A visually loud marker post, with EPIRB built in, that can easily be hammered into the ground. A Ramset charge might be needed on rock outcrops. Having long storage life batteries, that only discharge when epirb is initiated, makes for low maintainance.
These could periodically be placed along tracks and each hut gets one. These marks are good reference points and can help with the trip orienteering. Each beacon would be registered at a set location for speed of rescue.
A high risk area could be pinned out, such as dense forest bordering picnic glades in case wanderers get lost.
Though, if your alone and are planning the possiblity of calling help, carry a personal epirb or transceiver. An E-spike won't help the immobile.
Although, maybe hunters should be able to set them off with a shot. Nah, Don't want someone killed as they try for the beacon.-- wjt, Nov 21 2016 The State Exists for the State alone .. http://www.kiplings.../poems_deathbed.htmKipling [8th of 7, Nov 24 2016] Sadly, two trampers were found dead on trail in NZ. Another case was a woman set fire to an island while trying to signal for help.-- wjt, Nov 21 2016 What is an Epirb? Are you talking about something on the internet? What is a ramset? rock outcrops? huts? As far as I can tell you are babbling incoherently.-- Voice, Nov 21 2016 No, he's not.
An EPIRB is a portable distress transmitter.
A Ramset is an explosively-set piton or rock anchor.
It's an OK idea, but somewhat anti-Darwinian ...-- 8th of 7, Nov 21 2016 Is "hut" the Brit word for tent?-- Voice, Nov 21 2016 No, a hut is a small shelter, usually of wood, but sometimes brick or stone, which provides basic weather protection. They are built as refuges in remote areas.-- 8th of 7, Nov 21 2016 It's all sounds a bit 'safe and civilized' for my tastes.-- AusCan531, Nov 21 2016 Trail marking?... that's what the deer are for.
Some of the tourists here could certainly use something like this. (+)-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 21 2016 Tourist cleanup … that's what bears are for.-- 8th of 7, Nov 22 2016 Very much off topic, but has anyone here used Ramsets? My understanding is that they're basically captive gun cartridges that fire a bolt or spike - is that so?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 22 2016 Yes. We have experience ... althogh not entirely in the role envisaged for them by the manufacturer.
Look up "Hilti gun"-- 8th of 7, Nov 22 2016 I too was envisaging a role not envisaged by the manufacturer. The interesting thing is that you can buy the charges (cartridges?) on eBay, even here in this tame, sceptered isle.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 22 2016 Honestly, given the number of idiots cramming into national parks and walks - I'd make EPIRB carrying and registration just part of the park booking process. Either enter your EPIRB beacon number, or hire one for your hike. The new GPS-enabled EPIRBS are so good that they don't even need to send a search party - they just fly the chopper in overhead and come down to pick you up. For ~$300AUD and maybe 100g of weight, I do not understand why you'd go anywhere remote without them.
Some newer ones include features like the ability to send text messages via satellite, etc, as well as being a rescue beacon.
I'm against marking trails, or putting communication stations along them because it's just more cost and effort for rangers. I personally go a lot of places off-trail, and my EPIRB works perfectly well wherever I am (or hopefully does, I've never had to set it off, although I was sorely tempted a few times).-- Custardguts, Nov 22 2016 // I do not understand why you'd go anywhere remote without them. //
A deathwish ?
If you're not up for being part of the food chain for the scavengers, stay at home. If you go hiking in the middle of nowhere, so be it. Don't expect to be rescued. No-one made you go. Shit happens. Get over it.-- 8th of 7, Nov 22 2016 //If you go hiking in the middle of nowhere, so be it. Don't expect to be rescued. No-one made you go. Shit happens. Get over it.//
Easy to say from your living room mate. Having been part of a few rescue searches myself - everyone is pretty happy to be part of the search to be honest.
And frankly, the purpose of an EPIRB is to cut down on rescue efforts - "come and get me from this position" rather than the alternative which is "he's not back yet, better start the grid search".
Honestly, a PLB is there so if you have a moderate accident, you can call for help. Another way to look at is to prevent being eaten alive by said scavengers. If you fell and broke your neck, you couldn't activate your epirb anyway. It's really only useful in a limited range of scenarios. If you're in a group, that dynamic changes somewhat.
I go doing dangerous things in remote places. I'm comfortable with the risks that are inherent with the activity - but I (and reasonably so, I think) control the ones that can be controlled, without spoiling it.-- Custardguts, Nov 23 2016 That's fair enough. We too engage in such activities.
The point is that part of the attraction of such activities is that they are inherently dangerous. Many elective activities are. The enjoyment is directly related to the presence of a real threat to life.
Being part of a rescue team similarly engenders feelings of mutual purpose and achievement; but it has to be clear to all participants that the rescue is also a discretionary activity.
A lifeboat rescuing the crew of a foundering ship is a duty; a chopper plucking an injured park ranger from a remote area is the same. Both were doing their job, and something went wrong.
When an activity is purely recreational, the approach should be different.-- 8th of 7, Nov 23 2016 Mmmm, but by that notion, ambulance response to car accidents would be dependent on whether the injured parties were driving for work or just recreational purposes.
How are you choosing who gets rescued?
(that said, I am a big fan of some sort of subscriber insurance for remote rescue -I just can't imagine how to manage it)-- Custardguts, Nov 23 2016 // How are you choosing who gets rescued? //
Net financial worth, how else ?
Yes to the insurance. Simple to implement - you have to rent your EPIRB from an insurer.
This should be applicable to all dangerous sports.-- 8th of 7, Nov 23 2016 //I'd make EPIRB carrying and registration just part of the park booking process.//
"OMG! I stepped in a stream and got my feet wet! Good thing I've got this EPIRB. I'll just call the chopper to take me home."
Yes, I know misuse can incur a large fine, but this happens after-the-fact, when the rescue team's time has already been wasted.-- Wrongfellow, Nov 23 2016 Easy - have an insurer's blacklist. Misuse the EPIRB, get blacklisted. You can still go hiking, but you won't get rescued if anything goes wrong. The local carnivores will soon handle the problem, if it is a problem.-- 8th of 7, Nov 23 2016 // Yes, I know misuse can incur a large fine, but this happens after-the-fact, when the rescue team's time has already been wasted.//
I get your point but I hate that kind of thinking. "a small percentage of the time people misuse something, so lets ban it" is in my mind what's wrong with society today.
...Of course we should just solve the problem rather than just talk about it... Satellite messengers (like a text-only satphone, the idea being it's relatively easy to push the data of a small text through intermittent signal, versus trying to maintain a link good enough for discernible two way voice transmission) could be used instead of EPIRBs. The current generation of sat messengers do suffer from signal strength issues, but that seems resolvable. My proposal is to instead of having an on/off EPIRB, make it so you have to text emergency services with what's wrong.
"I'm in an extremely remote area and my car broke down, I have 2 days worth of water but it could be weeks until the next vehicle comes along" needs a very different, and much cheaper response, than say "I've been bitten by a western taipan, I've got it wrapped up but I'm starting to feel crook". I mean even "I've broken my leg but I'm in the shade and have food and water for 3 days" probably doesn't need a chopper. With a satellite messenger, I'd be more likely to call a mate rather than SES for that kind of thing - especially if calling the SES costs me money, directly or indirectly via premiums.-- Custardguts, Nov 23 2016 The wilderness has tried to kill me many times. It is a very good, if slightly unforgiving, teacher.
If you want to take those classes you have to be prepared to pay the tuition. A rescue alert button wouldn't have saved me from even a single one of those close calls. I would take off into the bush for several days at a time and nobody would know I'd even left let alone where my body might be found if I didn't come back.
I figure that all kids should be taught wilderness survival as a matter of course.That it isn't widely taught says a lot about just how expendable your government considers you as a citizen to be.
There's no excuse for anyone over the age of twelve to not be able to survive alone in the bush for extended periods other than they were not taught how. It should be mandatory.
I still like the idea for tourists though. I mean, I could survive for quite a while here lost in the woods... but drop me in the middle of Australia or India and all bets are off.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 24 2016 // It is a very good, if slightly unforgiving, teacher. //
"Experience is the harshest teacher, because she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards."
// all kids should be taught wilderness survival as a matter of course. //
Not necessarily. Those who choose to do so, or are taught by their families, confer an evolutionary advantage upon themselves. Charles Darwin would be so proud ...
// That it isn't widely taught says a lot about just how expendable your government considers you as a citizen to be. //
Ironically, it's a major part of military training, which suggests that service personnel are somewhat less "expendable" than civilians, but from the point of view of the survival of the nation-state, all citizens are expendable; "Go, ask the Spartans ..."
<link>-- 8th of 7, Nov 24 2016 random, halfbakery