Bushwalker Preparedness & Safety

[gboon]

Happy Easter Everyone,

I am currently undertaking a research project at the University of Tas where I am looking at the relationship between bushwalker preparedness and incidents. I have been following a number of topics on the website with great interest, and understand that there is quite a passion for bushwalking (it is one of mine too!).

I was wondering if anyone had any information that they'd like to put forward and share with me regarding my topic, (ie safety, bushwalking or incidents)? I am interested in your opinions and also resources (be they academic or grey literature, such as policies or reviews that you have read).

To my knowledge so far there is little information on bushwalker safety in National Parks (in Australia let alone Tasmania), so I would like to gather whatever information there is and combine it into a useful review that PWS can use. Hopefully from my research and field work this will support more effective policy creation and review within this area.

Would be great to hear from you all
Happy and Safe Walking
Georgie

[Tony]

Hi Georgie,

I would like to thankyou for doing this important research, I am very keen to help where I can.

Would it be possible to elaborate a bit more on what specific information you are after.

Thanks

Tony

[tastrax]

To my knowledge so far there is little information on bushwalker safety in National Parks (in Australia let alone Tasmania)

Hi Georgie,

Just be a little bit careful with such statements - there is plethora of information out there about bushwalker safety (both in Tassie and on the mainland). The biggest question (which I suspect is very hard to measure...) is how effective it is in educating walkers and minimising or preventing incidents.

Here are some examples that I found on the Tassie PWS website without any great difficulty

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=7072
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=5576
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6560 - even the great short walks brochure points out the hazards and some of the issues to consider

Also check out the back of just about any Parks map - It normally spells out the hazards associated with walking (both on and off track..depending on the park)

I work for Parks and can provide you with some references in relation to such programs - feel free to contact me off line. I am sure Tas Police would also provide information on "rescues" as well.

Cheers - Phil

[EMJ]

Hi Georgie,

I think it could potentially be a tricky relationship to investigate, but good luck with it. I know there is a national register of accidents which include a number of outdoor activities ranging from climbing through to Bushwalking. The site can be found at:

http://www.accidentregister.info/

Hope it helps!!

Cheers

EJ

[tasadam]

As you have probably seen, there has been some active conversation here recently.
Tassie info on this or this kind of thing seems a bit harder to find.

[gboon]

Thanks for all the support and useful information so far.

Phil you are correct, there are many sources out there on how to act safely in the bush. Apologies for not wording my intentions clearly, I am looking to see how much of this information is actually utilised by bushwalkers (as you suggested) and what evidence there is of hikers on the track being prepared. As part of my research I will be interviewing track rangers on their perception on this matter. Hopefully from these interviews I will be able to narrow down what they believe are key issues with bushwalker preparedness and the relationship between incidents on the track.

Tony hopefully this is more specific for you! information that may reflect hikers behaviour in the bush (regarding preparedness) or about incidents that have occured in the bush - perhaps with reasons as to why they occurred. Would be most of value. If you think it might be useful, chances are it will be! Part of my research is a literature review, so hopefully the specifics will come out from the information I review. Frustrating, but worthwhile!

Cheers all
Georgie

[nothingwmn]

I posted this one previously under the 'Dumb questions / comments about bushwalking in Tasmania' thread, but it is relevant & never ceases to amaze me.

I was once told quite a disturbing story by one of the rangers on The Overland...
Apparently there was an entire family from Canberra with three young boys who attempted The Overland in the middle of summer with plastic ponchos & fleece jumpers as their only protection against the elements (this was years ago before the booking system). Of course the weather turned nasty, they got caught in a snowstorm & the kids nearly died of hypothermia before they finally made it to Waterfall Hut. They had no emergency blankets & were very, very lucky they didn't lose the youngest child who had progressed beyond the shaking stage & was blue according to the ranger. When the ranger asked hadn't they read about the unpredictable weather on the Parks & Wildlife website & what were they thinking(?!), the parents replied that yes, they had seen the weather warnings, but they had been friends with the lady who had died after jumping into Lake Windermere with heat stroke the summer before. Yikes!