Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Adventure Preparedness Training

Triple Aught Design (TAD) is one of the Bay Area's own premier gear companies.  Their stuff has a unique blend of style and durability.  Back in 2011 I wrote a review of their Artemis Hoodie after field testing it during the first World's Toughest Mudder.  The wool sweater not only helped me to stave off hypothermia, but after after a quick wash came out looking like new.


TAD is now expanding their line up from gear and apparel to courses and seminars that will help you get through your next adventure.  Two of their courses coming up over the next few months are their Wilderness First Aid Course and their Field Forecasting Course.

Over spring break in college I took a Wilderness First Responder Course (Wil Fir).  I worked my way through college as a Wildland Firefighter operating in some pretty remote areas.  Some areas were only accessible by rappelling from a helicopter



The work was arduous and at times dangerous.


                            

The Wil Fir course seemed like a good set of skills to have.  I instantly fell in love with this course.  It taught us how to improvise and be mini MacGyvers.  I loved it so much that I went on to become a Wilderness EMT and a Wilderness First Aid Instructor.

Wilderness Medicince picks up where normal First Aid Course leave off. When we're in the city we know that help is just a phone call and a few minutes away.  In the wilderness help could be hours or days away and with limited supplies.  We learned how to make splints out of everything from tree branches to magazines or whatever happened to be on hand.  While this course is a great idea for any who works or plays in the outdoors, it's also a good knowledge to have in general.  

While most of the time we can call 911 when needed, in the event of a major disaster or emergency emergency  responders can become tied up very quickly.  FEMA's Community Emergency Response Team Program recommends that neighborhoods should be able to be self sufficient for 72 hours after a major emergency.  That might be how long it takes for emergency responders to be able to respond to some areas.

The Wilderness First Aid course is held over two days, June 7 & 8, 2014.  You can find out more info and register for it here.


Just as good as having Wilderness Medicine knowledge, is knowing how to avoid situations where you would have to use this  knowledge.  In Wildland Firefighting we lived by the up to the minute weather reports.  Up to date knowledge of the weather helped to keep us out of some very dangerous situations.  This is also true for anyone who spends time in the outdoors.  Should you keep forging ahead on your hike or should you turn back?  Will this be a pleasant stroll through the woods or will it end hypothermia.  This is where TAD's Field Forecasting class comes in.  

The Field Forecasting class is taught by Meteorologist Jim Woodmencey who teaches avalanche and high risk weather forecasting to US Military Special Operations Command Personnel.  Do you ever find yourself in places where you can't access your weather app?  Cell phone battery out of juice?  This class will give you the skill set recognize and predict weather patterns for yourself.  In it you'll learn 

  • Introductory Meteorology: Knowledge of the atmosphere, barometric pressure, orographics, cloud identification and storm systems
  • Weather Forecasting: Interpreting satellite / radar images and utilizing weather maps
  • Tool Proficiency & Utilization: Developing expertise in the use of your five senses in addition to barometers and altimeters


The Field Forecasting Class is being held May 31, 2014 and June 1, 2014. You can find out more info and register for the class here


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Fun with Fitness: Kauai Day 6

We started out day 6 by heading out to the Opaekaa Falls which are one of the most accessible major falls on the island.  This waterfall is only about 5 minutes off of the main road and easily well worth the trip.



Directly across from the falls is a great view of the Wailua River Valley along with plenty of the local chickens that were taking in the scenery along with us.


Next we drove around the coast to one of my all time favorite hiking trails, the Kalalau Trail.  We had an amazing overview of this trail on Day 3 by land, Day 4 by helicopter, and Day 5 by speed boat.


The road to the North Shore is marked by amazing sights both off the coast and inland.  This is an inland cave next to the main highway.  The white residue on the walls is salt, evidence that this cave was carved from the rock by towering waves, pounding the shore. 

The road winds north around the island until it ends at Ke'e Beach.  This beach is sheltered by a reef and often provides calm swimming and snorkeling, but as always check the local surf reports before entering the water.  


Ke'e Beach serves as the trailhead for the Kalalau Trail.


The trail starts of steep and rocky and rarely lets up.  Under normal conditions it can also be quite slippery in some sections, making for pretty challenging climbing.


Sweeping ocean views  pop up after less than 1/2 a mile of hiking and continue over the next several miles.




Two miles in is my all time favorite beach, Hanakapi'i.  The trail stretches for 11 miles, but this is as far as you can hike without a permit.  One of the many reasons I love this beach is because the view looking up the canyon is of a river descending down from steep, jagged cliffs and feeding into the Pacific.









And of course we ended the day with another amazing sunset back at Ke'e Beach.