What safety gear do you carry?

[norts]

Nuts, a hypothetical to consider.
You go for your solo walk and break a leg, sprain a ankle very badly etc, something that isnt actually going to kill you but you are going to take awhile to get out if at all.
Next thing you are overdue and like all responsible walkers you have left you plans with a responsible person. You're overdue so your contact raises the alarm but you didnt plan on going up that spur to get a magnificent sun set.
Who goes out to look for you? A couple of police officers(paid) and alot of volunteers who give up their spare time for these sort of scenarios. If you had a PLB and set it off they would walk straight to you or they might not even be activated as the chopper could fly right to you.

I have spent alot of time bashing the scrub because people (suicides) decided to go into the bush to kill themselves. After doing line searches for a couple of days you will soon think about the people who come looking for you if you have an accident and make it easy as possible for them.
Carry a PLB it might save your life and it will make searchers lives alot easier even if you dont care about your own life.

I think of a GPS like a calculator, it makes navigation easier. You still should know how to add/subtract etc same as you should know how to read a map and use a compass.

I prefer to keep the GPS in my pack and use a compass and map, I get alot of satisfaction from succefully navigating to my destination( is that a man think ie not wanting to ask directions from a GPS). If I can I prefer to just use map to ground.

Roger

[Tony]

Some great news. Yesterday the walker lost in the Namadgi National Park was found alive after surviving three nights in freezing conditions and very thick scrub. She is new to Canberra and used an outdated map, a lot of tracks have changed in the area since the 2003 bushfires. She was spotted by a helicopter waving a white tee shirt, she stayed alive by not sleeping and she kept moving.

Well done to the searchers and rescuers. They said, they wished that she had a PLB, the search area would have been 40m x 40 m

Her family are going to buy her a PLB.

Tony

[Tony]

Nuts

Things go wrong and accidents do happen even to the best prepared and the most experienced. We have the technology to help search and rescuers it is easy to get and cheap to buy why not use it.

Tony

[Nuts]

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[walkinTas]

Where as I don't entirely agree with Nuts' cynicism (if that's the right word) I do in part sympathise with the sentiment. Just maybe, technology makes us a little lazy and survival skills and navigation skills either aren't learned or aren't practiced (the old cliche - use it or lose it).

Anecdotally at the least it would seem many more people bushwalk than ever used to. The old rule of walking in threes seems long gone and it would appear that many more walk alone that ever before. I occasionally wonder how many of these people have truly considered the risk they are taking. How many walkers know how to survive a night alone in the bush (badly) injured? Macho toughness won't help you defeat shock and hypothermia, and luck should be relied on sparingly if at all.

Modern technology is great, and I would be the first to encourage walkers to use the available technology whenever they can afford it. The right technology might just allow one to get help, and get it fast. A lot more important though are basic survival skills and first aid skills. A good helping of common sense would also be very useful.

[Nuts]

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[corvus]

Like many topics on this Forum opinions are varied as it should be however I do really believe that being experienced does not cocoon anyone from misshap and that any extra safety device may well be the difference between survival or death.
Motherhood statement that well may be but what price a life .

[Nuts]

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[Damien]

Nuts,

slightly off topic, check out the Suunto Core watches. Mine has a barometer/altimiter/temp sensor/digial compass and it even tells the time...

Damien

[heplittledoggie]

A few (short) self-tapping screws for re-attaching the sole to your boot if it comes off (happened to a friend of mine). Won't stop you getting lost but sure beats walking out in bare feet!
A length or two of that inch-wide strapping (like you find on your backpack), with the plastic threading thingy on the end is handy too. Maybe its called a compression strap?

Regarding solo walking, I think that if the thought doesn't bother you, you've had plenty of experience both walking and navigating, you're well equipped and you've spent ages studying maps and notes then why not go for it? I do a great deal of it. I do think you have to come to terms with the fact that if the worst does happen then you'll either be devil food, or be sitting out that broken (and extremely painful) leg for a while longer than if you were with other people. But only you know yourself.

[corvus]

Inner tube cut into around 25mm bands are also handy for boot sole repair (good fire starters also) I have handed out a few on the Overland to distressed walkers over the years and one that I know of lasted from Pelion to StClair and the Bloke bought me a nice bottle of red in the Cafe at dinner when we met up with them again

[corvus]

Damien,
Good call as your compass will be on your wrist all the time does the Sunto need batteries or is it like my Casio version solar powered (by the way I can also find north using any watch if I can see the sun)

[Damien]

corvus,

it's actually pretty good as far as battery life goes. My first watch lasted 6 months of constant use and it was replaced under warranty due to a manufacturing defect. I'm pretty sure the batteries are meant to last at least 12 months of usage. Suunto have also just released the X10 watch which has a built in GPS function. http://www.suunto.com

[corvus]

Damien,
Oh why did you tell me about another "gadget"I will have to check this X10 out now and salivate over it and come up with a good reason to mrs corvus(keeps me safe ??) to acquire one
corvus

[corvus]

Just checking out the Suunto x9i and looking at the price of that the X10 will be off my wish list now but I can still drool
corvus