Coping with injuries / sickness on the trail

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AlmostThere
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Re: Coping with injuries / sickness on the trail

Post by AlmostThere »

rlown wrote:Let's be real clear. We appreciate you and your groups dedication to rescue. You come off as representing SAR on this site for some reason; go figure. If the documentation for the public isn't right, that's valuable input to your SAR mgmt. Let them know.

Not sure why we'd care about Malibu rescue..
Preventive SAR begins with information - I'm telling you how county search and rescue in California (where the Sierra Nevada is, go figure) works in a fairly basic way, because it appears that it is not clear and misinformation is being posted here that may lead to people hesitating to contact the authorities for help. Which may in turn lead to just what they are afraid of - a big bill, not for rescue, but for medical charges.

Malibu is one of the many examples of how county SAR teams work. You can google your own SAR team that's local to you and see similar verbage as on any county website. And Malibu is one of many teams that will come to the aid of any search team working in the Sierra - we've had guests from as far away as Humboldt.

Not all search teams have the time or ability to get a website going. You have to pay web geeks, after all. Relying on the sheriff's office web geeks gets a paragraph on the sheriff's website. We have a volunteer web geek who is overbooked and doing his best. He'll get to posting more information eventually.
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toejam
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Re: Coping with injuries / sickness on the trail

Post by toejam »

I just got back from a trip where bad judgement on my part resulted in two minor injuries to myself. In response I'm going to be more careful. I'm not buying a SPOT or insurance, and I don't want anybody looking for me until I'm late for work.

I pack my backpack with the intent of getting away from my modern, connected life and all it's worries. I don't worry when I'm out there - I try to use good judgement and enjoy my surroundings. I've never needed rescue and odds are greatly in my favor that I never will.

The way some people talk you'd think the mountains were covered with dead bodies. That's never been the case. I don't understand the fear mongers and worry warts. Kinda feel sorry for them.
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SSSdave
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Re: Coping with injuries / sickness on the trail

Post by SSSdave »

Trent >>>"In reading some of these postings it's apparent that there are a number of "trekkers" who don't realize the serious consequences of an injury or sickness when you are miles from the trailhead in the back country."

US backpackers don't call themselves "trekkers". Its a general term of course that might be used in several ways. That is often used to describe tourist Himalayan foot travelers that employ various mountain travel guides and various internatioal travelers on the cheap.

It is true backpacking like all manner of outdoor sports has various levels of danger. And like all those sports, a person can choose their level of risk and exposure. For instance a climber can choose to be a front country bouldering enthusiast that rarely puts themselves in high lethal peril while a backcountry ice climber would be at the other extreme. With backpacking one can choose to make easy group trips to popular destinations where there are almost always other people or at the other extreme, go solo carrying heavy packs over class 3 steeps into remote locations no one is likely to be all summer. And some may choose to hike on generally level well manicured long distance super trails where everything has been smoothed out while others may choose to go early season solo lugging their gear across several remote stream crossings of ice cold snow melt torrents.

We all have to assess levels of risk in our lives and there will always be some fools and some who put the rest of us in danger. Every day driving during our major urban commute freeway traffic we see wreckless fools weaving inconsiderately and dangerously like some stock car racers. There is a significant list of outdoor enthusiasts who pushed extreme lethal limits in their sports, sometimes gaining considerable noteriety and practicing such for years without incident but then the one mistake or unpreventable loose rock breaking off ended it all. Such is life, man up to one's considered choices, and accept whatever results either triumph or disaster.

Most of we older conservative very experienced backpackers have learned how to be reasonably safe much like our countless exploring ancestors in ancient times did. Although some look for challenges pushing limits, many like this person seek enjoyable experiences. I confront dangers every summer and am aware a lightning bolt could strike, a rattlesnake could bite, talus might tumble down from above, and much more. And if that occurs I may end up no more or seriously injured in a remote place. If that happens I'll just have to crawl back to the front country or prepare for eternity.
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