these items goes up.
RECOMMENDED GEAR:
These are what I recommend as essentials to have on hand when hiking.
•Headlamp.
•Bivouac sack/space blanket. This is extremely valuable in keeping an injured hiker warm, particularly if they go into shock. It’s also handy for unplanned overnights.
•Water purification. Whether it’s tablets or a UV “pen” or filter, don’t head into the wilderness without it.
•Sunscreen.
•Matches, compass, knife, perhaps a whistle.
•Extra insulation. Synthetic is best. And don’t forget rain gear. Sunny days turn cloudy quickly in the San Juan Mountains.
•First-aid kit. (Details on the contents are below.)
•Extra calories and water. Experience helps determine how much food and water you need, but it doesn’t hurt to overestimate.
•A hiking partner. On easy and moderate hikes this isn’t as important. But if you get hurt, you’ll want some help.
•A small rope. Again, this isn’t necessary for all hikes. But when you’re on steep scrambles and exposed ridges, an 8-millimeter cord about 10 meters long can be a lifesaver. It weighs less than a pound.
FIRST-AID KIT
Not everyone will have an identical first-aid kit, and that’s okay. Just make sure that whoever in your group is bringing one (someone must!) that includes the essentials. This is one example of a first-aid kit. It is carried by Leo Lloyd, a fire department paramedic who also serves with La Plata County Search & Rescue and is an international instructor with Rigging for Rescue.
•Baggie with an ibuprofen-Tylenol mix. A mix of three ibuprofen to two Tylenol pills works well for moderate to severe pain.
•Band-Aids.
•Moleskin for foot blisters.
•Gauze. This can be applied with pressure directly to a wound to stop bleeding.
•Triangular bandage. This can serve as an arm sling and has other uses.
•A pressure wrap over gauze to stop bleeding. This can be some sort of pressure wrap, such as gauze wrap, elastic wrap, or a triangular bandage.
•Tourniquet. In an emergency, this rubberized piece can stop serious blood loss or double as a wrap.
•Surgical gloves.
•Tweezers.
•Bandage scissors. Scissors will give you an easier, cleaner cut than you can get using a knife.
Leo Lloyd’s first-aid kit includes gloves, Band-Aids, moleskin, an ibuprofen-Tylenol combo mix, gauze, wraps, tweezers, and scissors. (Photo by Leo Lloyd)
PLANNING AND COMMUNICATING
Perhaps the most overlooked aspects of an outdoor adventure, planning and communicating can prove critical in preventing or lessening an emergency situation.
•Plan. Have a plan, make sure everyone in your group knows what it is, and stick to it unless everyone is there to decide how to alter it.
•Judgment. This comes partly with experience, but it’s important to evaluate your group members and know whose judgment to trust. If you’re the leader, make sure you don’t involve others in situations they can’t handle.
•Communicate. Before any trip, decide who’s bringing the maps and the first-aid kit, and what the plan is. Don’t wait till you get to the trailhead to discuss these important details. Also, communicate frequently during a hike or climb and stay together with your group; separating from the group commonly causes or compounds serious problems.
•Navigation. Bring maps, preferably physical rather than virtual ones. Cellular phones and GPS units can lose service, die, or malfunction. Personal locator beacons, preferably ones that can send texts, are becoming increasingly popular and useful. You can use one to send a distress message via satellite, and the receiver will show your location. A decent one goes for around $350.
Accidents happen, but there’s a lot you can do to keep accidents from leading to life-threatening emergencies.
FINAL NOTE
I’ve wrestled often with the issue of how much to divulge in trail descriptions. The bottom line is: I just don’t want to give away all the secrets.
I’ll tell you some “well-known secrets” (I like that contradiction), but I’m not going to go out of my way to tell you everything. You wouldn’t want me to give away everything. What fun is that? You want to discover things on your own. You want that element of surprise and delight when you see something unexpected. If you want someone to reveal every little detail—every waterfall, every swimming hole, every peak, and every flower you will see—then by all means, find a book or blog that does this.
Every hike is an adventure. Wilderness is out there to be explored, to captivate, and to surprise. My hope is you will use this book to capture that experience.
Pointing to a ridge that I’m not going to attempt between Wetterhorn and Matterhorn. (Photo by Steve Chapman)
Here I am hard at work atop US Grant Peak. (Photo by Peter Schertz)
TECHNOLOGY
In this day and age, I guess I would find this situation embarrassing: I’m lost or injured in the woods and have no phone even though I’m in cell range. Or I have a phone with cell coverage but can’t tell anyone where I am because I don’t know.
Of course, technology is continually changing even as I write this book, and I can actually be kind of a Luddite, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the ways that electronic devices can enhance your hike and help get you out of trouble. GPS (Global Positioning System) devices and phone apps are helpful methods of measuring and plotting your route, and communicating with others. Use your devices to your best advantage, but it’s important to understand their limitations too.
Here’s a brief description of some of the technology and apps out there.
GPS UNITS
To figure out where you are, this is still the best method. GPS is a method of triangulating your position on the planet using satellites hovering 12,000-plus miles above the Earth. Your GPS unit can determine within a few feet where you stand. If your GPS unit also has a downloaded map, then you’re set for navigating. Even if it doesn’t, you can still use it to get back to where you were—a previously tracked trail or waypoint, for instance. It’s very handy.
Garmin dominates the GPS market, but there
