Summary: Show Notes: Episode 080<br> Today on the First 40 Miles, staying inside has its benefits. No risk, but, no reward. On today’s Top 5 List we’ll help you put together your risk management plan. For today’s SUMMIT Gear Review, a lightweight, stuffable daypack that’s the perfect stowaway for your next backpacking trip. Next, on today’s Backpack Hack of the Week, it’s time to get organized. And we’ll leave you with a little trail wisdom that may help you to slow down a little.<br> Opening<br> <br> * Risk Assessment 101<br> * How do you determine your risk level before you leave?<br> * What’s your skill level?<br> * What’s the trail difficulty?<br> * What are the conditions?<br> * What do recent trail reports say?<br> * What other challenges? (family, small children, alone, personal health risks)<br> * The greater the risk the more prepared you have to be<br> * This means you need to set things in place to reduce your risk<br> <br> Top 5 Elements of Your Risk Management Plan<br> Physical Protection<br> <br> * This element of your risk management plan protects you from the elements<br> * This includes extra clothing, rain gear, shelter, and emergency bivvy<br> * Hikers need to apply this advice twice, because backpackers already plan to be out for an extended period of time, but hikers will sometimes leave wearing shorts, and get caught in weather that they’re not prepared for<br> * Always factor physical protection into your risk management plan.<br> <br> Navigation <br> <br> * This element of the risk management plan protects you from the risk of being lost<br> * Navigation doesn’t have to include just a map. Often when hiking as a group, a predetermined camp site or meet-up point is chosen. This is part of your navigation. If you don’t show up, your group will be wondering what happened.<br> * <a href="http://www.gotenna.com/">GoTenna</a> may be an option to look into for locating hikers in your group, using a pre-downloaded map<br> <br> Communication<br> <br> * This element of your risk management plan protects your from being invisible (or lost to others)<br> * All hikes—short or long—need to begin with a check in<br> * This means that you shoot off a text to a friend saying “Taking off for Rounder’s Loop. Back before dark.”<br> * And maybe just to put your mom’s mind at ease, let her know you will be out of cell range for a day or two—otherwise you’ll come home to a barrage of worried texts and voicemails.<br> * Another common way to communicate your plans is to leave a note under the driver’s seat with info scratched on the back of an old receipt saying where you’re going, and the time you expect to be back.<br> * Some backpackers who are out for weeks for months at a time, choose to use a more tech rout by using satellite phones or the SPOT device.<br> * Another option if you’re in a remote location, and you’re unable to hike out, even if you’re not in cell range, is to keep your phone turned off, but power up for five minutes each day. When turned on, cell phones “check in” with nearby towers every few minutes, leaving an electronic trail of “pings” for rescuers to follow. Phones do this even if the signal is too weak to make or receive calls<br> * See<a href="http://See%20more%20at:%20http://www.backpacker.com/survival/save-your-life-with-a-cell-phone/#sthash.u7mh7RQI.dpuf"> “Save Your Life With a Cell Phone”</a><br> <br> Fuel<br> <br> * This element of risk management protects you from poor decision making<br> * If you want to be able to take risks you need to make good choices, and being hungry can really mess with your brain.<br> * “Snickers: You’re not you when you’re hungry”<br> * Food goes a long way to help you make good choices<br> * Always bring an extra day’s worth of food—even if it’s just 4 PowerBars and some hard candy.<br> * Food, water and literal fuel<br> <br> A second brain <br> <br>
