Re: night time bathroom trips - I¡¯m usually backpacking with others and always encourage everyone to take a whistle when they step out at night after one companion got disoriented and spent a few hours waiting until light to find her tent. Luckily it was a warm night and she was smart enough to sit down rather than wander. Reflective guidelines, as John mentioned, and/or a phone left on flashlight mode in the tent are other good options.?
Martha
On Tue, Sep 28, 2021 at 6:10 AM Melinda Mingus <
mmingus@...> wrote:
These are all really good points. And, it seems to affect day hikers more frequently.?
This email thread reminds me of Stephen King's novel "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". She gets lost after going off trail to go to the bathroom. It's a great read and not a long book.?
Melinda
Melinda Mingus, MDIntegrative Pain Medicine
Board Certified Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Diplomate in Mountain Medicine DiMM
NSP Eastern Division Safety Team Supervisor
NSP CT Region Medical Advisor
646-522-1451
On Tue, Sep 28, 2021 at 8:26 AM ravi_jmt2013 <
ravi@...> wrote:
Two other points of caution that come to mind which might seem silly but I think are important:?
1) The story of?Geraldine Largay demonstrates that even a short trip off trail for a toilet stop can be hazardous. I believe she did not leave her gear on the trail before going into the woods, so loss of gear was not a factor in her death, but I see people leaving packs on the side of the trail all the time before the go into the woods for a toilet stop. I think this is a bad idea - not only can animals get into the pack but if one gets lost getting back to the trail, then the gear is lost too and chances for survival go down.
2) Make sure to know where you are and where your tent is when going out in the middle of the night. I have reflective guylines on my tent and scope out appropriate toilet areas while there is daylight to make sure I am oriented if/when I have to venture out at night. I had a bad experience many years ago getting lost for about five minutes and not locating my tent at night, obviously with no gear or insulation, etc.?
Both of these hazards are more relevant in wooded areas where it is very easy to get disoriented.
--
Martha Gilmore, PhD, CGP, FAGPA
. Please excuse brevity and typographical errors.
