Preventing and responding to injuries, illness, fatigue, exposure, emergencies, and other risks in remote environments.
A practical decision framework for recognizing when smoke, heat, and dehydration are combining to make a backcountry day unsafe—and how to reduce exertion, find cleaner air and water, and finish early when necessary.
A practical system for protecting glasses, managing fog, carrying spares, and handling vision problems far from the trailhead.
A practical guide for group leaders and experienced backpackers facing an injured companion who wants to continue, including immediate assessment, communication, evacuation choices, and when to seek outside help.
A practical guide to recognizing severe fatigue in the backcountry, checking for more serious problems, reducing demands, and making a safe group decision about stopping, sheltering, or evacuating.
A practical decision guide for assessing a persistent headache in the backcountry, including hydration, heat, exertion, altitude, medication, carbon monoxide, and when to seek evacuation.
A conservative decision guide covering assessment, support, pain management, evacuation options, and when walking out is no longer sensible.
A practical guide to preventing and managing chafing on long backpacking days, from pack fit and clothing to moisture control, lubrication, hygiene, and early treatment.
A practical guide to using a satellite messenger responsibly: set realistic check-ins, conserve battery, write useful emergency messages, and keep a backup communication plan in remote backcountry.
A practical framework for choosing a turnaround time when a river crossing may be unsafe, with guidance on water conditions, daylight, group ability, and alternate routes.
Practical guidance for winter and shoulder-season backpackers on spotting declining hand dexterity, warming safely, and deciding when cold hands need urgent medical attention.
Early warning signs, immediate warming steps, group responsibilities, and escalation decisions for cold and wet backcountry situations.
Why wind can disguise overheating and how to respond when symptoms appear in exposed terrain
A practical guide for backpackers on recognizing dehydration despite drinking water, understanding the effects of heat, exertion and sodium loss, and knowing when to stop or seek medical help.
A practical guide to spotting early heat illness on desert trails, taking immediate action, and planning hikes to reduce dangerous heat exposure.
Practical planning for products, hygiene, disposal, pain management, clothing, and privacy when facilities are limited.
A practical field approach to protecting a small cut when proper handwashing and clean water aren't readily available, including cleaning, covering, monitoring, and knowing when to seek medical care.
Practical first-aid guidance for cooling and covering a minor backpacking-stove burn, avoiding common mistakes, and recognizing when a burn needs urgent evacuation or medical care.
A practical framework for deciding whether to continue hiking after dark, with guidance on navigation, terrain, headlamps, fatigue, weather, group management, and safer campsite alternatives.
A practical guide to planning safer remote trips for people with asthma, covering medical preparation, medication redundancy, exertion, triggers, communication, and emergency decisions.
A practical framework for deciding whether a mild illness belongs on the trail, including departure questions, trip-planning considerations, and warning signs that should end an outing before it becomes a remote medical problem.
A practical, cautious framework for deciding when an injury in the backcountry calls for emergency evacuation, based on immediate danger, function, symptoms, environment, distance, and communication options.
A practical guide to creating a solo backpacking check-in plan, including what to share, when a response is overdue, and how to avoid false reassurance.
A practical guide to assembling a backpacking first-aid kit for the injuries, illnesses, and environmental problems a small group is most likely to face in the Canadian backcountry.
A practical foot-care routine covering prevention, early treatment, dressing choices, and when continuing is no longer sensible.
A practical guide for intermediate backpackers in the Canadian Rockies on recognizing when altitude and fatigue are affecting judgement, and deciding whether to rest, descend, or end the route.
A practical, calm approach to handling nerves on your first solo overnight, from preparing a simple check-in plan to recognizing when anxiety signals a genuine safety problem.