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Guest
Guest
Where could a person go to find a record of various problems that have overtaken the outdoors person?
Rob, I’m thinking that CanoeTripping could be just such a source.
I’m thinking less of the “disaster strikes, act of God” type problems, but more sins of omission, oversight or poor decision making. I’ve had enough problems of my own making to provide an example or two.
To wit: I was on a group trip in a tidal area without potable water sources. I lingered in camp after others in the party had begun their paddle out to have a little solo time and make sure all of the sites were clean, camp fires wet out, nothing left behind, etc. My typical dawdling make-the-most-of-the-last-day.
I had 4 or 5 liters of water remaining in the last dromedary, filled two canteens and dumped the rest. While I was shuffling gear down to the boat I knocked over one canteen; the stupid-sippy lid wasn’t secure and now I had one water bottle left.
I had waited too long to depart and the wind had picked up to a point where much of the route was impossible to paddle, doubleblading as hard as I could I could barely hold position. I had a couple of bad moments when the wind blew my boat ashore sideways or backwards, in one case the waves picked up the loaded hull and suspended it between two points of land, one under the bow and one under the stern (with some ominous cracking noises – no one has ever exited a boat faster). It was the most daunting conditions in which I’ve paddled.
Thirsty work that, and I was very quickly out of water.
I can say from experience that one is never as thirsty as when there is no drinking water available. Man-hauling a boat and gear cross-country through a flooded marsh, stumbling in waist deep pluff mud and cursing the weather gods is no fun, but it is much worse when your predominate thought is not the 30 knot wind, not the freaking mud hole you just fell in, not the damage you’ve done to the boat, but “Gawd am I thirsty, and I have GOT to make it out today”
The lesson I took from that is to never dump any “excess” potable water in a tidal environment until I reach the take out. And I don’t trust sippy lids.
I can think of a couple other backcountry issues, and admit that most were of my own making and easily avoidable.
I don’t want to look like the only idiot on CanoeTripping. Who’s next?