Emergency Readiness

[Skamaniac]

I didn't see a similar thread so if there is one I missed, I apologize.

From what I've seen so far, metal detecting is for the most part worry-free from a safety standpoint. But as a retired deputy sheriff and search and rescue coordinator I wonder if anyone thinks about getting hurt or lost on a hunt. Depending on terrain and weather an emergency can be as simple as a twisted ankle, or as serious as a broken leg or being completely lost. Even though I'm new to metal detecting I have dealt with many outdoor emergencies and would like to know what you think about these recommendations:

Always tell someone where you are most likely to be and when you plan to be back, even if it's simply leaving a note at home.

Try to have another detectorist with you if you are in unfamiliar territory.

Carry a cell phone. Even if it says you have no signal you might very well have enough to send a text. If you go down from injury or medical emergency, your signal can possibly be traced to your location.

Learn basic first aid.

Carry these lightweight items:
Pocket knife
Butane lighter
Fire tinder (dryer lint in a sandwich bag works)
Loud whistle (three blasts = distress)
Compass. Know how to read it. Trust it. Know what direction you are walking from away your vehicle.

All of this can be carried in a single pocket.

Has anyone suffered an emergency detecting you would disclose on this forum and how you handled it? Other suggestions? Am I being paranoid?

[Lowjiber]

I don't think you're being paranoid at all.

I hunt some pretty remote locations too. Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote on the AD website: http://www.americandetectorist.com/h...teorites.shtml

[size=11px][color=rgb(0, 0, 0)]However, in the majority of the desolate desert, one might as well not even try to use a cell phone. We use a Spot GPS Messenger. This simple looking device uses geosynchronous satellites to provide medical assistance (Ours is set up for helicopter evacuation.); tracking service (It will send the latitude/longitude of your location to rescue personnel with a push of a button.); and even send an e-mail containing the Google Earth picture/location to a list of friends, etc. I won't head deep into the desert without one.[/color]

[Fire Fighter 43]

Great post, as a firefighter I'm trained to always be prepared and organized with safety in mind at all times. The only thing I would add to the list and it depends on where I'm hunting, is my concealed firearm. You never know what kind of ANIMAL you may encounter.

[Lowjiber]

The only thing I would add to the list and it depends on where I'm hunting, is my concealed firearm. You never know what kind of ANIMAL you may encounter.

Me too, no matter where I'm hunting. In Glock we trust.

[Skamaniac]

However, in the majority of the desolate desert, one might as well not even try to use a cell phone. We use a Spot GPS Messenger.

Spots are great! We have located motorcycle wrecks and hikers on a mountain. I might get one myself.

[OxShoeDrew]

Nice thread.....I hunt in Connecticut where there isn't much chance of REALLY getting lost, but I'm still paranoid. I always follow stone walls into the woods and have my phone. My partner and I bang our shovels on rocks when we need each other.
Israel Putnam killed the last wolf in my area about 200 years ago. I saw a bear once but he had a tag on each ear. He was more of a State of CT pet lol
I've recently heard of mountain lion sightings but I think our biggest danger is still ticks. I'm just an hour from Lyme, CT. I think our area is endemic.

[Skamaniac]

The only thing I would add to the list and it depends on where I'm hunting, is my concealed firearm. You never know what kind of ANIMAL you may encounter.

I also carry. I wonder how many others do as well. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone but if one is knowledgeable and proficient in its use it might be right for them.

[ssserena]

When i was in branson at the bass pro shop they had extremely high doses of deet.At first i was thinking this stuff has to be dangerous,but after hearing about lime disease ill take the high dosage of deet!The spray bottle is so concentrated with deet it was the size of a roll of dimes.

[del]

this is a great reminder post Skamaniac and for all the reasons you mentioned is why i stress on having a hunting buddy or partner , someone to share the fun with and also someone who in the worst circumstances can still go for help if you need it .

Israel Putnam killed the last wolf in my area about 200 years ago.

not true Drew , George and i saw a couple of wolves about a year and a half ago not far from your area.

[freemindstuck]

When I go out into the woods I always tell someone where I'm going and when I'll be back. My biggest fear is falling in an old well or mineshaft. Carrying a firearm is never a bad idea. In my area of the country the biggest danger you have to watch out for is mobile meth labs out in the woods. Methamphetamine users can be very dangerous and I don't recommend that you approach any suspicious campers.

[wrvond]

I hunt almost exclusively in an urban environment, so the two most important pieces of survival equipment are my debit card and CCW. thumbsup01
Even then, my bride knows where I am going and has a good idea of when I should be back and will come looking for me, so if I do have an accident, it better not be in a strip club! :hysterical:

Cell phones can still do an awful lot, even if you don't have a signal. GPS will still work, which means you can enter a destination and get help finding your way back. You can also download maps of the area you are going to be in ahead of time. The one thing people go without that they really shouldn't is plenty of water. Dehydration can overtake you in a big hurry, no matter where you are.

[Skamaniac]

Don't know how I missed water! You are absolutely right about dehydration. Nice catch. Here in the Pacific Northwettest people make that mistake a lot.