Don’t Die In The Desert
by Paul Dief
Every year the desert heat around Phoenix claims a few people who went out for a hike or bike ride. By following these simple guidelines you can increase the likely hood that you will return from your adventure safe & sound.
What is the first thing you should do whenever the “shit hits the fan” and your adventure takes a turn for the worse? Stop and take a few deep breaths. Try to relax. Decisions made when in panic mode often make things worse.
Heat & dehydration can kill you. One minute you’re feeling great. As your body begins to overheat you will feel nauseous and maybe experience muscle cramps. If you don’t stop, cool off and drink fluids your body temperature will climb with a good possibility of organ damage or death. You can’t “power thru” heat issues. Listen to your body and don’t push it past the point of no return.
Start thinking about hydration the night before your hike. With every breath you take you are losing a bit of water. If you go to bed perfectly hydrated you will wake up in the morning dehydrated. Drink extra water before hitting the sack. Have a big drink before you start your hike. If you are not peeing yo are probably getting dehydrated.
The evaporation of sweat is how your body cools itself. If you wear antiperspirant you are shutting down one of the body’s main cooling areas.
What to carry:
Water, water& more water. Remember to drink it! A few sips now and then will fool your brain into thinking you are drinking enough.
Snacks and electrolytes. These can help a person that is starting to feel “off” but is still capable of heading back to the trailhead.
Loud safety whistle. AZ Foothills 911 hands these out for free at various events year round. A whistle isn’t the holy grail solution for safe hiking. It is the start of your safety journey. It is intended to get you thinking about safety and what else you should do to increase your margin of safety. Should you get lost or injured and need help use your phone or satellite tracker to contact Emergency Services. Then do 3 short blows on the whistle. Repeat every few minutes until help arrives.
Cell phone. Make sure it is fully charged. Many local areas do not have cell phone coverage. Your phone battery will drain faster than normal as it searches for a signal. If your phone has satellite capabilities write the instructions on a card and carry it next to your phone. If you become incapacitated your hiking buddies may not know how to use your fancy phone.
Signal mirror. These are great for helping searcher (in the air and on the ground) locate you.
Space blanket. These things are great for providing shade. These are also easier for searchers to see.
Bandana: Can be used as a sling to support an injured arm, bandaging material, or when wet it can help cool a person off.
A copy of your photo ID, insurance card along with emergency contact info.
Satellite tracker: Amazing technology. They will upload your location to the cloud. They have an SOS button. If you are adventuring alone use the “Check In” feature. You preload contact info (for someone not on your adventure) and a short message (I’m OK) into the system. I recommend pressing the Check-In button every 30 minutes or so. If you fail to check in your contact person should try to call you. If you don’t respond they should call 911. I crashed on my mountain bike in August and was knocked unconscious. This system saved my life. If no one has started looking for me until I failed to return at the end of the day I would have most likely overheated and died from lying on the hot ground.
All the above gear lightweight and takes up very little space. It is inexpensive except for the satellite tracker. It is all priceless if it saves a life.
What to do if someone is suffering from the heat:
When in doubt contact Emergency Services. In the extreme desert heat time is of the essence!
Get them in the shade if possible. Use your space blanket is no shade is available. Pour water on their torso. Use a wet bandana to cool the back of their neck. Give them water. If they are unconscious get as much of their body off the hot ground as possible starting with their head and torso. Lay them on packs if you have enough. If not, have someone sit on the ground and get the unconscious person’s head and torso onto their legs and lap. Never try to give an unconscious person water.
Adventuring in groups has a higher margin of safety than solo trips. However you decide to adventure you can move the odds in your favor. Be safe and have fun.
