGTON, Dec. 17. Widespread instruction on what to do if lost in the bush is likely to be given to school children as a result of the reeent death of a college girl *>u Mount Holdswortli foilowing her sep aration from a school party on the main track. The police are behind this move which aims to eliminate the unneces sary risk often takou by those uu familiar with buslicraft. It is alsu likely that expurienced trampers and mountaineers may lecture members of the Police Force 011 bush and moun taincraft. The Federated Moiratain Clubs oi New Zealand will supply speakers to sehools requesting lectures on safe con duct in the hills and literature sucli as the federation's "Safety in the Moun tains ' ' and the Tararua Tramping Club 's ' ' Safe Tramping ' ' and ' ' Saf.Climbing" will be circulated mor>. widely than iu the past. Every year tramping clubs rau special courses 011 mountaineering and bushcraft for the beneiit of new nieni bers. They deal .exhaustively with sucli uiatters as the strength and con duct of parties, pace, equipment, food, weather, route lind'ing, what to do it lost-,- how to cross rivers, lirst aid, leadership aud general tramping etiquette. A Nelson correspondent, Mrs. C. Blair, suggests tlva't trampers should include in their Idf • a small hatcliel or axe, about three' yards of wadding or cotton wool to wrap arouud the Dody for warmth, one or two rollei bandages, a bottle of iodine, a sevew top bottle coutayiing wax niatclies, spare torcli batteries and a bottle of aspirins. It is conimon practice for trampers to carry these iteiii$v "I11 properly or jgaijiisecijojarties .^thS^leader is respon sible for taking^a 'first aid kit. Metu tablets are also carfied- to aid in light ing fires in wet weather when suitable firewood has to be partially dried. Preventing Stragglers In rough country a "tail man" is apjpointed and 110 one is allowed to drop behind him or to pass the leader. In addition, more experieneed members of the party are usu^jly s.andwiched in between the less experieneed and strict care is taken to ensure that the pace^is not too fast.. . It is also suggested that women need warmer clothing .in the bush. Light clothes are worn vvhile a party is in motion but, when it stops, it is again common practice to don warmer clothes held in reserve in eaeh person 's pack. , Mrs. Blair- says that, as a chiid slte was tauglit to eat a white jelly sub stance contained within tlie black branches of a large fern and that cutting a rata or other vine with a down ward motion will produce a milky liquid which may be drunk. The berries of supplejacks and of fuclisia trees are also edible, she says, as are pig fern roots and the seed from a young nikau Botanist ' s W arning "Though it oan be usef'ul to know vvhat plants to use for food in an emer gency, it is not wise to plaee too much relianee on them," said a botanist in the Department of Scientific and In dustrial Research to whom a copy d Mrs. Blair 's letter was referred. "Poi sonous plants, though t'ew, must be avoided. Fruits and berries are not always in season and suitable food plants are few or lacking in places, while others take tedious preparation. "Food plants should be known to trampers, of course, but they should b-.' used judiciouslv, if at all, So'that planp are not wantonly destroyed as wouid happen by using the pith from fern trunks. The wise tramper always takes extra food to carry him over anj unexpected delay."