2014.09.12 04:26
How to Turn Your Smartphone into a Survival Tool Be Prepared with Survival Apps Stuck in the desert or backcountry? What you do next can turn a potential problem into one of those sad news stories we’ve all read, another somber, cautionary tale of people that perished in the wilderness. The actions you take in the next hour may make the difference between getting home alive and not getting home at all. How you got into this situation is not that important, but how you get out is. In isolated areas where there is no cell service available, many of the features of your phone will not function. Calling 911 is impossible, and maps will not download to your phone. GPS will work, but all you’ll see is a blue dot on a blank screen. Without directions, most of us will walk in a large circle, due to one leg being stronger then the other, or not the exact same length. Next time you’re in a large open area, walk with your eyes focused on the ground about 10 feet in front of you and see what happens. LOCATION ASSISTANCE Several apps have preloaded maps and work with your phone’s GPS chip to show you where you are with or without cell service. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE What if you can’t get out quickly and you have a medical emergency? The official American Red Cross First Aid app puts expert advice for everyday emergencies in your hand. Available for iPhone and Android devices, the official American Red Cross First Aid app gives you instant access to the information you need to know to handle the most common first aid emergencies. With videos, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step advice it’s never been easier to know first aid. SURVIVAL ASSISTANCE Ok. You’ve handled the First Aid problems, and it looks like you’ll be out in the wilderness for a while -- now you need to go into survival mode. These apps will help you to handle most emergencies, and to get back safely. Download them now so you can be prepared; no one knows what will happen tomorrow. Feedback What is your favorite app, let us know and we will add them to this article, send to Jim@desertusa.com - put the words "DesertUSA Feedback on Apps" in the subject of the email.
|
Most of you will never get into a situation like the above.
But, as active and traveling senior citizens with slight dementic confusion and some degree of memory problems,
we will never knows when and how we get into such situations.
(ㅎ, ㅎ, ㅎ. Maybe, I shouldn't be laughing. )
Since we all have smart phones, we might as well take advantage of them.
It won't hurt to be prepared and the applications mentioned above have nice maps that can be useful anywhere.
Some of the applications can be used in the middle of a city as well.
Frequently wandering in deep forests and deserts, I always felt the necessity for such devices
that can be operable at places without the Internet Wifi or telephone connections.
I've never got lost in the wilderness but, at times, I felt I was almost close to have been there.