If you worked hard as an adult to teach yourself to hunt, and did the same to learn how to roam far and wide yet remain safe in big/high country in the west, it can be difficult to understand how and why people get themselves into such bad circumstances, and even more difficult to understand why they do some strange things when lost.
I feel terrible for folks who become badly disoriented and lost and then suffer - even die - because they are not equipped/prepared to deal with what they got themselves into - and then went in deeper. It must be a horrible feeling to be in that condition. I also sometimes feel badly for the search and rescue people who are suddenly called out to try to help. These things have happened all too frequently during the many years we lived and roamed in that high country.
Thanks for the info on effects of hypothermia - I've never been really, really cold out there, let alone hypothermic - so it helps one understand why people do some strange things. Having never been lost or even in confusing or fearful conditions, I simply wish that people would study and learn how to behave wisely in such undertakings and what to do if they get themselves into trouble - it is logical and easy to learn and the prep is easy - just do it.
In the few instances where sudden weather or other unexpecteds caused me to have to change course or concentrate energy and effort to get out of some challenging situation, I certainly never would have tossed my firearm, or boots, or whatever. To do that, minds must be really scrambled at such a point.
