A Dozen Ways To Die (In The Backcountry)

[TreeFrog]

Saw this list in Backpacker Magazine (http://www.backpacker.com) this month – the October 2006 issue – and was surprised what was at the top of the list. I always thought “heart attack” was #1. As Lee Corso says, “not so fast my friend”. Here’s the list:

1. Falling
2. Drowning
3. Heart Attack
4. Hypothermia
5. Heat Stress
6. Lightning
7. Avalanche
8. Suicide
9. Flash Flood
10. Insects (Bees, Ticks, Mosquitos)
11. Snakes And Spiders
12. Predators (Alligators, Cougars, Bears)

And you thought you needed to worry about Smoky The Bear!

[April Flower]

Insects? Didn’t expect to see that one in there.

[small change]

Where does other hikers/people on the trail rank? Or does this fall under the predators catagory?

[TreeFrog]

Humans didn’t make the list, so fear of other people in the wilderness is way over-rated. As far as insects, it was mainly people dying from bee/wasp stings that had bad allergic reactions.

[Stagefright]

Hard to believe that insects take out more people than predators (alligators, cougars, bears). Guess I need to pack more DEET and Benedryl.

[Guests]

How about from your hiking partner’s BO?

[Guests]

Or from Nirvana?

[Tree Top Flyer]

In the human category I’d have to add:

Overconfidence
Ignorance
Bravado

All mixed with alcohol is even more deadly.

[TreeFrog]

Case in point…….

Man Falls To Death At Waterfall

POSTED: 9:38 am EDT April 30, 2007
UPDATED: 3:48 pm EDT April 30, 2007

BREVARD, N.C. — A 21-year-old Georgia man has died after falling from a 50-foot waterfall in the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard, authorities said.

Thomas William Tidwell of Auburn, Ga., fell at Moore Cove Falls as he tried to cross a stream Sunday, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said Monday.

Tidwell had been hiking with his girlfriend when he fell. They were hiking in an area with no official trail, though hikers often make their own path to the top of the waterfall, officials said.

Tidwell died at the scene.

“Everything points to just a tragic accident,” Mahoney said.

The county has more than 250 waterfalls, and local emergency workers respond to about a half dozen waterfall accidents a year.

[FreakShow]

Light me up! When I go, I’d rather it be in the backcountry … and it might as well be with a bang. Give me lightening!

[Tree Top Flyer]

Let’s say, you have a curious nature about yourself that leads you to go places you probably shouldn’t be going walking. Say, an alligator and poisonous snake infested swamp. Let’s call said swamp, the Great Okeefenokee Swamp on southern Ga.

As if the gators and snakes aren’t challenging enough, decide to go when the place is experiencing a major drought and happens to be on fire. And if that’s not enough, how about you go when there’s a lot of lighning predicted for that day which most likely will start more fires.

Lastly, don’t tell anyone you’re going and wear flip flops on your happy little jaunt through this den of death.

No, I’m dumb, but not that dumb. But a buddy of mine sure is and only suffered some slighly toasted eyebrows and a really bad case of poison ivy. He still insists that it was a good idea and has plans to return to the swamp, very soon. I say, probably permanantely.

[Tree Top Flyer]

I just realized that knuckleheads trip to the swamp consisted of 7 items on your list:

1. Lightning
2. Insects
3. Predators
4. Drowning
5. Snakes and Spiders
6. Heat Stress (since he took along one small bottle of water and nothing else).
7. Falling into mouth of alligator since you’re wearing flip flops in a swamp.
ah, why not and….

8. Suicide, c’mon if you do all this wrong, you’re trying to off yourself.

[Guests]

I’m surprised lightening doesn’t top the list. I’ve had some close calls with it over the years, especially while hiking in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Afternoon thunderstorms seem to come out of no where out there and you really have to be careful – ie. get up early and avoid hiking in mid-afternoon.

[Stagefright]

With all the buzz on here re: Into The Wild, better add starvation.

[Guests]

I tried to cross a flooded stream once in Maine. It was only about eight feet across, but the water was moving so fast that I got swept off my feet and nearly drowned. Can’t say I’m suprised to see that one on here.

[Author]

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