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 Terminator shade wearing, summit questing, double Grinding, Gordo voting self annointed 'dumb ass' and Aconcagua Bagga who dreams of Robson, Teton, The Judge, and.....and....
Port Moody, B.C
Canada
2210 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2011 : 11:13 PM
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In short
I view where all the ridges and valleys end in relation to approach trails. Most of the time you can find a geologic feature that has to bisect you point of approach and use that as your main focus feature Everything else you can ussually relate that.
Not saying don't bring maps navigation equipment etc and knowledge of how to use them but if you can have a good awarness of the terrain before and during your trip you may not have to use them saving you time and energy. Google Earth is great for overall terrain awarness before a trip, just not so good for picking up the small traps within the terrain but maps won't either.
I print off my intended route from google earth, with my vehicle descripion, parking area, return time, route info, and leave it with a family member. Cell phones are also great and often work. On my last trip I was able to call and leave a message that I was passing on one peak and going for another. |
Edited by - Jeffster on 07/13/2011 11:18 PM |
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Not too far from Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
224 Posts |
Posted - 07/14/2011 : 10:20 AM
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Thank you to everyone who posted the lastest round of replies - once again, lots of great advice and insight!! 
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14 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2011 : 11:11 PM
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Make sure you cover the basics:
Know how to use a map and compass and practice it.
Know how to start fires using ferrocerium rods and practice it.
Have a water purifying method/system and practice it.
Have at least one way to call in the cavalry. A PLB (ACR ResQLink 406) or a satellite phone (some can be rented).
I would definitely suggest doing an overnight/weekend first with someone experienced. |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2011 : 7:55 PM
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quote:
Have at least one way to call in the cavalry. A PLB (ACR ResQLink 406) or a satellite phone (some can be rented).
This can also involve leaving a trip plan with some one including possible options you might take an an overdue date, time along with info on what you have with you. The whole safety culture bit with cell phones, SPOTS, technology etc...well, some people can be a little over reliant on them. |
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surrey
Canada
649 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2011 : 8:14 PM
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I like the spot alot. I think it's a great investment for the safety it can supply. It can also give alot of peice of mind to family.
I like tech gear and use it. I like GPS just a bit less then the spot, agian for the money why not bring it. If you don't need it great. It sure is nice to mark a spot you want to return to or check on google earth when you get back. Worst case you can use it in white out conditions to make it back into the tree's.
I can't speak to hiking in your area but in the wet coast with thick bush at every turn I like to bring as much gear as I think I can use.
I hike alot of place SAR's is not going to be overly happy to come into. For the really nasty stuff I go into it with the mind set of self rescue.
As for stuff not mentioned I would add a roll of duct tape and a tube of super glue. Out of everything I take these two items go on every trip, even before gps or spots.
The glue was used in war to patch up wounded
quote:
Coover said the compound demonstrated an excellent capacity to stop bleeding, and during the Vietnam War, he developed disposal cyanoacrylate sprays for use in the battle field.
"If somebody had a chest wound or open wound that was bleeding, the biggest problem they had was stopping the bleeding so they could get the patient back to the hospital. And the consequence was--many of them bled to death. So the medics used the spray, stopped the bleeding, and were able to get the wounded back to the base hospital. And many, many lives were saved," Coover said
The duct tape can be used for everything from band aids to splints to gear repair. |
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Not too far from Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
224 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2011 : 3:01 PM
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More great advice; thank you
@ wiiawiwb: I will definitely ensure that I have honed the skills you mentioned before heading out on my own, and I will also be sure to have more than one method of calling in the cavalry in the event of an emergency (although my "Plan A" will always be to leave my itinerary with a couple of VERY reliable people who can alert the authorities if I don't check in when expected; call me paranoid, but I just don't trust technology 100%!). One particularly brave individual from Club Tread has already committed to taking me on a weekend-long car camping/dayhiking trip in August, so provided that I hold up my end of the bargain (which I beleive is essentially: 1) to leave my arsenal of make-up and scented girlie stuff at home - unless I want to spend the weekend sleeping as far away from his tent as possible, that is, and 2) to avoid being excessively whiny on the way back to the campsite should I happen to injure myself during a dayhike  ), then he has said that he may even be willing to take me on a backpacking trip at a later date. I'm definitely looking forward to getting out there and learning from someone who is experienced in the outdoors, so hopefully I can refrain from pissing him off too much on our trip 
@ time2clmb: When I hear about people who are "overly reliant" on technology to keep them safe in the wilderness (to the point that they do not develop basic skills such as the ability to read a map, use a compass, etc.), I have to wonder how long it will take before they find themselves winning a Darwin award? Even a newbie like me knows that relying completely on a piece of plastic with wires and batteries in it for survival is a really bad idea, and yet there always seems to be at least a few news reports each year indicating that someone out there did EXACTLY that....
@keadyn: I have both of those things in the gear repair kit I just put together, although I hadn't really thought of the glue and duct tape as being "dual purpose" (which I should have, as this is not the first time I've heard about them being used for first aid); thanks for reminding me |
Edited by - Hiking Solo on 07/25/2011 3:02 PM |
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1448 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2011 : 3:06 PM
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Bump for PLB
I picked one up for paddling,hiking, alpine touring.
MEC can ship you anything and possibly shipping is free.
@ runningclouds: Good call on the PLB; I'll have to take a look at them the next time I'm in Edmonton, seeing as my hometown doesn't have a lot of selection when it comes to backcountry hiking/camping gear (unless you count Zellers and Canadian Tire both as having a "good" selection of gear? ).
quote:
Originally posted by runningclouds
I would invest in a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). There are few options. MEC sells the McMurdo FastFind 210 for $225. A good insurance and piece of mind for five years of hiking.
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302700987&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442632572
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Edited by - camshaft on 07/25/2011 3:11 PM |
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2421 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2011 : 2:19 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by wiiawiwb
Know how to start fires using ferrocerium rods and practice it.
I find a BIC lighter works just as well as flint and steel. And it's cheaper and more readily available.
I agree with this, though:
quote:
I would definitely suggest doing an overnight/weekend first with someone experienced.
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Edited by - peter1955 on 07/27/2011 2:20 PM |
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Not too far from Edmonton, Alberta
Canada
224 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2011 : 2:51 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by peter1955
I agree with this, though:
quote:
I would definitely suggest doing an overnight/weekend first with someone experienced.
As I mentioned above, I've already got a weekend trip in the works with an experienced CT member (22 days and counting 'til departure...! ), and I am definitely open to going out on treks with experienced people who are willing and able to tolerate my "newness" to backcountry hiking and backpacking (in addition to going with people who are trekking in small groups - i.e., two or three people max - so that I don't feel like I'm getting lost in the shuffle and end up being too self-conscious/nervous to ask questions, etc...  ).
I definitely agree that learning "hands-on" from experienced people is a great idea - and that is a large part of the reason why I thoroughly enjoyed my dayhike with caribou and am thrilled about my upcoming weekend trip with another CTer
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Edited by - Hiking Solo on 07/27/2011 5:43 PM |
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82 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 08:33 AM
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Hiking Solo: Pretty much agree with most on this thread. Especially Time2Climb (gasp !) Do NOT trust a cell phone ! Leave the damn thing at home ! Agreeing to my wife's wishes, I, too, bought an E.P.I.R.B. (ACR brand) and have never left home without it. One thing about hiking solo, you get to hear and smell and appreciate the wilderness a lot more than you would with a group. And if you are awakened one night in your tent by some strange noises, then so be it ! It's good for the soul to be frightened once in awhile. DEFINITELY practice safe food (and toiletries) handling. Hang ANYTHING that comes into contact with food well away from your tent, and you should have no problems with wildlife. Enjoy your time in nature !
Andrew Klinzmann |
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Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 11:44 AM
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quote:
qoute: T2C
Never trust a middle aged person that just started the activity for advice. IME they are the worst as they are old enough to think they know every thing after only having done some thing a short time.
Wow you just paraphrazed my FLT school instructor from years ago to the letter but it's true.LOL
Ok so more importantly, T2C pointed out something about PLB's (despite his own preferences but he's also aware of the program) which I don't think I noticed from the other PLB users. It requires a little more planning in that when you go out, you must let your "emergency point of contact" know what your intentions are. Just like a FLT plan. Than can be a simple call to this person or persons and let them know where you are going for the day(s). So make sure they are accessible. The McMurdo unit's super light weight and good pricing point makes it more readily accessible now.
Nice to see all the constructive input given to HS
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Edited by - pmicheals on 02/02/2012 11:51 AM |
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287 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 5:35 PM
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It is always advisable to leave a trip itinerary with a responsible person but PLB's do not necessarily notify your contacts.
The Spot units can be configured to notify your own contacts with general messages assigned to the different buttons but the SOS feature bypasses your contacts and goes directly to an emergency response centre who notify local emergency agencies. Most of the other PLBs that are available do not notify your personal contacts but alert emergency services directly and do not require that your contacts be available.
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Penhold, Alberta
Canada
2009 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 6:33 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by PackRat
Most of the other PLBs that are available do not notify your personal contacts but alert emergency services directly and do not require that your contacts be available.
I the case of the McMurdo Fastfind you must register the unit with CFB Trenton and give them a main contact person whom they can reach incase you deploy your PLB. |
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Finally stopping that crazy suffering that is ice, climbing to concentrate on great ski tours!
3507 Posts |
Posted - 02/02/2012 : 7:59 PM
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| All PLBs must be registered. |
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Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2012 : 11:38 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by PackRat
It is always advisable to leave a trip itinerary with a responsible person but PLB's do not necessarily notify your contacts.
The Spot units can be configured to notify your own contacts with general messages assigned to the different buttons but the SOS feature bypasses your contacts and goes directly to an emergency response centre who notify local emergency agencies. Most of the other PLBs that are available do not notify your personal contacts but alert emergency services directly and do not require that your contacts be available.
Uhmm out of concern for false alerts and unless the rules have changed without me knowing, the standard protocol is for the MCC to verify the beacon by contacting the owner (verify false emergency) and then the emergency contact on the registration and then handoff to the RCC (rescue coordination) centre. The exception may apply if the owner is intra jurisdictional in another country and the SAR in that country feel that there is a time concern. Most countries will still verify with the Canadian MCC of the beacons whereabouts and owner. Operationally similar to EPRIRB and ELT protocols in that your eContact is your flt plan. This is a DND protocol and there is no change to this protocol. Ifthere is no contact with either owner or eContact then they will expedite and act at their discretion.
PR do you know something I'm not aware of? (sincerely asking; not being blunt) |
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Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2012 : 11:48 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by darrenbell
quote:
Originally posted by PackRat
Most of the other PLBs that are available do not notify your personal contacts but alert emergency services directly and do not require that your contacts be available.
I the case of the McMurdo Fastfind you must register the unit with CFB Trenton and give them a main contact person whom they can reach incase you deploy your PLB.
That is correct.
In a nutshell, you activate your beacon and the ASCII code identifier comes up on a screen, identified in the data base and the MCC specialist immediately contacts the owner's contact info including emergency contact person to verify if the owner is indeed in the field.
CFB Trenton is the MCC (Mission Control Centre) for all 406Mhz beacon operations. The COSPAS SARSAT 406 program in Canada is a jointly managed program by DND and the National Search Secretariat under the auspices of NOAA-NASA. |
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Hope, BC
Canada
7098 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2012 : 03:58 AM
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| And then within a short period you can likely expect to see a Cormorant helicopter or an Aurora buzzing around. Pretty cool actually. |
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Maple Ridge, BC
Canada
344 Posts |
Posted - 02/09/2012 : 10:53 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by AcesHigh
And then within a short period you can likely expect to see a Cormorant helicopter or an Aurora buzzing around. Pretty cool actually.
That is very cool. I was not aware of these. They sound like a great investment. |
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82 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2012 : 04:54 AM
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For Cherry Pirate: Yes, they are very cool. The better EPIRB (or PLB) units have an integrated GPS. When RCC gets the beacon's signal, it has a tone on 406 MHz, and shows the unit's GPS coordinates, AND displays your discreet hexadecimal code. (In addition, some units also have a continuous tone on 121.5 MHz which a SAR helicopter can home in on in the case of poor weather, fog, darkness, etc). RCC then contacts your registered SAR contact (e.g. Spouse) and then THEY can tell the RCC all the specifics of your trip. Number of people, itinerary, gear carried, level of experience, etc. Basically, the better informed your SAR contact is, the better and more timely the rescue action will be.
Andrew Klinzmann |
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Topic |
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Question re: Solo Backcountry Hiking
