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Communications Equipment in the Wilderness
For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling in all kinds of weather Communication in the wilderness is a matter of survival, as well as convenience. Before even leaving home, communications must begin. In fact, our first two communications tips do not even require equipment or gadgets. "Make sure that somebody knows when you leave, when you expect to return (or get to your destination)," advises Chad Brown, owner of Farm & Field fishing and hunting equipment, a website geared to hunting, fishing and farming. "Provide as much information about your route as possible. Things can happen. Rocks can fall on your head while hiking. Boats can tip over while fishing. Firearms can malfunction while hunting. Somebody needs to know that you are late in arriving...and where to send search parties to go fishing for you. In fact, this is the same advice I used to give drivers in winter weather when I was spokesperson for CAA Ontario. The second tip is to never head into the wilderness alone. Just as one should never go swimming without a swimming buddy, nor should one go long-distance cycling or hiking, nor hunting, camping or fishing in a remote area without a buddy. My wife's uncle took the business end of large falling branch on his skull while out in the forest, knocking him unconscious and cracking his skull down the middle. Eventually his skull will heal, but only because he had companions to get him into town. Otherwise, he might still not be found. Here is another report, this one from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation about a fall from a tree stand: "The subject had no communications equipment with him. No phone or radio. If the subject had left word of where he would be and approximate hour of return, a response may have been quicker. Cause of Death: The subject suffered a broken shoulder, multiple broken ribs on one side, a punctured lung, and a punctured spleen." This is fishing gear? Assuming you are still conscious, it helps to have some communications equipment while out hunting, fishing or camping. Of course, there is the ever popular cell phone, which brings instant communications to almost everywhere in the world. Except maybe your wilderness trek. But there are many places where cell phone range covers your fishing lake or hunting woods. The best part about a cell phone is that, even by your favorite wilderness stream, you can have utterly normal conversations with pretty well anybody. "Yes, nice weather we are having lately. OK, darling, on my way back into town I'll pick up some milk and peanut butter and...wait! Was that an orca?!? Gotta go." Click. Not only that, with a cell phone you can even catch up on your email while crouching in your tent or scaling a cliff, with an email to phone service. A two-way radio is a much surer piece of equipment, because it does not depend on the cellular phone network to connect. The downside is that you get to speak to a much narrower range of people: other two-way radio owners. "Hi there, Big Bear, do you read me? Can you get a-hold of my wife to see if I have to pick up milk and peanut butter on my way back into town? Do you copy? Oh yeah, you got the weather forecast there, by any chance?" Before you leave on any outdoors trip, it is wise to check your weather forecast. But the weather forecast can change quickly, so a cell phone or radio serves another purpose. "Whaddaya mean thunderstorms and hail?!? I just got here, darling, I don't want to come home just yet. Oh...alright..." Of course, you could just have someone email the weather forecast to you on your cell phone. Chad Brown also suggests another piece of hunting equipment - keeping a very loud whistle hanging from your neck. If you are trapped under a tree, pinned down by a boulder, or wrestling a grizzly bear, you might not have the reach or the attention span to dial a number. If anybody is within earshot, they will come running...if not to help you, at least to capture the scene for America's Funniest Home Videos. Our final tip might seem obvious, but make sure you know where to call. Have the emergency number taped to the back of the cell phone (ignore your wife's idea of tattooing it to your forehead; where would you find a mirror in the middle of a ravine?) and make sure you know what frequency to call for help on the two-way radio. There you have it. You are prepared to go out into the wild and communicate. Make sure to prepare, to have the right hunting equipment or fishing gear for communicating, and know how to use them in an emergency. And if the animals don't understand what you are trying to communicate to them, you might not be any worse off than in the city. David Leonhardt is a freelance writer and a website marketing consultant who loves the outdoors.
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. News Corp exec becomes chief of Germany's Premiere (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp's chief financial officer for Europe and Asia has been named chief executive of German pay television group Premiere, following the resignation of Michael Boernicke, Premiere said on Wednesday. Premiere CEO Is Replaced by News Corp.'s Williams (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Premiere AG , the German pay- television company partly owned by News Corp., said Chief Executive Officer Michael Boernicke is being replaced by a senior News Corp. executive. News Corporation to redevelop London Wapping site (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is to redevelop its Wapping site in London, moving all its UK businesses, including News International, Harper Collins, MySpace and Dow Jones, under one roof. DeJesus, Royals sad at Sweeney news (MLB.com) DeJesus, Royals sad at Sweeney news Phila. mayor to announce grim budget news (Philly.com) The Nutter administration is expected to announce grim budget news today, which is all but certain to lead to significant spending cuts - perhaps as high as 10 percent - in some city departments, according to three sources familiar with the budget. Tribune blames Google for damaging news story (Market Watch) SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tribune Co. said Wednesday that the mistaken online publishing of an old news story that cratered UAL Corp.'s stock price earlier this week was because of a repeated technology failure at Google Inc. Get the latest news in racing (Daily Racing Form) In order to read Daily Racing Form's free daily news stories it is required that you have a DRF.com free membership. If you do not have a DRF.com free membership, please register here . You will NOT need to be logged in to read each day's free news stories. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) Chesney nominated for 7 CMAs ... Hoffman: I'm not playing Penguin ... 'RocknRolla' No. 1 at U.K. box office ... Jessica Simpson stops song on 'GMA' ... News from United Press International. Kyodo News agency says three inmates executed (AP via Yahoo! Malaysia News) Kyodo News agency says three death-row inmates have been executed in Japan. Site: news - Google News New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for fishing Fly-fishing for these salmon is simple, fun (Detroit Free Press) SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario -- Going after pink salmon is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to catch salmon on a fly rod. The techniques are so simple and so much fun that they should call this Salmon Fishing 101. INSIDE THE OUTDOORS: Fishing by the numbers? Try a 7 (Detroit Free Press) My standard fly-fishing tackle for chinook salmon and steelhead used to be a nine-foot, eight-weight rod with a traditional floating line. But for pink salmon I've sometimes used a six-weight trout rod for fish that run two to five pounds. They're considerably stronger than trout of the same size, so using a six-weight really revs up the sporting factor with these fish. Fishing report: Sept. 11 (The Tennessean) FISHING REPORT South Florida fishing report (Miami Herald) With water levels more than 15 feet in Lake Okeechobee, Howard Kleeman of Slims Fishing Camp in Clewiston reported that largemouth bass are scattered and moving further up into the grassy areas, where they have not been able to get in years. . . . Largemouth bass are being caught in the Moon Shine Bay area, Pelican Bay and the west side of Red Island. The bass are eating swimming frogs, shiners, ... Fishing derby designed to promote sport of fishing to kids - and parents, too (Morris Daily Herald) The third annual Just 4 Kids Fishing Derby is just as much for the parents as for the kids, Troop 471 leader and derby organizer Dana Morse said. Pittsburgh hooks big-money fishing tournament (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) Pittsburgh will host another big money fishing event on the Three Rivers in July and August, 2009, with $1 million guaranteed to the winner. Fishing report: Sept. 11 (The Longview News-Journal) AUSTIN (AP) ? Here is the weekly fishing report as compiled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for Sept. 10. (Report also available on Web as www.txfishing.com.) Of the Outdoors ? Jig Fishing: The Ultimate Catching Tool (Yankton Press & Dakotan) With all of the traveling I do, I have the opportunity to talk with a lot of anglers. At a recent in store promotion, I was talking with a group of fishermen talking about different fishing techniques. Boy Scouts set to host fishing derby Sept. 13 (Morris Daily Herald) Morris Boy Scout Troop 471 will host its free Just 4 Kids Fishing Derby on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Gebhard Woods State Park in Morris. PHOTO GALLERY: Fishing Rodeo in Fairview Heights (St. Clair County Journal) The pond at Everett Moody Park in Fairview Heights was the place to be for young anglers on Aug. 30 as Elk?s Lodge 664 and Mayor Gail D. Mitchell sponsored the 16th annual Kid?s Fishing Rodeo. Site: fishing - Google News Fishing/hunting report - San Diego Union Tribune
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