Camping, backpacking, hiking, et al

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Oh, man. The more I think about this, the sicker it makes me. Can you imagine how scared those poor guys were. And, the dad not being able to do anything...or not knowing what to do. Blah.

[thrill]

Tragic, but easily prevented with a modicum of preparation.

It's January in the midwest. I don't care if it's 60 degrees in the morning, that's going to change. Take a coat.

Second, build a shelter.

[Freed Roger]

Damn.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/fath ... 04085.html

that story has bothered me all morning. Just awful.

I'm still confused. Did they get lost and the weather turned? Seems if people saw them at 2 PM they knew where they were and could be back in a couple hours.....what the [expletive] happened?

It's hard to say what happened, and perhaps it is wrong to speculate at this point. Foremost, my heart just aches for that family. My comments below are not meant callously, but relative to general hiking and getting lost and being unprepared.

This is the section they were in, I believe.
http://www.ozarktrail.com/planner/tripr ... tytypeid=1

According to that site, there are many options to get from point A to pt B - with a lot of side trails. Side trails have confused me many times before, because they often don't show up on a map. It's easy to say, "just retrace your steps" but things can look really different when you turn around in the direction you came. You can lose track with how long it's been since the trail junction or split. Usually when I head out I am fired up to be on the trail, and may not even be cognizant of waypoints and landmark. Perception of how long you've hiked gets skewed by this excitement.

Summertime, a trail is far more obvious - usually a tunnel of growth surrounding the trail. Winter time, with leaves, deadfall, and surrounding growth gone, it can be tough to discern what a main trail is.

It's also easy to fathom how with a 10 and 8 y/o you can be distracted and many dilemnas occurring. A 4 month lab is a handful too. The article says they were experienced hikers, but I don't see how that was possible.

As far as changing weather - access to that info is not as available from normal sources in the Ozarks. batteries and signals on handhelds go silent quickly (happened to me a few times, even though I shut it off trying to conserve). And that cold blowing rain last Sat. night ...that is the worst. I really feel bad for that family. I hope they had Peace amongst them.

[Freed Roger]

case in point about the confusion of side trails.
http://www.brushycreeklodge.com/images/ ... ailmap.pdf

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Dang. I don't know where they were found, but I bet when you find out, it'll be sickening how close they were to some sort of shelter or help.

[Freed Roger]

http://www.firebox.com/product/5677/Bio ... 512&awc=55 camp stove that can charge usb devices.


Not for me, but still interesting.

[stlouie_lipp]

[/youtube]

[Freed Roger]

This Sanford clown, he really [expletive] over the hiking-backpacking crowd. There are not many socially acceptable things left where you are out of touch intermittently from the world for hours and even days, while people presume you are in a noble and healthy adventure.

Golfing - everybody knows you jokers are Tiger Woods wannabees off to Perkins and the east side.
Hunting - yeah its just drinkin and dicken around shootin up things. Nobody's fooled by the 2nd amendment bringing-"delicious"-deer meat-home-for-the-family facade (probably works out to be $60 per pound).

Now add hiking to the list. My continental brewery-backpacking dreamtour has lost some of its lustre. My wife, God love her, she encourages me to take on the Appalachian Trail someday. At least she used to.

[stlouie_lipp]

This is why I don't camp, backpack, hike, et al.

NSFTS (not safe for the squeamish)

http://deadspin.com/bear-gryllss-produc ... socialflow

[lukethedrifter]

bet it looked worse (in a way) before they debrided all the dead and infected tissue