Q: I do SAR and have to carry for myself and a subject.  Your 2.0 Bivvy sac is small and light, but for another $25 to $50 and maybe 16 oz more I could get a 40 degree “rated” bag.   I would always carry at least your 2.0 Bivvy but am considering a lightweight down bag for those cold nights.   If your Bivvy was “rated” at 40 – 45 degrees, it would be a no brainier to always carry two of your bags.  Have you done any testing to get a temperature rating on your 2.0 Bivvy?

A: Because adventure racers are often required to carry a 50-degree sleeping bag, we did some testing and found that the S.O.L. Thermal Bivvy (the same one you’re referring to, but with a new name) will work as a primary sleep system down to 50 degrees, as long as you are wearing some light insulating clothing (such as thermal base layers).  You can also use it in conjunction with a sleeping bag to add 10-15 degrees of warmth to the bag.

Q: Which first aid kit would you recommend for a 10 day backcountry hunt. So, size and weight are a concern. I will not have a basecamp and I plan on getting the SOL3 kit.

A: If you’re already going to have survival tools and some medical supplies in your S.O.L. 3 kit, I recommend augmenting them with an Ultralight/Watertight .9 kit.  Without a base camp, you need something that can treat a wide range of injuries but won’t weigh you down too much, and the UL / WT .9 fits that bill exactly.  With a trauma pad and plenty of gauze, it can stop traumatic bleeding from a hunting accident, and there are also supplies to clean and close large wounds, including an irrigation syringe and wound closure strips.

-Jordan Hurder, AMK Product Specialist

The younger Mason had been solo hiking near Mount Clay when he hurt his ankle, tried to take a shortcut through a river pass and got lost. Rapidly melting snow had swollen the river, making it impossible to cross and Mason was subsequently forced to hunker down for the next three days, before being found by rescuers.

Mason after 3-day ordeal in White Mountains

What’s not so gratifying, certainly for the Mason household, was when the N.H. government slapped Scott with a bill for $25,734.65 to cover the cost of a three-day search and rescue mission it had initiated after he was reported missing. Even though Mason, an Eagle Scout, showed tremendous survival savvy — at night he slept in the crevice of a boulder for shelter and used an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to start fires — the N.H. government determined that he was negligent because he veered off of a marked path and did not adequately anticipate the problems that melting snow would pose in finding a route back down the mountain.

Mason has since hired a lawyer to negotiate a settlement. One of Mason’s scoutmasters also started a Facebook page  — “Rescue Scott Mason – Again” — to help raise money to offset the hefty fine and the family’s legal costs, which according to a recent wall post now total $5,000.

Currently, New Hampshire is one of eight states with laws on the books that allow it to recoup the costs of search and rescue missions. However, lately New Hampshire is the only state that has attempted to bill people. Last year, it strengthened the law, allowing it to suspend the hiking, fishing and driver’s licenses of individuals who refuse to pay.

In a recent AP article, New Hampshire State officials argued that the threat of a fine should encourage outdoor enthusiasts to be better prepared before they head out on the trail. Not all in search and rescue (SAR) services, however, are convinced of the benefits of this policy.

Dr. Chris Van Tilburg, editor of Wilderness Medicine magazine and a member of Crag Rats Mountain Rescue, located in Hood River, OR, says the law is highly problematic.

“If hikers or climbers are concerned about the costs they may face, they may put off calling for help, which can hinder their chances for survival,” says Van Tilburg, who was part of the team that attempted to rescue three climbers who became stranded on Mt. Hood, in 2006.

“We don’t charge people requiring law enforcement or fire department services, so charging for SAR services seems unfair,” he added.

What do you think? Should outdoor enthusiasts who aren’t prepared be charged for search and rescue missions? Should Scott Mason have been fined?

The recent admission from SIGG that the aluminum bottles it had produced prior to August 2008 contained the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) has once again put into sharp focus the safety of all water bottles. There is one way, however, you can be sure your next water bottle does not contain BPA or any other potentially harmful chemicals — that’s to select one made from stainless steel, like AMK’s new S.O.L. Survival Bottle.

Made of tough food-grade, 201 stainless steel, the BPA-free S.O.L. Survival Bottle will not dent nearly as easily as aluminum bottles, which contain inner linings which, if broken, can leach chemicals that can potentially contaminate water. AMK’s S.O.L. Survival Water bottle will hold up to 750 ml of water, but its much more than just a liquid container.

Unlike most water bottle manufacturers, which emblazon the exterior of their bottles with a logo or design, AMK used this otherwise ignored real estate to offer valuable information on everything related to water and hydration.

Printed on the outside of the bottle are a multitude of tips and facts — ranging from the useful (“How to find Water in the Desert”; “How to Purify Water”) to the novel (“Number of years it takes for a plastic bottle to decompose”; “Number of plastic bottles thrown away each hour”) — which lend the S.O.L. Survival Water bottle an added level of utility not found in competitor bottles. In reality, it truly is the only bottle that can save your life — even when it is empty!

The S.O.L. bottle is also safe to boil water in and comes with a sturdy screw top and carabiner, allowing you to attach it to your backpack for your next outdoor excursion.

I am happy to report that your survival kit helped me to survive an unplanned night in Point Reyes this past January. A friend and I went hiking around Abbott’s Lagoon. At the end of the trail, we walked along the beach. It was an overcast, cold day and we didn’t realize how late it was and so it was almost sunset when we headed back towards the trail. It seemed simple enough to follow the beach along until we saw the trail that went around the lagoon. But we got completely disoriented and were not sure where to pick up the trail. We tried to follow close to the lagoon to pick up the trail but this didn’t work (In the morning we realized that had walked to a much further end of the lagoon.) We were lost. And it was already cold.

Before we left for the hike, I returned to my car to get my hat. When I went back I noticed my Survival Kit, which I usually leave in the car. I bought it after I read about the Kim family who had been trapped in the wilderness, in their car, which scared the heck out of me. I took the kit along with me as an after thought. Afterall, it was only a 4 mile hike and it was on a well marked trail in Point Reyes. I rarely bring the survival gear with me for such a short adventure.

Well, we spend thirteen hours there in the darkness as it was January. It got down to the low 20s. We were right near the ocean so we didn’t have a lot of coverage. Luckily we found a little area that was mostly protected from the harsh wind that was blowing. It took us a long time but we were able to build a fire with your kit and keep it going all that time. It’s amazing how much wood it takes to keep a fire going that long.

The sky was cloudy and at one point it started to drizzle. But that only lasted a little bit. Very early in the morning, the clouds passed and we could see the star filled sky. I’ve never felt such relief! In the morning, we were able to find our way back to the trail. We weren’t that far from it, but who knows what would have happened if we had kept wandering around the night before.

Bringing the kit was a last minute decision. I don’t know what instinct made me do that or what angel was looking out for me, but I am so thankful that I took it. I know that hypothermia in windy, cold weather can set in quickly. And there is no more vulnerable feeling than being disoriented in the wilderness at night. I am thankful that we were able to stay put for the long night and set out in the morning. The tools in your kit helped save our lives. So thank you.

Also, it says that if we use this kit, we’re eligible for a replacement. We used most of the tinder, pencil, duct tape. I’d love to get a replacement!

Thanks for the life-saving kit!

Sincerely,
Tara, Oakland Ca.

AMK Response:

Tara- Thanks for passing this story along to us.  We love to hear that our kits are helping people enjoy the outdoors safely, and it’s great that you were able to stay warm during a very challenging situation.  We’re based in Oakland and familiar with the Pt Reyes area (and its winds), so you impressed everyone in the office by being able to get a fire going in that environment.

I’ll put a package of some replacement supplies together and send it your way.

Thanks again! The Team at AMK

Here’s a photo taken just minutes ago from the checkpoint.

Teams Brace For More Bad Weather!
Posted on 08/19/09 7:53 AM| by Kraig

Wednesday morning brings us another round of incliment weather, as Primal Quest Badlands presented by SPOT stretches into its fifth day. The forecast calls for cooler temperatures today, with rain a distinct possibility. The combination of the two can make for a long, cold, miserable day out on the course.

At the front of the pack, OrionHealth.com, Salomon/Crested Butte, and Merrell/Zanfel Adventures are venturing into the Badlands at last, but many teams are still reaching the waters of Angostura Reservoir, where they face a swim and paddle orienteering course. The waters of the reservoir are a constant 75º F, but the air temperatures are currently quite cool and could play a part throughout the day.

You can follow AMK’s Kyle Peter and Team iMoat on their website.

Adventure Medical Kits’ marketing director Frank Meyer appeared on San Francisco’s KGO AM 810′s “On The Go” Travel Show on Saturday April 18th.

In the first segment Frank discusses with host John Hamiltion the Ultralight Series, the Adventurer, the S.O.L. Pak and other essential gear for camping in Northern California.

In the second segment on KGO AM 810,  Frank talks about the World Travel kit, Ben’s & Natrapel 8 hour insect repellents, AfterBite and other must-pack items relevant for adventure travelers.

I took an Ultralite .5 First Aid kit and added these Adventure Medical Kit items: 1 person HeatSheets Blanket, Signal mirror, Firestarter, & Whistle.

It is compact, fits easily in a pocket and weighs about 7 oz. Plus it looks cool!

My two cents. Kurt

Response:

Thanks for the comment Kurt! Our Product Development team loves to hear feedback from our customers about how they use our products.  Keep the ideas coming….

If you have a story or product idea to share with us, you can submit the info using this form.

Check out these great tips found on REI.com

Together they form the first of the time-tested Ten Essentials—map and compass, the indispensible twin tools of navigation. Even in this high-tech GPS era, nothing replaces the value of a magnetized compass, a paper map and the understanding of how both can help you find your way in the wilderness.

Seek Instruction

This article and accompanying videos provide an overview of 2 primary navigational tools, map and compass. But even watching and reading every word will not turn any person into a skilled backcountry navigator.

REI strongly encourages outdoor adventurers to take a course in navigation with ample field practice to build up your skills and confidence. The REI Outdoor School offers such classes in selected U.S. cities. Local outdoor and mountaineering organizations also offer similar courses. Be sure to seek one out.

Basic Tools

Map

Simple trail maps, the line-drawing variety often found in guidebooks, are useful for trip planning but NOT for navigation in the field. To safely find your way in wilderness terrain, you need the detail provided by topographic maps.

So know your maps:

Basic (planimetric) maps:

• Examples: Traditional road maps; hand-sketched trail maps provided in visitor-center handouts.
• Appearance: Flat, 2-dimensional, horizontal view of land areas showing roads, rivers and trails.
• Attributes: They display points of interest (viewpoints, trail junctions) and routes that connect them, but offer no perspective on elevation variances. Thus they may make the distance to your destination appear to be modest, but they will not indicate if a deep valley or high ridge must be crossed in order to reach it.
• Usage: OK for following a simple nature trail or making a short trip on a well-defined trail system, but insufficient for navigation should you head deep into the wilderness or step off an established path.

Topographic (topo) maps:

• Examples: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles; customized commercial and downloadable map products.
• Appearance: Areas of varying colors (or shades of gray) are overlaid with “squiggly” contour lines. Together they combine to give trained eyes a mental picture of the elevation variances in a landscape. Tightly spaced contour lines, for example, indicate steeper terrain.
• Attributes: Their ability to convey the physical relief (the highs and lows) of a landscape enables you to orient yourself in the field by identifying prominent natural features—peaks, ridgelines or valleys. They also show the location of prominent man-made features such as roads and towns.
• Usage: Always the best choice for any type of wilderness travel, from day trips to extended expeditions. Even if you’re hiking on what you believe is an established, well-signed, can’t-get-lost trail system, a topo map remains a helpful tool when you reach a viewpoint and want to identify peaks and landmarks with certainty.

Compass

Every backcountry explorer needs at least a basic compass that includes a magnetized needle floating within a liquid-filled housing.

More sophisticated compasses offer useful features such as a sighting mirror or declination adjustment, but a basic compass includes all the essentials needed for navigation—magnetized needle, rotating bezel ring, orienting lines, index (degree) lines (north is 0°/360°, east is 90°, south is 180° and west is 270°) and line-of-direction (orienting) arrow.

Why not rely exclusively on a watch or GPS receiver that includes a compass? Because those are battery-reliant devices, and batteries may expire or electronic circuitry can malfunction. You need the dependability of a compass that relies only on earth’s magnetic fields.

Understanding Topo Maps

A topographic map helps you envision the appearance of terrain between 2 points. Such knowledge enables you to plan the best route of travel between them.

How Do Topo Maps Describe the Terrain?

Contour lines: They connect points on the map that share the same elevation, providing a 3-dimensional perspective of the landscape. Tightly packed contour lines indicate steep terrain; widely spaced lines indicate relatively level terrain. Contour lines never intersect.

Contour interval: Contour lines are separated at specific elevation intervals. Intervals may vary by individual map, appearing every 20, 40, 80, 100 or 200 feet. But the interval used on a single map (say, 80 feet) remains consistent throughout that map. A map’s chosen contour interval is identified in the margin of each map.

Index contour lines: Every fifth contour line is the index contour line. Usually the line is slightly bolder and intermittently includes the elevation (usually the number of feet above sea level) of all points on that line.

Scale: Beyond the ratio scale (described later in this article), a map includes a horizontal graphic scale. It displays how a measurement on the map (1 inch, for example) equates to miles/kilometers of terrain covered by the map.

Colors and shading: Darker colors (or shades of gray) represent dense vegetation. Lighter colors (particularly greens) or shades of gray indicate comparatively sparse vegetation. Lighter colors (such as beige) or no colors suggest open terrain. White spaces with blue edges indicate permanent snowfields or glaciers.

Magnetic declination diagram: Printed in the margin of the map, this diagram shows the difference (declination) between magnetic north (indicated by the MN symbol) and true north (or polar north, indicated by a star symbol).

Grid: Numbers displayed around the edge of a map represent two grid systems that can be used to determine your location.

• Latitude and longitude: Exact L&L numbers are displayed in the corners of maps and at equal intervals between the corners.
• Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM): This system, used primarily by the military, divides the earth’s surface into a number of zones.

Combined, all of the above can enable you to determine your elevation, the ruggedness of the terrain around you and the most desirable route to travel to reach a destination.

Choosing a Topo Map

Two factors play a role when you evaluate maps: Scale and content.

Scale

A map’s ratio scale conveys the relationship between a measurement on the map and the distance it represents on the terrain. The most popular USGS maps offer a scale of 1:24,000, which means 1 inch (or foot, or any unit of measure) on the map represents 24,000 inches on the ground.

Mapping software makes it possible to create customized maps that offer a larger scale (say, 1:12,000 or lower) to provide greater detail. Customized commercial maps are also sometimes created at these larger scales. This is especially useful for off-trail explorers who want to choose passageways through saddles or passes that offer the least resistance.

The downside: Such maps cover a small area. People who undertake 1-way, multiday trips along a linear route often choose small-scale maps (1:50,000 or 1:62,500, for example). These maps cover a lot of land area but offer less detail. When terrain becomes very steep, contour lines runs so closely together that they appear almost as blobs rather than lines.

So if you’re a long-distance traveler, a small-scale map will give you a good overview of the territory you’re exploring (much as a road map does). The good news: You don’t have to carry a dozen or so maps to cover your trip. But if you decide to go off-trail in a certain area, all a small-scale map may offer you is a clot of tiny, tightly packed lines—likely not enough detail to make wise navigational decisions.

Note: The terms “small-scale” and “large-scale” can be confusing to beginners since ratios get smaller as their denominators get larger. Remember this: 1:24,000 is a larger scale than 1:250,000, since the fraction 1/24,000 is larger than 1/250,000.

Content

Some commercial (non-USGS) maps include additional features that can be valuable to some users. They include:

• Highlighted trails
• Elevation call-outs
• Distances between trail junctions and landmarks
• Primitive trails
• Backcountry campsites
• Springs
• Highlighted boundary lines

These additions, even GPS coordinates and personal notations, can be inserted onto maps when created using mapping software.

Map Options

USGS Quadrangles

The USGS is the major supplier of topographic maps in the United States. USGS maps cover rectangular areas of land called quadrangles. The borders of these maps are determined by latitude lines, longitude lines and the smaller divisions between them (minutes). Every square mile of the U.S. is covered by USGS maps, and each map lines up flush with the others around it.

• Pros: USGS quads are easy to find, easy to use and easy to fit together when your trail crosses over onto an adjacent map (the borders match exactly, and the titles of adjacent maps are printed on the borders of each map).
• Cons: They typically provide limited trail information. Plus their information is sometimes dated. It’s not uncommon to find that the location, even the existence, of roads, bridges, trails and shorelines have changed since the map was printed.

Commercial Maps

Private map companies sometimes enhance existing topographic maps with highlighted features or, more commonly, create customized maps that focus on popular areas that attract lots of visitation (and therefore potential customers).

• Pros: Such maps not only have key features (primarily trails) highlighted, they are updated regularly. Release dates are usually found near the scale or the magnetic declination diagram.
• Cons: Higher cost; some remote yet scenically worthwhile areas are not covered by such maps.

Mapping Software

This is an exciting, ever-evolving category of products that allows computer-savvy adventurers to create customized maps. Choose a scale that best suits your needs, insert notes and reminders, toss in GPS coordinates, print it at home on waterproof paper. Nice.

• Pros: It’s hard to beat a map customized to the exact scope of your trip.
• Cons: Higher initial cost; some degree of computer sophistication is required.

Local Maps

Many government-owned public lands (national parks, national forests, state parks, recreational areas) produce their own maps to cover the land inside their boundaries. Some are free handouts (but usually planimetric). Some handouts focus on a specific trail.

• Pros: An entire park or area is encompassed on a single map, usually with information about roads, attractions and trails. Some get regular updates.
• Cons: If they are topographic, they usually are small-scale (meaning minimal detail), and they can be expensive.

Taking Compass Bearings

A compass makes wilderness navigation possible by enabling you to accurately gauge directions from your current position to identifiable landmarks throughout the terrain that surrounds you.

The most basic function a compass provides is pointing north (magnetic north, that is). An orienteering-style compass allows you to assign a numeric value (a “bearing”) to any direction in the 360° circle around you. This means you can head toward a specific spot rather than simply ambling “south-southwest” or “due east.”

The rotating bezel of a compass is used to convert general compass directions into specific bearings. A bezel’s outer edge includes index (degree) lines that breaks down the 360° circle into 2° or 5° increments.

A bezel measures the direction towards a given object in terms of an angle—specifically, the clockwise angle between a straight line pointing due north and a straight line pointing toward the object. This bezel allows you to express any specific direction as a number between 0° and 360°.

Why is it useful to know that your campsite lies on a bearing of 40° instead of “to the northeast”? Because precise navigation results in efficiency, safety and speed.

Following a bearing off by just 1° can translate into almost 100 feet of error after 1 mile. That means that after a 5-mile hike, you could miss your target by almost 500 feet. In the wilderness, a few dozen feet can mean the difference between spotting a campsite or other landmark and missing it completely.

Transferring Bearings

On most backcountry excursions, especially those planned by beginners, compass navigation is seldom necessary. Simply following the trail carefully and checking your map from time to time should get you from campsite to campsite safely.

But if you become disoriented, or are just feeling confidently adventurous, a compass becomes a splendidly useful tool.

For example, if you know your location on the map, you can take a bearing on an unseen target elsewhere on the map and head toward that destination simply by following the bearing—even though your objective is not yet visible. Check out our video for a visual demonstration of how to transfer a bearing from map to compass:

1. Identify your position and your objective on the map. Connecting those two points creates a line on the map (which you can either visualize or physically draw on the map).
2. Align the edge of your compass with that line.
3. Rotate the bezel so its orienting lines run parallel with the map’s orienting lines (which point to true north). This means the actual bearing have been captured at the front of the compass.
4. Take the compass and turn your body until the magnetic needle lines up with the orienting arrow on the compass. At point, you will be facing the direction that will lead to your chosen objective.

You can rearrange the process and use a compass to take a bearing off a real-world object (one that is known to be on your map) and transfer that information to the map to identify your location even if you are uncertain of your whereabouts in the field. Our companion video illustrates these steps:

1. Hold the compass level and aim the front of it at an object.
2. Rotate the bezel until the magnetic needle is aligned with the orienting arrow of the compass.
3. Locate the object on the map and place the edge of the compass on that object.
4. With the edge still tight against the object, and without touching the dial, turn the entire compass until the orienting lines within the bezel line up with the orienting lines on the map.
5. The edge of the compass forms a line on the map, and you now know you are somewhere along that line.

Triangulation

Triangulation is a technique that involves a map, a compass and 2 separate landmarks. It can pinpoint your position on your map even if you have no idea where you are. We demonstrate the following guidelines in our companion video:

1. Pick 2 distant landmarks that you can easily identify on your map. They should be at least 60° apart.
2. Take a bearing off of each object.
3. Transfer those bearing to your map.
4. Each bearing will form a line. Where the lines cross marks your location.

Magnetic Declination

As stated earlier in this article, the magnetized needle of a compass points toward magnetic north (abbreviated MN), but topo maps are oriented toward true north (or polar north, sometimes represented by a star symbol). Depending where you are located, the difference could be substantial—10°, 15°, 20° or more. Learn how to compensate for it by watching our video.

1. Find your map’s magnetic declination diagram, usually in the margin’s lower-right corner.
2. The original goal when taking a bearing is to align the magnetized needle with the orienting arrow.
3. The magnetized needle must then be adjusted to the degree indicated by your map’s magnetic declination diagram. Use the index (degree) lines on the edge of the bezel.
4. As you navigate, ensure that your needle is not pointed at magnetic north, but to the declination degree.

The Resort Sports Network (RSN), a national television network that specializes in creating and distributing outdoor content to America’s premier resorts, has announced it will begin airing AMK’s ‘Be Safe’ video segments starting in April. Hosted by high altitude mountaineer Ed Viesturs, the ‘Be Safe’ vignettes were designed to provide viewers with useful tips on first aid, safety and survival in the outdoors.   Based in Portland, Maine, RSN broadcasts content into 125 mountain and beach destinations across the country. Currently, RSN has affiliates in the following markets:

Aspen, CO
Bend, OR
Crested Butte, CO
Destin, FL
Key West, FL
Killington, VT
Lake Tahoe, CA
Loon, NH
Mammoth, CA
Mount Snow, VT
Myrtle Beach, SC
North Conway, NH
Panama City, FL
Park City, UT
Salida/Buena Vista, CO
Smugglers’ Notch, VT
Snowshoe, WV
Steamboat, CO
Stowe, VT
Stratton/Bromley/Okemo, VT
Sugarbush, VT
Sugarloaf, ME
Summit County, CO
Sun River, OR
Sun Valley, ID
Sunday River, ME
Telluride, CO
The Hamptons, NY
Vail, CO
Winterpark, CO

My medical background ranges from First Responder, Medical Missionary,HAM Radio Operator and Special Operations Medicine First Responder (Civilian).

I bought several of your Heatsheets Blankets to put into my medical kits and bug out bags.  I have used them and they have not let me down.

I bought your SOL kit and added it to my bug out bag and getting a few more to put into to put into my travel bags.

Thanks for great kits and products.
Jerimiah G.

What are some good components for a survival kit to put in a medium hydration pack?

Thanks, Zach

Answer:

When I am going light and space is tight, I carry The Pocket Survival Pak and Heatsheets Bivvy. The Pocket Survival Pak has everything you need but a shelter, hence the addition of the Heatsheets Bivvy. I carry this setup whether I am backcountry skiing in the winter or mountain biking in the summer.

BE SAFE,

Frank Meyer, Marketing Director/Co-Founder

ASK YOUR QUESTION – CLICK HERE

Thanks.
James

Answer:

Hi James-

I got your question about using Heatsheets as a ground cover for Ultralight backpacking.  My answer would be a qualified “yes”… for a skilled ultralight backpacker, a Heatsheets blanket will make a suitable ground cover.  It won’t last forever, but the big advantage of the material is that it is repairable, meaning that if it gets torn or punctured, you can just tape up the blemish (or do nothing), and the blanket won’t crumble apart like a traditional mylar blanket will.  That being said, the material is extremely thin (I don’t have an exact measurement, but we’re talking thousandths of a millimeter here), so you would need to care for it in the field the same way you do with any other ultralight gear (eg- clear your shelter site from rocks, sticks, and pointy objects; treat it carefully when stored; etc.).  If you’re still in the process of making the transition to ultralight and most of your gear is still the standard bomber stuff you’d get at REI, I’d recommend developing your ultralight habits a little bit before relying on the Heatsheets blanket as your only ground cover.  However, if you already know how to treat a Gossamer Gear Mariposa backpack differently from a Gregory Whitney and are down with silnylon, spinnaker, and Cuben fiber, I’d say to have at it.

Thanks again for your interest, and please contact me if you have any other questions.
Best,

Jordan Hurder
Product Specialist

ASK YOUR QUESTION – CLICK HERE

HYPOTHERMIA: THE COLD HARD FACTS ABOUT WINTER’S DEADLY KILLER
By Christopher Van Tilburg, M.D.

Rescue mission for a lost snowboarder: a bitter-cold, raging midnight storm high above timberline. That was the scene of my first search and rescue call to Oregon’s Mount Hood as a young doctor. After another team located the snowboarder, I scurried from the tempestuous black night to the ski patrol room, where I examined a shivering, huddling young man. He clutched a blanket draped over soaked ski clothes, and held a steaming cup of hot chocolate, too scalding to drink. Fortunately, the snowboarder had been found. But from across the room I could see he suffered from hypothermia and dehydration.

RECOGNIZING THE SYMPTOMS

Hypothermia is a cooling of the body’s core temperature. Every year 600 people in the U.S. die from hypothermia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mild hypothermia begins with shivering and progresses to lethargy. Moderate hypothermia is dangerous: one has slurred speech, poor concentration, and a staggered gait. Severe hypothermia is a critical condition: the heart, lungs and other organs start to shut down, and extreme mental status changes occur such as the inability to talk coherently, walk properly, or even process thoughts. Bizarre behavior like paradoxical undressing — when a person discards articles of clothing, even though doing so hinders their chances for survival — can occur when the brain gets confused. A well-known example of this condition involved the CNET reporter James Kim. After being stranded for several days with his family in a remote forested area of southwestern Oregon, Kim set off on his own to find help. He was later found in the snow, having succumbed to hypothermia. Media reports said he had removed several pieces of clothing, including his pants. Paradoxical Undressing not only speeds death but it can also put an entire group at risk, because the person suffering from it will inevitably require more attention and resources – at a time when both may be in short supply. Death by hypothermia doesn’t occur instantly, but it does occur rapidly. And often it is the hypothermic person’s partner who notices a problem first.

IMPROVING YOUR CHANCES OF SURVIVAL

Exemplified by snow burial studies, we know that with today’s fleece and nylon-laminate clothing and a well-built emergency shelter, a person can spend an unexpected night in the winter mountain wilderness, even in below freezing temperatures. But beyond one night without proper clothing, food, water and shelter, your odds of survival plummet even if the thermometer doesn’t. And once you get hypothermic, the basic tasks of survival become difficult to complete.

Before you head into the wilds, always make sure you have enough food, water and clothing for an unexpected night out. And carry the tools to build an emergency shelter such as a shovel to dig a snow cave and a space blanket like the Heatsheets Emergency Survival Blanket to act as a covering.

TREATING HYPOTHERMIA

If you do notice even mild hypothermia—you are more likely to see it in your partner—treat it immediately. Change into dry clothing and put on all extra layers. Insulate yourself from the ground. Chemical heat packs do help, if you place them on your torso. Drink lukewarm fluids and eat a snack: calories and fluids are important to generate internal heat, no matter if they are hot or cold. Seek shelter right away and try to keep active. If you can, build a fire. Make sure you pack a survival kit, with a reliable fire starter and signaling mirror for alerting rescue craft. Above all, get help and evacuate from the backcountry as soon as you can.

Also, watch for coexisting frostbite — when your skin actually freezes — which usually occurs on the face, nose, fingers and toes. To prevent frostbite, make sure that all exposed skin is covered and you have proper boots, socks, gloves and a hat. Frostbite is treated by immediate evacuation then rapid re-warming, usually with 40-degree water or fluids. But be extra cautious if you re-warm an extremity in the backcountry to make doubly sure it doesn’t refreeze, which can cause worse damage than walking out with a frozen finger or toe.

To treat the snowboarder in the ski patrol room, I had his friends help him change in to dry clothes then covered him with dry blankets. And I gave him two large cups of lukewarm hot chocolate, which he guzzled down with gusto and perked up. I checked him for frostbite and we fed him whatever snacks we could find. He finally warmed up and we sent him down the mountain.

Chris Van Tilburg, MD, is the editor of Wilderness Medicine Magazine and is also a member of Crag Rats Mountain Rescue, in Hood River, Oregon. Started in 1927, Crag Rats is the oldest mountain rescue unit in the nation.

BACKCOUNTRY GRUB: WHAT’S SAFE TO EAT AND DRINK?

Christopher Van Tilburg, M.D.

In October, a solo climber on Washington’s 12,276-foot Mount Adams fell on Suksdorf Ridge, and broke his ankle. It’s just what every climber fears: being alone on a high mountain with a disastrous injury. Unable to walk, he dragged himself down the snowfields. After five days and nights, he was found at 6,200 feet suffering from frostbite and dehydration. He survived on creek water and an eclectic mix of creepy crawlers: ants, centipedes, spiders, mushrooms, and berries.

Sooner or later, if you spend time outdoors, you may find yourself without food or water on a wilderness outing; hopefully it’s just a short distance to your car and you are uninjured. But in survival mode, if you are lost and injured, you may need to eat and drink from the wilds.

You can live several weeks without food. But you won’t last much past five to seven days without water, even fewer if you are in the desert or at high altitude. Finding water is a paramount priority.

Drinking from creeks, like the Mount Adams climber, is probably a risk worth taking in prolonged survival situations. Yes, you can get protozoa infections like Giardia and Cryptosporidium, as well as bacteria and viruses. However, it takes just one day for you to begin to become incapacitated from dehydration.

When you find a source, ideally you should have a means to purify water before drinking. That means boiling, filtering, or chemical treatment. I carry water purification tablets for emergencies: they are compact, light, and easy to use.

Remember, when in the mountains, eating snow can cause hypothermia, because you need to use vital calories to melt it in your mouth first. So you should carry a lightweight backpacking stove to melt water. When in the desert, locating water can be extremely difficult, so if you find a source, consider staying put until you are rescued. If you do get a gastrointestinal infection from drinking backcountry water, see your doctor A.S.A.P.

As for food, if you can’t identify it, don’t eat it. You can get seriously ill from toxins and infections. My friend Greg Davenport, a survival expert, said critters with eight or more legs like centipedes and millipedes are often toxic. He recommends sticking to insects, which have some nutrition, but not much. A typical 100 gm (3.5 ounce) serving of fish, for example, yields 22 g protein, 1g fat and 0g carbos. The same weight of crickets yields 13 g protein, 6 g fat, and 5 g carbos. But that’s a big pile of crickets to scrounge for.

Wild plants—leaves, roots, bark, nuts, seeds, and berries— can be energizing or deadly. Use caution: even a small bite can cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rashes. Mushrooms can kill you. Davenport said aggregate berries, like thimbleberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are generally safe to eat. Purple, blue and black berries, such as wild huckleberries and cranberries, are 90% edible. Red berries are about 50% edible, so it’s probably best to avoid those, as well as any berry white, green or yellow, which are not edible.

Remember: always take enough water and food (an extra bottle of water and a few extra energy bars) to spend at least one unexpected night in the wilderness. And stash some water purification tablets in your survival kit.

Christopher Van Tilburg, MD, is the editor of Wilderness Medicine and author of Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature now available in paperback.

]]> http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/blog/2008/11/backcountry-grub-what%e2%80%99s-safe-to-eat-and-drink/feed/ 0 http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/blog/2008/10/consumer-comment-amk-thermo-lite-bivvy/ http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/blog/2008/10/consumer-comment-amk-thermo-lite-bivvy/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:21:42 +0000 admin http://www.amktemp.com/blog/?p=83 Sent to us 4/25/07 from Peter, NY

I wanted to advise you of a recent accident that I had while hiking in Northern New York State. I have attached a news article from the New York State Department of Conservation. The article does not specifically mention one of your products but I want to advise you that it helped save my life. I purchased the Thermo Lite Emergency Bivy Sack at Eastern Mountain Sports, and I stayed in this shelter during my long night out. Please read the article attached and be advised that I truly can say that I was glad that I had this with me. This item along with food and staying hydrated kept my body temperature at 97 degrees for almost 18 hours while I was stuck outside, in temperatures that dropped to -23.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/environmentdec/2007a/hikerrescue020107.html

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MYTH: You need to boil water for ten minutes to make it safe to drink.

FACT: Any water brought to a boil, even at high altitudes, is safe to drink.