Ultralight and the 10 Essentials

[Dale Wambaugh]

The tough-guy-he-man attitude gets guys in trouble. It's okay to ask for help with a load rather than injure your back, or as in this example, letting others know you are injured. And then there is the classic, not asking for directions :)

[Ken Thompson]

Me.

The more I hear about Jennifer, the more I like her.

[Ian]

So here are the two images stuck in my head after reading this thread:

There's the one image of the BPing do-gooder skipping down the trail in a tutu and wand who approaches any hiker experiencing any level of discomfort to sing them songs of rainbows and gumdrops.

Then there's the other image of the cantankerous hiker with the Marlboro hanging out of the corner of his mouth who is constantly screaming at birds and squirrels "quit making all that effing racket I'm trying to enjoy my effing hike" who then passes by a hiker who is holding his intestines in his hands following a vicious marmot attack who then screams "Sucks to be you mofo!"

While I can only speak for my small neck of the woods, I suspect (and Nick confirmed) that backpacking isn't quite this bi polar.

Back to whatever this topic has evolved into…. have a nice weekend folks. It's probably nice outside.

[Michael Gillenwater]

I must be a tough audience, because rarely do I find posts to be funny (even when they attempt to be). But Ian, you got a laugh out of me. Nicely put.
+1

[Jennifer Mitol]

Thanks Ken :)

And to think that's your judgemental take. I'm honored….

[steven franchuk]

"She had a massive blood clot in her leg from the accident (which she told no one about) and that is where the stroke came from."

Jennifer I have been on medication for leg clots. Just to let you know you can have a clot in your leg and not know it. Both of mine went unnoticed by me and my doctor until it triggered a more serious condition. and unfortunately the last one was on a hike. Went to the hospital and was diagnosed with Anemia. 2 months later I had more problems and then the hospital found the clots in my leg and fragments in my lungs.

Due to these events I now carry a Personal Locator Beacon.

Also it is unusual for a stroke to be caused by deep vein thrombosis. Normally the lungs filter off small clots before the blood reaches your brain. It is possible her stroke and leg clot were two totally separate conditions. Both of which generally don't have any obvious symptoms before they become critical issues.

[Jennifer Mitol]

I know she didn't know about the clot…but a) she is a nurse! and b) the massive hematoma on her leg should have been a huge clue that something was amiss and c) no one just drives into the side of a bank "accidentally" with enough force to damage the building without something else going on. My own medical opinion is that she was having small strokes before (thus the crazy accident), then threw a clot once she started hiking with us. She was also showing signs of pulmonary embolism (her initial symptoms were shortness of breath with minimal exertion) and only later, once she started slurring her words and she was showing signs of hemiparesis did I stop arguing with her and called rescue.

I was just quite upset that she never told us about the accident (both that she had one and how it happened), the massive hematoma on her leg, and that she kept dismissing her breathing problems to the heat of the day. Anyway, this is discussion for another thread…but I just wanted to mention that not all of us feel good about helping people on our hikes. Sometimes it really is a PITA and ruins the trip for everyone because one person was being an ill-prepared (either under or over) stubborn dolt.

[M B]

A chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

A hiking group is only as strong as the weakest hiker.

Choose your partners carefully.

I had a coworker die from blood clot after he had knee surgery a couple years ago.

A good friend of mine fell and broke her hip recently, she had many blood clots after surgery which fortunately she seemed to overcome.

My mom is unable to speak,read, write, and seems to have the mind of a child after a severe stroke took 2/3 of her brain, from a blood clot in her leg. It threw off clots that failed her major organs including brain, colon, lungs. It was the second miracle recovery she made in life, surviving when they gave her basically zero chance. (the first being a massive heart attack at 44 ) She continued to have mini-strokes and problems until they put a filter in the vein.

[Tony Ronco]

For your consideration:

hmm, Bread Satchel, Coat Pockets full of stuff, a Sierra Cup hanging off of one of his coat's button holes … a prime example of Chouinard's saying "The more you know, the less you need"

< = >

PS: Of course a lot of wood-craft skills were practiced back then, indirectly evidenced in this particular picture by the small kits his companions were carrying (including himself).

[James holden]

third rescue from this area this year in the past few weeks … same cause … getting lost on generally well marked trails …

only the efficiency and availability of SAR and having a cell phone prevented more serious situations

this area is basically within suburbia ….

http://www.tricitynews.com/news/211063021.html

xTwo women who went for a hike Saturday and were later lost in Belcarra Regional Park were located by Coquitlam Search and Rescue volunteers at about 10 p.m.

"The trails in Belcarra Park are well marked but there are lots of old mountain bike trails that are not on any of the maps, and they got on one of those," said SAR manager Michael Coyle.

He also noted the women were not prepared for an emergency with adequate clothing, food or water, and were lucky to have been caught out on a relatively warm night.

[James holden]

4th rescue (or more) this past few weeks from the same spot due to getting lost on a generally well marked close to the city trail

http://www.coquitlam-sar.bc.ca/2013/06/diez-vistas-and-eagle-mountain-rescues/

On Saturday June 29th, around 16:00 Coquitlam SAR was called to rescue a pair of hikers in the Lindsay Lake area on Eagle Ridge. The subjects had lost the trail, and were able to provided GPS coordinates using their smart phone. A team was sent to their location by helicopter, provided first aid for a sprained ankle, and flew the two subjects back to Buntzen Lake. Teams responding to Eagle Ridge noted the trail had many patches of deep snow in some locations, and some areas were very swampy with meltwater.

[James holden]

and another one lost in the same exact area this canada's day … at least the 5th rescue in the last few weeks from the same place …

http://bc.ctvnews.ca/lost-coquitlam-hiker-and-dog-rescued-from-mountain-ridge-1.1350413

A lost hiker and his dog have been safely rescued after being stranded 36 hours on a high mountain ridge above Buntzen Lake.
Search and rescue crews used a helicopter long line to reach the 43-year-old man and his dog and bring them to safety from a steep and challenging trail on Tuesday.
Rescuers say the man had been hiking near the lake Monday when he lost his way in the afternoon and called 911 for help.

[Will Webster]

I don't hand out maps, but I have suggested to the un(der)prepared that they photograph mine.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Interesting approach.

I'm surprised how many people can't read a map. I have a family member with some sort of map dyslexia and can't relate a map to the landscape at all. This makes a GPS problematical as you get a "you are here" indication, but if you can't read the map, how do you understand the topography? Perhaps people are used to cityscapes where you have access wherever there is a street on the grid?

I've found people with a map who were lost and with map in hand, had crossed a large river that took them 90 degrees from their intended route. If you can't relate a river that is 100 yards across and a major deviation to your direction, what prayer do you have in finding your way in more complex terrain?

I've read reports of people lost in a valley with steep walls and a river. If you can't relate up and down and the direction of water flow, I doubt if a map or GPS would do much good. As the old joke goes, the mirror on the compass is so you can see who is lost!

[Randy Nelson]

My wife is really directionally challenged. When portable GPS units for cars came out I got her one for Christmas. I told her it was the first present I'd ever given someone that was actually for me.

Luckily she doesn't read this site but one time in the dark period known as BGPS (before GPS) she called me about getting somewhere and I told her to go west. She asked which way is west. She was in Denver at the time. My laughter and sarcastic responses didn't go over very well.

Man, I love her GPS!

[Dale Wambaugh]

I picked up a vehicle GPS before we took a trip to Northern California this winter. It made going through downtown San Fransisco a breeze. In crowded urban conditions going 30MPH while dodging bikes, pedestrians, buses and crazy cab drivers, having a GPS is a Godsend.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

Here in So Cal the most essential essential is water. In fact, you can pretty much leave everything else off the list on day hikes in the Santa Barbara area and be okay, but without sufficient water, you're toast. In all my years leading and attending Sierra Club hikes, water is the thing that is at issue almost every single time.

On Sierra Club hikes we also seem lately to have a lot of trouble with people who really lack the health and vitality to be hiking. It seems to me that over the last decade the general health of most people has declined severely.

Recently a man started attending our hikes, seeming to prefer the more strenuous ones. He worried me a lot. He looked like someone who maybe had had a recent serious illness. He coughed like a lung was going to come up and had dark circles, sickly skin, seemed completely exhausted and like he was always at the extreme leading edge of his capability. But he always made it. I mentioned to my boyfriend that I really wanted to ask him what his deal was but he told me that would be rude.

Well, eventually, it finally happened. He attended a hike that was just that much more than his ability that he put the rest of the people in jeopardy. It was a very hot day. Most of the attendees had enough water, some had lots extra and a few didn't quite have enough. But had we been able to keep a steady pace, there would not have been any trouble. Instead we were slowed down so much waiting for this guy that many people ran out of water, those who had extra had been giving away bottles to random hikers along the trail who were suffering and in the end, we all ran out of water. Meanwhile, my boyfriend as he coaxed the man down from the mountain finally was at his wit's end and asked him what his deal was, did he have a serious illness. The man said no, he thought he was pretty fit. Unbelievable!

The next strenuous hike on the schedule came up and the man was called in advance by the hike leader and asked not to attend. It's gotten to the point you have to actually do this now.

I don't know that a compass, rain gear or fire starter is going to help anybody much in near-urban low elevation Southern California areas. What they need to have on a So Cal essentials list is a minimum of 2 liters of water for yourself and 1 extra liter for someone else, with an explanation that a liter of water is not the same as a pint or 20 ounces.

[Bob Gross]

"What they need to have on a So Cal essentials list is a minimum of 2 liters of water for yourself and 1 extra liter for someone else, with an explanation that a liter of water is not the same as a pint or 20 ounces."

Piper, wouldn't it be better to list the requirement like one liter per five miles?

But then, what are you going to do, have a shakedown inspection at the trailhead?

We had a guy like that in our Sierra Club group. He used to show up without any water at all. He would dash up and down the trails, and then disappear toward the end. Finally, he expired.

–B.G.–

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

For pretty much any local Sierra Club hike and for pretty much any hike the general public does, 2 liters is probably actually overkill for most people. But you need 3 liters because most people believe a pint or a 20 ounce bottle is a liter. They think a bottle is a bottle. Plus some people drink too much and what they actually need is to have that 3rd liter poured over their head if it is a hot day.

But yes, we sometimes do shakedowns in the parking lot before we head out because often people will lie when we simply ask if they have extra water. We also keep a case of water bottles in the back of our vehicle and we force people to take two extra bottles on hot hikes, telling them that if nothing else, they can give it to someone else who didn't bring enough or give it back to us at the end. We haven't had anyone give it back to us. They always end up drinking it.

One of the other hike leaders even makes people drink a bottle of water in the parking lot before we go, which he provides. This is how serious a problem it is. I couldn't care less if people don't have a compass or matches. I'd rather they have no means of starting a fire at all since you can probably just look at the bushes funny and they'll burst into flame.

[Richard May]

in the tropics i worry about rain in the wet season so shelter is important if you are forced to stay out over night. fire can often be impossible to build if the conditions are right.

this is my hiking kit. the newspaper will be swapped out for vaseline cotton balls stored in straws.

add to this about 9oz of snacks i'm going to be out all day.

[Ian]

"I don't know that a compass, rain gear or fire starter is going to help anybody much in near-urban low elevation Southern California areas. What they need to have on a So Cal essentials list is a minimum of 2 liters of water for yourself and 1 extra liter for someone else, with an explanation that a liter of water is not the same as a pint or 20 ounces."

I think a distinction can be made between backcountry and urban hiking. If memory serves from WFR, a wilderness setting is anything more than 1hr away from 911 services (from call to on scene). For the sake of this conversation I believe it's implied we're talking about wilderness hiking.

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