VideoWaypoint – An Outdoor Blog and Podcast

Many people these days have iPods and some of us like to listen to them while hiking.  I do think that on special hikes or hikes with friends using a iPod can be inappropriate at times, but for all the training days, you can listen to your music and chart your mileage at the same time.  Nike makes a small receiver that fits on your shoe and transmits a signal to a receiver that fits into your iPod Nano.  You can choose a goal or you can just start the recording and walk.  At the end of the workout it syncs to your iTunes account and charts your walk, including the speed, distance, etc.  This is a really cool way to chart your miles over the months and years.  You can also post your workouts on your blog or send them to your friends.  They even let you set up challenges with your online friends.

The only drawback that I’ve found is that when you stop for longer than 1 minute the workout pauses itself.  If you don’t have your headphones in you won’t hear the robot voice saying “your workout has paused.”   So that 20 mile hike is logged as 4 miles.

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You never know if you’ll be in a wilderness survival situation, but if you mentally prepare for it you’ll have a better chance at making it through.   Most of these tips are common sense but in the heat of the moment might not come to mind.

SHELTER—-

It must be large enough and level enough for you to lie down comfortably.
It must also have escape routes.
Provides protection against wild animals and rocks and dead trees that might fall.
Is free from insects and poisonous plants.
Avoid flash flood areas in foothills.
Avoid avalanche or rockslide areas in mountainous terrain.
Can be seen by rescuers from the air.  For best results when signaling for help, select a signal site close to your shelter with good visibility such as a clearing, hilltop, or a lakeshore.

Low ground such as ravines and narrow valleys could be damp and collect the heavy cold air at night and are therefore colder than the surrounding high ground. On the other hand, the tops of mountains are exposed to higher winds. The best is to seek shelter somewhere in between.

WATER—-

Finding water is critical. If not, dehydration will inevitably occur. The first symptoms you will face are weakness and decreased mental capacity. Your health problems will become more serious until they result in death.

To prevent water loss just rest, keep cool, stay in shade, seek shelter. Avoid fatty foods and alcohol as they can cause water consumption by the body when broken down. Do not wait until you run out of water before you look for more.

First look for surface water such as streams, rivers and lakes. Running water such as springs or streams in isolated areas at high altitudes is probably safe for consumption. Be aware that melted water from ice and glaciers contain bacteria in abundance.

In areas where no surface water is available, dig into damp soil and allow this muddy water to settle and become clear.  If you have iodine tablets or a filter then use it.

FOOD—-

Use food from the nature as your food survival supply before using your rations.   This can include insects, edible plants, fish, bird eggs.

Hot rock cooking

Simply light a fire above a bed of non-porous rocks. Don’t use soft, porous stones with high moisture content, which might explode on heating.

Let the fire burn for half an hour or more. Meanwhile, prepare your food. Brush away fire and embers with, for example, a handful of long grass.

Cook food directly on the hot rocks. Use it in the same fashion as you would a frying pan. This survival cooking method is ideal for fish, thin meat slices and frying eggs.

SIGNALS —-

Visual signals

If you do not carry a two way communication radio, cellular phone or a whistle as an emergency signaling device, you mainly will have to use visual signals. Depending on your situation, and the material you have available, you can use either fire and smoke, signal mirror, flares and flashlight or strobe light to create your visual distress signal.

Search

Will there be a search for you? Put yourself in the searchers place. Will they be looking for you from air or ground? A search will probably start from your last known location and sweep over your proposed route.

SOS signal

SOS (Save Our Souls) is the best known internationally distress signal.  Everyone who ventures into the wilderness, should be at the least familiar with SOS. The SOS signal can be transmitted by any method, visual or audio. The code for SOS is 3 short, 3 long and 3 short signals. Pause. Repeat the signal.

The SOS signal can, for example, be constructed as a ground to air signal with rocks and logs, or whatever material you have available. At night you can use a flashlight or a strobe light to send an SOS to, for example, an aircraft. At day you can use a signal mirror.

If it is difficult to produce long and short signals you should know that almost any signal repeated three times will serve as a distress signal. Use your imagination.

Signal fires

When signaling for help, the most noticeable signal is your fire. It is easily seen at night, and during the daytime the smoke from your fire can be seen for many miles.   Green branches give off more smoke.

Build three fires in a triangle, or in a straight line, with about 30 meters (100 feet) between the fires. Three fires are an international recognized distress signal.

Signal mirror

On a sunny day, a mirror is your best signaling device. Any shiny object will serve – polish your canteen cup, glasses, your belt buckle, or a similar object that will reflect the sun’s rays.

A flash can be seen at a great distance. Sweep the horizon during the day. If a plane approaches, don’t direct the beam in the aircraft’s cockpit for more than a few seconds as it may blind the pilot. Use the code for SOS.

Use your signal mirror properly when signaling for help. Determine where your signal is going, use your free hand as a sight line.  As with any wilderness survival skill this one also requires some practice to master, long before you really have to rely on it.

Audio Signals – Whistle

——–
Never forget that your brain and your ability to remain calm and not to panic are your most important survival skill.

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If you are in cold conditions you are at risk for frostbite, which is a freezing of the skin and deeper body tissues. There are varying degrees all with similar treatments. In any case, the real degree of the frostbite usually won’t be known until after it is treated and the damage can be determined.
The first sign of frostbite may be a loss of feeling in the affected area. White patches on the skin are the next obvious symptom. Watch for a white tip of the nose. The skin will appear pale and waxy. The fingers may even clack together like pieces of wood in serious cases.

Quick re-warming of the affected areas is the usual treatment. This can be as simple as putting your frostbitten fingers under your arms in mild cases. In more serious cases, the treatment of choice is hot water. Frostbitten toes can be effectively warmed against the bare stomach of a good friend.  Refreezing of thawed body parts can cause substantial tissue loss. Therefore it is important to not only treat the affected areas, but to have a plan for protecting them from the cold thereafter. For this reason, there are times when it may be best to leave the affected parts frozen.

There are four main stages of frostbite. The first stage is “frostnip” or superficial frostbite, which ultimately does not result in tissue loss. The affected area will turn from red to pale. Do not expose this area to windburn, as this might aggravate the condition. When the area becomes numb, this is first degree frostbite. Second degree, or partial thickness frostbite, can only be diagnosed during thawing, and is recognized by the formation if blisters. In third degree, or full-thickness frostbite, skin tissue will be purple or black, indicating tissue necrosis. As is stated in the article, thawing and refreezing of any frostbite can cause mummification and pretty much assures tissue death and possibly amputation. First, remove cold or wet items. Use loose dressings and splints (improvise) to transport the patient if necessary. If you are ABSOLUTELY sure that you can prevent refreezing, thawing should be performed in a warm water bath of 104 to 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Never use dry heat, like a fire, because frostbitten areas are extremely susceptible to burns. All thawing is extremely painful, so if the water is too cold, thawing will be unnecessarily drawn out in terms of time. Aspirin is useful for preventing clotting during this process, but it is also a risk to administer any medication the victim has never taken before. Also, the affected area should not touch the walls of the thawing bath.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and all this information has been sourced from the web.   Use common sense and discretion when treating frost bite on yourself or friends.

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I’ve just posted a moving panoramic photo from the summit of Mount Baldy. Be sure to use the drop down menu to access the other panoramas. Happy trials.

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These photos are from a trip I took in July 09. I did not have my video camera with me on this one. I have since purchased a still camera with HD movie capabilities and will be taking that with me on future extended trips.

This trip started in Onion Valley, which is located west of Independence, CA (just north of Lone Pine where the Whitney turnoff is). We car camped the first night, then backpacked over Kearsarge pass into the Kearsarge lakes area. I think in hindsight we could have left San Diego early and hiked up and over the pass in one day. At any rate, the Kearsarge Lakes area was beautiful and there was a trail interconnecting the series of lakes.

The next day we hiked up and over Glen Pass. The north side of the pass was covered in snow, but following the shoe tracks did not prove that difficult. Hiking poles helped quite a bit on this stretch. It was a long day and I was pretty tired by the time we reached the middle Rae Lake. The Rae Lakes basin is beautiful (despite the numerous mosquitoes – bring netting). See the panoramas section for the view from Glen Pass.

The next day we did a day hike up to Dollar Lake. Again, stunning scenery and good fishing. This was a take-it-easy day and I decided not to venture up into the 60 lakes basin area to the west of Rae Lakes.

Next day we got an early start and hiked back over Glen Pass and then Kearsarge Pass. We stopped to make camp at Flower Lake. This is a nice area to camp because it’s by a stream (for water pumping) and it has a beautiful but small lake. I did notice more people here because it’s much closer to the main trailhead.

The final day was a short march down to the cars, pizza in Lone Pine and then a 4 hour drive back to San Diego. I am planning on doing the Rae Lakes loop from Sequoia National Park this upcoming 2010 summer. That would be a four night trip and cover about 45 miles.

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This past weekend my wife and I visited the mud caves in Anza Borrego Desert State Park east of San Diego. I had heard quite a bit about these caves and was glad to finally check them out for myself. They are relatively simple to reach and require only about 5 miles of driving on dirt roads. Once in Arroyo Tapiado (where the mudcaves are located) you can spot the caves on the sides of the canyons. I estimate there are 4 -5 side canyons to explore and maybe 12-15 caves. We only had time to do four caves. Will be back to do further exploring for sure. See photos and a short video clip shot by my wife.

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In a 2002 New England Journal of Medicine report on exhaustive testing of insect repellents, DEET was found to be the strongest repellent, and 28.5% percent DEET was enough. After that, the ’skeeters stayed off the same, no matter how high the concentration.

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Blisters can strike at any time on the trail.  Here are a few tips to help you prevent them or,  if needed,  treat one in the field.

Once you have found a pair of boots you like you will have to break them in. A good rule of thumb is to walk at least 50 miles in your boots before wearing them on an extended hike.

Hiking Socks: Many hiking/backpacking socks provide extra cushion at the heal, ball, and toes of your foot for added comfort, and support and can also help with moisture. Your liner sock will also help keep the abrasion between your outer sock and your skin to a minimum, and hopefully keep the blisters away.  I personally like Smart Wool socks – they keep my feet dry and offer a good deal of padding for extended trips.

One of the staple products of any seasoned hiker is mole skin. While this product does not treat a blister, it allows you to protect your blister from your shoe, and hopefully keep it from getting worse. It is important to treat a blister as soon as you can to keep it from getting worse.  If you feel a hot spot, address it right away.

Start by reducing friction:

• Duct tape: If you know you’re hiking many, many miles, try putting some duct tape on your trouble spots. The smooth outer surface is a natural friction fighter, and the tape provides a foot-protecting barrier.
• Body Glide: This can be purchased at sporting goods stores and is applied to the feet before hiking.  It reduces friction and hence prevents blisters.
  
• Trim your toenails

Cool your heels

• Get the right shoes: Unless you’re carrying a 30-pound-plus load and/or have weak ankles, you really don’t need heavy-duty hiking boots.  Light, good-fitting shoes with ample ventilation go a long way toward preventing blisters.
• Get grit out of your shoes now: The tiniest burr, pebble or bit of grit can rub through your skin in minutes — especially in areas like the back of your heel where the skin is not as tough. As soon as you feel something in there, stop and get it out.
• Rest and rub: On an all-day hike,  just taking off the socks and airing things out cuts heat considerably.
• Superfeet insoles: Provide more arch support than the typical insoles.  Come in different colors with correspond to different arches and usage expectations.  I use the green color and they work very well for me.

Types of blisters and treatments:

The skin-rubbed-away blister

This has the most obvious treatment: clean it thoroughly with alcohol wipes and antibiotic ointment, put some gauze over the exposed area and tape the whole thing closed to prevent further friction. The exposed flesh will harden a bit when exposed to air, so let it breathe awhile before you apply the dressing and tape over the wound. Be extra careful not to tape over any loose skin, because it’ll just peel back off when you remove the tape.

The fluid-filled blister

On most day hikes of no more than a few hours, you’re probably better off taking it easy and letting the blister heal on its own, but if you’re going to be on your feet for a long time (all day or on a backpacking trip,) draining a larger blister is going to be pretty much mandatory.

Standard advice: Clean your hands and the wound area; using a lighter, burn the tip till it turns red, then let it cool, using matches can cause contamination. Make a tiny puncture at the edge of the blister and let the fluid drain.

Once you’ve done all that, clean the wound with your alcohol wipes and antiseptic ointment and let the remaining skin protect the wound. Cover with gauze and tape it closed, taking care not to tape any loose skin.

A milder fluid-filled blister might best be left alone or taped over to reduce friction. Walk more slowly, take more rest stops and air out your foot to cool it down when you rest.

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There are many different styles, types and sizes of GPS units available.  Here are a few practical things you can do with a good GPS unit while exploring the woods:

• Pinpoint your exact location in longitude and latitude even when its dark, foggy, or you don’t otherwise have the slightest idea where you are.
• Determine the distance and direction from your location to another specified point.
• Mark where you park your car, so you always know which way to get back.
• Establish your altitude, and track your elevation history as a profile.
• Mark locations along your route, or intended route, with “waypoints”
• Show what direction you need to go to get back on track.
• Offer traditional navigation assistance with a built-in digital compass, if available.

But here are a few other real-trail things that GPS ads won’t always tell you:

• You must still carry a map and regular compass. GPS units don’t always work the way you might expect, and you don’t always have the coordinates you need for a destination, so you need a paper map for reference and a compass as backup.
• GPS units don’t work well, if at all, in buildings or under tree heavy cover. So if you’re in a forest, you may need to find a clearing to set your position, which isn’t always easy.  One thing to look for is a high sensitivity receiver when purchasing a unit.   This can help with some of these problems.
• GPS units go through batteries if you keep them on for extended times – which you need to do for tracing routes, for instance.  Always carry extra batteries.
• When a GPS unit indicates you are one mile from a designated spot, that is an “as the crow flies” mile, not a trail mile.
• Don’t take it out for the first time without learning something about it at home first.
• The first thing a GPS unit does when you turn it on is to start looking for satellite signals, trying to nail down its position. You may get a signal meter like on a cell phone, or it will tell you how many satellites it is communicating with – most need 3-4 out of the 12 to be accurate.

The basic GPS skills:

• How to set a waypoint of your current location;
• How to enter the coordinates of a different location from a map or other reference source;
• How to determine directions from your current location to another waypoint;
• How to use the built in compass and altimeter;
• How to replace the batteries.

One of the great things you can do with a GPS unit is record your “track” as you walk.  This is analogous to a digital bread crumb trail and can be set at any interval you choose.  The immediate benefit to this in the field is that you retrace your steps if you wander off the path and don’t have any waypoints marked in the vicinity.  Most websites dealing with this topic suggest setting the interval to .10 miles – meaning every .10 miles it records your position.  All these points are strung together at the end of the trip and can be saved as a .gpx file.  These .gpx files can then be uploaded to popular trail sites such as backpacker.com or everytrail.com.   You can also link pictures to your GPX tracks if the clock on your digital camera and your GPS unit are matched.  Backpacker.com and everytrail.com talk you through this and it’s really easy.  Another huge advantage is that you can search out trips that people have already uploaded and download them to your GPS unit before you go out.  You can also preview the waypoints (marks along the track) and view the track in Google Earth – allowing you to get a 3d view of the trail and elevation profiles.   Very cool stuff.   See the trails section of this website for examples of this in action.

Additional resources:

www.lowergear.com

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