I hear it say that you sometimes carry chains as well ;-)
Yeah, those are the 40+ lbs workout chains, used mostly for dips and pull-ups, and yes, they do make it into my local day hiking packs, as do large, warm blankets, for some of the others members in our hiking group for when we reach the summit on our local peaks.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
The true necessity for any day hike is a five foot crosscut saw, wedges, a hard hat and leather gloves... It's what I'm taking tomorrow anyways.
For building a log cabin.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
If you feel the need for overnight gear on a day-hike, then perhaps you should buy the UL gear and just become a UL backpacker. That certainly is an option nowadays with the gear advancement. It cost $$$ but you will be set up for overnight with a 10 pound pack. Since my shelter and sleeping bag are not UL, clothing is a better choice on day-hikes, because it is multi-purpose- I can also wear it while hiking if the weather simply turns bad. A 3-oz space blanket then covers most survival situations.
When solo day-hiking I draw the "gear line" on the risky side (minimal) and my "hiking style" on the very conservative side. Not saying that works for everyone, but that is my solution. When solo day-hiking, I have rarely been injured, and nothing life-threatening; for the few nights out when solo day-hiking, I was fully functional and not injured- simply ran out of daylight and deemed it safer to stay put until daylight.
Not such a huge issue when with a group, because within a group you can usually put together enough clothing for the injured person to keep them from getting hypothermic. Injury on a solo day-hike is a more tenuous situation. That is a tough one. This perhaps is why, when solo, I tend to plan my trips with more daily backpacking and do fewer day-hikes. I have always felt day-hiking is more dangerous than backpacking.
AT- if it is trail work you are doing with that saw, then thanks! I am so thankful for all the trail crews out there. Particularly this year!
Yep, we are working a section of the Theodore Solomons route tomorrow. We'll be working some of the Dinkey trails the weekend of the 15th from Willow Meadow to Rock Lake, and from Cliff TH to Cliff Lake on the 22nd.
Sunscreen and a hard hat with extra brim and a cape on the back to keep the sun off me, that's the necessity of the day. I anticipate a plunge of the head into a river at the end of the day... perhaps a buffalo burger at Mono Hot Springs. (the 13th essential being the burger on the way home)
All these extraordinary measure are great (sutures, survival skills and associated gear, fire building) but I want to emphasize that in my years in search and rescue, it's getting noticed and found that's most critical. It's incredibly rare that the ability to build a fire for warmth was a determinant in survival of a person in the Sierra (though I know of two cases where a large fire was sighted by the search helicopter). So, again, signalling devices and satellite gizmos.One of the long-time YOSAR people has an outstanding presentation on survival of people where the search has been scaled back or is about to be. Several are depressingly tragic. In every one, though, friends or relatives knowing an accurate itinerary and/or the subject's ability to signal SAR during the active search could have been definitive. In these cases, the people were surviving well past the initial trauma, but lacked the ability or imagination to signal across distance (e.g. light a whole tree on fire if possible!).
PS: I'm not sure I would close a wound in the field under non-sterile conditions. The risk of infection in a closed wound would increase the danger of a worse outcome. I would think an open and draining wound is preferable though might later require cosmetic surgery if a scar is a concern. An ER won't suture a wound after about 8 hours, thus there's usually no point in sending someone out with a significant laceration since it'll take that long to get out, usually. (Well, not quite true since it can be cleaned professionally, just not sutured).
Last edited by gdurkee on Fri Jul 07, 2017 7:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Yes, on the whole wound thing, but you don't suture it all the way. As I have no sterile drain tube on a fishing trip You don't tighten them all the way. I like the whole tree on fire thing. One would be noticed.. Zero qualms on that in an emergency..
Last edited by rlown on Fri Jul 07, 2017 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
gdurkee wrote:So, again, signalling devices and satellite gizmos.One of the long-time YOSAR people has an outstanding presentation on survival of people where the search has been scaled back or is about to be. Several are depressingly tragic. In every one, though, friends or relatives knowing an accurate itinerary and/or the subject's ability to signal SAR during the active search could have been definitive. In these cases, the people were surviving well past the initial trauma, but lacked the ability or imagination to signal across distance (e.g. light a whole tree on fire if possible!).
With a two-way communication device like the Inreach, can SAR send and receive messages with the person sending the distress signal? I've wondered where if I was in a situation where I came across another person who had, say, a broken leg and needed rescuing, would I just want to hit the distress signal on my Inreach? Can I communicate with SAR in any way to let them know the situation?
