I have not checked this tread since the couple was found. I am astonished and sad that the guy is dead. To be quite honest, I'm actually pretty mad. And don't come at me with sad songs of how we should be respectful. Believe me, I am.
When you get lost, and as long as you are not in imminent danger, STAY WHERE YOU ARE AT!
Playing 'hide and go seek' is hard enough when you are sitting in one location. It's impossible when you are moving around. I've talked to a few SAR folks over the years and it's always the same. The living are found when they stopped and sat for the rescue. When they find dead bodies, it's because the person would not stay still.
Their car was found in what, a day or so? Took a few other days to find the people.
Your body is a much smaller visual footprint than a full size car. A car has all kinds of reflective surfaces on it that will catch the eyes.
Matter of fact, lets look at your car and what it can do:
Mirrors to flash the sun
Set a tire on fire to produce a ton of smoke (don't give me that nonsense about forest fires. You are hurt and need help. Thick black smoke is going to locate your position)
Sit inside during the night.
Move around the shadows of it to stay cooler during the day.
The list can go on.
Frenchie said it above about the weight of water. 8 pounds to the gallon. A person would need at least 1 gallon to be even remotely comfortable in the desert per day, and that's just barely moving around. Not sure how much they had, but if they had enough, it would have been very heavy.
inReach? How many owners of these device truly understand how these things work? "oh, I just pull out it for emergencies" Yeah, that's dumb. In an emergency, you are going to be thinking a whole lot differently. You need to use that little device a few times a month to get comfortable with it.
Saw a few comments about what a map shows. Let me lay down the law on this. I am a PROFESSIONAL CARTOGRAPHER. Have been for a long time. You know what a map is? It's a model. And all models are inherently inaccurate. While you may be able to see peaks and valleys, you won't be able to see micro-terrain. Not to mention, how good at reading a map are you really? I've been doing this since the 90s and still get turned around. Again, it's easy to do stuff when you are in a good mood. Add stress to it, and you forget the most basic of skills. Same with your smart phone GPS. Might be able to show you where you are at to within a few meters, but your geography is still going to be iffy. Map shows water over there! Yeah, good luck with that. I live in East Tennessee. Our maps show all kinds of streams and water. The thing is, a lot of them are wet weather only. Maps tend to show all the things all the time. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. (you should still buy my maps though).
Speaking of local terrain...they were just a few miles hike? Sounds easy. Well, maybe if you were not walking over uneven terrain. Do a ten mile walk down your asphalt road. Kind of tired huh? Now do it a gravel road. Yeah, no.
It's easy to arm chair this event, and that's exactly what I am doing. But I tell you, this stuff drives me up the wall. I'll even go so far as to blame TV. We had a local guy in the Smokies a month or so ago get lost. His solution? Follow the water down stream. Except for him, some of the banks were so steep, he had to wade in the water. Sounds like some non-sense these TV survival dudes talk about doing. He was lucky and survived. I also remember a young kid got lost in the Smokies a few years ago. SAR found him a few days later. Kid was smart and did not wander around. He made a bed on the ground and stayed put. He was hungry when they found him, and that's all.
One more thing. I'm a vet. Being a vet does not make you Chuck Rambo Norris. The military does not teach you individual survival skills like you think they do.
Ok Professor Charto,,,,, I tried leaving this alone, but alas,,,,,,, I'm callin BS on the BOLD Comments above,,,,, I know Exactally what I'm looking at on a Map, any Map,,,, but my Preferred Map Source is a 7.5Min USGS TOPO Map, showing True North~Grid North~and Magnetic North, and understanding how to use the Attached Declination deg's that are given for that particular area you are looking at on that Map, and with a 7.5Min TOPO you will have 40' Contours,,,,, and that makes it pretty easy to see the lay of the land ahead of you,,,,, ie..... those Contours Stacked-up on each other at various points, shows you that area is Pretty-Dam Steep, and or even Straight up and Down, a Cliff.....
And as for your Military Comment, the Marine Corp as a Very Demanding Orienteering, ie... Mapping and Compass School, I know, as after returning from VietNam in late 1971, I was an Instructure for that Course a Camp Pendleton, CA., until mid-73 when I was Discharged,,,,, So, I'm laying down the Law now as well, careful what you put in Print,,,, you BETTER Know what the Hell your talking about,,,,,, if not, you may get called on it.
And my Preferred Compass is either a SUUNTO M-2/M-3 or a SILVA 2.0,,,,, Oh and yea, that's my Story and I'm Sticking to it.!!!!
BD in Alaska....
