Social insurance? They give out numbers for that?

Or perhaps he was murdered by the Identity Killer.

TFA:

St. Laurent's tale once again underscored the importance for hikers to tell people where they're hiking and to take a cellphone with them.

Telling people where you're going smart. Taking a cell phone may not be that useful if you're out in the boondocks and don't have cell signal. Seems to me that having a two way radio would be better.

"Unless you are in some sort of position where you absolutely need the friendship of a white person, you should avoid camping at all costs."

Wait how is "Don't hike alone" not one of the cardinal rules?

Also...Don't Hike Alone

"He said the next time he hits the trails, he'll be sure to have a GPS-equipped phone and flares with him."



a hiking partner, leaving your itinerary with someone responsible and espcially common sense would be more useful, noob.

FTA: Cold, hungry and cheating death, Michael St. Laurent pulled out a felt pen and scrawled key details - his name, social insurance number, date of birth and medical conditions - on his arm in the event that he didn't make it out alive.

Name: Michael St. Laurent
SIN: 569 333 1590
DOB: June 9, 1960
Medical Condition: Dead

BizarreMan: Telling people where you're going smart. Taking a cell phone may not be that useful if you're out in the boondocks and don't have cell signal. Seems to me that having a two way radio would be better.

Only if you know frequencies commonly in use in the area. I'm a licensed ham and I've got a 2m handheld, and I don't hardly ever find anyone on 146.520MHz. I even turn the thing on when it's storming really bad and periodically transmit that I'm listening, never gotten a response of anyone in any kind of emergency.

They mention in the article about taking a cellphone on a hike, but didn't mention that you should also take a GPS unit (unless the cell has that built in), and an old-fashioned compass (field or otherwise), in case the battery for the GPS/cell dies, plus not to mention a survival knife, food, water, etc.

But was he another one of them damn foreigners(non-BC native who thinks that hiking up a 3,000 foot mountain is only like 300 feet up in their homelands hills), who are constantly going for a day hike in that Grouse mountain area and causing financial harm to the volunteer rescue squad.

/There was an article a couple of years back about some dumbass French couple(near Revelstoke or Golden BC), where she died and her significant other, then sued the volunteer search and rescue for not rescuing them in time, resulting in all British Columbia volunteer search and rescue squads nearly shutting down, due to the government initially refusing to provide lawsuit insurance for them.

"tater did it"

Relying on a cell phone? Bad idea. Lack of coverage, broken phone, or dead battery are only a few things that will screw up your cunning self-rescue plan. The tried and true plan is actually very simple:

1) Tell someone where you are going: anticipated route, planned start/end points.
2) Tell someone when you plan to return.

Once you're overdue (i.e. 24 hours) step 1 can be used to give search a rescue a decent starting point.

frowns at his general direction.

If only there was some sort of invention you could put in your pocket that would hold your S.I.N., name, date of birth, health care card and a couple of twenty dollar bills, this guy wouldn't have had to graffitti-up his arm.

Mr Rusty Shackleford: Still puzzled by this guy's foot situation. Surely he was geared somewhat appropriately for the conditions in terms of footwear. How do you manage frostbite in less than 9 miles? Did he fall in a stream? Barefoot slogging through snow?

That's what I was wondering too. I'm guessing he had cotton socks on. As I'm sure you know, once those get wet they don't hold heat at all.

RedfordRenegade: Try a SPOT gps locator instead of a cellphone. They often do not work anywhere in the mountains and will save your ass if you ever get stuck. There's a monthly fee but it's minimal compared with the cost of your life....well maybe my life. I can only vouch for myself.

Never a substitute for a map/compass/ and the knowledge of how to use them.

Better yet, either get a ham radio license and something like a Yaesu VX-8GR or a Kenwood TH-D72A handheld radio (Radio costs a lot, but no monthly fees, and it will beacon your position to the world-wide APRS network*), or get an EPIRB type thingy and just activate it when you get into trouble.

Poke around at Link to see the capabilities of APRS. And get this: It's been around since the late 1980s/early 1990s.

*Out of range of a digipeater? No problem. Set it to beacon on a 145.825 MHz, the ham radio satellite APRS frequency. Either the ISS or PCSat will eventually hear you and you'll be visible to everyone.

If you're going to go hiking, you should always take some sort of backpack emergency aerial device to assemble and fly away with. Also best to only go hiking near Comfort Inns.

Ranger Joe: But did he drink his own pee?

Done in one. Seriously

When we flew with our daughter just before she was old enought reliably repeat her phone number (shy), we wrote her number on her belly. I kept getting morbid images of some CSI scene whenever I thought of it.

also, to all you backcountry noobs out there that are planning trips, look in a states S&R fees. In Colorado there is a fee attached to hunting and fishing licenses, and IIRC you can also just buy the coverage ($1) that authorizes the state to reimburse the cost of rescuing your dumb ass when you get in over your head. Summit or Pitkin county will just eat the cost of your rescue, but more remote (San Juan Mtns, etc) counties lack the resources to afford expensive rescues and just might come after you for the cost (although that is very rare). Check with whatever state wildlife/outdoor agencies are appropriate. Most rescue folks are volunteers that are happy to help but really don't appreciate taking time away from their lives to save unprepared yokels from themselves.

Hiking in tennis shoes in wet conditions, thin socks, spares probably just as thin and maybe cotton, no cell phone, not enough food, little water, no pump or purification tablets, not enough clothes, poor planning, nobody knew where he was, could have been saved on day five if he'd carried a whistle, got caught out in the dark. Thank goodness he had a pen.

The whole feet thing didn't make sense to me until I read this other story (new window).

His feet were probably wet and cold from the start. After a certain number of hours of that, depending on how hard you're working, the skin just kind of gives up and starts swelling.

/El Stupeedo.
//Have seen many of this type of dude out on trails.
///Most of the time, they get lucky.

Yeah, um, why didn't he make a fire? Must.... leave....no......trace.......ACK!

Thank Jeebus he had a pen.

When the recent hurricane hit, the gov't told folks staying behind to write their name, soc-sec, next-of-kin etc on a 3x5 card and put it in the heel of their right shoe. I thought that was pretty good.

Dear rescuers,

Next time... save us some money - stay home. Dumbass who gets lost deserves it.

Unless it's me.

Sincerely,
C. Darwin

petroleum jelly on feet reduces friction

I see that his destination was Grouse Mtn. I am glad he is ok. If I had to hike, I would grouse. If I ran into a Grouse, I would then grouse to the Grouse. ;)
/very glad he survived
//grouse slashies

Horatio, looks like the hiker wrote all of his information on his arm.

Well then, I guess I don't have anything...
*puts on sunglasses*
...humerus to say.

YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

dittybopper: RedfordRenegade: Try a SPOT gps locator instead of a cellphone. They often do not work anywhere in the mountains and will save your ass if you ever get stuck. There's a monthly fee but it's minimal compared with the cost of your life....well maybe my life. I can only vouch for myself.

Never a substitute for a map/compass/ and the knowledge of how to use them.

Better yet, either get a ham radio license and something like a Yaesu VX-8GR or a Kenwood TH-D72A handheld radio (Radio costs a lot, but no monthly fees, and it will beacon your position to the world-wide APRS network*), or get an EPIRB type thingy and just activate it when you get into trouble.

Poke around at Link to see the capabilities of APRS. And get this: It's been around since the late 1980s/early 1990s.

*Out of range of a digipeater? No problem. Set it to beacon on a 145.825 MHz, the ham radio satellite APRS frequency. Either the ISS or PCSat will eventually hear you and you'll be visible to everyone.

This.
APRS: don't leave home without it. (new window)

TheGogmagog: When we flew with our daughter just before she was old enought reliably repeat her phone number (shy), we wrote her number on her belly. I kept getting morbid images of some CSI scene whenever I thought of it.

Two questions: Is your daughter named Jenny, and is her number 867-5309?

I mean, you guys keep blaming cotton socks and tennis shoes, but you should be able to go up that trial barefoot right now.

This guy had something wrong with him. One day without food doesn't make you start hallucinating. Dozens of people went right by him!

My best guess is diabetes.

Mr Rusty Shackleford: Indeed. Though, even with cotton socks, unless your slogging through snow or water with temps right around freezing, the heat generated by your body movement should be enough to keep your feet from freezing - unless you stop


The other article linked in this thread indicates that it was not frostbite, but rather trench foot.

TheGogmagog: When we flew with our daughter just before she was old enought reliably repeat her phone number (shy), we wrote her number on her belly. I kept getting morbid images of some CSI scene whenever I thought of it.

They now make temporary tatoos for kids for just this purpose. Waterproof, cute, and can be written on with a sharpie.

DoBeDoBeDo: Wait how is "Don't hike alone" not one of the cardinal rules?

Also...Don't Hike Alone

I completely disagree. I have hiked hundreds of miles in the Adirondacks alone. Most of the time 10-15 miles from the nearest road. To hike alone you need to take extra precautions.
1. You must tell someone (my wife for me) if I do not call you by this time call the Rangers and give them this information. Trail route, start time, expected campsites and such.
2. You must be very careful were and how you step.
3. Never get wet.
4. Call the hike off if conditions are not what you prepared for.
5. Always have your pack with you. Never leave your pack.
6. In your pack you need to have provisions to make fire (two bic lighters), shelter, food for 4 days, a water filter, and zip ties. Zip ties weigh nothing and have a million uses.
7. steal those tea-light candles from your wife. You can always make a fire with a candle even with soaking wet wood. Helicopters cant see you without a signal fire.


If you make a mistake at this time of the year, you have to understand you are one maybe two more mistakes from being dead. Slow and careful people who plan well and have the gear they need don't make mistake one let alone two or three.

Hiking alone is a great experience but is not for the stupid or unprepared.

He should be on On Shouldn't Be Alive.

/I love that show.