Plan B

THURSDAY THOUGHTS. . . LET’S DISCUSS!

Topic: PLAN B

We encourage discussion, questions, comments, compliments, feedback and would love to hear of other topics which might be of interest to you!

I was going to do this THURSDAY THOUGHTS on the 10 essentials. Its such an important topic. Then Diem Le Nguyen went missing. On Black Mountain. In the daytime. With many other people around. While Diem wasn’t part of this group, she was one of us! A middle aged woman outdoors, actively doing something to make this world a better place. I will not speculate on what happened or why. That’s not for me or any of us to speak about. There are people far smarter than me, in professional positions, that are already assessing the lessons learned.

But Diem’s journey really hit me, as I’m sure it did many of you. Black Mountain is a local hike I used to climb often. Many, many times alone. It’s not a particularly complex hike, though there are many off-shooting trails. It is mostly well-marked. It’s surrounded by residential areas.

I love hiking alone at times. There is a certain solitude and connection to nature I can’t get any other way. Hiking alone started when I lived overseas and didn’t know anyone. If I didn’t hike alone, I wouldn’t have hiked. I know what you’re going to say. I’ve heard it so many times before.! Don’t hike alone!

I’m not advocating hiking alone. In fact, that is one of the reasons WOAH GIRL was started. Our tag line is “We may not be your people, but we want to help you find your people”. We want you to find your people to hike with, bike with, SUP with, surf with and any other withs that gets you outdoors and active.

That being said, when I do hike alone, I do my best to minimize risk and always, always have a Plan B. Sometime C, D and E as well. I learned it from my mom. I live my whole life anticipating a Plan B. Life (and hiking) comes with its share of unpredictabilities. Accidents happen. And they can happen quickly.

Not hiking alone is only one of the many, many things we can do to minimize risk. Being prepared is not about expecting the worst but being able to handle any situation effectively. Small issues can escalate and compound into larger problems if not addressed promptly and properly. The 10 essentials are a large part of a Plan B. We will expound on the 10 essentials in a future post. Anticipating what may possibly go wrong can go a long way in making sure everyone returns home safe.

After seeing a post by Luann Teschmacher regarding knowing how to send a location pin, I thought “well that’s not one of the 10 essentials, but wow, such an important part of your plan B”. Or hopefully it’s a Plan D or E.

In case it was hidden in the comments section and you haven’t read about the location pin, we will write up expanded instructions for sending a location pin. The document will be located in the files section.

I don’t hike as fast, far or frequently as I used to due to a niggly knee (though I’m determined to get back there). But I’ve learned a bit along the way. There are things I just do automatically to minimize my risks and I’m sure there are things you do intuitively without a second thought. Let’s talk about those and list some one liners that you do for a Plan B.

I’ll start. Here’s a few of my Plan Bs:

· THE PLAN B - WATER: In addition to water in my bladder, I carry a bottle of water. The bottle serves as separate reservoir for my electrolyte tabs. In addition, a handful of times over the years, I have given that water to someone on the trail who ran out.

I bring more water than I think I will need and continually drink water before I am thirsty. If local, I keep a hydroflask of ice cold water in my car for after the hike. If I go in the desert, I keep an additional 3.5 gallon container of water in my car.

I know not enough water can lead to dizziness, confusion and extreme fatigue, decreased endurance, strength and coordination which can lead to accidents.

· THE PLAN B - ELECTROLYTES: I carry electrolyte pills in my pack as a backup to my NUUN water tablets. Pills are small and easy to carry and always remain in my pack. I have them if I forget other electrolyte methods and I can give them to others that may need electrolytes and didn’t bring them on the trail.

Loss of electrolytes thru sweat can lead to painful and debilitating cramping and can exacerbate the symptoms like headache, nausea and dizziness.

· THE PLAN B - MAP: I always have an offline map downloaded on my phone. I anticipate no cell service. I check the map often to assure I am on-trail. If I do go off trail, I can quickly correct.

Even if I am in a group setting with a hike leader, I want to know I can get back to my car on my own if need be. I don’t always know the leader’s capabilities, nor the capabilities of my co-hikers. The leader could get incapacitated in some form and many trails look similar.

I always start with a fully charged phone and always carry a battery backup.

· THE PLAN B – HIKING SOLO: If hiking alone, I choose well-traveled trails. I carry pepper spray on my wrist and a taser on my pack strap for potential four legged or two legged animals. And every time, I choose the Bear!

There are so many avid hikers in this group, current and former Search and Rescue (SAR) professionals, beginning hikers and everything in between. What are some of the intuitive Plan B things you do for or during a hike to keep yourself safe?