Baron Max and Mrs. Max

A suggested minimum standard news advisory for all backcountry travelers! We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water or Gatorade, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone from a Provider that has the best coverage of the area and possibly, a SPOT-2 GPS Satellite Communicator. Each person should carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials Systems" in a day pack sized for the individual, the trip, the season and the forecast weather. Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or move around your marked location to stay warm. Do not try to find your way until you are exhausted, or worse yet - wet. Wait for rescuers. --Baron Max and Mrs Max, from the earliest days of Geocaching

THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION OF A PREVIOUS POST AN ADVISORY FOR ALL BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS "We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Deschutes County to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone and inexpensive walkie-talkie radios. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials" in a day-pack, sized for the season and the forecast weather. Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned." Do not buy or assemble an "Emergency Kit" - carry the personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a day pack!" The Mountaineers was organized as a Club in Seattle in 1906 to meet the needs of men and women in the Pacific Northwest who hiked and climbed in the North Cascades. Their standard text for these activities is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, now in its 7th edition. The Mountaineers became active in introducing people to the Wilderness and they began offering their annual Climbing Courses in the 1930s. It was soon determined that each participant in their activities must have certain essential equipment. This equipment became known as The Ten Essentials. It is now known as THE TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS. As a teaching aid in Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills the traditional Ten Essentials were listed as follows: 1. Maps of the area; 2. Declination adjusted compass; 3. Flashlight, extra batteries/bulb; 4. Extra food and water; 5. Extra clothing; 6. Sunglasses and sun screen; 7. First aid kit; 8. Pocket knife; 9. Waterproof matches; 10. Fire starter. Across the nation, over the years, hikers, backpackers, climbing club and outdoor program participants, by the countless thousands have memorized this list. The traditional Ten Essentials have been listed and discussed in countless books and magazine articles. What it all comes down to is that all members of an outing’s group must be individually prepared for the inevitable unexpected situations. The pooling of this individual equipment such as a foot square insulating "shorty pad" or extra sweaters may help save the life of a member of the group. THE TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS from Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition, © 2003 by The Mountaineers: 1. Navigation Added to the essential map of the area and the compass must be the ability to use them. This requires training, study, and practice. Navigating with a map alone is also a necessary skill. Attach a whistle to your compass lanyard. Serious navigators will add an optional GPS receiver. 2. Sun Protection Sun glasses and a sunscreen are an obvious addition to a pack. Sun protection should come from SPF 35 sun screen lotion, dark glasses approved for altitude and reflective snow fields, and long sleeves and hat rated for strong sun. Have a sun skirt on the hat or wear a bandana under the hat and over your neck and ears. 3. Insulation (extra clothing) This brings us to extra clothing - the most essential of the list. In Central Oregon, the weather can change in a very short time, leaving people shivering in shorts and vulnerable to rain, sweat and wind induced hypothermia. Hiking fast may keep your body heat up, until you "bonk" or "run out of gas" (glycogen), or have to hike slow with others, go slow to find your way or have to stop and tend an injured companion. Cotton clothing, soaked in sweat, rain or melted snow, has caused the death of too many people. Layers of polypropylene, pile and Gortex are the equivalent to the wool underwear, pants, shirts, sweaters and coated closely woven jackets of the 70s and before. Polypro, pile, softshells and Gortex had not been invented when Everest was first summited. However, they all used layers to 1. wick body moisture, 2. to insulate and 3. to cut off wind and rain. Remember, layers must be “pealed” to avoid sweat soaked clothes! All of this essential seasonal personal clothing and equipment must be accommodated in a sturdy day/summit pack large enough to hold it. Garments or equipment tied to the outside are likely to catch on something or get wet/lost. A larger day/summit pack is needed for the light but bulky pile or wool insulation layers in the winter. 4. Illumination A small flashlight can assist in finding a lost or injured person. Also, many hiking groups have returned to the trailhead after dark. Headlamps now weigh in at 3 oz.! 5. First-Aid Supplies A first aid kit sized to the trip is a must. First aid supplies can fit in a Ziploc baggie and should deal with cuts and scrapes with small and large Band-Aids, Neosporin and mole skin. In June and July, add mosquito repellent for the woods. 6. Fire Waterproof matches and a fire starter can be combined in an adjustable propane pocket lighter. Remember, when you most need a fire, it will be windy, wet and cold. Do not depend on being able to start a fire. Learn how to stay warm without a fire. Don't try to be a survivalist. 7. Repair Kit and Tools A small knife should be light and sharp - a tool kit knife is heavy and of little use. I carry the smallest Swiss Army knife and six feet of duct tape. 8. Nutrition (extra food) Extra food should be in the form of easily digested quick acting fat-free fig newtons, jelly filled breakfast bars or ClifBars which have a bit of protean to aid utilization. Glycogen (sugar or starch) is the one essential fuel that must be replaced during a hard hike or climb or an unexpected cold wet night under a tree - most people have ample stores of the other essential fuel: fat. A small package of ten ClifBars contains 2,300 calories, with only 300 calories of (unneeded) fat and a small amount of protein. 9. Hydration (extra water) Add extra water or the equipment to obtain it (stove for snow or a filter for summer), to your list. In the summer you may need to drink a gallon or more. In the winter you may be able to get by with three quarts if you are careful not to sweat. Use electrolyte replacement powder such as Gookinaid or Gatorade. Remember that only two quarts of water weigh almost four pounds plus 12 oz. for the two Nalgene bottles! Use Nalgene or Platypus plastic bags that weigh one ounce per quart. I am not a fan of bladders, but they are popular at this time. (The body purges liters of fluid from the blood in the early stages of hypothermia; if this occurs it is necessary to aggressively hydrate with electrolytes.) 10. Emergency Shelter Emergency shelter can range from a 9oz. Emergency Bivy Sack sold by Adventure Medical Kits for about $30. to a four season Gore-Tex $200. bivy bag, an ensolite pad and 20 degree sleeping bag. You can not shelter on snow without an insulating pad such as the Cascade Designs RidgeRest three-quarter length, 9 ounce ensolite foam pad, strapped to the side of your day or summit pack. Bring your cell phone turned off in your pack but available in an emergency! Consider the possible agonizing alternative. Do not overlook the very inexpensive handie talkie citizens band radios. Let your Responsible Person know your chosen band (#9?) and schedule. --On Belay! Bob Speik Copyright© 1995-2007 by Robert Speik. All rights reserved. from TRADITIONAL MOUNTAINEERING ™ www.TraditionalMountaineering.org ™ and also www.AlpineMountaineering.org ™ Contributed by Baron Max and Mrs. Max

TRADITIONAL MOUNTAINEERING ™ www.TraditionalMountaineering.org ™ and also www.AlpineMountaineering.org ™ FREE BASIC TO ADVANCED ALPINE MOUNTAIN CLIMBING INSTRUCTION™ Home | Information | Photos | Calendar | News | Seminars | Experiences | Questions | Updates | Books | Conditions | Links | Search What should I know about backcountry Emergency Kits? The tragic death of snowmobiler Roger Rouse from the effects of hypothermia after two nights and two days in unconsolidated powder snow and windy cold snowy weather has prompted the public to seek protection for themselves by preventative measures. Roger Rouse and his son Brian Rouse, 29, lost the marked snowmobile trail and decided to seek safety in a run down hill toward a residential area six miles down Bridge Creek and east of Tumalo Falls. They abandoned their snow machines which became bogged down in the loose dry snow and branching streams and they continued on foot. We visited REI a few days after the missing snowmobilers were found and talked to an Associate who said many people had come into the store to buy a "small emergency kit" for their snowmachines. They mentioned the tragic circumstances of the Rouse family. Here is why buying an "emergency kit" is dangerous. Firstly, what product is sold in "outdoor" stores as an "emergency kit"? This is a deluxe kit from a recognized manufacturer: Adventure Medical "Comprehensive" First Aid Kit $189.95 See specs below: Organized for fast and efficient response, this kit is loaded with high-grade medical supplies for larger groups. Contains materials for groups of up to 14 members spending as much as 28 days in the wilderness Treat anything from major trauma to blisters, plus equipment for dealing with infectious materials Modular Easy Care™ system organizes supplies and instruction by injury type, speeding up and simplifying the response Essential equipment: Laerdal® CPR face shield, scalpel, EMT shears, splinter forceps, duct tape digital thermometer and 4 empty pill vials Wounds: 20cc irrigation syringe, surgical scrub brush, povidone iodine, (10) wound closure strips, (3) antimicrobial towlettes, (4) antibiotic cream (16) gauze pads, (4) non-adherent sterile dressings, (2) trauma pads, (2) stockinette tubular bandage (2) conforming 3" gauze bandage, (10) strip and (10) knuckle bandages, (10 yds.) adhesive tape, (2) tincture benzoin, (2) eye pads (6) After Cuts and Scrapes® towelettets, (4) cotton tip applicators, (6) nitrile gloves and a bio-hazard waste bag For sprains and fractures: moldable SAM® splint, elastic bandage, 2 triangular bandages and (3) safety pins For blisters: (2) Spenco 2nd® Skin, (2) moleskin, molefoam and adhesive knit bandage For stings, bites and burns: (3) AfterBites® sting-relief pads and (3) cortisone itch cream and Aloe Vera Gel Medications: (10) Extra-Strength Tylenol®, (6) antihistamine, (6) diamode, glucose paste (2) rehydration salts, (10) cold medicine, (10) Motrin®, (4) aspirin, (12) Tums® and a dental repair mix For handling infectious materials: 3 pair nitrile examination gloves, antimicrobial hand wipes, disposal bag Includes comprehensive wilderness medicine guide accident report forms, pencil and waterproof matches Weather resistant pouch features a detachable waterproof day kit to take along when you venture away from base camp. Made in USA. Weight 3 lbs. 6 oz., Dimensions 10 x 7.5 x 5.5 inches, Material Nylon/vinyl Too big and heavy? Try this one: Adventure Medical "Personal Essentials" First-Aid Kit $39.95 Product Info: Adventure Medical Personal Essentials First-Aid Kit See specs below: Never venture into the wilderness without taking the 10-essentials--kit includes key survival essentials, as well first-aid supplies. Kit contains a signal whistle, compass, emergency blanket , waterproof matches and emergency tinder Also includes a medical emergency guide "A Guide to Wilderness Medicine"; splinter forceps and 3 safety pins For wounds: 2 Butterfly closure strips, 2 antibacterial ointment, 3 antiseptic toilettes, 2 flexible bandages,1 sting relief pad A non-adherent sterile dressing, 2 gauze pads, 2 strip knuckle bandages and 10 yds. adhesive tape For burns and blisters: Moleskin® Medications: 2 Extra Strength Tylenol®, 2 Motrin® and 2 antihistamine For handling infectious materials: a pair of nitrile examination gloves All contents are packed together in handy zippered pouch with a handle and topographic map window Made in USA. Weight 12 ounces, Dimensions 7 x 5 x 3 inches, Material Nylon These commercial kits are actually Emergency "Medical" Kits (The "Personal Essentials" First-Aid Kit above advises folks to always have these "Essentials" when they go into the backcountry. This is a rather unfortunate reference to The Ten Essentials.) People should not try to buy an "Emergency Kit" and think that they are prepared for backcountry travel. Can you assemble your own "Basic Survival Kit"? A CNN reporter put on a four minute special for the public one morning on what to assemble for an "Emergency Kit" in the event one becomes stranded and lost in a winter storm. He did make the point that you should stay in one place and mark the location and not try to find your way (until you become completely hidden away from road or trail and exhausted, wet and hypothermic --Webmeister). CNN suggests one be prepared by assembling a "Kit": matches, a space blanket, a high protein energy bar and an emergence (bicycle) blinker and put the items in your glove compartment. (The reporter was in jeans, low top shoes and a light leather jacket shooting on location from consolidated snow near his truck. He had just demonstrated a "snow cave" shelter scratched from the roadside snow, covered with pine boughs (that in turn were to be covered with snow). No mention was made of the dangers of water absorbing cotton and the need for extra clothing providing extra insulation and providing wind and water protection and for extra high carbohydrate energy bars and drinking water or Gatorade. We suggest that this is totally dumb report by CNN and a missed opportunity to inform the public. Read on! The Deschutes County Sheriff's "BASIC SURVIVAL KIT" "Taking a Few Precautions . . Could Save Your Life" The Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit has widely distributed their brochure titled "Taking a Few Precautions . .Could Save Your Life" This brochure has been financed by a contribution from Les Schwab Tire Stores. BASIC SURVIVAL KIT: Map and Compass 9'x12' Bright Plastic Tarp Plastic Whistle Lashing Cord Garbage Bag (Yellow) 6 Sugar Cubes Waterproof Matches Knife Candle Stubs Metal Container with Lid 6 Bouillon Cubes 6 Water Purification Tabs 3 Tea Bags This SAR Brochure BASIC FIRST AID KIT: 6- Band aids 1- 2" Ace Bandage 2- Triangular Bandages 2- 2" Compress Bandages 2- 4" Compress Bandages 1- 2" Roll Gauze Bandage 5-10 yds. Waterproof Tape 12- Aspirin, Tylenol Sunburn Preventive 1- sm. Antiseptic Agent 1- tube Burn Ointment Insect Repellent Personal Medications Safety Pins BE PREPARED Once you are lost or in trouble, it is too late to assemble a Survival Kit. Do it now and always carry it with you. Temperatures and weather conditions can change very rapidly. A basic survival kit may make a life and death difference until help arrives. BE EDUCATED How To Use A Basic Survival Kit A survival kit is only as good as your knowledge of how to use it. Listed below are a few "non-traditional" uses for items in your kit. Remember, your own ingenuity and creativity are your best resources. 1. Plastic Tarp, Garbage Bag and Cord • Use as a raincoat or windbreak • Use as a ground cloth or shelter 2. Matches, Candle Stub and Knife • Cut slivers of pitch wood or dry wood. • Build a teepee over the candle stub with the wood slivers. • Light the candle with match - works on wet wood and in the rain! (Better to have 10 matches and one candle than 100 matches and no candle!) 3. Metal Container with Lid • As a container for small survival items • As a drinking cup • As a cooking pot (container) or pan (lid) 4. Tea Bags • A hot drink tastes great when you're cold and tired! 5. Sugar Cubes • A little quick energy -- and goes great in your tea! 6. Bouillon Cubes • Add to water heated over fire in container to provide energy, salt, flavor and much contentment! YOUR LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS! IS IT IN GOOD HANDS? BE COMMUNICATIVE If something were to happen to you would you be missed? Would anyone know where to look for you? Too many people have died needlessly because no one knew they needed help or where to find them. Always tell a neighbor, friend, or relative your: LOCATION: Where you are going and how you plan to get there. DURATION: How long you will be there and when you will return. Then Stick To It! Cell Phones: They don't always work in the backcountry. Don't rely on them as your sole means of communication. Be sure the battery is fully charged before setting out on your trip. High locations often provide better reception. BE FINDABLE It is no disgrace to get lost, especially if you are wise about being lost. Even experienced hikers can become disoriented or injured. If that happens, do all you can to help searchers find you and keep yourself safe. Remember: • DON'T PANIC! Searchers will be looking for you and will find you. • STAY IN ONE PLACE! You will be safer and easier to find. • DO NOT TRAVEL AT NIGHT! Gather a large pile of firewood (conditions permitting) and make camp before dark. • CAMP NEAR WATER (if possible) It's more important than food. • USE YOUR WHISTLE! Give three blasts in a row at regular intervals. • ANSWER A NOISE WITH A NOISE! This will scare animals and attract help. • TAKE YOUR TIME and THINK! BE SMART Do you know the area? Study a current map before you go then take the same map with you. Is the trip appropriate for your physical condition? Overextending yourself is asking for trouble. What is the weather forecast? It is better to postpone or cancel a trip than to put yourself in danger. Do you have the proper equipment? This includes your survival/first aid kit. Do you have a partner? It is much safer to travel with a friend than alone. Be sure to stay together. If you must separate, make contact frequently. Trail Conditions for Deschutes Nat'l Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/trails/ Oregon Weather & Road Conditions (any season): www.tripcheck.com/Winter/NOAAindex.htm HYPOTHERMIA Hypothermia is a very common danger in Central Oregon, any time of year. • Description - Loss of body heat that can sneak up on you quickly • Symptoms - Chilling, shivering, stumbling, fumbling, dulled mental function • Prevention - Stay dry, insulated, out of the wind, hydrated, nourished BE GPS-COMPETENT If you carry a GPS into the backcountry know how to use it correctly before you start. To minimize error, master these primary GPS skills: • Set up your GPS with the proper datum/ coordinate system for your map. • Mark a waypoint (your present location). • Create waypoints manually by entering coordinates and name/identifier. • Determine bearing and distance to any given marked waypoint (Go To). • Set up your GPS to record your track and retrace it (Track Back). • Carry extra batteries. The Deschutes County Sheriff's "BASIC SURVIVAL KIT" is "dangerous" We have tried for over two years to get the Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit to withdraw these sponsored Brochures and replace them with a Brochure that is more helpful to the public. A year ago, at the written request of then SAR Coordinator Sgt. Dan Swearingen, I provided the following suggestions: Rather than suggesting that the lost person have a cup of tea with six sugar cubes (15 calories per cube) or bullion cubes (5 calories per cube) brewed over a fire (in a storm?), the Brochure should admonish folks to carry several high carbohydrate energy bars (250 calories each) and a supply of water (quarts not pints) to help avoid the slide into exhaustion, bonking and hypothermia. No admonition is made by SAR of the need to carry extra hats, gloves and extra non-cotton clothing for insulation and (Gore-Tex) outer clothing for protection from wind and wet. No admonition is made of the need to have an insulating pad for protection against hypothermia from the direct conduction of cold should one inevitably have to sit or lie for hours on snow or wet ground. No admonition is made to carry a flashlight! No suggestion is made that it is possible with small daypack snow shovels to dig a safe snow cave, but only if designed properly with the entrance below the sitting area. The SAR emphasis continues to be on a compact "Emergency Kit" and not on the traditional Ten Essential Systems and how to use them. (A Deschutes County SAR representative, speaking to a group recently, publicly scoffed at The Mountaineers "The Ten Essential Systems" and provide his own list based on his own personal experience.) We also note the suggestion that one "tell a friend or neighbor or relative" about your adventure. Experience tells us that you must tell a Responsible Person that you are depending upon him (or her) to call 911 for SAR at a specific time if you have not returned. We offer the above suggestions here with some concern, lest we personally offend employees of the County Sheriff's Department and certain of the volunteers who selflessly support the Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Unit. --Webmeister Speik Do not buy or assemble an "Emergency Kit" - carry the personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a day pack!" The Mountaineers was organized as a Club in Seattle in 1906 to meet the needs of men and women in the Pacific Northwest who hiked and climbed in the North Cascades. Their standard text for these activities is Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, now in its 7th edition. The Mountaineers became active in introducing people to the Wilderness and they began offering their annual Climbing Courses in the 1930s. It was soon determined that each participant in their activities must have certain essential equipment. This equipment became known as The Ten Essentials. It is now known as THE TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS. As a teaching aid in Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills the traditional Ten Essentials were listed as follows: 1. Maps of the area; 2. Declination adjusted compass; 3. Flashlight, extra batteries/bulb; 4. Extra food and water; 5. Extra clothing; 6. Sunglasses and sun screen; 7. First aid kit; 8. Pocket knife; 9. Waterproof matches; 10. Fire starter. Across the nation, over the years, hikers, backpackers, climbing club and outdoor program participants, by the countless thousands have memorized this list. The traditional Ten Essentials have been listed and discussed in countless books and magazine articles. What it all comes down to is that all members of an outing’s group must be individually prepared for the inevitable unexpected situations. The pooling of this individual equipment such as a foot square insulating "shorty pad" or extra sweaters may help save the life of a member of the group. Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 7th edition, © 2003 by The Mountaineers TEN ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS 1. Navigation Added to the essential map of the area and the compass must be the ability to use them. This requires training, study, and practice. Navigating with a map alone is also a necessary skill. Attach a whistle to your compass lanyard. Serious navigators will add an optional GPS receiver. 2. Sun Protection Sun glasses and a sunscreen are an obvious addition to a pack. Sun protection should come from SPF 35 sun screen lotion, dark glasses approved for altitude and reflective snow fields, and long sleeves and hat rated for strong sun. Have a sun skirt on the hat or wear a bandana under the hat and over your neck and ears. 3. Insulation (extra clothing) This brings us to extra clothing - the most essential of the list. In Central Oregon, the weather can change in a very short time, leaving people shivering in shorts and vulnerable to rain, sweat and wind induced hypothermia. Hiking fast may keep your body heat up, until you "bonk" or "run out of gas" (glycogen), or have to hike slow with others, go slow to find your way or have to stop and tend an injured companion. Cotton clothing, soaked in sweat, rain or melted snow, has caused the death of too many people. Layers of polypropylene, pile and Gortex are the equivalent to the wool underwear, pants, shirts, sweaters and coated closely woven jackets of the 70s and before. Polypro, pile, softshells and Gortex had not been invented when Everest was first summited. However, they all used layers to 1. wick body moisture, 2. to insulate and 3. to cut off wind and rain. Remember, layers must be “pealed” to avoid sweat soaked clothes! All of this essential seasonal personal clothing and equipment must be accommodated in a sturdy day/summit pack large enough to hold it. Garments or equipment tied to the outside are likely to catch on something or get wet/lost. A larger day/summit pack is needed for the light but bulky pile or wool insulation layers in the winter. 4. Illumination A small flashlight can assist in finding a lost or injured person. Also, many hiking groups have returned to the trailhead after dark. Headlamps now weigh in at 3 oz.! 5. First-Aid Supplies A first aid kit sized to the trip is a must. First aid supplies can fit in a Ziploc baggie and should deal with cuts and scrapes with small and large Band-Aids, Neosporin and mole skin. In June and July, add mosquito repellent for the woods. 6. Fire Waterproof matches and a fire starter can be combined in an adjustable propane pocket lighter. Remember, when you most need a fire, it will be windy, wet and cold. Do not depend on being able to start a fire. Learn how to stay warm without a fire. Don't try to be a survivalist. 7. Repair Kit and Tools A small knife should be light and sharp - a tool kit knife is heavy and of little use. I carry the smallest Swiss Army knife and six feet of duct tape. 8. Nutrition (extra food) Extra food should be in the form of easily digested quick acting fat-free fig newtons, jelly filled breakfast bars or ClifBars which have a bit of protean to aid utilization. Glycogen (sugar or starch) is the one essential fuel that must be replaced during a hard hike or climb or an unexpected cold wet night under a tree - most people have ample stores of the other essential fuel: fat. A small package of ten ClifBars contains 2,300 calories, with only 300 calories of (unneeded) fat and a small amount of protein. 9. Hydration (extra water) Add extra water or the equipment to obtain it (stove for snow or a filter for summer), to your list. In the summer you may need to drink a gallon or more. In the winter you may be able to get by with three quarts if you are careful not to sweat. Use electrolyte replacement powder such as Gookinaid or Gatorade. Remember that only two quarts of water weigh almost four pounds plus 12 oz. for the two Nalgene bottles! Use Nalgene or Platypus plastic bags that weigh one ounce per quart. I am not a fan of bladders, but they are popular at this time. (The body purges liters of fluid from the blood in the early stages of hypothermia; if this occurs it is necessary to aggressively hydrate with electrolytes.) 10. Emergency Shelter Emergency shelter can range from a 9oz. Emergency Bivy Sack sold by Adventure Medical Kits for about $30. to a four season Gore-Tex $200. bivy bag, an ensolite pad and 20 degree sleeping bag. You can not shelter on snow without an insulating pad such as the Cascade Designs RidgeRest three-quarter length, 9 ounce ensolite foam pad, strapped to the side of your day or summit pack. Bring your cell phone turned off in your pack but available in an emergency! Consider the possible agonizing alternative. Do not overlook the very inexpensive handie talkie citizens band radios. Let your Responsible Person know your chosen band (#9?) and schedule (every hour, on the hour, for 5 minutes?). --On Belay! Bob Speik Copyright© 1995-2007 by Robert Speik. All rights reserved. What essentials do you carry in your lightweight winter day pack? What I carry in my winter day pack depends on the length, elevation gain and technical class of the hike or climb, the time of year, the forecast weather, who my companions are and a lot of other things, I guess. It is always packed in the winter; I pull things out and leave them in the car, depending on conditions. I add more or different things in the fall or winter to the essentials I carry in my summer daypack. Lets start with a winter climb of the south east ridge of Broken Top with access by snowmachine, snowshoes and crampons. We plan to be gone for about eight hours; we are starting at 7AM. It is mid winter and the forecast weather calls for a 20 degree day with possible wind and low visibility. I am with three friends, two of whom own snowmachines! In the winter, I wear a long sleeved Patagonia Capalene silk weight under shirt, a Patagonia R-1 regulator fleece shirt, Patagonia poly boxers and Koch XC 3SPFpants and vest. I wear my OR Rocky Mountain (Gore-Tex) long-gaiters. I add TNF Gore "Windstopper" gloves and light "Windstopper" hat under my Petzl helmet and a poly scarf and light generic balaclava and goggles for the long snowmachine ride to the Wilderness boundary. I wear La Sportiva Makalu boots matched to my crampons and snowshoes. (I leave my TNF Gore-Tex in my pack since it is not snowing and my 3SPF pants and vest are wind-proof up to about 30 mph.) I use a Black Diamond Sphynx 35L day pack in the winter to carry extra fleece, shovel, (pickets), crampons, ice axe and poles. It weighs about 2 pounds 7 ounces and holds about 2,140 cubic inches. "Built from burly 420-denier nylon and Ballistics fabric, the Sphynx is tough yet weighs less than three pounds. A single removable aluminum stay, molded-foam back panel and a cushy waistbelt offer maximum support and comfort. Key features, including ice axe, crampon and rope straps, as well as Ice Clipper slots on the waistbelt, make this pack well suited for all-season climbing." (I use my Salomon Raid Race 300 day pack in the summer.) First in my pack is a very light (9 oz) pair of Go-Lite Shadow Gore-Tex pants followed by a Patagonia DAS parka, with a synthetic fill, (1 pound, 13 ounces for wet weather,) or a simple generic down jacket (about 1 pound) for essential insulation if I have to stop for an emergency or belay a companion's problem. The pack is water proof in snow conditions; no rain is forecast for this particular day. With a possibility of rain, I chose a synthetic belay jacket. My group First Aid Kit, (about one pound,) is happily left behind as two of my experienced companions are medical doctors! The small loose bag of Small Essentials (11 ounces) and a cell phone (6 ounces) go in next. These essentials, always carried in a loose net bag, are composed of a Petzl headlamp and two extra batteries, a butane lighter, compass and whistle, Quad map with UTM coordinates, Garmin eTrex GPS, toilet paper, a Clif Shot, a few 2x2 Band-Aids and moleskin, a few over the counter meds, personal Rx for Vicodin, mini knife, one days supply of sun screen, my smallest wallet, etc. Lunch in the form of a bagel, non fat string cheese and a V8, (two Clif Bars, some hard candies and a couple of Clif Shots in reserve) go in a red A16 stuff sack go in next. (No Gorp, as I am wearing all the fat I will need.) Next layer stuffed into the top-loading Sphynx pack is my waterproof-breathable Patagonia Supercell Jacket (called a "hard shell", but very packable and light), 13 ounces. (See above for the Gore-Tex pants.) And last but not least, I slip two liters of water in Platypus bags into the top pocket of the Sphynx pack: Four pounds of water! But the two Platypus bags only weigh two ounces when empty! (I can carry the water inside my jacket in pockets built into this technical clothing designed by Patagonia to avoid having it freeze.) My winter daypack weight before technical gear is about 6 pounds plus four pounds of disappearing water! The winter butt pad is a Cascade Designs RidgeRest three-quarter length, 9 ounce ensolite foam pad and it straps on the outside of the Sphynx pack along with my GAB crampons and BD light or stronger ice axe. My Life-Link snow shovel also comes along. The shovel scoop goes inside the pack away from my back and the handle goes on the side, under the straps. There is still room at the sides of the Sphinx for my collapsed Leki LE three part hiking poles after I switch to my Black Diamond mountaineering ice axe. (I can either perch my snow shoes on the top of the Sphynx pack, strap them on the sides or stash them when we get to the hard snow of the south east ridge of Broken Top.) Yes, I used everything in the pack, except the first aid stuff! --On Belay! Bob Speik Copyright© 2000-2007 by Robert Speik. All rights reserved. A suggested minimum standard media advisory for all backcountry travelers "We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Central Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone and inexpensive walkie-talkie radios. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials" in a day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather. Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned." --Baron Max and Mrs. Max

This is our third and last posting on any Web Forum. The tile of the Forum was "Use Of Religious Or Political Stickers In Logs, Using Geocaching as a Political Platform". We were warned that, without strong moderation, the recreational Forum loggers could get off track and take the discussion far afield. This is what happened. We felt it was not in the spirit of Geocahing for a nice retired gentleman to paste stickers with the Oregon political slogan "Traditional Family Values for a Strong America" in every cache log he found in Central Oregon. The Forum loggers confirmed this was a very contentious political slogan in Oregon. Many folks, (many who are "semi-pro posters" and have posted hundreds of comments on Forums) are not from Oregon and had no idea what baggage that phrase carries. Now folks have a better understanding of this issue. Jeremy states that intruding politics into the game is not a part of Geocahing according to the Guidelines, but that nothing can be done about policing the cache logs. That really answers the question I posed: the use of religious or political stickers in logs is not in the spirit of Geocahing. Since nothing can be done about an individual intruding politics into all his cache logs, the Forum responded "Just Deal With It". This is the only person who is pushing his political agenda in every log. I guess the message is - we must just deal with it. However, we hope this single individual in Central Oregon will realize that he is causing concern among many good folks who just want to enjoy this nice pastime. We had no idea that we could close the log for this Forum. We hope to do it now. --Baron Max and Mrs. Max

Hmmm. You folks have not been paying attention! "Family values for a stronger America"? That is a phrase that symbolizes Hypocrisy. Such a shame, Jeremy Irish, to politicize the game. I shall remain concerned along with 49 pecent of my fellow citizens. --Baron Max

Hello- I will soon find my 300th geocache in Central Oregon. We have a distressing situation here that may need a comment to an individual from folks who do Geocaching. A very active retired gentleman is pasting stickers in the log books stating "Geocaching - Family Values for a Stronger America". Several of us have asked this individual to stop injecting his personal religious beliefs or political slogans into the game. This particular slogan is very offensive of a great many of us. This individual does not express his political views in his web postings, but the political stickers continue to be pasted in the cache logs despite several personal requests over the last few weeks. --A wise old Geocacher