How to avoid rescue in the wild
Day hikes, backpacking trips, and big expeditions into the wilderness all share a common theme. Despite the fact that most folks are not planning just to survive their excursions in the wild, far too often that is exactly what happens. Though unanticipated things can occur in every fun pursuit, these wilderness mishaps will pose greater challenges. More importantly, most of those mishaps are completely predictable and preventable.
kAm~FE5@@CD 7@=<D H9@ ?665 >@C6 96=A E92? E9@D6 :? E96:C 8C@FA 42? @776C[ 2?5 A2CE:4F=2C=J E96 D@=@ 25G6?EFC6C[ H:== 6?5 FA H2:E:?8 7@C 96=A] ~?46 J@F’C6 >@C6 E92? _]d E@ ` >:=6 :? E96 H@@5D E96C6 H:== 36 492==6?86D 32D65 @? E96 5:DE2?46 2?5 E:>6 :E H:== E2<6 7@C C6D4F6 E@ 86E E@ J@F] %96 =@42= H62E96C >2J 36 2 AC@3=6> 2?5 E96 E6CC2:? 42? >2<6 2446DD E@ J@F 2?5 C6D4F6 7C@> E92E =@42E:@? 6G6? =@?86C 2?5 >@C6 5:77:4F=E] %96 2G6C286 E:>6 :E E2<6D E@ C6D4F6 2 A6CD@? H9@’D 23@FE b >:=6D :?E@ E96 H@@5D H:E9 2 3C@<6? 2?<=6 H:== E2<6 23@FE 7@FC E@ 6:89E 9@FCD]k^Am
kAmx? E96 A2DE `_ J62CD[ H6’G6 D66? 2? :?4C62D6 :? 7@=<D :? E96 >@F?E2:?D ?665:?8 >@C6 96=A ;FDE E@ 86E 324< @FE @7 E96 H:=5 3642FD6 @7 6I92FDE:@?] x? >2?J 42D6D[ H6 42? 96=A E96> H2=< @? E96:C @H?[ 3FE H:E9@FE 96=A[ E96J H@?’E >2<6 :E @FE] %9:D 3C:?8D FD E@ E96 D@=FE:@?[ E96 !6C7@C>2?46 %C:25 … 2?5 :E’D D:>A=6[ 3FE D:>A=6 :D ?@E 2=H2JD 62DJ] %96 <6J E@ E9:D EC:25 :D 2H2C6?6DD 2?5 A=2??:?8[ 3C:?8:?8 6?@F89 H2E6C 2?5 7@@5[ 2?5 H2E49:?8 J@FC A246]k^Am
kAm%96 6?5FC2?46 2E9=6E6 :D G6CJ 72>:=:2C H:E9 E9:D EC:25] (:E9@FE 5:D4:A=:?6 2?5 A=2??:?8[ E96J 2C6 ?@E =:<6=J E@ A6C7@C> H6== :? =@?8 6G6?ED =:<6 >2C2E9@?D[ EC:2E9=@?D 2?5 F=EC2D]k^Am
kAm%96 5:776C6?46 36EH66? H6==\EC2:?65 2E9=6E6D 2?5 2 72>:=J 8@:?8 7@C 2 9:<6 FA 2 >@F?E2:? :D E92E 9:<6CD 42? ;FDE E9C@H 2H2J E96 4=@4<] %96 2E9=6E6 >@DE @7E6? 56E6C>:?6D 9@H H6== E96J A6C7@C>65 3J 9@H 72DE E96J H6C6 E92E 52Jj E96 4=@4< :D 6G6CJE9:?8 7@C E96>] u@C @FE5@@CD 7@=<D[ E96 8@2= D9@F=5 36 ?@E E@ 8@ 72DE[ 3FE E@ A246 :? 2 H2J E92E 2==@HD J@F E@ =:7E J@FC 9625 FA =@@<:?8 2E >@C6 E92? E96 8C@F?5 :? 7C@?E @7 J@F] %96? DE@AA:?8 6G6CJ =:EE=6 3:E 7@C 2 5C:?<[ 2 D?24<[ 2?5 E@ 6?;@J E96 362FEJ @7 E96 H:=5]k^Am
kAm%96 t?G:C@?>6?E2= !C@E64E:@? p86?4J[ }2E:@?2= x?DE:EFE6D @7 w62=E9 2?5 @E96CD C64@>>6?5 2E =62DE a]d E@ b]d =:E6CD @7 H2E6C 52:=J 7@C ;FDE 8@:?8 =:G:?8 E9C@F89 2 52J 2E 9@>6[ H@C<[ 6E4] pE9=6E6D :? =@?86C 6G6?ED H:== 24EF2==J ?665 2? 6IEC2 =:E6C @C >@C6 7@C 6G6CJ 24E:G6 9@FC @7 E96 6G6?E] $@ 2 E9C66\9@FC >2C2E9@? H:== C6BF:C6 2? 6IEC2 E9C66 =:E6CD] |@DE 9:<6CD D9@F=5 ?@E 36 >@G:?8 E92E 72DE[ 3FE E96J D9@F=5 36 DE@AA:?8 6G6CJ a_\b_ >:?FE6D W>@DE=J DE@AA:?8 ?@ =@?86C E92? 23@FE 7@FC @C 7:G6 >:?FE6DX 7@C 2 ?:46 3:8 5C:?< 2?5 D>2==:D9 D?24<]k^Am
kAm(96? 24E:G6[ =:<6 @? 2 7@FC\9@FC 9:<6 @C 3:<6 C:56[ 6G6CJ E:>6 J@F 5C:?< J@F D9@F=5 36 62E:?8 2 D?24<] (6 92G6 E96 8C62E6DE ?F>36C @7 C6=2E:G6=J 962=E9J “D?24<D” 6G6C 2G2:=23=6] r9@@D6 H92E J@F =:<6[ 2?5 C6>6>36C 56DA:E6 9@H 962=E9J :E :D[ :7 J@F 5@?’E =:<6 E96 E2DE6[ 5@?’E 62E :E] %96 2G6C286 A6CD@? H2=<:?8 @C CF??:?8 2 >:=6 H:== 3FC? 23@FE g_\`a_\A=FD 42=@C:6D] %96 2G6C286 A6CD@? H:== 2=D@ H2=< 23@FE `]d E@ a >:=6D A6C 9@FC @? E96 EC2:=] %96 62DJ >2E9 DF886DED E92E J@F D9@F=5 36 C6A=24:?8 2 C62D@?23=6 2>@F?E @7 E96 42=@C:6D J@F 3FC? 6249 >:=6]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 J@F 2=H2JD ?665 E96 32=2?46 @7 AC@E6:? 6G6CJ 52J[ 42C3@9J5C2E6D[ 2?5 D2=EJ D?24<D 2?5 DF82CJ D?24<D W?@E DF3DE:EFE6DX 2C6 4C:E:42= @? E96 EC2:=] #6>6>36C J@FC 5:86DE:G6 EC24E 2=H2JD =:<6D H2E6C H96? 7@@5 :D 4@>:?8 :? 2D H6==] xE >2<6D DH2==@H:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 D>@@E96C]k^Am
kAm!C@A6C A24:?8 :D 2 A@E6?E:2= =6?8E9J 5:D4FDD:@?[ D@ x’== ECJ E@ <66A :E D:>A=6i ${~( s~(}]k^Am
kAmvF:56D[ @FE5@@C EC:A =6256CD[ 42>A =6256CD[ D@=5:6CD 2?5 H:=5=2?5 7:C67:89E6CD 42? 2== 8:G6 FD 2? :562 23@FE E96 36DE H2J E@ A246] x’G6 7@F?5 E9C@F89 A6CD@?2= 6IA6C:6?46 E92E =625:?8 <:5D[ >@F?E2:? C6D4F6 E62>D[ 4=:>36CD @? 6IA65:E:@?D 2?5 7C:6?5D[ E9:D :D E96 36DE H2J E@ >@G6 :? E96 H:=5] $E2CE @77 D=@H[ =2E6C :? E96 52J :7 6G6CJ@?6 :D 7:?6 J@F 42? DA665 FA] %96 4=2DD:4 >@56= H2D E@ A246 E@ E96 D=@H6DE A6CD@? :? E96 8C@FA 2?5 AFE E96> :? E96 7C@?E] %9@F89 E96 8@2= H2D H@CE9J[ E96 AC@46DD :D FDF2==J 2 72:=FC6] u2:=FC6 5@6D?’E >62? E96J 5@?’E DFCG:G6 @C 4@>A=6E6 E96 EC:A[ 3FE :E 5@6D >62? E92E D@>6@?6 :? E96 8C@FA 92D 366? 5F3365 H62< 2?5 D=@H] w@H E96 56E6C>:?2E:@? :D >256 4@F=5 E2<6 A@:?E=6DD A286D[ 3FE :E :D =:<6=J E92E E96 49@D6? “D=@HA@<6” H:== =:<6=J ECJ E@ 8@ 72DE6C E92? H92E E96J’5 36 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9[ 2?5 :D =:<6=J ?@E 36 72DE 6?@F89 7@C E96 C2469@CD6 :? E96 8C@FA]k^Am
kAmx =:<6 E@ AFE E96 72DE6DE A6CD@? :? E96 8C@FA FA 7C@?E 2?5 E96? 2D< E96> E@ 8@ 2D D=@H 2D A@DD:3=6] x 2=D@ 2D< E96> E@ DE@A 2?5 =@@< 324< 27E6C E96 7:CDE EH@ @C E9C66 >:?FE6D FA E96 EC2:=[ D@>6E:>6D E96J E2<6 @77 E@@ 72DE] (96? x 92G6 D@>6@?6 6=D6 =625:?8[ x 42? 36 :? E96 324< 2?5 H2E49 6G6CJ@?6] v6?6C2==J[ E96 324< @7 E96 =:?6 @7 9:<6CD :D H96C6 E96 D=@H6DE A6CD@? H:== FDF2==J 6?5 FA] tG6CJ @?46\:?\2\H9:=6 x 42? 92G6 2 =:EE=6 492E H:E9 E96>] x7 E96J 42?’E DA62< 4@>7@CE23=J H9:=6 H2=<:?8[ x 42== 7@C 2 3C62< 2?5 8@ BF:6E=J FA E@ E96 =6256C 2?5 2D< E96> E@ D=@H :E 5@H? 2 =:EE=6 >@C6]k^Am
kAm(6 ?665 E@ 492?86 E96 4F=EFC6 @7 6?;@J:?8 E96 @FE5@@CD 7C@> E96 AC6DF>AE:@? @7 :E 36:?8 E@F89[ F?4@>7@CE23=6[ 5:77:4F=E 2?5 A2:?7F=] (96? A6@A=6 2C6 E2<:?8 2 H2=< :? E96 H@@5D E96J 42? D66 >@C6 3J D=@H:?8 5@H?[ DE@AA:?8 E@ E2<6 2 A:4EFC6[ 492EE:?8] u@C 2 4@FA=6 @7 7:E[ 72DE 7C:6?5D E@ E2<6 2 E@F89 CF? :? E96 H@@5D :D 7:?6] qFE 2=H2JD 36 AC6A2C65j 96=A H:== 36 72C 2H2J] u@C E96 C6DE FD[ 36 AC6A2C65 2D H6== H:E9 2 D>2== A24< 6G6CJ E:>6 @FE[ D=@H 5@H?[ 5C:?<[ D?24< 2?5 >2J36 E2<6 2 H:=56C?6DD 7:CDE 2:5 4@FCD6] *@F’== 2== 92G6 >@C6 7F? 2?5 J@F’C6 =6DD =:<6=J E@ ?665 C6D4F6]k^Am
kAmq:== z2?6 :D E96 @H?6C^5:C64E@C @7 E96 z2?6 $49@@=D[ 2 =@?8E:>6 >6>36C |@F?E2:? #6D4F6 $6CG:46[ 24E:G6 H:E9 uCJ63FC8 #6D4F6 2?5 (6DE6C? |2:?6 $62C49 2?5 #6D4F6] w6 92D CF? D4@C6D @7 >2C2E9@?D[ F=EC2>2C2E9@?D[ 2?5 4@>A=6E65 7:G6 xC@?>2? EC:2E9=@?D]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.