Woods Shock, Don’t Lose Your Head! ©

 

 

“Woods Shock” is a condition that can happen to anyone who travels in the wilderness, whether they are inexperienced, or very wise in theways of the wilderness.  It was first introduced into the scientific community on April 17, 1873, when Mr. Henry Forde wrote a letter to the Editor of Nature London, responding to an earlier article written by Charles Darwin.  The condition of woods shock, which is sometimes known as the “Blair Witch Syndrome”, has been written about since 1873.  Before 1873, this condition was known as being “bewildered”.

 

Woods shock is the term that psychologists use to describe the state of confusion, bewilderment and fear that can occur when someone realizes they are “misplaced” and experiences a “complete loss of spatial orientation”².  Woods shock is the emotional response experienced when the individual’s mental map fails to match the environment around them.  When this happens the downward spiral of urgency and fear turns to panic and claustrophobia, which turns to discarding important gear and clothes, while running blindly to escape.  The panicked running lasts until exhaustion and dehydration makes the runner collapse, or until they run off a cliff or into a swamp, river, thicket, or other barrier.  The spiral continues as the suffer of woods shock belatedly tries to plan for survival, but then spirals further into despair and fatigue when the plan fails, before finally succumbing to hypothermia and then death.  The main character in Jack London’s short story, “To Build a Fire”, suffers this downward spiral prior to his death.

 

The “don’t lose your head” advice that Gramp’s gave to the new navy pilots flying off and returning to aircraft carriers, while givenwith pilots in mind, is still excellent advice for anyone travelling in the wilderness.  Remember that everyone who journeys into the wilderness will become disoriented from time to time.  The New Hampshire Lost Person Study, 1974-1979³, found that 63% of those lost during the time of the study, were hikers or hunters who had become “disoriented” on clear, sunny days during summer and fall, during the late afternoon or early evening.  Of those who became lost, 54% were traveling through areas that they were familiar with, and 46% had taken a wilderness safety class before becoming lost.  Experienced woods men and women, stop, take a deep breath, and then proceeded to make camp for the night.  Unfortunately, many inexperienced people and even some experienced people let their fear get the best of them, they lose their heads and slip into woods shock and panic -- and remember PANIC KILLS!

 

What to do when it happens?

 

First things first, when you realize that you are disoriented, stop, sit down, take several deep tactical breaths (for more on tactical breathing read “The Top Ten Wilderness Survival Skills...Number Three©”, HERE) and think about what you need to do next.  If you can orient yourself, so that you are sure you know where you are, and there is more than two hours till local Sundown, then great!  But if not, stay where you are, if it is safe and there is wood, water and shelter from the wind nearby.  If where you are is safe and there is wood and water, then find or build shelter from the wind and the weather, gather plenty of wood, build a fire and make yourself comfortable while you wait for rescuers.

 

Keith McCafferty, writing in Field & Stream wrote two very helpful articles on woods shock and what to do next, titled “Woods Shock Can Kill”, HERE, and “Winter Survival Stories”, HERE, extracts of which are reprinted below.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Eating Hard Tack, 18^th Century Style©”, where we will talk about how to eat hard tack without breaking your teeth!

 

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 Here is an excerpt from Charles Darwin’s April 17^th, 1873, article from Nature London.

 

² From “Deep Survival”, by Laurence Gonzales, page 156-157

 

³ The New Hampshire Lost Person Study, 1974-1979, by J. L. Rosinski, 1980

 

Sources

 

Forde, Henry; Nature London: The International Weekly Journal of Science, Volume 7 (November 1872 to April 1873), [Macmillan and Co., London, 1873], April 17 1873, pages 463-464, https://books.google.com/books?id=mp5UAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA476&dq=journal+nature+1873+%22Henry+forde%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiphdLtpJeBAxXck4kEHZL3ClMQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=journal%20nature%201873%20%22Henry%20forde%22&f=false, accessed September 28, 2023

 

Darwin, Charles; “Origin of Certain Instincts”, Nature London: The International Weekly Journal of Science, Volume 7 (November 1872 to April 1873), [Macmillan and Co., London, 1873], April 3, 1873, pages 417-419, https://books.google.com/books?id=mp5UAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA476&dq=journal+nature+1873+%22Henry+forde%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiphdLtpJeBAxXck4kEHZL3ClMQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=journal%20nature%201873%20%22Henry%20forde%22&f=false, accessed September 28, 2023

 

Gonzales, Laurence; “Deep Survival”, [W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2003], page 156-157

Gramp; “A Letter From Grampaw”, Naval Aviation News, June 1950, page 16, https://books.google.com/books?id=hmBGAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA5-PA16&dq=%22don%27t+lose+your+head%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_grO8k8GBAxX1FFkFHQxsDjI4ChDoAXoECAQQAg#v=onepage&q=%22don't%20lose%20your%20head%22&f=false, accessed September 29, 2023

 

Hole, Elmer C.; “Tells How Not To Get Lost In The Woods”, American Lumberman, February 24, 1917; [American Lumberman Institute, Chicago, 1917], page 63, https://books.google.com/books?id=PtZRRXQ0RnoC&pg=RA9-PA63&dq=%22what+to+do%22+lost+forest&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjIx6n9jM6BAxURFlkFHZyIA3g4ChDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=%22what%20to%20do%22%20lost%20forest&f=false, accessed September 29, 2023

 

McCafferty, Keith; “Winter Survival Stories”, Field & Stream,  February 2008, page 46 to 53, https://books.google.com/books?id=dBZqIPzGkZsC&pg=PA52&dq=lost+%22woods+shock%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi-oYPS9JaBAxWSFFkFHal8BX0Q6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=lost%20%22woods%20shock%22&f=false, accessed September 30, 2023

 

McCafferty, Keith; “Woods Shock Can Kill”, Field & Stream, October 2006, page 40, https://books.google.com/books?id=Gv5GUqHcT8wC&pg=PA40&dq=survival+lost+woods&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO_MfT0JaBAxVbtIkEHYOdCIU4FBDoAXoECAoQAg#v=onepage&q=survival%20lost%20woods&f=false, accessed September 30, 2023

 

Ogilvie, John; “bewilder”, The Imperial Dictionary: English, Technological and Scientific, Volume 1, [Blackie and Son, Glasgow and Edinburgh, 1863] page 192, https://books.google.com/books?id=w9g_Uh9iGaUC&pg=PA192&dq=Bewilder+dictionary&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGiMjyx9KBAxWUFFkFHQFxDaIQ6AF6BAgKEAI#v=onepage&q=Bewilder%20dictionary&f=false, accessed September 30, 2023