Growing Tread

[Salmon_Run]

Does anyone else sense a "growing trend" of individuals entering the woods for multiple activities being completely unprepared? I read the reports and wonder where the common sense factor has vanished. Are we not the "information age" and yet still people don't bring the most common ten essential items? I read of individuals calling for assistance because they failed to bring a light, ample supply of water or their batteries died in there electronic devices, even as stupid as their socks got wet and they're a mile from their vehicle (true story).

I feel it's only a matter of time until responding personnel or equipment like a helicopter meet with tragedy while actively responding to a needless and careless "rescues"...

    

[Jeremy K]

Theres a phone call you can listen to on youtube of a guy calling 911 because his family cant find their way out of a corn maze. We have some really poor genetics circulating amongst us these days.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Idiocracy is a documentary 

[rob-c]

Here’s your sign …

[Five Seasons]

i think many, especially urbanites are used to the government or someone out there always watching out for their safety and well being. You get on this roller coaster, you will be safe. You work on this equipment at work, it'll be guarded and safe. 

This isn't always a bad thing. Safety is a good thing, but the great outdoors doesn't give a flying flock about your safety. There is no attendant out there, the mountain top doesn't have a gate around the edge. It's a sad result of our society trying to protect us... in that some forget much of this world isn't protected from your lack of understanding or preparedness.  You could even point to some of the weather events that we have and ask why people who live on the coast aren't at least a little prepared for some of these events. Instead it's a finger point at the government and a "not my fault I got trapped in my house". That's a very general statement btw, and doesn't apply to everyone everywhere. 

[DirtTime]

My wife used to be on some emergency alert list or whatever that would send emails to her when someone got lost, hurt, or worse while they were in the woods. I'm pretty sure it was through the DEC. She had to remove it because she was always getting some alert email with someone in the Catskills needing help. I read some of them and they ranged from legitimately being lost to hikers deciding to come up from NYC that are clueless. Most where people driving up to start a 6 mile hike at 4PM with nothing more then a bottle of Gatorade. Who does that?

 

She would also get alerts for the ADK's, I won't even go into the stupidity I read in some of those alerts.

 

The #1 funniest thing is reading some of the reports with people saying- "I thought there was cell service everywhere.".

 

I may not carry a bug out bag while I'm out there, but I carry items I will need, or might need. A good first aid kit, flashlight, extra water, and a way to make fire if needed. Then again, I've been playing in the woods for about 40 years, learned some things the hard way, and have some common sense.

[Robhuntandfish]

i just wrote an 8 page OSHA ladder safety plan. yup feel your pain. 

[left field]

We used to live in the days of the "competent man" where the average guy had a variety of useful skills. I'm working my way through Robert Heinlein's list:

Quote

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyse a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

— Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love

 

[Salmon_Run]

The general lack of common sense and lack of totally ability to problem solve is astonishing !!

Back in the 80's when I hiked, climbed and camped in the Adirondack High Peaks in all seasons one better be totally prepared for any eventuality or it was solely on you!

I remember a night one spring when a buddy and I "camped" out on the East side of Giant in a freak spring ice storm. We weren't fashionable but had enough sense to hunker down and had basic supplies to survive the night and slide our way out in the morning wearing wool pants and using an ice axe..... 

Blows my mind and I hope someday it doesn't end in a disaster and cost innocent lives.  

[Salmon_Run]

47 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

i just wrote an 8 page OSHA ladder safety plan. yup feel your pain. 

I feel your pain, I used to write policy and procedure manuals for a sheriff's office; hardest part was dumbing it down to possibly cover any idiot's "what if" they may encounter on patrol.

A few idiots had zero problem solving skills, no idea how to research anything or be bright enough to ask.  

Always ended with contact your superior office or shift commander for assistance..... 

[DirtTime]

While we were up at the cabin last fall on Indian Lake we were talking to the owner of the place. They have out in a WiFi connection for the cabins. I asked why. he replied that it just seemed like it was one of those things people kelp complaining about about not having. I belly laughed! I guess there's two separate ways to get internet there, one's free but sketchy and one you pay for and is stable. I didn't try the free one as I wasn't up there to play on my damn phone except taking pictures or video, and I certainly wasn't paying extra either.

He also mentioned during the conversation that many of the locals were pretty upset that "officials" ( let's just leave it at that ) had voted to allow some cell towers to be put up in the area. I knew the answer but asked why all the same. To help authorities find dumb asses ( < -- my words, not his ) who go out on the trails with no knowledge of being in the woods. The reason many of the people are upset is because they fee; it screws up the landscape, and I agree with those people. There's nothing uglier then looking out at a mountain range and seeing stupid towers messing up the view.

 

 

It really is sort of sad to me. It's not just the inexperienced people all the time either. I know plenty of people who have experience in the woods, but depend on electronics way to much. I ask people all the time who only use a GPS for navigation what of the battery dies, or you have no signal, or it breaks, or it gets wet.......... It's almost always an argument. Spare batteries this, or a SAT connection that. Then they get really burned up when I repeat, batteries can die or it can still break. I have given up trying to explain why even basic compass skills and a compass should be a part of your pack gear if you don't know the area. If it doesn't have a screen people don't want to hear it any more.

 

The older I get the more I find myself saying this to a lot of people:

"Stupid should hurt!"

[Robhuntandfish]

28 minutes ago, DirtTime said:

While we were up at the cabin last fall on Indian Lake we were talking to the owner of the place. They have out in a WiFi connection for the cabins. I asked why. he replied that it just seemed like it was one of those things people kelp complaining about about not having. I belly laughed! I guess there's two separate ways to get internet there, one's free but sketchy and one you pay for and is stable. I didn't try the free one as I wasn't up there to play on my damn phone except taking pictures or video, and I certainly wasn't paying extra either.

He also mentioned during the conversation that many of the locals were pretty upset that "officials" ( let's just leave it at that ) had voted to allow some cell towers to be put up in the area. I knew the answer but asked why all the same. To help authorities find dumb asses ( < -- my words, not his ) who go out on the trails with no knowledge of being in the woods. The reason many of the people are upset is because they fee; it screws up the landscape, and I agree with those people. There's nothing uglier then looking out at a mountain range and seeing stupid towers messing up the view.

 

 

It really is sort of sad to me. It's not just the inexperienced people all the time either. I know plenty of people who have experience in the woods, but depend on electronics way to much. I ask people all the time who only use a GPS for navigation what of the battery dies, or you have no signal, or it breaks, or it gets wet.......... It's almost always an argument. Spare batteries this, or a SAT connection that. Then they get really burned up when I repeat, batteries can die or it can still break. I have given up trying to explain why even basic compass skills and a compass should be a part of your pack gear if you don't know the area. If it doesn't have a screen people don't want to hear it any more.

 

The older I get the more I find myself saying this to a lot of people:

"Stupid should hurt!"

My X Brother in law - was Indian lake town superviser and the Justice of the peace.  Great guy!  One year i went up there to camp at Chimney Mtn and my cell phone had bars.  I went straight to his house and said "WTF??  My cell phone works up here!  What did you do? "  He said - it wasnt his fault the town voted it in.  Lol  One of the best things about going there was the cell phone wouldnt work! 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[Bolt action]

I think it's partly a generational divide. The older folks didn't have the lure of video games, WiFi, etc keeping them inside. Instead we(they) were out playing and learning in the woods. The younger generation spend so much time inside, and without PROPER role models, that it's really not a surprise that they're unprepared for spending time outdoors (or life, for that matter)...

[Nomad]

Having gone on thousands of 911 calls, I could fill this forum with stories . How about a call for a strange odor poss natural gas, when it’s their drive way being sealed . Probably 100s of “ smoke alarm going off “ when it’s the low battery chirping once every 60 seconds . Apparently these same folks hike !

[Jeremy K]

7 minutes ago, Nomad said:

Having gone on thousands of 911 calls, I could fill this forum with stories . How about a call for a strange odor poss natural gas, when it’s their drive way being sealed . Probably 100s of “ smoke alarm going off “ when it’s the low battery chirping once every 60 seconds . Apparently these same folks hike !

To get away from the gas fumes LOL

[Gobbler Chaser]

Too many spur of the moment adventurers

Edited September 3, 2021 by Gobbler Chaser

[DirtTime]

1 hour ago, Robhuntandfish said:

My X Brother in law - was Indian lake town superviser and the Justice of the peace.  Great guy!  One year i went up there to camp at Chimney Mtn and my cell phone had bars.  I went straight to his house and said "WTF??  My cell phone works up here!  What did you do? "  He said - it wasnt his fault the town voted it in.  Lol  One of the best things about going there was the cell phone wouldnt work! 

My phone goes on airplane mode as soon as we hit Indian Lake Village on the way up. It stays like that until we are headed back home and hit North Creek.

I did that same thing as you a few years ago in a state campground that never used to have cell service. I come back from the jon and my wife tells me my phone went off. I raised an eyebrow and thought she was messing with me. I check my phone and sure enough, there was a text message from my sister. I messaged my sister back "Camping. Don't bug me!".

 

1 hour ago, Gobbler Chaser said:

Too many spur of the moment adventurers

Spur of the moment trips aren't the problem, I do them all the time. I don't plan out every minute of life, it's nice to wake up and say, I'm not sitting here all day I'm going out to converse with the trees. It's people who are clueless that are the problem, it's pretty much those same wankers that litter up the woods with bottles and other trash, which is a whole other irritating issue.

[Swamp_bucks]

I had a stretch of 4 yrs in a row about 12yrs ago of finding lost hunters.  The one year I found 1 guy 2 miles from the parking lot after my group did a drive and he had been lost since first light and come to find out his dad was also lost so we had to go find him as well

Edited September 3, 2021 by Swamp_bucks

[Dinsdale]

5 hours ago, left field said:

We used to live in the days of the "competent man" where the average guy had a variety of useful skills. I'm working my way through Robert Heinlein's list:

 

Butchering a pig is by far the easiest animal I have ever cut up, even more so if curing the rear quarters for ham.

Now to live stick a pig,  that'd be pretty tough for most, even veteran hunters I know are pretty wide eyed when they have watched me. Slide a knife in from the front of the chest, severing the top of the heart with a side slicing motion. Old school is to collect that blood in a bucket for sausage as it pours out.

There's a reason the British SAS trained on pigs to get soldiers used to the feel, sights, smell, and sounds of an upclose death.

 

Never changed a diaper.

Never will.

I feel diminished.

Edited September 3, 2021 by Dinsdale