Nelson Tramping Club / beta

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Hints on Safety

(From NZ Mountain Safety Council “Going Bush” and “Survival” pamphlets)

Survival kit: Important items to help in a survival situation.

Lighter/candles/matches Survival blanket Fishhooks & line Bandage/plasters
Mini compass Cord Plastic bags Aluminium foil
Solid fuel primer (firelighters) Rubber inner tube Pad & pencil Whistle
Knife

You may decide to seek help if someone in your group is seriously injured or goes missing. If you are carrying a Mountain Radio or an emergency beacon, getting advice and assistance may be easier than if you don’t. If not, you will have to send someone, if possible two people, out with a message. However you get help, make sure you communicate the following essential details:
• what has happened, and when
• details of the missing person/people and other group members
• details of injuries/illness
• relevant resources: clothing, equipment and experience
• location of the group
• action taken and immediate plans.

Plan Your Outdoor Trips

Reduce the risk of things going wrong

Make sure you know something about outdoor first aid before you head off into the backcountry. Hypothermia is perhaps the greatest danger facing people travelling in the outdoors. Know how to recognize symptoms and how to treat hypothermia. Refer to MSC resources for guidance.
Be prepared:

• Attend a first aid course, preferably an outdoor first aid course such as the one MSC branches run.
• Carry a first aid kit – for contents refer to MSC Outdoor First Aid Manual.
• Read a first aid manual and carry it with you.

(From NZ Mountain Safety Council “Going Bush”)

This month's item is sparked by the accident referred to above. When climbing or descending a slope where loose rocks may be dislodged, there is considerable risk that those below could be injured or even killed. We should always be alert to such situations, and group up and agree on the best way to tackle the slope - and, where practically possible, do so before starting to ascend or descend the slope. Waiting till you hit loose rock may be too late. Having agreed on a method, do it! The usual alternatives, in order of preference, are:

• Find another safer way.
• Climb/descend the slope diagonally so that no-one is directly below anyone else.
• If you must go up/down in a direct line, keep close together so that a falling rock does not get a chance to gain velocity before someone stops it - intentionally or otherwise. If a rock is dislodged, immediately yell loudly - " Rock!" It sometimes gives people a chance to take evasive action.
• If the risk looks severe and there is no way to avoid it, turn around and go back.

 

Go to a fairly large area of flat ground such as a football pitch – take your compass and a couple of black plastic dustbin liners, which will go over your head. You need to take a friend to make sure you don't walk into anything nor have any difficulty with the bin liners . Mark your start point and, with the bin liner over your head, set the compass to north and follow the bearing for 25 double paces. Then set the bearing to east and follow this for another 25 double paces. Continue with south and then west so that you have walked a square. If you have followed the bea

We will be entering the peak wasp season from around February, and they are a pest – stings hurt. They occur mainly in the beech forests, and on popular DoC tracks any nests are soon spotted and reported. Wasps rarely sting unless:

• you place your hand on them as they feed on the blackened beech trees
• you slap at them or perform other disturbing actions
• you disturb a nest; in this case run like Hell!

They are not deterred by insect repellent. However, unless you are severely allergic to wasp stings, they should not interrupt your tramping, and some antihistamine ointment or pills can alleviate the occasional pain. The anecdotes of their prevalence over-rate the number of times that they actually sting.