hosting an outdoor skills talk

[Everything Mac]

Hi all - I need a bit of advice.

I've been asked to do a talk on outdoor skills to people on my course at uni.
- I do Earth Science (Geology) and we are asked to do individual mapping as part of our dissertation. This involves being on the hill - often in the middle of nowhere and most people have no idea what to do if the schist hits the fan (sorry)

I'm not first aid trained - but we are having a nurse and an ex army medic coming in to talk about that kind of stuff.

My talk will be centred around general outdoor skills, hydration, field etiquette etc.

so....
any pointers?

I was thinking of trying to hammer home carrying enough food and water.
only as fast as your slowest team member (if in groups)

I can't decide if it is worth going over fire lighting and shelter building?

any and all pointers greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Ray Britton]

Hmmmmm.

Bearing in mind your statement about when T****, then outdoor toilet routines could be a good starter!
It can be a very good humoured lecture, and the props are easy to obtain too (mars bars for boys, and twix for girls...if you see where I am coming from!).
This is actually a very serious subject, and can be as basic as being out for a walk in the woods, to what to do when sea kayaking or half way up a cliff face!. Hot regions can be dealt with, as well as toilet habits in freezing weather or above the snow line.

If you do decide to do this (it is more interesting than attending YET ANOTHER water, sheltr or fire lecture lol), then there is a very good book on the subject, which you could pick up from Amazon.

The book is:

How to **** in the woods by Kathleen Meyer.

It is an easy to read book, and is the 'bible' on this subject lol. Some of your audience may have water of fire problems, some may get lost...But all will need to go to the toilet at some point. I have taught camp and outdoor hygiene to all age groups, and as long as the lecture includes humour, the students remember the subject well.

Just a suggestion.

 

[ged]

Hi all - I need a bit of advice.

I've been asked to do a talk on outdoor skills to people on my course at uni....

How long do you have to prepare, and how long is the talk to last?

 

[Toddy]

.........and if you want to borrow that book, let me know

cheers,
M

 

[Everything Mac]

Plenty of time to prepare - a month at the very least.

talk will be about an hour or so if not less.

so far I think it is going to include:

Equipment, both for mapping and field walking so boots and a decent jacket etc etc.
Staying warm - layers
Hydration (and recognising dehydration)
Navigation
taking care of your feet??
taking enough food
field evacuations - how to do it. - I took a trowel and some of those handy packs of tissues. - quite an interesting feeling relieving oneself overlooking scenery like this

I was also thinking about listing places to buy kit on the cheap - most of the ones I know are military surplus websites. - price is a big factor for these things - I think I must have spent around £200 on kit for my field trips - on top of what I already had. - a lot of money when you don't have any.

Cheers guys

Might have to have a wee perusal of that book Toddy

Andy

 

[Toddy]

These days many sites advise that if you bring it in you take it out.
Doggy bags, especially for menstruating females.

Up to yourself but it is an issue in many areas, especially SSSi's. I know of one dig, 2,000 feet up Ben Lawers where the loo had to be carried up and down everyday because of this.
Places like the incredibly overused Loch Lomond shore became like third world public loos for a bit

Mobile phones are awfully useful as a safety backup, if they can get a signal. Basic orienteering isn't a bad thing to know either though I reckon everyone ought to be at least familiar with how a compass and map works.

I'll see if I can find the book and get it to you Andy,

cheers,
M

 

[Ray Britton]

Hi Everything mac.

As for just having a trowel and some tissue.......I suggest you borrow the book, to see how you can do things better lol!

IMHO you are trying to cover far too many subjects in the time you have. If you cover the subjects you mention already, then you will only get just over 8 minutes per subject, which to be honest is not enough to even cover any basics on any one subject. This will leave you delivering only a tiny amount of knowledge on each subject, and you may fall into placing your students into the 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing' trap

While I would agree that evacuation is relaxing in scenery like you show, it is also not nice that what you leave there...Tissue etc etc, will still be there a minimum of one year later, and easily up to two years, as the ground will freeze in winter! If you are not 'packing out' then at least burn the tissue, and make sure your students would know the dangers of frozen ground, water courses (and heights above/distance from), snow lines, degradable materials, depth of burying, hygiene etc etc lol. One ex student of mine use to 'hide' his faeces under a rock, so animals would not get to it, and no one would step in it........He carried this on, thinking it was good practice, until the day he was collecting stones to put around a fire....And found...yes you've guessed it.

If we go back to your other subjects, and simply look at navigation. If you were to show your students three or four different types of compass, and maybe two types of GPS, you would not even get through explaining the features and benefits/pitfalls of each in the allotted time scale you are planning for. I feel it would be better to narrow down your subject matter, and so improve the quality of knowledge passed over. For example, it would be more beneficial to explain to the students how bubbles can form in compass housings in cold weather, why they form, and how this affects the compass's performance. You could then go on to explain how to remove the bubble in the field. A good passing of knowledge will leave the students empowered, rather than potentially bewildered at being rushed through many subjects, and absorbing little if any knowledge. These lectures can take quite a bit of time, and in many circles, simply demonstrating and explaining a Silva type 4 is allotted 45 minutes.


Toddy. As for the book, I hope you found some of the stories just as funny as I did!
I will always remember the one about the person passing stools, while looking at a lovely view, only to have his deposits then roll all the way down the hill he was on, and settle next to someone elses camp fire down below. Or the climbers stopping to poo while belaying, and to then have their used paper blow up and down the rock face for the next thirty minutes lol

 

[Nagual]

A hour is a very short time or depending on your audience, a long time. lol. Keeping everything simple, covering the basics and hinting at further info if you think it's really required. Allow time for questions either at the end of each 'subject' or at the end of the lesson. "hands on" playing with things can help your audience absorb the info faster and better than if not. Have fun while doing it!

 

[ged]

IMHO you are trying to cover far too many subjects in the time you have.

Ray's right. I think you should find out what people are going to need most, and more about what the other speakers propose. It would be a shame to cover things that most of the audience already know or duplicate things covered by other speakers.

 

[nigeltm]

I’m assuming that this will be a group event? Or is Individual Mapping a solitary exercise? If it is group don’t worry too much about the “big” skills such as first aid and navigation. Try and have a couple of people in the group who are experienced in these and the rest can enjoy the walk.

Other than that my approach for this would be safety first and everything else is luxury!

The first thing to consider is how to prevent incidents in the first place as its better not to be a casualty at all rather than have to handle the situation. Make sure that everyone has the proper kit for the activity. You can cover is what kit to take with you. There are a couple of new members of my mountain rescue team who are experienced hill walkers. Even so, at the last training weekend their kit was inadequate for a wet and windy September afternoon in the Brecon Beacons! You could consider taking in your basic kit for a show and tell. You can then talk around what they should be carrying. Typically this will be basic clothing appropriate to the conditions (NOT JEANS!!!), waterproofs, gloves, hat, food, water, personal first-aid items (and medication for 24 to 48 hours if any are diabetic, severely allergic, etc), torch (worst case they could be stuck out all night) and one or two emergency items such as a £2.99 orange survival bag (they do save lives, keep you warm, dry and help you to be located).

Next up is how to behave. This includes looking out for each other, not being afraid to speak up if they’re struggling or have a problem, foot care (suitable boots, talc, liner socks and keeping dry) and understanding that you are there as a team. Very important is to stress that anyone playing the fool is putting the whole group at risk. No booze (or any other recreational substances) on the day or even the night before.

They should know is what to do if the sh*t hits the fan. Who do you call? What information should they provide?

The UK is covered by Search and Rescue services coordinated by the Police (dial 999, ask for the Police and ask for a rescue callout). If there is a major problem when you're in the middle of nowhere they will need basic information such as; where you are (grid coordinates and a description in case you've misread the map!), who you are and how many there are of you, what the problem is (how many in peril, lost or a broken hip?), what kit you have and what are your skill levels for that environment/situation. Everyone in the wilds should be able to provide this info if needed. The only thing here which may be a problem for a novice is to know where they are and this can be taken care of by the GPS in most phones these days.

If they are lost a key message is to STOP. Don’t keep on walking. Stay where you are, maybe have a cuppa and a Mars bar and take the time to think. Too many inexperienced people have thought they can walk in one direction until they hit a road/stream, end up walking in circles and gone down with exercise hypothermia, broken their ankle in a pot hole or even walked off a cliff in the dark/mist.

To be honest we’re only scraping the surface here. Have you considered asking someone to come in and give the talk? You mention a nurse and medic covering first-aid. Could you ask your local SAR group to send someone? They can also help with other subjects such as navigation. Although to be able to navigate safely does require practice and cannot be covered adequately in a 1 hour lecture. The same goes for first-aid.

I hope this helps and wasn't too boring!