LAKE STEVENS – Peter Kummerfeldt has saved the lives of nearly two dozen people from backcountry disasters, all without actually being there.
It’s what he taught them ahead of time that mattered, he said.
Kummerfeldt, a former survival instructor for the U.S. Air Force, is scheduled to be at the Evergreen Sportsmen’s Show on Wednesday through Sunday in Monroe.
On Saturday in Lake Stevens, Kummerfeldt, 62, of Colorado Springs, Colo., met with more than 50 first responders, Scout leaders, hikers and campers to discuss the basics of wilderness survival.
His topics ranged from how to start fires in the pouring rain to how to build a shelter with a broken arm.
“You’ve got to have the basic survival components with you,” he said. “You’ve got to have the ability to shelter yourself, the ability to start a fire and the ability to tell other people that you’re in trouble.”
Andrew Frenzel, 25, of Lake Stevens, sat in the front row with a friend during Kummerfeldt’s presentation. Frenzel describes himself as an avid climber, but even he learned a few things – such as packing along large, rolled-up garbage bags instead of the thin, silver space blankets that are so popular in survival kits.
Garbage bags are more durable and more versatile, Kummerfeldt said. They can be used for blankets or for shelter, or laid on the ground to collect water for drinking, Kummerfeldt told the audience.
“I learned to expect the unexpected and go out there being prepared,” Frenzel said.
Kummerfeldt was born and raised in Kenya. There, he learned to love fishing, hiking, camping and mountain climbing.
During his 30 years with the Air Force, he worked as a survival instructor in Spokane, Fairbanks, Alaska and in the Philippines. He served 12 years as the survival training director at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
Since retiring in 1995, he’s taught more than 20,000 people about how to survive dangerous situations.
Bob Grant, 67, of Monroe said Kummerfeldt’s instruction has changed the way he goes camping.
On Kummerfeldt’s advice, Grant camps out in his back yard on rainy nights to test the gear he plans to pack into the wilderness.
“Murphy’s Law happens,” Grant said. “Most of these instances you read about where somebody winds up lost or injured or dead happens because people don’t prepare.”
Kummerfeldt said his life’s work has been validated by the number of people who’ve told him his advice saved their lives.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” he said.
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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