GernBlansten 10 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I just got a PLB. Problem with it is if I lose the ability to activate it, it does nothing. Think of another Eagle scout named Fossett. But if I have my wits and am able to activate it, helicopters should land nearby. Link to post Share on other sites
SR540Beaver 116 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Gern, Which reinforces the idea of having a buddy. If you can't push the button, they probably can. Link to post Share on other sites
packsaddle 753 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 You buddies can just pick up my bleached bones if you can find them. Or you can just kick them aside. Link to post Share on other sites
SR540Beaver 116 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 Pack, I'll use them in my debris shelter if that is OK with you? Link to post Share on other sites
emb021 16 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 "Aron Ralston's crushing experience and loss of an arm was terrible would have been significantly if not completely mitigated had he been with a buddy. No doubt about that. But the guy still hikes solo!" FWIW, I've read some comments about Ralston from people who 1) know him and 2) are themselves outdoor experts. The gist I got was they felt he needlessly put himself into dangerous situations. This wouldn't have happened had he had a buddy. Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 I'll just hang them off my pack as a warning for those who dare venture away from their comfy suburban landscapes. Link to post Share on other sites
Liz 101 Posted April 30, 2009 Author Share Posted April 30, 2009 This story is much more detailed and more interesting than the version I posted at the start of the thread: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518417,00.html I understand the attraction of back-country solo hiking, and perhaps there are situations (when carrying a locator beacon) when the benefit outweighs the risk. I am not convinced that this was one of those situations, given the conditions and how remote this hike apparently was. Situations like Gern describes, where there are multiple solo (and paired) hikers along the same trail, would mitigate the risk quite a lot; if you fell and sprained your ankle, chances are someone would be along soon who might be able to get help. -Liz Link to post Share on other sites
Knot Head 10 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 The White Mountaisn are a very dangerous place to hike if you are unprepared. I would not hike the Presidential range alone, but that's just me. Having a buddy is a source of heat and can help keep your spirits high, so there are positivies to having a buddy with you if lost. I'll only solo on high traffic trails, just my personal preference. I'm glad this one turned out good as dozens have died in the Presidential range over the years. Link to post Share on other sites
FScouter 24 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 "The gist I got was they felt he needlessly put himself into dangerous situations. This wouldn't have happened had he had a buddy." Maybe a smart buddy would refuse to go. My friend was a big risk-taker to the point that I declined to hike with him and participate in his dare-devil attempts. No amount of discussion or pleading would stop him from his objective. He recently fell over a dry waterfall and killed himself. Link to post Share on other sites
Beavah 205 Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 Yah, I think da lad did a good job. Short cuts are usually never short, eh? But lots of folks take quite a bit of "hands on experience" before they learn that lesson. I don't see hiking alone as being a bad thing. Yeh just have to honestly assess da conditions and your own abilities. Not just for what's anticipated, but what reserve yeh have for what's unanticipated. The lad was well equipped and experienced. A buddy would not have helped, and might have slowed him down. B Link to post Share on other sites
Eamonn 61 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Yes! Sure! The Buddy System is great. It works. I can't say a bad thing about it. I don't want to say a bad thing about it. But.. Somewhere deep down inside of me I feel a very strong urge to tell th next person who starts to harp on about it to go take a long hike off a short pier, without a buddy. I'm not sure why but "Where's your buddy" sounding year after year starts to sound a little like "Eat your vegetables." Taking a buddy along to answer a call of nature? Just seems a little over the top to me. Sure I know that that big bear is there waiting till I undo my fly and will pounce getting me in mid-flow. I know at camp as soon as my pants are around my and I've got myself situated that the strange guy from that strange district will come in singing all the verses of Green Grow the Rushes. It's storming as I write this, so I'm going to not post anything about passing nuns. I do really think that the buddy system is a good thing, I also think that maybe some people just take it too far. As for the choice of a million bucks or my left arm? I'm left handed and like my arm where it is. It might not be the best looking left arm? But over the years I have become very attached to it. Ea. Link to post Share on other sites
GernBlansten 10 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Buddy system is good. Nothing wrong with it. Critical when we send the younguns out. But I too tire at those who think that those of us who venture into the wilds without our buddy are being a bad role model and irresponsible. Kinda like riding motorcycles and skydiving. We don't need to do it, but with proper training, skills and equipment, we mitigate the risks. Sometimes, things happen. Sometimes you just don't make it. Those who poo poo our risk taking will be the first to point out our irresponsible traits. Tell others we should never allow anyone to take the risks. But I'll continue to do it. I'll mitigate the risks. But if I don't make it back, so be it. Rather die in the wilds than in some hospital bed of swine flu. And if I do expire in the wilds, I'd rather do it alone than take a few with me. Link to post Share on other sites
shortridge 184 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 "I know at camp as soon as my pants are around my and I've got myself situated that the strange guy from that strange district will come in singing all the verses of Green Grow the Rushes." This sounds like either the start of a really good story or a really bad story... Peanut gallery comments aside, this young man did nearly everything right. He knew his skill level, he knew the area, he had maps, he'd asked for advice, people knew where he was, and he knew his limits and when to turn back. The only mistake he made was taking a shortcut, and a buddy wouldn't necessarily have helped him make the right decision there. Heck, sometimes shortcuts work. Link to post Share on other sites
BrentAllen 10 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Foolhardy? Nah. This is foolhardy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viy9pWTGNys&feature=related Link to post Share on other sites
NWScouter 9 Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 Gren, you'll appreciate this. About 15 years, on a week long trek with my Scouts in the North Cascades on the way to Holden Village, we camped on the top of Cloudy Pass. A hiker stopped and took a rest and told of his day. He had come through where we were going to camp the next night, Hart Lake. He had found sitting on the shore with his back up to a log, his fishing line in the lake and a sketch pad in his lap, a man in his 70's. He had passed on. The gentleman had hiked up from Holden that morning. The hiker then went down to Holden and got the Forest Service and County Sheriff to bring the gentleman out. The next day when I soaked my feet in Hart Lake, I thought that was the way to go. BTW do a search on Holden Village a great place to go and hike to or from. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now