There have recently been a couple cases of people going missing in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Every year people are injured and some, sadly, never return home. Encounters with wildlife that could go very badly, occasionally have. All of this prompts me to write up this short list of things to do to avoid becoming another tally in the Search and Rescue books.
Most of this based on what I know, the mountains of
Washington state. However, I’m fairly confident this advice would apply from Flagstaff,
Arizona to Snowdon in Wales.
Wear Bright Colours
I’m going to start with something I’ve not seen in
other safe hiking articles: clothing colour.
(Don’t worry, we’ll get to layers and raingear.)
When I first started hiking again, I really got into
camo, “tactical” blacks and clothing and gear that would be great for a
sniper. After I lost a few items I
realized that using reflective paracord and bright, reflective tape just about
eliminated that problem. Going one step
further, I started buying lime green shirts, bright blue jackets, red, white
and blue hats, etc. I figured if I fall down a ravine and my clothes stand out;
I’ve made it easier for the Search and Rescue team.
You want to be found. So I recommend wearing brightly coloured
jackets, shirts, hats, etc.
Where Are You Going?
Do your research and find out what other hikers and
backpackers have written about where you’re going. This will help you determine the gear,
clothing, food, etc., that you will need to bring.
Print out a copy of the trail write up and a map. Then print another. One copy for you. The other is for your
spouse, roomie, friend, whoever. If you
don’t return on time, they’ll know where to start looking for you. Make sure to write when you expect to be back
on their print out.
Understand the Weather and Location
A lot depends on the weather, but you can’t look at just
the weather. You have to think about the
weather and the location you’ll experience the weather. Rainfall on an easy trail near your home is a
very different experience from rainfall at 4,500 feet on switchbacks in the
mountains. A 90-degree day hiking 12
miles in the forest is going to hit you differently than 12 miles in a high
desert with few trees.
Review the weather predictions for the trail and
think what the weather means for you, the trail, streams you’ll be crossing,
the temperature at the start of the day, middle of the day and at night, etc.
Wear the Right Clothing
Cotton kills. Cotton is rotten. Repeat that to
yourself over and over every time you buy clothing for hiking and backpacking
adventures. Cotton will hold moisture
really well and if the temperature drops, that wet cotton will lower your body
temperature with it. Hypothermia is just a cotton t-shirt away. When you start
to lose core body temperature the brain starts failing at its job of thinking
clearly. Bad decisions are made,
confusion sets in, and co-ordination decreases.
Note: the only exception I allow for is a cotton
bandana.
Wear moisture wicking non-cotton clothes during
summer. In the fall, winter and spring,
wool is your best friend. Wool can get
wet and still insulate you from the cold, just ask the Scottish.
You’ve heard of layering? It’s a very simple principle, layers of
non-cotton clothing make it easy to regulate your body temperature. One moisture wicking t-shirt and one really
warm jacket means you have the choice between being either too hot or too cold.
Three or even four layers allow you to control your body temperature so it’s
just right. And yes, that outer most
layer will be waterproof. Not
water-resistant, nor water-repellent, you want waterproof. There’s a big difference between those three.
Stay on the Trail
This is how I and many other people have really
messed up. Going off the trail will cause erosion, damage the flora and disturb
the fauna. Most importantly, it’s going
off the trail that results in accidents and getting lost.
We all have a desire to get that great shot from a
better vantage point, take a shortcut to save time, find an easier route, or
blaze our own path. Resist that desire! With
the exception of a short trip off the trail to relieve bowels or bladder, going
off trail is an easy way to become another lost or injured hiker news story.
I nearly became one when I went off trail coming
back down from Beckler Peak, (you can see the video here).
The trail was buried under several feet
of snow and although my Gaia app showed me the trail, I thought I could cut
across a switchback and save some hiking time.
Things were going OK for a while until my feet slipped out from under
me. I slide about 50 yards down the snow
until I fell through the snow into a little creek. Pulling myself out I found my knee hurt like
hell and I had cuts all over my arms and hands.
The hike back to the trailhead was slow and painful. I was lucky and just needed physical
therapy. It could have been a lot
worse.
Bring the Right Gear
10 essentials for every hike. One mile through the woods behind your
house? 10 essentials. Through hiking from Mexico to Canada? 10 essentials.
The 10 essentials are specifically selected to first
prevent getting into a survival situation, and secondly getting through a
survival situation.
1.
Navigation: Map, compass, GPS system,
app on your phone, whatever you use, make sure you have it and most
importantly, know how to use it.
Practice in the local park or some location where if you do get lost,
you’re not really lost. Have a backup to your navigation system. I carry a map,
compass and have Gaia on my cellphone.
Note: start tracking your hike before you start and then turn on
airplane mode to save battery.
2.
Sun Protection: Sun burns and blinding
sunlight aren’t just annoying; they can contribute to dehydration and
disorientation. Sunblock, sunglasses and
a hat that protects your eyes, ears and neck are required.
3.
Insulation: Depending on the time of the
year, weather conditions, elevation, etc., you want to layer your clothing to
match. Even if there’s no rain
predicted, bring one of those little folded up ponchos. Temperature is supposed to be 70 degrees all
day? Bring a thin but insulating jacket
anyway. Especially if hiking in the
mountains where the weather can change rapidly.
4.
Seeing in the Dark: Headlamp or
flashlight and extra batteries. Keep in mind that in a forest and in the
mountains, darkness comes on faster and there is a lot less light reaching the
trail. A hike that began late can
quickly become a blundering, stumbling, “where am I?”, experience in the
dark. This has happened to me but I had a
headlamp and a flashlight.
5.
First Aid – For day hikes, a small
single person kit you can get at just about any department store or outdoor
outfitter shop will do. For longer hikes or backpacking adventures into more
rugged and isolated areas, a kit with more equipment is needed. Your First Aid kit is there to do two
things.
a.
Take care of little issues like bug
bites, blisters, headaches, small cuts.
b.
Prevent a bad injury from becoming worse
until you get to medical professionals.
If you get the chance
to take a Wilderness First Aid course, do it.
You may never use the lessons learned, but if you have to, you’ll be
really happy you took the course.
6.
Fire:
Fire starter rod and striker, lighter, waterproof matches. Carry all three. I do. Practice making a fire with those
tools. If you do find yourself lost in
the wilderness with night falling and the temperature dropping, a fire is going
to do several very important things for you:
a.
Keep you warm
b.
Create a really bright light for an IR
equipped search helicopter to find
c.
Provide light and save on your batteries
d.
Sterilize water
e.
Keep curious and carnivorous animals
away
7.
Repair Kit and Knife: And by ‘repair
kit’ I mean duct tape. Duct tape can repair boots, shoes, coats, tarps,
backpacks, straps, glasses, you name it.
Wrap your lighter with it a few times.
Wrap some around each of your hiking poles.
Your knife doesn’t have to be a
K-bar but it shouldn’t be a little folding knife either. I recommend a 3-4-inch blade with a locking
mechanism. A folding knife without a
lock is an unscheduled first aid session waiting to happen. Your knife is the
tool you will use to scrape the ferrous rod to start a fire, (the scrapers they
come with rarely work well), cut branches and sticks to make a shelter, whittle
sticks to make tinder and kindling, etc.
I recommend finding a knife with a handle that if wet, won’t slip in
your grip.
8.
Food: Bring along the food for your
planned meals and a little extra for unplanned situations. I will take a couple of extra snack bars even
on day hikes and for anything longer, 5-6 extra snack bars. If you are lost in the woods, with the
temperature dropping, a sugary and protein rich snack will help fend of
hypothermia and give you strength.
9.
Water: Two liters, minimum. If you’re going on a long hike or backpack
trip that doesn’t have guaranteed access to water, you should have four liters.
If you will have access to water, bring along a water filtration kit. Dehydration can happen quickly and easily,
it’s also very easy and quickly prevented.
Just bring water and drink it.
10.
Emergency Shelter: You can buy an emergency bivy or thin reflective
blanket at any outdoor outfitters. They are about the size of a fist, light and
can mean the difference between freezing to death and just being cold. Even in desert environments, the night time
temperature can drop enough to become a serious risk.
Except for the water and a jacket, all of these
items can be carried in a small bag. My
10 essentials bag measures 10’ x 5’ and weighs a lot less than a liter of
water. That includes a couple of things specific to being an amputee. Yours might include a couple of things that
are specific to your needs.
Hope to Never See a Social Media Posting Asking if I’ve Seen You
We have all seen posts on social media about
someone’s relative or friend that went hiking or camping and hasn’t come back
when they were supposed to. Or seen the
news story about the rescue of some hapless hiker or camper. I never want to see those posts about
anyone. I want to see posts of you on a
hike having a good time. I’d like to see a news story about how Search and
Rescue has to downsize due to lack of work.
Enjoy nature and use the most powerful, effective
and ultra-light tool you carry into nature: your knowledge. 😊
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