<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18975">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>This does bring up a good point. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Back in 2004 I became trapped in a snow melt
flooded canyon in Northern Yosemite. My poor choices</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>led to my gear and means of starting fire to become
soaked. I had to swim and crawl and climb my way</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>out of that canyon. I "self-rescued". I realized
that day the importance being able to make critical survival
decisions</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>quickly. Even if I had a phone the helicopter would
have never reached me through the storm before i succumbed to
hypothermia.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> I was alone. By keeping the biggest muscles
in my body (thighs) moving eventually I made it out of that canyon and four
hours </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>later the feeling returned to my hands and feet.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>When i began to thru hike in 2009 i immediately
stripped my packweight down</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>as light as possible. One of the first things to go
was my heavy knife and firestarter kit.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> On the PCT I did not miss them. However
the CDT was a different story... </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>There were times in Colorado and Wyoming where I
did not see another person for many days. (6 was the record)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>My "safety net" was to call my parents at each
resupply, tell them where I was going next and when i would call
again. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I also had printed two complete sets of Jonathan
Ley maps. One set I carried a section at a time. The other set</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>was a backup for me incase the first got lost in
the mail but also a safety net so that there would be</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>some clue as to where i was at any given
time.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I had the Peek device but the signal was typically
spotty. It would not be reliable for use as an emergency beacon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>My plan if i became immobile by injury or disease
was/is to always have the means to make shelter and fire.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>A lightweight "firesteel" and a knife large enough
to cut brush and small branches were my main safety items</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>for hiking alone.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>On the PCT I carried a tiny Victorinox classic
knife. This seemed adequate. On the CDT I felt naked. The huge thunderstorms
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>and giant hailstones were unlike anything i had
seen in the Sierra. I still feel that given the right circumstances
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>those hailstones could destroy a modern ultralight
shelter. Anyhow that was my greatest fear about being alone out</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>on the CDT. So when i resupplied in West
Yellowstone I purchased a stout fixed blade knife capable of doing</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>the neccesary work to build a debris shelter in a
reasonably short amount of time. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Not a "Rambo knife" just a 2.5" drop point with a
flat back edge for tapping into logs to split kindling.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>It seems silly sitting back here in the "real"
world now. I never did use that knife. Maybe I am the only one that carried such
a large blade.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>But you know what? I think it's true that we carry
our insecurities. For me it was shelter/fire. The knife and flint represented
those </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>things to me. Having them and knowing how to use
them was comforting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I think the point I am trying to make is that I
always set out to be self reliant whether i hike alone or not.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial> In my opinion the CDT </FONT><FONT
size=2 face=Arial>has a greater potential to kill a hiker by exposure than the
PCT. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>DON"T be paranoid but DO leave some plan
</FONT><FONT size=2 face=Arial>as to where you will be and when. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Carry a phone or a SPOT thingy or a GPS or whatever
but never rely</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>on them for your survival in lieu of basic
wilderness skills i.e. making fire, shelter. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Always believe in yourself and your ablility to
survive for someday it might be all you have left.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>-Iceaxe</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>