Big Sur cliff plunge survival hydration

There are many mistakes in metabolism. Often because enzymes that do one helpful thing accidentally do a different unhelpful thing. Enzyme classic view as 'lock and key' Another key fits as well. Oops.

I understand it's like that for ethylene glkcol. Oxalic acid produced in liver. Liver says oops my bad - you take it, kidneys. Kidneys try, but end up making crystals.

Different critters make different mistakes. So chocolate and avocados are bad as dog food. I suppose a very long and boring book could cover topic of evolutionary 'not such good ideas after all eh?'. Personal favorite - horses. Majestic eh? Human prime movers until very recently. Their digestive systems are train wrecks. So many things can go wrong.

 

The water stored in my car generally freezes very infrequently. If is does, the car itself can make heat. If I must leave the car, I'd generally have firestarter available. Both the car and the local environment can generally provide fuel for fire.

For cold weather survival, sucking on ice or snow is generally a bad idea. The energy needed to melt ice is quite large, and generally should be conserved for other metabolic functions, not squandered on an abysmally small increment of hydration. Any liquid water is OK, the energy needed to warm it from near freezing to body temperature is far less than needed to melt ice.

 

So we explore Bear Grylls on the front side, where he avoids entertaining backside fails.

If you are survival stranded near or below 0 oC, you had effing better be making fire. Lots of fire.

 

Iodination works against bacteria and other waterborne parasites. An acquired taste at best, but Tang TM or Everclear TM are available to change the subject.

Modern water filters of porous ceramics appear to be similarly effective. I've wondered though if they work well in hands of unskilled operators. It's not easy to 'do' iodine wrong.