I guess just about any type of school can be called a survival school (translating Homeric poems from the original Greek version could help you survive British boys school reunions). Knowledge is power and power creates self-confidence. America offers little in the normal school curriculum that would help us survive in either urban or rural environments. In fact, most high school kids don't even know how to open a bank account, let alone trap, skin and cook a rabbit.
There are three types of survival schools. The first is sport- or location-specific (mountain, diving, jungle, jumping); the next deals with bush lore, and the last type is the southern "be a mercenary" school that does little but promote the sales of black T-shirts with skulls, and cheap beer. Having never received any formal military training, I learned my survival skills from a variety of eclectic sources: guides, boatmen, headhunters, Indians, trappers, botanists and others.
The first tool for survival is knowledge, the second is self-confidence, and the third is ingenuity. I would like to say that luck is by far the most important element of survival, but let's put that aside for now.
Armies have long known that training can replace thinking in men. If someone is exposed to rote learning, common experience and instinctive reaction, they will often do the unthinkable. In the trenches of WWI, thousands of men crawled out of relative safety to follow their dead comrades into withering machine-gun fire. Intensive training can suppress our natural instinct to run away, cower in fear or scream at the top of our lungs.
What does that have to do with survival training? First of all, most people have never been in a life-threatening situation. Or more correctly, most people don't know how to deal with life-threatening situations. Second, most urban people left in remote places don't have the foggiest idea about how to build a fire, construct shelter and find food.
Most adventurers eagerly look forward to the serendipity of being thrust into unforeseen or harsh circumstances. Many of them have a smattering of training and good sense, but few are honest-to-god bushmen, so if you want the odds stacked in your favor, try spending some time at one of the training spots listed in this section.
The best sources for survival training are the special forces or commando sections of the British, American, Australian and French military. Most require a minimum of four to five years and will consume the flower of your youth. You may find yourself with skills that lead you to a life of hard-core adventure, since the first place security and mercenary recruiters go is to the bars that the SAS and French Foreign Legion frequent. If you wish to sidestep the endless years of boredom spent on military bases and go straight for the good stuff, you can look into these schools, many taught by the cream of the SAS or American special forces vets. Don't be shy about setting up a one-on-one itinerary if you have special educational needs.
If you gravitate toward the more earthbound, then be prepared to learn survival the politically correct way: no killing, no field stripping of weapons and a definite slant toward New Age thinking. Will these skills save your life when you have to E&E Khmer Rouge terrorists? Maybe. Will they make you more comfortable and secure in the wild? Yes.
OK we should say schools for dangerous people, or schools that will make your adventures less dangerous; Oh hell, it sounds better our way. Herein you can find a list of institutions, events and resources that will help the curious and adventurous add to their survival skills.
Expedition Leadership Training Scheme
London Information Center
18 Westbourne Park Villas
London, England W2 5EA
[44] (71) 229-9251
Bremex operates a school in expedition planning, leadership and survival skills. The briefings and lectures are on Tuesday evenings, with weekend training wilderness expeditions in the winter. All courses are London-based and vary from "Weekend Taster" courses to nine-month qualifying courses for expedition leaders. Training includes first aid, survival skills, mountain rescue, leadership studies, canoeing, snow and ice climbing, navigation and orienteering.
Fees are about $50 a month, with transportation provided to weekend moor and mountain locations.
Post Office Box AA
Lander, Wyoming 82520
(307) 332-6973, FAX: (307) 332-3031
This school gets past the superficial imagery of some survival schools and right down to business. People who want to make money in the outdoor adventure business come here to learn not only survival aspects, but the nuts and bolts of adventure travel outfitting. You can also take the 34-day, $2100 NOLS instructor's class once you have passed a basic wilderness class. The emphasis here is on safety, since your future charges will be less than amused if they end up living off the land because you forgot to pack their favorite pudding. Choose from sea kayaking, winter camping, telemark skiing, backpacking or mountaineering. Some courses qualify for college credit.
Entry-level classes are in reality great adventure vacations depending on your area of interest. Mountaineering classes are taught in Alaska, British Columbia and even Kenya. Expect to spend two weeks to three months on location learning the specialized skills you will need to lead other groups. If you want to cram in a class on your vacation, then opt for their selection of two-week courses on horsepacking, winter skiing, rock climbing or canoeing. If you flunk, well you had a good time on a well-organized adventure tour.
16 Broadway
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
(508) 927-5127
A nonprofit group that runs 40 month-long and semester-length programs that allow students to gain field research experience. Targeted to high school and college students, the college credit courses are run all around the world. There is a wide choice of topics, from coral reef studies (the Caribbean), marine mammals (Baja, Mexico), tropical rain forests (Australia) and wildlife management (Kenya). Scholarships and interest-free loans are available.
Rural Federal District 1
Box 163
Conway, New Hampshire 03818
(603) 447-6711, FAX: (603) 447-2310
A school for professionals, SOLO is designed to teach wilderness guides what to do in an emergency. They offer a four-week, $1200 Emergency Wilderness Training Certification course that will get you on the preferred list of just about any expedition. Shorter two-day seminars are taught around the country for $100. The areas of specialization are wilderness emergencies (such as frostbite, hypothermia, bites and altitude sickness), climbing rescue, and emergency medicine (wounds, broken limbs, shock and allergy). Participants are expected to have a basic grounding in climbing and outdoor skills.
Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
London, England SW7 2AR
[44] (71) 584-0710, FAX: [44] (71) 581-7995
BSES sets up an expedition for young people (16-1/2 to 20 years old) every year. The six-week expeditions are usually to the arctic regions of Europe (Canada to Russia) and are during the summer holidays. They have been sneaking in expeditions to tropical climes and offer four- to six-month expeditions to Botswanna, Greenland, Alaska and Svalbard.
Over 3000 people have taken part since 1932, and interviews take place in London in November. Participants pay a fee to cover costs; membership to BSES is by election after the successful completion of a BSES expedition.
412 County Road 6NS
Cody, Wyoming 82414
(800) 533-3066, (307) 527-6650, FAX: (307) 527-7196
Here's a place that is about halfway between the Boy Scouts and Outward Bound, targeted directly to bored teens. Called "Man and His Land Expeditions," they allow you to choose from fishing, ice climbing, white-water rafting, horse packing, mountain biking and llama trekking, or you can do all of them. The eight-week Full West program will pack more rootin' tootin' Western adventure than a year of National Geographic TV specials. How about a seven-day backpack trip in the Rockies; then you're off to the Grand Canyon; then you zip over to the Green River for a little white-water rafting, and zoom, you blast up to Mount Rainier for mountain climbing and rescue training. Still not totally bagged? More thrills and spills await, as you tour the rain forests of the Olympic Peninsula and then more river running, then in one last eco-adventure blast in the Absaroka Range in Wyoming, you spend the next week mountain biking, llama trekking, horse packing and camping. If there are any survivors, the final week is spent climbing mountains in the Tetons as part of the Exum school of Mountaineering. And all you thought there was for teenagers to do in the summer was play video games and listen to heavy metal.
570 Shepard Street
San Pedro, CA 90731
(310) 833-4249
There is a school where you can learn tracking, survival, plant uses and general bush lore. The Earth Skills school was founded in 1987 by Jim Lowery to introduce people to the great outdoors in a very practical way. Most of the classes are over a three-day weekend and run between $50 to $160. The wilderness skill course is a three-day class that will teach you how to trap, identify edible plants, weave baskets, build shelters, start a fire with an Indian bow, make primitive weapons, purify water and generally learn how to survive more than 50 miles from a 7-Eleven.
The one-day classes, usually held on a weekend, teach tracking skills or plant uses. Once you have graduated from tracking or wilderness, you can move up to the advanced levels where you can learn Earth Philosophy. Using the methodology and philosophy of aboriginal peoples, Lowery will show you how to apply your inner vision to communicate with the animals. If this is a little too California for some folks, you can skip Earth Philosophy and go into Advanced Tracking and Awareness. This class is taught in the Los Padres mountains at an elevation of 8000 feet in the summer or in Joshua Tree in the winter. Both are spectacular sites.
Ready for graduate work? Once you have completed the above, you are ready for the Track-Reading workshop, a one-day class that teaches you foot movement and biomechanics so that you will essentially be reading the animals' mind and actions as you follow the tracks of wild animals. If that is not enough, there is a whole weekend of tracking in Nipomo dunes near Pismo Beach. Here, you will track coyote, bobcat, raccoons, opossums and other small animals.
The school has had about 3000 graduates who have spent serious "dirt time" with Jim. He recommends his class for nature center leaders, biologists, Scout leaders and anyone who wants to understand our world a little better. He offers a quarterly newsletter called Dirt Times for $10 a year.
East Route
Monticello, Utah 845535
(800) 525-4456
Four Corners provides outdoor skills, natural sciences and land stewardship in the Colorado Plateau. The activities include rafting, jeeping, hiking and backpacking. Costs are between $375 to $2495, with courses given between February and November.
Post Office Box 231-A
Salisbury Vermont 05769
Ron Hardt and those rugged Vermonters must specialize in the lighter side of survival. Here you can spend six days doing all the things the Indians did without being banished to the wilderness to prove your self-sufficiency. Better yet, you can look forward to a cozy cabin and three robust meals a day, while you learn how to skin rabbits and make tepees. The summertime classes cost $525, with a weekend program for about $200.
(800) 622-6525
Travel up the Amazon on a research vessel ($1695 from Miami); extensions to Macchu Pichu and Cuzco are available.
384 Field Point Road
Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
(800) 243-8520, (203) 661-0797
Colorado School: (800) 477-2627
Pacific Crest School: (800) 547-3312
Do you want to develop that calm, steely-eyed approach, that strong warmth that exudes from those '40s male movie stars with an unshakable faith in your abilities and courage? All right, how about just being able to sleep without your Mickey Mouse nightlight on? Outward Bound starts with the mind, and the body follows. The program has been used with the handicapped, the criminal and the infirm, and it creates magical transformations in all. What is the secret? Well, like the tiny train that said, "I think I can, I think I can," OB teaches you to motivate yourself, trust your companions and step past your self-imposed limits. What emerges is self-confidence and a greater understanding of your fellow man.
The idea for the school was developed in 1941. Today, there are 31 Outward Bound schools around the world, with seven in North America: Colorado, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Minnesota and Toronto. The instructors are not strutting, barking ex-marines but warm, caring individuals who hold safety and understanding above pushing limits. So now that you're sold, what actually happens to effect this magical change in people? Well, first you must put aside about two grand for the two-day-long programs; shorter programs cost about half that.
You can choose from hiking, rafting, winter camping, climbing, trekking, canoeing and ski mountaineering. Each program is broken into four phases (I sense a heroic structure through these schools.) First, students are instructed in the sport-specific skills they need. Phase two is the journey. Small groups of eight to 12 people tackle a specific journey via their chosen mode of travel. Phase three is the Challenge, where students now must go into the wilderness (their instructors check in on them daily) and be self-sufficient, meditate and reflect on their general state of affairs (40 days and 40 nights is probably too extreme, so the usual length of time is one to three days). Phase four lets the students break into smaller groups without the benefit of instructors and complete their own mini-expedition. At the end of the course, the students are reunited and they participate in one last activity. Whew! After all that, most students rave about the change in their self-confidence, their lust for life and their re-centering (a California word that means they are on the right track).
If you find this process stimulating and rewarding, Outward Bound has leadership courses to prepare you for positions as a guide or just to help you teach other people to expand their self-confidence and awareness.
Outward Bound has expanded to include executive training courses, but the results are not as glorious as anticipated. In one recent session, instructors in England divided executives into two groups and told them to rescue two injured people on the side of a mountain. One group then proceeded to steal the other's stretcher, brought their "victim" to safety, then stood and cheered while the other victim lay stranded on the mountain. Oh, well. Maybe learning to survive the urban jungle makes men tougher than we thought.
Ardmore, Rhiconich
By Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland IV27 4RB
[44] (97) 182-229
The Ridgeway School is an established (since 1969) place for young people to learn outdoor skills. For those young people jaded by the choices offered by the Wild West, John Ridgeway can put them on a 57-foot sailing ketch, teach them how to sail a dinghy and provide a different angle on survival training, backpacking, canoeing, rock-climbing and interpersonal skills. Open to 12- to 15-year olds and 15- to 18-year olds, these two-week summer courses run about $800. An interesting alternative if you are spending the summer in Europe and are looking for something to occupy the teens.
Huntsville, Alabama
(800) 63-SPACE
All right, this one is not quite a life-and-death experience, but for the young it is a great way to understand why astronauts need the right stuff. It might be the beginning of a life of adventure for the next generation.
This commercial enterprise (no pun intended) strives to deliver a youthful replica of the space program and will really turn on science geeks and flight nuts. During the weeklong experience students will perform water survival training, and eventually earn Space Academy wings.
If you can cough up an additional $75 or $225, trainees can either fly as an observer, or get behind the controls of a Tampico Club training aircraft when instructors from the University of North Dakota's aerospace department fly Space Academy and Aviation Challenge trainees in single-engine planes.
More than 183,000 trainees have graduated from U.S. Space Camp programs in Alabama and Florida in the past 12 years, more than enough to supply the next few generation of astronauts. Campuses also are located in Japan and Belgium, with Space Camp Canada scheduled to open soon.
Post Office Box 3226
Flagstaff, Arizona 86003
Summer: (801) 335-7404
Winter: (208) 356-7446
If you want to live like a native (no, they do not offer casino management courses), check out the BOSS progam. The big one is the 27-day course in Utah, where you will go through four phases. For openers, you will spend five days traveling without food or water. The second phase is 12 days, with the group learning and practicing your survival skills.The third phase has you spending three to four days on a solo survival quest with minimal tools (no credit cards or Walkmans), living off the land until you finally make the grade by spending five days in the wild traveling a substantial distance. Graduation ceremonies are somewhat informal and muddy. For this, you pay about $1300. Naturally, food, accommodations and transportation are not included. One added benefit is that most participants lose about 5 to 8 percent of their body weight after taking the month long course.
For those who don't have a month to spend on a forced weight-loss system, or can't miss reruns of "McGyver," there are one- to three-week courses that range from basic earth skills and aboriginal knowledge for $550, to winter survival courses that include making snowshoes, mushing dog sleds and cold weather first aid for $565. The one that appeals to me is the seven-day desert and marine (as in water) survival course held in the Kino bay area of Sonora, Mexico. This course teaches you how to find your food underwater and on land, finding water, what there is to eat in arid lands and general desert survival knowledge. BOSS is consistently held above the others as the toughest and most rewarding survival school.
Post Office Box 125
Waitsfield, Vermont 05673
(802) 496-5300
Green Mountain offers a softer and lower-cost approach than BOSS to survival training, and, in the process, the owner, Mike Casper, has more takers. He runs 10-day courses in the summer in Vermont State Parks and wilderness areas. Students will learn how to gather food via tracking, trapping, hunting or fishing. Edible plant identification, cooking without the aid of pots or pans and finding and purifying water round out the culinary aspect of this $950 course. You don't need to be Hawkeye to join, and you might actually have some fun.
7 Melbourne Street
Royston, Hertfordshire, England SG8 7BP
[44] (763) 242-867
This British school will send you off to train under Preben Mortensen, a survival instructor who also provides military survival training to the armed forces. The course is held in the Varmland area of Southern Sweden during the winter and the summer. There is little Indian lore or men barking at the moon-just how to stay alive in wilderness conditions. Expect to pay about a grand for 10 days.
10 High Street
Suite 15
Medford Massachusetts 02155
(617) 395-0046, FAX: (617) 391-8252
http://www.ssdd.com
For two decades this school has been teaching evasive and survival driving to personnel in 600 corporations in 28 companies.
0234 Seneca Drive
Silt, Colorado 81652
(800) 874-0888
http://www.esi-lifeforce.com
Training school (est 1980) for bodyguarding, self defence, marine security and driving skills.
Eastern Michigan University
122 Sill Hall
Ypsilanti, MIchigan 48197
(313) 487-1161, FAX: (313) 487-8755
Richard Marcinko's version of a temp agency. Medical, edged weapons, SWAT, maritime assault special weapons and other courses are taught in conjunction with EMU.
P.O. Box 1687
Eglin AFB, Florida 32542
(800) 535-6428, FAX: (904) 678-3515
e-mail: explotec@counterrorism.com
Four day mine awareness and explosive handling courses start at $825.
Enviro-Tech International
P.O. Box 2135
Montrose,Colorado 81402
(970) 249-7590
www.montrose.net/eti/surv.htm
Courses in Arctic, desert and plain old survival.
www. hisradut.com
Courses in unarmed self defense, shooting, adventure racing and home defense.
www. ntcpao.com/swim
www.av.qnet.com/~diogenes/
www.kiruna.se/turism/doc0060.htm
www.mu.edu/dept/reslife/html/program/voyage/documnts/survival/html
Most reporters brag about trial by fire or the red badge of courage. The reality is that very, very few war correspondents have any military or survival training. Much like the effect of those Drivers Ed. movies in high school, hours of watching mangled bodies and gimpy people might make them think twice about journalistic heroics.
It is safe to say that the 125 journalists who were killed in 1994 and 1995 didn't deliberately get up in the morning and decide to lay down their lives in hopes of gaining eternal fame. They just screwed up. The wrong place at the wrong time, an over-enthusiastic sniper, a leftover land mine, ricochets, booby traps-you name it.
There is an interesting course designed to at least lower the odds of violent death for journalists. The four-day Battlefield First Aid Training Course run by the British Army has certified more than 500 journalists since 1992. Journalists are taught how to stay alive: avoiding snipers, identifying and understanding mines and booby-traps, and the effects and damage of weapons of various calibers, as well as first aid and basic training rules. Some tips gleaned from the course:
A watered-down version of hand-to-hand combat is taught along with first-aid techniques. The first-aid classes teach more than just how to administer for shock and bleeding as a result of gunshot wounds. The students are shown and then asked to use hypodermic needles on themselves in case they need to inject morphine. To minimize the need for first aid, attendees are educated on the amazing variety and types of land mines and booby traps.
For information on course dates and fees, contact the following:
[44] 125-234-0237
Most governments provide information for travelers in an effort to give a general sense of what dangers or problems exist in certain countries. Advisories are updated sporadically and may be so generic as to be useless. Don't be surprised to find a general disagreement on why and which countries are deemed to be dangerous. The single most useful tool for us are the Country Information Sheets and the Daily Incident Reports supplied by the U.S. State Department. For those who still use the venerated telephone the State Department can be reached at (202) 647-5225, or call from a fax machine phone to get info on (202) 647-3000 or use your funky old modem at (202) 647-9225.
http://www.comebackalive.com
The searchable database version of this book. When our own U.S. military calls it "the best source of unclassified intelligence in the world" then maybe it should be your first stop before you head into harm's way. You can also hang out at Fielding's BlackFlag® CafÈ, leave messages or send us questions. If we are in town we try to give a semi intelligent answer. You can also order books using Fielding's Bookfinder®
http://travel.state.gov/osac.html
Provides a searchable database of incident reports (usually criminal and terrorist acts from local news services), crime reports that are written for expats and government workers posted overseas, terrorist profiles that are so old and vague they seem like they are written in the '80s and embassy contact numbers. Some reports are in depth, revealing and helpful most are bureaucratic blather. If you want the government to come to you send an e-mail to travel-advisories-request@stolaf.edu and put the word "subscribe" in the message. Then the old State Department server at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota will send you the latest advisories.
Other government advisory services:
http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html
http://www.fco.gov.uk/reference/travel_advice/frames_index.html
http://dfait-naeci.gc.ca/english/menu.htm
Pretty much follows the line of U.S. and U.K. advisories.
http://www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice/advices_mnu.html
It's strange how the former colonies can't agree on what is dangerous.
http://www.cpj.org/
330 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10001
(212) 465-1004, FAX: (212) 465-9568
e-mail: info@cpj.org
Not an advisory organization per se, but a good place to check out the political climate. A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1981 to monitor and protest abuses against working journalists and their news organizations, regardless of their ideology or nationality. Excellent site of interest to travelers.
http://www.io.org/amnesty/
Information on human rights and what you can do to defend other people's rights.
http://www.arab.net/welcome.html
Saudi Research and Marketing Group
PO Box 17507
Jeddah 21494
Saudi Arabia
[966] (2) 642-0647, FAX: [966] (2) 642-9809
e-mail: sprc1@srpc.geis.com
Almost 2000 pages of content and links. An excellent online resource for 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
http://www.sipri.se/
Frsunda
S-169 70 Solna, Sweden
[46] (8) 655 97 00, FAX: [46] (8) 655 97 33
e-mail: sipri@sipri.se
Background on global conflict
http://wsi.cso.uiuc.edu/CAS/
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
210 International Studies Building
910 South Fifth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-6335, FAX: (217) 244-2429
e-mail: akagan@uiuc.edu.
Background on African countries
gopher://marvin.stc.nato.int/11/natodata/HANDBOOK
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/
Good country background excerpted from their major guides
http://www.city.net/
A link resource for international professionals and other frequent travelers with links to Fielding's DangerFinderÆ, government agencies and information sources specific to each country.
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm
Rather dry statistical information on every country in the world updated annually. Don't bother using it to get info on fourth world countries because the information is ancient or missing.
http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/contacts/index.html
Contact information on U.S. embassy personnel overseas
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/
A daily updated electronic clearinghouse for resources in the field of security and defense studies, peace and conflict research, and international relations. Supported by the Swiss Government. Good links to papers, books and information
http://www.fsk.ethz.ch/
http://www.fsk.ethz.ch/swiss/
http://www.fsk.ethz.ch/encop/
http://www.fsk.ethz.ch/usa/usa_hom.htm
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/au_pol/
http://www.uni-koeln.de/extern/biost/
http://www.dupi.dk
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/einiras/
There are hundreds of health related sites. Start with the CDC for information and then link to more specialized sites for clinic addresses for prevention and treatment options
http://www.cdc.gov/travel/travel.html
http://www.leland.standford.edu/~naked/stms.html
http://www-sci.lib.uci.edu/HSG/RefHealth.html#INTW
http://www.healthworks.co.uk
http://www.social.com/health/index.html
http://www.mayo.edu
http://www.amrta.org/~amrta
http://vh.radiology.uiowa.edu
http://www.airfrance.fr/prod/medaf/Medpax.html
http://www.med.cornell.edu/nyhexr/exr5.html
http://www.princeton.edu/~rcurtis/altitude.html
http://www.hsc.unt.edu/clinics/itmc/travel.htm
http://jupiter.who.ch/programmes/emc/yellowbook/yb_home.htm
http://www.intmed.mcw.edu/travel.html
http://regina.ism.ca/trakker/Medical/TravMedK.htm
http://www.intmed.mcw.edu/ITC/Health.html
http://travelhealth.com/
Information on staying healthy when you travel: general guidelines, by country, by disease. Forum and interesting cases.
http://www.tripprep.com/
http://regina.ism.ca/trakker/Medical/TravDiar.htm
http://www.tmis.com
http://www.safetravel.com
If you become seriously ill or injured abroad, a U. S. consular officer can provide assistance in finding medical services and informing your next-of-kin, family or friends. A consular officer can also assist in the transfer of funds from the United States, but payment of hospital and other expenses is your responsibility.
It is wise to learn what medical services your health insurance will cover overseas before you leave on your trip. If you do have applicable insurance, don't forget to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof of such insurance, and a claim form. Many health insurance companies will pay customary and reasonable hospital costs abroad, but most require a rider for a Medivac flight back to the States. This is usually done via private plane or by removing airline seats. You will be accompanied by a nurse or medical assistant who will also fly back to the country of origin. Medivacs can burn money as fast the Lear Jet you charter, so plan on spending a minimum of five grand and up to $30,000. If you are really banged up, you may need more medical technicians, special equipment and a higher level of care during your flight. The Social Security Medicare program does not provide for payment of hospital or medical services outside the U.S.A.
If you're getting toward the back end of your adventuring career, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) offers foreign medical care coverage at no extra charge with its Medicare supplement plans. This coverage is restricted to treatments considered eligible under Medicare. In general, it covers 80 percent of the customary and reasonable charges, subject to a $50 deductible for the covered care during the first 60 days. There is a ceiling of $25,000 per trip. This is a reimbursement plan so you must pay the bills first and obtain receipts for submission to the plan. Keep in mind that many insurance policies may not cover you if you were injured in a war zone.
To facilitate identification in case of an accident, complete the information page on the inside of your passport, providing the name, address and telephone number of someone to be contacted in an emergency. The name given should not be the same as your traveling companions, in case the entire party is involved in the same accident. Travelers going abroad with any preexisting medical problems should carry a letter from their attending physician. The letter should describe their condition and cover information on any prescription medications, including the generic name of any prescribed drugs that they need to take.
Any medications being carried overseas should be left in their original containers and be clearly labeled. Travelers should check with the foreign embassy of the country they are visiting to make sure any required medications are not considered to be illegal narcotics.
Post Office Box 90310
Richmond, Virginia 23230
(800) 284-8300
Hayward, California, (800) 982-5806, (510) 786-1592
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, (800) 443-8042, (305) 776-6800
Miami, Florida, (300) 327-1966, (305) 387-1708
8665 Gibbs Drive, Suite 202
San Diego, California 92123
(800) 854-2569
Washington, Pennsylvania, (800) 321-4444, (412) 228-8000
Clearwater, Florida, (800) 282-6878, (813) 530-7972
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, (800) 327-3710, (305) 525-5538
Phoenix, Arizona, (800) 468-1911, (602) 678-4444
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (800) 523-8930, (215) 244-1500
Manassas, Virginia, (800) 296-1217, (703) 361-1191
(Service area: Caribbean and Canada only. If necessary, will meet commercial incoming patients at JFK, Miami and other airports.)
7435 Valjean Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91406
(800) 922-4911, (818) 994-0911, FAX: (818) 994-0180
(This number can be called collect by patients and customers from anywhere in the world.)
AIRescue is a company whose services you hope you never need. AIRescue was started in 1991 by former UCLA MEDSTAR physician Francine Vogler, with the primary goal of providing emergency aeromedically trained physician/nurse teams along with chartered aircraft to get your butt back in the U.S.A. Naturally, they assume you're sick and that your insurance company won't faint when they see the bill. The cost for getting you home can run up to $100,000. In some cases, a small commercial jet can be chartered or normal airliners can be used. In the case of using regularly scheduled airlines, you will be dinned for four to 12 seats to accommodate the stretcher, equipment and staff required. The majority of emergency flights are national, but they can come and get you just about anywhere you can call them.
Keep in mind that many insurance policies do not cover repatriation costs, yet the extra coverage is minimal. (Don't tell them you're off to liberate Angola under "Reason for travel.") You can and should buy this coverage if you know you are heading out of town. The older you get and the farther you travel should make the coverage that much more compelling. Don't think the coverage is only for the wild and dangerous. You'll be surprised to see what a rancid taco in Mexico or a burst appendix in Aruba can do to your body.
National Headquarters
17th and D Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 737-8300
For 115 years, whenever there has been a disaster or war, these folks have been on the scene knee-deep in bandages, blood and cots, helping the injured and consoling those who have just lost everything in a disaster. They always have a need for volunteers, particularly people with medical and technical skills. If you can't volunteer your time or skills, blood donors are always needed.
Worldwide Operations Manager
International SOS Assistance
15 Rue Lombard,
1205 Geneva, Switzerland
[22] 347-6161
FAX: [22] 347-6172
Amsterdam
FAX: [20] 205-170
Equilibre Association L01 1901
France
[72] (73) 04-14
This medical-aid assistance organization goes into countries where no one else will dare. They provide essential medical services to war victims and countries in transition for whom medical care would be nonexistent without their services. Emergency kits are provided in large part through donations from large corporations. Doctors and medical technicians are recruited from all over the world.
Frankfurt, Germany
[49] (69) 94-43-80
243 Church Street, N.W., Suite 100-D
Vienna, Virginia 22180
(800) 237-6615, (703) 281-9500
An accurate if frumpy look at 250-odd countries of the world. Covers government statistics and economics. Order from U.S. Government Information Office.
P.O. Box 371954
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-7954
(202) 512-1800, FAX: (202) 512-2250
Hachette ISBN 2 01 278701 0
A 322-page, annually updated guide to the world of illegal drugs from the Geopolitical Observatory of Drugs in Paris.
This unique guide breaks down the world of illicit drugs into three levels of intensity. It provides a country-by-country analysis of the global drug trade. With 63 sections on individual countries. Identifies "narco states" such as Myanmar, states under the influence like Colombia, and "fragile states" like Italy where corruption as a result of drug trafficking is a problem.
200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 1011
Arlington, Virginia 22203-3728
(703) 525-6111, FAX: (703) 525-2454
Pinkerton provides risk assessments of over 200 countries on-line or in person. Some are in-depth, and some are simply rehashes of outdated State Department info. They offer access to a database of over 55,000 terrorists' actions and daily updated reports on security threats. The non-techie can order printed publications that range from daily risk-assessment briefings to a monthly newsletter. Their services are not cheap, but then again, how much is your life worth? Annual subscription to the on-line service starts at about $7000, and you can order various risk and advisory reports that run from $200-$700 each. Pinkerton's can still get down and dirty with counterterrorism programs, hostage negotiators, crisis management and Travel Security seminars.
The service is designed for companies who send their employees overseas or need to know what is going on. Some reports are mildly macabre, with their annual report-like graphs of maimings, killings, assaults and assassinations. Others are downright enlightening. In any case, Pinkerton does an excellent job of bringing together the world's most unpleasant information and providing it to you in concise, intelligent packages.
John Libbey & Co. Ltd.
13 Smiths Yard
Summerley Street
London SW18 4HR
[44] (181) 947 2777, FAX: [44] (181) 947 2664
This fact-filled book covers the state of freedom of the press in every country in the world and tells you the scoop on what to expect in the way of murders and disappearances, arrest, imprisonment and torture, threats and harassment, administrative, legal or economic pressure and obstacles to the international free flow of information. It is an exhaustive, informative and obviously self-serving reference book that should be required reading for every traveling journalist.
c/o St. Martins Press
257 Park Avenue South, 18th Floor
New York, New York 10010
(212) 982-3900, FAX: (212) 777-6359
I.B. Tauris is an English publisher who specializes in political and nontraditional books on world affairs. Their coverage of the Middle East, Balkan region and the religion of Islam is excellent. Titles like A Modern History of the Kurds, The Making of the Arab-Israeli Conflict and Violence and Diplomacy in Lebanon are useful reference guides. They also publish books on Yemen, Turkey, Jordan, Algeria, Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Albania. Books on assassins, gypsies, mythology, politics, war and Africa are a great addition to the politically astute reader's library.
FREEPOST GL496
The Runnings
Cheltenham, England GL51 9BR
[44] (242) 245252, FAX: [44] (242) 224137
UGI publishes 10 mini-briefings (18-22 pages) that range from The Kurds, Caught Between Two Nations to The Rubbish Mountain, Tackling Europe's Waste. The almost monthly mailings are well illustrated, somewhat simplistic (which, in this case, is good), politically unaligned and an ideal overview of the world's global issues. Although it is published by a German schoolbook company, the teenage-level presentation, complete with charts, graphs, maps and photos, does provide an easy entry point into complex social issues.
An annual subscription (10 issues) is £22.50; back issues are £2.50. You can order your binder for £4.95.
1818 H Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20433
(202) 473-2941
The World Bank can provide you with some interesting information on world population projections, saving the rain forest, health care, literacy and general information on global financial topics. Although this agency has been blamed for many of the world's woes by financing large mining, development and dam projects, it would be best to understand why they are so busy developing the world while some ecologists are busy trying to undevelop it.
DSI Data Service & Information
CD-ROM Department
Post Office Box 1127
D-47476 Rheinberg, Germany
[49] (28) 43 3220, FAX: [49] (28) 43 3230
or
American Overseas Book Company
550 Walnut Street
Norwood, New Jersey 07648
(201) 767-7600
Number crunchers can pig out with statistics from the United Nations and Europe, even census information from a variety of countries. The information is very expensive but worth it for those who make their living by knowing the right numbers. Relevant titles would be International Statistical Yearbook (DM 5000), World Climate Disc (DM 2300), United Nations (on CD-ROM contains over one million entries for all countries and regions of the world) and the CD Atlas of France (DM 2600).
333 Seventh Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, New York 10001
(212) 465-1004
This group defends the rights of journalists worldwide. Their mission is to promote freedom of the press throughout the world by defending the right of journalists to report the news without fear of reprisal. CPJ's professional staff based in New York City includes an area specialist for each region of the world. These specialists track press conditions through independent research, reports from the field and fact-finding missions. The Committee's activities are directed by a board of prominent U.S. journalists. The committee's activities are funded entirely by donations from journalists, news organizations and foundations. CPJ also publishes a database of local journalist contacts around the world as well as practical safety guides offering advice to journalists on dangerous assignments. Membership is $35 per year.
8200 Greensboro Drive
Suite 1010
McLean, Virginia 22102
(703) 893-0083, FAX: (703) 893-8611
http://www.crg.com
Anchor House, 15 Britten Street
London SW3 3TY
[44] (71) 351-7151, FAX: [44] (71) 351-9396
Rockefeller Center
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
(212) 719-3400, FAX: (212) 398-1358
5 rue Geoffroy-Marie
Paris, France
[33] 144-838-484
RSF was founded in 1985 and has offices in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland with members in 71 countries. Their job is to defend imprisoned journalists and press around the world. Their annual report, available for $US20, covers 152 countries and offers tips for journalists working in dangerous countries.They will send protest letters and provide lawyers (if possible) and other forms of assistance to reporters in jail.
1133 15th Street, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
(800) 821-2828, (202) 331-1609
Post Office Box 10623
Baltimore, Maryland 21285
(800) 732-5309
1150 South Olive Street, Suite T-2233
Los Angeles, California 90015
(800) 253-1877
1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 901
Arlington, Virginia 22209
(703) 525-6111
FAX: (703) 525-2454
Once on the trail of bank robbers in the Wild West, Pinkerton has gone global and high-tech. Today, you can get risk assessments of over 200 countries on-line or in person. They offer access to a database of over 55,000 terrorists' actions and daily updated reports on security threats. The non-techie can order printed publications that range from daily risk-assessment briefings to a monthly newsletter. Their services are not cheap, but then again, how much is your life worth? Annual subscription to the on-line service starts at about $7000, and you can order various risk and advisory reports that run from $200-$700 each. Pinkerton's can still get down and dirty with counterterrorism programs, hostage negotiators, crisis management and travel security seminars.
The service is designed for companies that send their employees overseas or need to know what is going on. Some reports are mildly macabre, with their annual report-like graphs of maimings, killings assaults and assassinations. Others are downright enlightening. In any case, Pinkerton does an excellent job of bringing together the world's most unpleasant information and providing it to you in concise, intelligent packages.
900 Third Avenue, 7th Floor,
New York, New York 10022
(800) 824-7502, (212) 833-3206, FAX: (212) 750-8112
www.krollassociates.com
Kroll has a travel service that provides warnings about crime, medical concerns and even such hazards as missing manhole covers (stolen by the thousands in Beijing to be sold as scrap metal). The reports are compiled from about 270 cities in 89 countries (including the United States). The Travel Watch is produced and distributed by Kroll Associates, a firm offering security and "risk-assessment" to corporate clients. The reports fill one 8-by-11-inch page and are delivered to the computers of about 29,000 travel-agency clients of SABRE, one of the industry's principal electronic reservation systems. Within the first two weeks of offering the reports in June, Kroll Travel Watch reported about 10,000 requests. The reports are free through travel agency requests. For more information or a Travel Watch for your destination, contact your travel agent or purchase the reports from Kroll directly.
6320 Fly Road
P.O. Box 248
East Syracuse, New York 13057
(315) 431-0511, FAX: (315) 431-0200
Providing international, political, economic and business risk assessments, this company offers forecasts for 148 countries. They claim to be politically and economically nonplussed and employ a network of 250 experts on various countries who provide input for the reports. The series of reports are designed to provide many levels of information, including political stability, investment and trade restrictions, and economic forecasts, and are also available on CD-ROM. A 50-page printed report on one country costs US$325. Two or more reports are $250 each. CD-ROM are available by region for $2000, or you may purchase a CD with condensed reports on hundreds of countries. A monthly 14-page newsletter summary of the latest forecasts is available for $435 per year. A 450-page bound volume, published twice each year, summarizes the current forecasts for 100 countries from all country reports and executive reports. Extensive tables compare and analyze global and regional rankings. Rates are $350 for one volume or $545 for a one-year, two-issue subscription.
2001 N.W. 107th Avenue, Suite 200
Miami Florida 33172
(305) 591-0090, FAX: (305) 593-6993
Providers of insurance for Kidnaping, Recovery and Prevention
360 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10022
(212) 557-3040, FAX: (212) 983-1278
The ideal upscale store for the paranoid. When we visited their Washington store we were rudely told that they "are not allowed to talk about their new catalog." Oooh. Now that's really secret. Counter Spy sells a variety of gizmos that are supposed to put you back in control of your life. Start by securing your phone lines from tapping, bullet-proofing your car and body from terrorist attacks, and even use a voice stress analyzer to see if your spouse is really working late. Most of the gizmos they sell seem to be designed to be used in domestic quarrels or corporate spooking.
1325 Imola Avenue West, #504S
Napa, California 94559
(707) 253-7142, FAX: (707) 253-7149
Need another source for spy and surveillance gizmos at discount prices? How about a pinhole video camera system for only $2500?
P.O. Box 190430
San Francisco, California 94119
(415) 677-5140
The place to go for a Fuji escape mask guaranteed to provide helpful protection from smoke and harmful fumes.
7497 Kennedy Road
Sebastopol, California 95472
(707)823-0336
The Radalert Nuclear Reaction Monitor contains a beeper that sounds when radiation reaches "alert" level ($290).
960 Overland Court
San Dimas, California 91773
(909) 394-5000
The Trailblazer Satellite Navigator ($400) picks up signals from 21 satellites. The global positioning system can pinpoint your location anywhere in the world. A mere $8000 will get you a communications system the size of a portable computer that will enable you to send faxes, e-mail or voice messages via Inmarsat-M satellites.
537 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10016
(212) 889-1809
Budding spies and undercover types will find bulletproof umbrellas ($2500), Kiss of Death lipsticks ($39 and a blade pops up instead of lip color) and other James Bond-inspired paraphernalia here.
Stockwell Road
London, SW9 9TY
[44] 171-733-900
Run For Your Life is a board game for those who want to experience the life of a refugee. The object of the game is to get from your village to the refugee camp while dodging obstacles along the way, such as land mines and artillery attacks. Send US$12.50 to the address above or call for more information.
1212 Boylston Street
#120 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167
(305) 340-0579, (617) 327-7272
Specialists in phone systems. They can also program two phones to one number.
(408) 370-5105, FAX: (408) 370-5110
UK [44] (0) 81-421-4444
Adaptors for U.S. phone plugs to foreign plugs.
66 Point Street
Norwalk, Connecticut 06855
(203) 852-1102, FAX: (203) 866-0221
http://www.port.com
Port sells handy adaptor kits for modems and telephone adaptors. They also sell a cradle phone modem adaptor for funky countries or old phone booths.
(800) 274-4277
www.warrior.com
Sells adaptors to link to foreign lines, digital systems and other gizmos for computers users on the road.
Federal Body Armor
150 West 30th Street, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10001
(212) 279-0234, FAX: (212) 279-0237
In a land where there are over 200 million hand guns, it makes sense that bullet proof vests are a big item. Annual sales in the States are estimated to be around $200 million a year with about $10 million being to civilians. About 64 percent of all law enforcement officers wear bullet-proof vests on the job. Federal Body Armor in New York City sells a bunch of PR grabbing items like bullet-proof bras, jockstraps, mink coats. They say they cater to "executives" but we can't think of too many executives who need bullet-proof jock straps. Although the press likes to goof on this trend, bullet-proof vests are registered and most of the business is with law enforcement, doctors, lawyers and other people who feel the need for protection against robbery or assassination.
Owner Paul Anton told DP that his best selling product is the simple concealable vest that goes under a business shirt ($700-$800). He also sells Flak Jackets ($1,400) but mostly to Russia, the Dominican Republic and other bad places. Despite the press hype about bullet-proof mink coats, he only makes the goofy stuff on special order and if he thinks "you are from the streets," you better shop somewhere else. He thinks that the new Goldflex is better than Dupont's Kevlar. He has plenty of vests in stock.
Post Office Box 510434
Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951
(407) 724-5368
Oceanese waterproof reference cards provide medical information on how to treat injuries from marine animals. They also have illustrations of animals for easy identification and avoidance. The information is sparse but could save your life. There is one card for the Atlantic and another for the Pacific; they run $4.95 each.
6436 31st St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20015-2342
(301) 496-6721
Ask for Health Hints for the Tropics.
1600 Clifton Road, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30333
(404) 639-3311
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta maintains the international travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559.
(202) 647-5225
U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings may be heard anytime by dialing the Citizens Emergency Center using a touch tone phone, or by contacting any of the 13 regional passport agencies, field offices of the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, or by writing and sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The Citizens Emergency Center maintains a travel notice on HIV/AIDS entry requirements. Call to obtain these requirements. A number of countries require foreign visitors to be tested for the AIDS virus as a requirement for entry. This applies mostly to those planning to reside overseas. Before traveling, check the latest entry requirements with the foreign embassy of the country to be visited.
The authoritative reference is published for the American Board of Medical Specialists and its 22 certifying member boards; it contains detailed information on physicians abroad. This publication should be available in your local library. If abroad, a list of hospitals and physicians can be obtained from the nearest American embassy or consulate.
Available through American Express:
1) A directory of U.S. Certified Doctors Abroad (price: $3.00).
2) A health insurance plan is available through the Firemens Fund Life Insurance Company, 1600 Los Gamos Road, San Raphael, California 94911. Attention: American Express Card Service.
By the Centers for Disease Control; (404) 639-3311.
Publication No. HHS-CDC 90-8280 ($6.00 each) is an annual global rundown of disease and immunization advice and other health guidance, including risks in particular countries; may also be obtained from the Government Printing Office.
736 Center Street
Lewiston, New York 14092
(716) 754-4883
A medical directory, clinical record and a malaria-risk chart are sent without charge; however, a contribution is requested for World Climate Charts.
P.O. Box 406
Storrs, Connecticut 06268
(203) 487-0611
For $25, a traveler is provided with an up-to-date, detailed and personalized health report on up to six countries to be visited. It will tell you what diseases are prevalent and what precautions are recommended or advisable.
The following are vendors that can supply non-FDA-approved drugs. Remember, it is best to use Federal Express to ship drugs.
1880 Ridge Road East
Suite 4
Rochester, New York 14622
(800) 832-6054
Most first-aid kits are great for homes and construction sites, but what about for divers? How about Sea Paks, a selection of four different kits for divers? The largest is the $900, 30-pound Trans Ocean Pak and the smallest is the Day Pak, a seven-pound, 15" x 6" x 3" day pack with instruction booklet.
Two Democracy Center, Suite 800
6903 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
(301) 214-8200, FAX: (301) 214-8205
Since 1988, U.S. Assist has been the American headquarters of the SFA Group, a world leader in assistance services based in Paris, France. A network of 14 operating centers includes Washington, D.C., Paris, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Milan, Barcelona, Lisbon, Munich, Cardiff, Brussels, Stockholm and Taipei. The company assists travelers with a variety of medical, financial and legal services. It offers 24-hour service every day of the year and is accessible worldwide. A network of 54,000 agents and correspondents cover more than 210 countries. The multilingual staff speak 40 languages. The company's newest product for travelers is a MedData card, a wallet-sized card with a microfiche of an individual's medical history. It can easily be read with a magnifying glass. Other products available include medical kits, vaccination recommendations, site surveys, predeparture packages and city profiles.
351 Pleasant Street, Suite 312
North Hampton, MA 01060
(800) 872-8633, (413) 584-0381
An annually updated guide that is much more comprehensive and far more useful than the government info. It is 456 pages, updated annually and costs $25.95. DP's favorite pick for health advice.
Accident Facts
Customer Service
1121 Spring Lake Drive
Itasca, Illinois 60143
(708) 285-1121
Every year the National Safety Council adds up all the dead bodies, severed limbs, infections, etc., and puts together a 115-page guide to what's dangerous in America. It is good reading for people who worry about bacon causing cancer or just how dangerous flying is.
There are thousands of books on health safety and travel. Here are a few:
(Mountaineers)
(IBC)
(IYHF)
Language Schools Athabasca University,
Box 10,000 Athabasca AB T06 Canada
(World Health Organization)
(Cadogan)
(Ford's)
(Peterson's)
(St.Martins)
(Chicago Review Press)
(Moon)
(Peterson's)
(John Wiley)
(415) 552-3628
The Intrepid Traveler
P.O. Box 438 New York, New York 10034
Guide to courier flights worldwide.
Travel Medicine Inc.
351 Pleasant Street, Suite 312
Northampton, Massachusetts 01060
(800) 872-8633
Annually updated guide to vaccinations and medical health around the world
305 San Anselmo Ave.
San Anselmo, California 94960
(415) 459-4900, FAX: (415) 459-4974
www.spectrav.com
Magazine style directory of adventure and specialty tours.
The following companies provide international travel insurance to travelers who live in the U.S. (Because of varying insurance regulations, Canadian policies differ.)
(800) 284-8300
(800) 756-2639
(800) 323-3149
(800) 348-9505
(800) 249-2533
(800) 237-6615, (540) 687-3166
(800) 523-8930
(800) 826-1300
(800) 937-1387
(800) 243-3174
(800) 821-2828
The Web has become the best single place to obtain hard-to-get news and information. You need an account with an Internet provider, like AT&T WorldNet or NetCom, a net browser like Netscape, a fast modem (28,800) and a computer. Cruising the Web is like browsing through the world's largest magazine newsstand except you don't have to pay for most of the info out there. For now there is a wealth of information available to anyone who can stand the phone bill and has the patience to watch funky little graphics download. More importantly, it is the only way you are going to keep up on the local news in Peshawar or Port Moresby on a real time basis and be able to communicate with people around the world.
| A few tips from DP on using the Web for info. |
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| Believe it or not, I did a stint as a spokesperson for AT&T as their resident expert on how to use the web. Little did I realize that the biggest question most people had was still, "How do I get on the internet?" That's the easy part, just call AT&T, NetCom, Microsoft, or any one of the dozens of net providers and get a monthly "all you can use account." Usually people use Netscape although Microsoft is slowly gaining ground with Explorer. It really doesn't matter what you use as long as you have the fastest modem you can afford. |
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The authors and publishers assume no liability nor do they encourage you to do, see, visit or try any of the activities or actions discussed in this site. This book is intended for background information only. ©1998 Fielding Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is not to be reproduced or transmitted without the written permission of Fielding Worldwide, Inc. for more information see our official disclaimer |
