What do you do if....

[Cannibal]

The earlier thread on a “Bug Out Bag” got me thinking about disasters and emergencies. I think it is a valid topic here for a few reasons and I’d like to explore it further in the open forum, but without the divisive drifts; no zombies allowed.

This discussion isn’t about what to do or take when you are at home, the office, or the road. Although, I believe the things discussed would make an excellent emergency kit for the home or auto. We all play outdoors and many of us play far away from assistance, so let’s tackle that angle.

As an example, when I was hiking the AT and was in the Smokies, I took a very bad fall in my hammock while hanging in a shelter (user error ). I cracked my back along the edge of the lower sleeping deck after a fall of several feet…from a dead sleep. It hurt really bad (almost cried, OK maybe I did a little) and I was unable to walk without assistance. The morning came and out came the maps. I was approximately 22 miles away from anything resembling help (ranger station). Twenty-two miles isn’t that far, but consider the terrain and the time of year (late March) while trying to hike injured. I was lucky because there were good people there to help me. One hiker had some serious pain pills, another carried my pack to the next shelter, and yet another hiked with me step by slow step to the next shelter; a whooping 5 something miles up the Trail; took me most of the day.

What if those other hikers weren’t there? What if I wasn’t on such a heavily used Trail?

It still would have been up to me to find help and at that rate of speed, figure 4 to 5 days to make the ranger station. No way that I can carry my full pack; a water bottle is heavy. Staying put isn’t an option because if I don’t use the muscles supporting my back they are going to stiffen-up and make any mobility a fantasy. Then I run out of what little food I have because the plan was to resupply within 3 days and I’m no closer to help than when I got hurt; just hungry.

I've got everything I need right there in my pack, but what do I take and what do I leave? More importantly, why?

For the record: The fall in the shelter occurred at 12:31am; I’ll never forget it. I was back in my hammock, with the help of friends, by 1:15am. No ground! Not now, tomorrow, or ever!

[JayS]

A little off topic but still relevant: In your case, would leg bags have worked better than a backpack if you hadn't had the happy sherpa to carry your pack? I'm not advocating buying and carrying them but rather thinking in terms off what could do double duty in an emergency. I'm thinking of the recent thread for the front pack that had a link to "leg packs". If your back is injured, carrying weight on yours legs might allow you to carry more and have to leave less behind. A hip belt, stuff sacks and bungee or cord might suffice to make emergency leg packs.

Just a thought to give this thread some "divisive drift" since you said none was allowed!

As for "on topic", I think you balance water, food and shelter (maybe just clothing) after assessing your expected time to get to help and the terrain and expected weather.

JayS

[animalcontrol]

I've always wondered how many other stories are out there...
11 years ago, I was hiking along a lake shore in Indiana in the dead of winter. I was heading to a camping trip with friends (I was first, everyone was showing up later that day) Hiking alone and as I stepped over a downed tree, the rock I was standing on broke in half, throwing my weight to the outside. Result?...blown ACL of my right knee. (I blew the left knee some 12 yrs earlier in an unfortunate skiing accident)
I laid there for an hour or so just basically wishing it would stop throbbing. I finally loaded up and hobbled to the designated campsite 2 miles away (took 3 hours)
Took some vitamin I (all anyone had), set up camp and welcome my friends as they arrived...my knee swelled to the size of my pants (army surplus camo fatigues) creating a weird kind of splint.
3 days later, my friends split up the gear and I took 12 hours to limp 6 miles to the parking lot. Hurt like hell
To this day, I don't know what I could have done different to be anymore prepared. Any suggestions?

[Rug]

I would get a ham license and carry a HT. (as a matter of fact I do!) Or if you have money to burn, try a Spot ( http://international.findmespot.com/ ) . Cell phones have a limited range, but hams don't.

I cycle tour instead of hiking. So the weight penalty is far less for me. i usually follow the rule of double.
If you think you will be away for 5 days; carry 10 days supply.
If you think the low temp will be 30F, plan for 15F.
If you think you can travel 20km in 4hours, expect it to take 8.
etc.....

[Darrel]

Hey Cannibal,
Thanks for reviving this topic.
My wife and I are planning a long AT section hike starting 02-10.
With this comes a lot of uncertainty as to what to have to hand for emergencies. Perhaps this thread will address some of the things not normally thought of such as your example above.
For us we will have the advantage of a Buddy system and I think this is a big plus for any adventure in the outback.
We had also considered getting a Spot primarily for keeping friends and family updated and to virtually share our trip with everyone back home.
A side benefit could be the 911 feature.

Looking forward to seeing the responses here....

Thanks,
Darrel

[Doctari]

First off, my wife will NEVER see this thread!

Your experience (I remember hearing about it) is one of those "If I ignore it it will go away" type of things for me. In other words I know it could happen, but naively choose to ignore the risks & go happily about the business of hiking.

But this is a good point to consider, as you I too hike in out of the way places, 99% of the time by myself, if I get hurt, what will I do??? In Red River Gorge (RRG) I’m rarely more than a dozen miles from a road, but what if I fall from a cliff & break a leg (Back, etc.)? I have been in back pain where as you said, a water bottle is way too heavy, where I had to stand in one spot for 30 minutes because I could not move. Five miles in one day, no way!!

What I do / would do. I think:
From your experience last year, I don’t hang farther than I’m willing to fall, , , , , as often as I used to.
The first thing, once the pain was at least manageable, would be to calm down so I could think & count my options: Do I wait for help? How long before help would even start towards me? I have 3 days of food, can make it last 4 days, my support is expecting me to call in 3 days, should I try to hike out without carrying anything (cause I can’t) or stay put? I have shelter & food here, but what if family doesn’t worry about me till day 5? “You know how he/she is” they may say, after all us hikers are generally considered “Odd” even by family. Can I hold out that long? Is my camp visible? The answer for me to the last question is: If I’m more than about 50’ or so from the trail, NO! So: what do I do to make myself easier to find? Can I move my stuff closer to the trail given the injury I have? For us, this also adds the question: am I willing to go to ground to be found? If I have a back or knee or leg injury, if I go to ground, I’m not getting back up! IF I can even get down in the first place. If I hike out, which way? The way I came (A known trail) or continue the way I was going (Possibly an unknown trail)? Which is shorter or easier or both: which will allow me to get to safety quicker?
I would stay on whatever trail I’m on: in part because I always leave an itinerary with my wife and I always call when on my way home. Also, going “cross country” means any rescuers will not have any idea where you are & (at least where I hike) the trail is almost always easier to travel on.

This has helped me, made me put what I think I know to the front of my mind. Now someone add to it &/or correct me.

[Cannibal]

I would get a ham license and carry a HT.

What's that?

[Darrel]

As a contribution to the long list likely to follow, I would add this to everyone list:



A basic Irrigation syringe , use for cleaning wounds and getting ready for treatment. Easy way to remove dirt and debris without touching the wound.
Helps prevent infections and has a very low weight penalty.
Low tech as it only needs clean water to work.

Darrel

[Cannibal]

I have issues with trusting a SPOT type system too much. Granted, as long as they are working, they would be a blessing to have in a bad situation. However, electronics are prone to failure at the worst possible time. I want to know I can survive without that type of assist. Batteries die and things get damaged in a fall.

A good item to have to be sure, but old school is often more reliable and knowledge combined with skill can never be replaced by technology; which I currently define as something that requires electricity to function.

[Rug]

What's that?

Ham, or amateur radio

HT or "Handy-Talky" is a more "high-tech" version of the old Walki-Talkis' that we all used as kids. It is a hand-held Amateur band 2-way radio.

Here is a nice radio: Yaesu VX-8R It has 5w output (5hrs of usage) and depending on your surroundings can have a 20-30 mile range. (I have read of a couple of instances of 'ideal' conditions where the range was 200miles without a repeater, but this is VERY rare.) If you can hit a repeater within that range, your effective range can reach out HUNDREDS of miles. Most cell phones have a a range of only a couple of miles.

An interesting note, most modern HTs' have built-in APRS (similar to a text-message that contains your lat./long. GPS position. You can configure the HT to 'broadcast' your position at whatever frequency you like. Assuming you have a computer at home, or have some family member who is interested, they can see where you in near real time. (+/- 15 minutes for example).