New episode of Man vs Wild aired tonight with Bear Gryllys showing off killing a diamondback and drinking his own pee. Watching Bear drink his own pee even made me a little squeamish just watching it. I guest that is why I always take my water filter with me on every outdoor trip, even the day hikes when more emergency end up happening.
Bear Grylls found the dry river canyons of Northern Mexico, though I think I will keep my adventure to water filled canyons of Arizona. I much enjoy cooling off in a nice canyon pool.
The trick he showed for finding water by digging at the base of rock formations was a good thing to keep in mind if ever in an emergency situation. There looked to be enough water at the base of the one he found where you could hangout and stay hydrated while you waited to be resuced.
My next adventure is heading up to Christopher Creek Canyon outside Payson, AZ. I am hoping to stay away from killing skunks, drinking my own pee, or coming face to face with a diamond back. I have already almost stepped on a diamondback this year so if I don't see another one I will be fine.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
How to Rapell - Used for Canyoneering Canyons
I would always recommend taking classes or getting professional training before you start trusting your life to a rappel. Also, always make sure that go into canyons with a partner and that both parties check over the set up before you clip off and go down.
Things You’ll Need:
* Athletic Tapes
* Climbing Gear
* Climbing Harnesses
* Climbing Helmets
* Climbing Ropes
* Climbing Shoes
Step1
Set the rappel anchor. The rappel anchors should be tested before you trust them with your life. You should be securely attached to these anchors with a sling or daisy chain while you proceed through the following steps.
Step2
Prepare the rope for a single rope rappel. Fix one end of the rope to the rappel anchors by tieing a double figure 8 knot into the carabiners at the end of the equalized anchors. Make sure the rope doesn't go over any sharp edges and that the other end of the rope makes it to the ground.
Step3
Attach the rappel device to the rope. Be careful not to drop your device as you are attaching it to the rope. Check the manufacturer's instructions for how to use your particular rappel device.
Step4
Attach your rappel device to your harness. Clip into the rappel device with a locking carabiner. Do not unclip from the anchors (Step 1) until you are sure you are correctly attached to the rappel device, and the rappel device is correctly attached to the rope. After you've tested both the rope and the device, you can unclip your daisy chain from the anchors and proceed with the rappel.
Step5
Get in position. These instructions assume you are right-handed or are comfortable using your right hand in this. Place your left hand around the rope about 6 inches above the rappel device. Your left hand will be between your rappel device and the anchors holding the rope. Consider wearing gloves to protect your hands.
Step6
Grab the rope that hangs down out of the rappel device with your right hand and slide your hand on the rope back to your right hip and wrap the rope slightly around your right hip. Your right hand in this configuration is called your brake hand.
Step7
Rappel downward. Let some of the rope in your right hand slide up through the rappel device. As you do this you will slide down the rope.
Step8
Move past obstructions and overhangs. Make sure not to knock loose any rocks or other debris.
Step9
When you are safely on the ground, release the rope from your rappel device and call "Off rappel" for others who may be waiting.
Things You’ll Need:
* Athletic Tapes
* Climbing Gear
* Climbing Harnesses
* Climbing Helmets
* Climbing Ropes
* Climbing Shoes
Step1
Set the rappel anchor. The rappel anchors should be tested before you trust them with your life. You should be securely attached to these anchors with a sling or daisy chain while you proceed through the following steps.
Step2
Prepare the rope for a single rope rappel. Fix one end of the rope to the rappel anchors by tieing a double figure 8 knot into the carabiners at the end of the equalized anchors. Make sure the rope doesn't go over any sharp edges and that the other end of the rope makes it to the ground.
Step3
Attach the rappel device to the rope. Be careful not to drop your device as you are attaching it to the rope. Check the manufacturer's instructions for how to use your particular rappel device.
Step4
Attach your rappel device to your harness. Clip into the rappel device with a locking carabiner. Do not unclip from the anchors (Step 1) until you are sure you are correctly attached to the rappel device, and the rappel device is correctly attached to the rope. After you've tested both the rope and the device, you can unclip your daisy chain from the anchors and proceed with the rappel.
Step5
Get in position. These instructions assume you are right-handed or are comfortable using your right hand in this. Place your left hand around the rope about 6 inches above the rappel device. Your left hand will be between your rappel device and the anchors holding the rope. Consider wearing gloves to protect your hands.
Step6
Grab the rope that hangs down out of the rappel device with your right hand and slide your hand on the rope back to your right hip and wrap the rope slightly around your right hip. Your right hand in this configuration is called your brake hand.
Step7
Rappel downward. Let some of the rope in your right hand slide up through the rappel device. As you do this you will slide down the rope.
Step8
Move past obstructions and overhangs. Make sure not to knock loose any rocks or other debris.
Step9
When you are safely on the ground, release the rope from your rappel device and call "Off rappel" for others who may be waiting.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Canyoneering First Aid
Not-such-big-deals.
* Contaminated water: Iodine, Water filter.
* Sprained ankle: ACE bandage, tape, trekking pole as cane.
* Abrasion: Band-aid, butterfly dressing, tape, Neosporin, Betadine.
* Blisters: mole-skin, scissors, gauze, clean socks.
* Sliver: tweezers
* Diarrhea: Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, soap to wash hands before preparing food for you non-diarrheal buddies.
* Pain: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, narcotics. (Avoid Aspirin in kids as it may cause Reye's syndrome).
* Insomnia: Benadryl
Big-deals:
-The first rule of a significant rescue is not to make the problem worse than it is. Folks sent out ahead to call Search and Rescue can end up as fatalities when they become lost or exposed, while the injured hunker down and are eventually rescued. Exposing yourself to additional risk in a rescue effort must be weighed against increased hazard to the entire team if further injury occurs.
-All big deals require urgent transport to medical facility. You should know where the closest hospital is and how to get there. If members of the party are sent ahead to call Search and Rescue, pencil and paper are useful to record location of injured people and injuries. Cell phones expedite evacuation, but often have poor reception in canyons/desert. Reflective mirrors are also useful, but few people know how to use one.
* Laceration: Quick Clot(tm) Field dressing, gauze pads, gloves, trauma shears, steri-strips, super-glue/Durabond (use with care-Durabond less irritating to skin than industrial superglue), triangular bandage. Think pressure, lots and lots of pressure.
* Fracture: SAM splint, ACE bandage, Popsicle-stick (finger fracture), tape. Trekking pole for cane. Injuries compromising blood flow or sensation (neurovascular injury) require emergent evacuation and orthopedic evaluation.
* Snake bite: Betadine, soap, gauze, maybe venom extractor (no cowboy cut and suck technique please).
* Hypothermia: dry fleece jacket and hat, emergency blanket/bag for all party members, lightweight stove and bullion/ramen, hard candy, extra energy bar, magnesium strip, and lighter. Fire starting skills. Willingness to accept a forced bivy and warm up rather than push on. Watch for the 'umbles: mumbles, grumbles, tumbles, stumbles, fumbles.
* Flail chest: Lots of tape, rolled up sweater to brace chest.
* Pneumothorax: If you don't know what it is, don't carry the 16 gauge needle to treat it, petroleum gauze and tape to make one-way valve. Monitor vitals, if breathing or pulse gets worse, patient may have tension pneumothorax. This will require emergent evacuation and treatment. Effective diagnosis and treatment in the wilderness is difficult under the best of circumstances.
* Burn: petroleum gauze, more gauze, hydration, pain management.
* Falls: Danger of spinal injury. DO NOT move the patient or the patient's head unless you want to paralyze them for life. If person moved already, they may still have a spinal injury. A first-responder should immobilize the patient's head to prevent unintentional movement.
In any trauma, spinal injury, internal bleeding, respiratory distress, and hypovolemic shock (even if you can't see any wounds) are a real danger. Seek help immediately.
-There are other big-deals dealing with the ABC's (airway, breathing, circulation). You could carry some airway protection device, a guard for mouth-to-mouth, knowledge of CPR/basic life support/advanced life support. However, it is difficult to imagine situations when someone healthy enough to descend a canyon could develop a condition requiring aggressive intervention in the wilderness and benefit from it. You simply aren't equipped in the wilderness to deal with respiratory failure due to tracheal injury, drowning/aspiration, status asthmaticus, or cardiovascular collapse due to arrhythmia, massive myocardial infarction or shock. There are portable cardioversion devices available, but none light enough to justify carrying it in the back-country. A trial of CPR followed by urgent evacuation is really the only solution. Always consider the safety of the rest of the group when starting a rescue effort.
Wilderness Pharmacopeia:
* Pain:
Tylenol, Naproxen, Ibuprofen. Avoid aspirin in kids.
* Wounds:
Triple antibiotic with lidocaine. Betadine.
* GI issues:
Iodine, Water filter, Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, Ex-lax for your buddy's brownies.
* Asthma:
Albuterol inhaler for anyone who has ever had one.
* Contaminated water: Iodine, Water filter.
* Sprained ankle: ACE bandage, tape, trekking pole as cane.
* Abrasion: Band-aid, butterfly dressing, tape, Neosporin, Betadine.
* Blisters: mole-skin, scissors, gauze, clean socks.
* Sliver: tweezers
* Diarrhea: Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, soap to wash hands before preparing food for you non-diarrheal buddies.
* Pain: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, narcotics. (Avoid Aspirin in kids as it may cause Reye's syndrome).
* Insomnia: Benadryl
Big-deals:
-The first rule of a significant rescue is not to make the problem worse than it is. Folks sent out ahead to call Search and Rescue can end up as fatalities when they become lost or exposed, while the injured hunker down and are eventually rescued. Exposing yourself to additional risk in a rescue effort must be weighed against increased hazard to the entire team if further injury occurs.
-All big deals require urgent transport to medical facility. You should know where the closest hospital is and how to get there. If members of the party are sent ahead to call Search and Rescue, pencil and paper are useful to record location of injured people and injuries. Cell phones expedite evacuation, but often have poor reception in canyons/desert. Reflective mirrors are also useful, but few people know how to use one.
* Laceration: Quick Clot(tm) Field dressing, gauze pads, gloves, trauma shears, steri-strips, super-glue/Durabond (use with care-Durabond less irritating to skin than industrial superglue), triangular bandage. Think pressure, lots and lots of pressure.
* Fracture: SAM splint, ACE bandage, Popsicle-stick (finger fracture), tape. Trekking pole for cane. Injuries compromising blood flow or sensation (neurovascular injury) require emergent evacuation and orthopedic evaluation.
* Snake bite: Betadine, soap, gauze, maybe venom extractor (no cowboy cut and suck technique please).
* Hypothermia: dry fleece jacket and hat, emergency blanket/bag for all party members, lightweight stove and bullion/ramen, hard candy, extra energy bar, magnesium strip, and lighter. Fire starting skills. Willingness to accept a forced bivy and warm up rather than push on. Watch for the 'umbles: mumbles, grumbles, tumbles, stumbles, fumbles.
* Flail chest: Lots of tape, rolled up sweater to brace chest.
* Pneumothorax: If you don't know what it is, don't carry the 16 gauge needle to treat it, petroleum gauze and tape to make one-way valve. Monitor vitals, if breathing or pulse gets worse, patient may have tension pneumothorax. This will require emergent evacuation and treatment. Effective diagnosis and treatment in the wilderness is difficult under the best of circumstances.
* Burn: petroleum gauze, more gauze, hydration, pain management.
* Falls: Danger of spinal injury. DO NOT move the patient or the patient's head unless you want to paralyze them for life. If person moved already, they may still have a spinal injury. A first-responder should immobilize the patient's head to prevent unintentional movement.
In any trauma, spinal injury, internal bleeding, respiratory distress, and hypovolemic shock (even if you can't see any wounds) are a real danger. Seek help immediately.
-There are other big-deals dealing with the ABC's (airway, breathing, circulation). You could carry some airway protection device, a guard for mouth-to-mouth, knowledge of CPR/basic life support/advanced life support. However, it is difficult to imagine situations when someone healthy enough to descend a canyon could develop a condition requiring aggressive intervention in the wilderness and benefit from it. You simply aren't equipped in the wilderness to deal with respiratory failure due to tracheal injury, drowning/aspiration, status asthmaticus, or cardiovascular collapse due to arrhythmia, massive myocardial infarction or shock. There are portable cardioversion devices available, but none light enough to justify carrying it in the back-country. A trial of CPR followed by urgent evacuation is really the only solution. Always consider the safety of the rest of the group when starting a rescue effort.
Wilderness Pharmacopeia:
* Pain:
Tylenol, Naproxen, Ibuprofen. Avoid aspirin in kids.
* Wounds:
Triple antibiotic with lidocaine. Betadine.
* GI issues:
Iodine, Water filter, Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, Ex-lax for your buddy's brownies.
* Asthma:
Albuterol inhaler for anyone who has ever had one.
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