Survial situations, being prepared.

skedaddle

skedaddle

Barefooters
Sep 3, 2011
1,244
2,066
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#1
I was running the local ridges today. When i started out the weather was bright and sunny, half way through my run it clouded over and started to rain so heavily, almost icy sleet that i could hardly see two feet in front of me.

I had to go at least four or five miles in either direction to get to a way off the ridge, i had a backpack on with a spare top, but either way i was freezing within a matter of minutes.

So it dawned on me to ask here, when i got back, what do you folks take when you hit the trails and ridges in the winter, space blankets, whistles, head torches etc? If i had twisted an ankle with the weather the way it was i would have been hypothermic in a very short space of time.

I did check the weather forecast before i left, and it said a slight risk of a shower.
 
#2
Wow!  I'm not in a

Wow! I'm not in a neighborhood anything like yours I guess. If I get rained on and the weather turns pissy, I just turn into a Starbucks. Well, maybe it's a bit more rural hereabouts, but not that much. I'm going to watch how this thread unravels with great interest.
 
#3
Where do you live?  I always

Where do you live? I always check the weather when I think it might get bad. I love to run in the rain on a warm day. Running in the wet cold is difficult for most of us.
 
#4
i love to run in the pouring

i love to run in the pouring rain. i would run naked if it didn't get me arrested or fined. i'm being serious here, for once. when it's pouring down i strip to my shorts and book. water retains heat so it's warm when you run and you don't have wet clothes sticking to you. a mist for some reason doesn't seem to keep me warm enough and i have to bundle up.



i did read that you had sleet. i've not been caught in that situation. i pay attention to the weather. granted they only get it about 70% right. i learned a long time when i owned a jeep to always be prepared when the top was down and they said "chance of rain". i always packed the top because more than likely it would rain.



it happened to you that you got caught with your pants down. now you know. next time you can be prepared. where do live? Arizona? we don't get flash storms here and if that's the case then good luck. can't be fun.

Mike
 
#5
I live in the Uk, so i'm used

I live in the Uk, so i'm used to rain and the hills i run in, but this was a bit extreme and something i wasn't prepared for.

The sittuation frightened me, the temperature drop was rapid, and the rain/sleet made it impossible to run so i couldn't keep warm, i felt totally unprepared and a little foolish, so i was just wondering what kit you folks take when you hit the trails to stay safe.

On the plus side i now have a new respect for my environment, it's not wilderness where i live but can certainly seem that way if you're not prepared.
 
#6
As an old soldier with a good

As an old soldier with a good bit of practical experience, I can tell you that mental preparedness, alertness and determination are far more important than anything you could carry.

That said, you can't carry everything you might need anyway, or you'd look like the 80-pound-laden infantrymen and still be missing some key stuff you really might need. And THAT said, a small pocketknife, some water, a cell phone (in 2 ziploc bags for extra water protection) and a lightweight but warm waterproof jacket might be good to carry in a small pack if you're going to be that remote.

Good judgment is even more important than mental preparedness and alertness; unlike soldiers, you always have a choice whether or not to go out into a potential storm. And while prudent prior planning and weather forecast consultation is always a good idea, things change beyond your control. If things look like they could reasonably turn ugly, go a different route that will keep you closer to safety.

If you find yourself far from home in deteriorating conditions, head home deliberately and carefully or seek whatever shelter you can find and call for help (remember the cell phone in a bag). Stay positive. Don't indulge yourself in pity for being uncomfortable, and remember that you are capable of much more than your brain will advise you of. You run barefoot for goodness sake! You could hobble with a sprained ankle if it was critical to do so (or hop, or look for a tree branch to use as a crutch). Be inventive, be determined, stay alert, and stay alive.

You've gotten good advice from everyone here. Be safe, and enjoy!
 
#7
Thanks PhilI'm going to

Thanks Phil

I'm going to invest in a Montane featherlite marathon jacket tomorrow, not to run in, unless i really have to, but as a back up solution for deteriorating weather conditions. It weighs nothing and folds up to the size of an apple. It's only water and wind resistant, but should be just enough to get me down off the ridge if things turn nasty. I think it's keeping the wind out that's important when you're wet through and unable to keep warm by running.

I've had my warning and feel i should act on it in some way so thanks again for everyones advice.
 
#9
migangelo wrote:. . .  i

migangelo said:
. . . i would run naked if it didn't get me arrested or fined. . .

Mike
Click to expand...



Come on Mike. You live in Oregon! There is no nudity law. You can be totally naked as long as you are not doing it for the purpose of sexual arousal, you are good to go. There is a lady here in Portland that I have seen riding her bike nude and there was some article in the Oregonian about her. She gets the cops called on her a lot, but they can't do much. She has a nude colored thong she will put on if they insist, but she basically said it is easy for the cops to "identify" naked men who are aroused, but not women so much. So she loses the arguement sometimes. But she has never been arested or ticketed.

I work at Reed. There are naked people here all the time.

Go for it. There is more to take off than just shoes.
lol.png


todd
 
#10
Ya Mike, when I got married

Ya Mike, when I got married three years ago, we were having a cocktail at the lounge of our hotel downtown before the reception and a group of cyclists came by, about twenty + people, all naked and flowing in the wind. Was not quite the nakedness I wanted to see on my wedding night let me tell you... I'm sure if they can get away with it you can. I think there is also a naked ride that happens every year here? Forget what it's called though.
 
#11
what? for real? i did not

what? for real? i did not know that! wow! this is going to change my wet winter runs entirely. i go to forest park when it's pouring rain and there's hardly anyone there. hmm. we'll see if i have the "balls" to do it.

they have the naked ride here. i didn't know it was a yearly event. i remember hearing about a women rollerblading naked and guys at a construction site called the cops. they complained she was distracting them too much and they had her go elsewhere.

last thing is i would look funny being naked with a heart rate monitor on. plus no one would run with me. well, not sure anyone will want to run with me now as i'm doing over 14m/m with the hrm.



Mike
 
#12
As long as your not naked

As long as your not naked Mike, I'll run with you. Don't know how long I can keep myself at that pace though. 12 min/mile pace is close to slowest I usually go.
 
#13
I want pictures!  Well,

I want pictures! Well, blurry in the areas pictures anyway.

You know, Mike, for your Halloween costume, you can go as a naked man! Ha!

Seriously, I hope my kids don't see naked people all around. How would I explain that?
 
#14
TJ, Kids are usually

TJ, Kids are usually singularly unimpressed with naked adults after the initial "what's going on here" moments. The trick is more often keeping their clothes on after they twig that such things might be optional. Have you led a somewhat sheltered life or have I just grown up with a lot more skin around?
 
#15
Remind me not to take my kids

Remind me not to take my kids to Oregon until they are older, my youngest would see that and we would never get clothes on him again. If he has the chance to go around bare bummed he's all over it.
 
#16
Lol Bob! I was shocked and I

Lol Bob! I was shocked and I was an 30 when I saw this for the first time out in public and I don't think I was ready to see that. I still don't think I'm ready to see that now....
 
#19
skedaddle, i hear Germany has

skedaddle, i hear Germany has the same landscape as Oregon. we even have a lot of Germans here.



if i do run naked, if, i will be alone on a secluded trail in hurricane heavy rain. sorry TJ, no pics.



Mike
 
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