Maps in the Backcountry

[Jack Tarlin]

Awhile back, there were several threads here on WB dealing with the importance---or non-importance---of maps.

Quite a few very experienced hikers sugested that on the A.T. they aren't necessary.

Some other folks stated that maps are ALWAYS a good idea in the backcountry.

People might want to check this out:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/06/mis...ily/index.html

It's a really sad story, and it provides a very grim picture of what can happen to you in the backwoods if you don't have a really good idea of where you are and where you're going.

Sometimes a cell phone is NOT enough and the cavalry DOESN'T get there in time.

And while this was in Oregon in winter conditions, believe me, it happens in the East, too, and sometimes in mid-summer.

[Boat Drinks]

I was following that story in the news for the last few days Jack, it is very sad. However, I couldn't help but be impressed by the mother's resourcefulness during this ordeal.

[LostInSpace]

A PLB might have precluded the tragedy.

[Blissful]

When I heard about the clothes being tossed - like the pants, I figured this guy was a gonner. SO sad. Makes you well aware though the dangers of hypothermia and to know the warning signs. Having seen it myself in my son in the Whites, it makes me triple vigilant. And glad we had maps too to get off the ridgeline.

[TJ aka Teej]

http://www.cnet.com/
Click on the photo of c-net editor James Kim and his daughter for the story.

[simon]

I've taken the habit of always traveling with my pack equipped with a compass and maps. The little space it takes up in my car are worth it.

[Sly]

Tragic story, but according to reports the guy DID have a map. I've mentioned it before, sometimes when on a trail or road it's best just to hunker down or stay on the trail or road instead of bushwhacking off trail. You're more likely to be found.

[Mr. Clean]

I can't imagine not having a map to see what is around you and what is to come.

[Hammerhead]

I've been following this story too and it is very heartbreaking. The family was very resourceful and I'm sure it was a tough decision to decide to go and look for help. Obviously in any type of survival situation, deciding to stay or going for help is a critical decision. What I'm getting at is that I believe in being prepared. I normally keep my pack in my truck and at very least I always have the 10 Essentials (plus more).

This actually inspired me to make up a few auto kits as Christmas gifts for my parents to put in their vehicles. I bought some small ammo cans, filled them with some basics, and hopefully we'll have a little extra peace of mind.

[Sly]

Hammerhead, that's a good idea and a great gift.

On the 4am repeat of the O'Reilly Factor he had on someone from National Geographic Adventure that echoed my statement. In a situation like this it's best to hunker down rather than rescuers looking all over the countryside. If anything he should have followed the road back (or stayed on the trail) They did well by burning the tires assuming they did so during the day, but could have also used the vehicles mirrors as a siginal device.

[Hammerhead]

Just read where his autopsy confirmed that James Kim, 35, died of exposure and hypothermia in the mountains of Southern Oregon.

You can leave some words of encouragement for the family on their website: http://jamesandkati.com/

[berninbush]

In a situation like this it's best to hunker down rather than rescuers looking all over the countryside. If anything he should have followed the road back (or stayed on the trail) They did well by burning the tires assuming they did so during the day, but could have also used the vehicles mirrors as a siginal device.

My understanding was that they waited several days and no one had found them yet; at that point, he probably felt he had no other choice but to go look for help. They were so far off course that nobody even knew where to look for them, and they couldn't know that someone would trace the cell phone signal.

And I think he meant to follow the road back to the turning if possible. He told his wife he'd come back in a few hours if he couldn't find help within that time. I can only guess that he became confused in the snow and lost the road, or thought he saw something off-trail that drew him away...

So very sad.

[rswanson]

That's indeed a sad, sad story. I feel for those that survive him.

As for maps on the A/T, almost anyone with experience on the trail will tell you they're mostly useful in plotting the details & timetable of your day's hike. Where water sources are, where roads and towns are, how far the shelter is, etc. If you don't get off the trail, there really isn't much possibility of getting lost. Sure, you might end up going in the wrong direction for a few miles, but you'll figure that out soon enough!

As for other trips into the backcountry, I think anyone without a map and compass is foolhardy, unless you're on a known, well-marked route with no chance of weather (esp. whiteouts) affecting your hike. Of course, if you don't know how to use a map and compass they're really good for squat. Take an orienterring course or, at the very least, read a few good books on the topic and practice those skills until they're second nature because it's too late after you've already become a statistic!

Getting back to the article, and at risk of not being familiar with the details, I'd say Mr. Kim's judgement could've been seriously impaired by his undoubtedly hypothermic state. His route choice doesn't seem to make much sense. It is easy to get disorientated in the outdoors, especially if you're even mildly hypothermic.

[Hammerhead]

Getting back to the article, and at risk of not being familiar with the details, I'd say Mr. Kim's judgement could've been seriously impaired by his undoubtedly hypothermic state. His route choice doesn't seem to make much sense. It is easy to get disorientated in the outdoors, especially if you're even mildly hypothermic.

An article I read from my local news station said they believe he was trying to mark his location by leaving his clothes behind but I think it was his hypothermic state that caused him to start shedding his clothes. At any rate, it's still a very sad story.

[Ender]

He wasn't in the backcountry, and he had a map. Sometimes the story is going to end sadly no matter what.

Very sad for the family. I wish them the best.

[rswanson]

Hmmm just realized who started this thread. Jack, you've spent, oh, a couple of days here and there on the A/T...do you still feel it neccessary to carry a map for safety's sake and have you ever gotten lost on the AT?

[rswanson]

An article I read from my local news station said they believe he was trying to mark his location by leaving his clothes behind but I think it was his hypothermic state that caused him to start shedding his clothes. At any rate, it's still a very sad story.

Yeah I thought that, too. I've never been that hypothermic (!) but I've sure heard of similar things happening to others. Maybe the searchers came to that conclusion because the items were conspicuously placed. If he was marking his trail with pieces of a map that was probably the case. Maybe he was trying to mark his trail for himself so he could find his way back.

[Jack Tarlin]

Um, actually Sly and Ender, the map he has was an Oregon road map, which doesn't help much when you're dis-oriented in the woods.

Woods as in backcountry woods, Ender. The area was actually quite remote. Ever BEEN in Southern Oregon in the wintertime, Ender? If you don't think this qualifies as backcountry, you might wanna visit Oregon for another opinion.

And yes rswanson, I always carry maps, even if I'm doing a stretch of trail I know intimately.

And yes, I have gotten myself lost, tho happily not in recent years.

I would never enter the woods anywhere without the best current map of the area that I could find.

[berninbush]

He wasn't in the backcountry, and he had a map. Sometimes the story is going to end sadly no matter what.

Very sad for the family. I wish them the best.

Yeah. I think it's easy to hear about something like this, and to think, "Oh, that couldn't happen to me because I've done xyz to prepare." Being prepared is definitely a good idea and can save your life, but the truth is there are no absolute guarantees. Illness, hypothermia, weather, unforseen emergencies... lots of things can mess with the best-laid plans, even for an experienced outdoor person.

Certainly the Appalachian Trail is very well-marked and not "easy" to get lost on, but there are always circumstances where you could unintentionally get off the trail. And if you have an emergency on the trail, it's helpful to know whether that blue blaze beside you will get you to civilization quicker than sticking on the AT. I think a map makes you safe-ER, at any rate.

[Sly]

Jack, even if he had topo maps, leaving the car and then the road, taking a short cut, in the wilderness under such conditions wasn't the wisest thing to do. My guess, and we're all mostly guess here, is once he left the road on a steep embankment, saw the conditions and the time, tried to back track towards the vehicle.

Jack, if you were in the same position, with topos, what would you have done?

I know of two people on the PCT recently that tried to get out of the weather, both had maps, both had experience, both were equipped, and both died.