Sunday, November 1, 2020

Daylight Savings Time in the Wilderness ©

Photograph by the author.

Daylight Savings Time ended today, November 1st at 2:00 am when the clocks were turned backward one hour to 1:00 am, to Standard Time.  For the most part daylight savings time or DST, which is also called “spring forward”, or “summer time”, means very little in the wilderness; where you often go to bed shortly after dark and get up when the Sun comes up. 

 

So why is it important to know the difference between daylight savings time and standard time, for people who travel in the wilderness.  Well, in a survival situation, let’s suppose that you are “misplaced”, and you need to orient yourself.  You take an inventory of things in your pack and pockets that could help you, and you realized that you lost your compass, or maybe you forgot to bring it, but you do have a watch.

 

From “Time Change 2020 in the United States”, by Timeanddate.com, HERE.

To orient yourself with your watch, first it is important that your watch shows standard time and not daylight savings time, or else your result will be in error by as much as 16 degrees1.  If your watch is set for daylight savings time, set it back an hour, so that your watch shows standard time.  The good news is that after November 1st, daylight savings times ends until spring, and you won’t have to worry about setting your watch back before you use it to find your direction.  For more on how to use your watch as a compass read “How to Find Your Way Without A Compass, Part Two, The Watch As A Compass ©”, HERE.

 


Okay, the change from daylight savings time to standard time doesn’t matter much to someone in the wilderness, but what is daylight savings time and what is its history?”, you might ask.  You might even ask, “Does it really save energy”, or you might ask, “Are there any negative health effects with changing the clocks”?  I know that these were questions that I had, so I looked for some answers and here is what I found.

 


Around the World today, 70 countries, about 40% of World’s countries use DST time, which in the northern hemisphere, starts between March and April, and ends between September and November, and in the southern hemisphere it starts sometime during September to November and ends on some point during March to April.  Daylight savings time involves setting the clocks forward by one hour, to make better use of the longer summer days, and is designed to save energy by making a better use of daylight and reducing the need for artificial lighting. 

 

Benjamin Franklin, although he invented many things and contrary to some sources, did not invent daylight savings time.  Daylight savings time was invented by New Zealand scientist George Vernon Hudson in 1895, and it independently re-invented by British builder William Willet in 1905.  The first place to put a daylight savings time plan into effect was Port Arthur, today’s Thunder Bay, in Ontario, Canada, on July 1st, 1908.  The Canadian city of Regina adopted daylight savings time on April 23, 1914 and was followed by the cities of Winnipeg and Brandon, in Manitoba Canada on April 24, 1916.  The first countries to enact a daylight savings plan was Germany and Austria, when on April 30th, 1916, amidst the chaos and horror of World War I, clocks were turned ahead one hour to save fuel for the war effort by reducing the use of artificial lighting.  Soon after, other countries, like the United Kingdom and France enacted daylight saving time as well2.

 


Back during the early years of the 1900s, daylight savings time might have saved energy by reducing the use of artificial illumination.  Now, at least in most parts of the developed world, what with the increased use of televisions, computers, and air-conditioning, it doesn’t matter if the Sun is up or not, overall energy use is up and any energy savings due to daylight savings time is insignificant.  The state of Indiana, in the American Midwest, enacted daylight savings time in 2006, and a study done at the time found that daylight savings time increased the energy used throughout the state3.

 


The short answer to this question is, yes!  Daylight savings time disrupts your bodies internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, and can affect your health.  For some people though the switch from daylight savings time to standard time can have serious effects.  Studies have found that losing an hour of afternoon daylight can increase depression during the first ten weeks after the change to standard time and an Australian study has shown that rate of suicides increases during the days following any change in our clocks.  Additionally, many people feel tired after switching to daylight savings time in the spring and losing an hour sleep by setting their clocks forward one hour.  A Swedish study found and increased risk of having a heart attack in the first three workdays after the beginning of daylight savings time.  Also, and perhaps more important for wilderness travelers, other studies have found that this extra tiredness is the main cause of traffic and workplace accidents4.  Many times, the drive to and from your wilderness adventure is the most hazardous part of your trip, and if you are tired whole your risk increases.  Also, there are always risks when traveling or camping in the woods and if you are tired the risk of falling or otherwise hurting yourself increases.  So, get your rest!  For more on the importance of sleep and the wilderness, read “When it Comes to Survival, Get Some Rest!©”, HERE.

 


I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at Bandanaman Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

1 Risk, Paul, H., Outdoor Safety And Survival, p. 285.

 

2 From “Time Change 2020 in the United States”, by Timeanddate.com and Annie Buckle’s, “History of Daylight Savings Time (DST)”.

 

3 From “The Never Ending DST Debate”, by Annie Buckle.

 

4 “Negative Health Effects of DST”, by Annie Buckle.

 

 

Sources

 

Buckle, Annie; “Daylight Saving Time Ends in USA & Canada”, September 15, 2020, [© Time and Date AS 1995–2020], https://www.timeanddate.com/news/time/usa-canada-end-dst-2020.html, accessed October 16, 2020

 

Buckle, Annie; “History of Daylight Savings Time (DST)”, [© Time and Date AS 1995–2020], https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/history.html, accessed October 16, 2020

 

Buckle, Annie; “The Never Ending DST Debate”, [© Time and Date AS 1995–2020], https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/daylight-saving-debate.html, accessed October 16, 2020

 

Buckle, Annie; “Negative Health Effects of DST”, [© Time and Date AS 1995–2020], https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/daylight-saving-health.html, accessed October 16, 2020

 

Buckle, Annie; Hocken, Vigdis; “Standard Time, Winter Time, Normal Time”, April 7, 2008, [© Time and Date AS 1995–2020], https://www.timeanddate.com/time/standard-time.html, accessed October 16, 2020

 

Risk, Paul, H., Outdoor Safety And Survival, [John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 1983] p 284-285

 

Timeanddate.com, “Time Change 2020 in the United States”, [© Time and Date AS 1995–2020], https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa, accessed October 16, 2020

 

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