Hazards of Exploring Alone

As someone who ventures out alone a lot being prepared is a must Always carry lots of water ,tarp ,rope, fire starter some food me personally I always carry a fire arm as well. Panic and people not knowing there limits is a bad combo. Especially in the desert after all it is called Death Valley for good reason. The desert can be beautiful and deadly growing up in AZ I’ve seen this scenario first hand lost a good friend years ago went for a dirt bike ride wrecked broken ankle and died before anyone could find him.
 
In a situation like this, stay with your vehicle. It’s a lot easier for SAR people to find a vehicle in the environment than it is to find people. Plus, if you got there in a vehicle, chances are good someone else will be along in their vehicle.
 
For me, I always carry a satellite phone whenever I go out. Not only can you call someone in an emergency it also has and emergency beacon that when activated will bring help. It does have a subscription but it seems like good insurance to me..
 
Ever since watching 127 hours I make it a point to tell my wife where I'm going, what time to start worrying, and what time to call for help if I'm not home. I don't usually go wheeling alone but do go hunting and scouting alone lots. She never has any idea where I'm talking about so I tell her which person to call because they will know...
 
CalSgt said:
Ever since watching 127 hours I make it a point to tell my wife where I'm going, what time to start worrying, and what time to call for help if I'm not home. I don't usually go wheeling alone but do go hunting and scouting alone lots. She never has any idea where I'm talking about so I tell her which person to call because they will know...
Click to expand...
Same here. I do a lot of solo backpacking. First thing I do before heading out is send a map to one or two people of exactly where I'm starting and where I'm planning on camping and when I plan to be back. Even if I'm out of state. At least that way, they can call someone if I don't come back at the expected time. Anything can go wrong in the backcountry.
 
OverlanderJK said:
Judging by the note they left in the car it appears as though they were walking due to the flats. I just don’t get why people won’t just drive in the wheel. I would rather fuck a wheel up or do even more damage than die but that’s maybe just me.
Click to expand...
exactly, let the air out of the other 2 and drive out slow. also leaving the vehicle, panic makes for poor decisions.
.... shame
 
jeeeep said:
exactly, let the air out of the other 2 and drive out slow. also leaving the vehicle, panic makes for poor decisions.
.... shame
Click to expand...
Or move the good tires to the drive axle in a fwd or rwd. In a subie I’d guess that putting the good ones on the front would be best chance with the symmetrical awd. Hell light the fucking car on fire as a signal as a last measure.
 
jeeeep said:
exactly, let the air out of the other 2 and drive out slow. also leaving the vehicle, panic makes for poor decisions.
.... shame
Click to expand...
Snboarder113 said:
Or move the good tires to the drive axle in a fwd or rwd. In a subie I’d guess that putting the good ones on the front would be best chance with the symmetrical awd. Hell light the fucking car on fire as a signal as a last measure.
Click to expand...
Yeah honestly I wouldn’t even do that. Just drive the fucker out. Those roads that they were on are like highways.
 
JT@623 said:
As someone who ventures out alone a lot being prepared is a must Always carry lots of water ,tarp ,rope, fire starter some food me personally I always carry a fire arm as well. Panic and people not knowing there limits is a bad combo. Especially in the desert after all it is called Death Valley for good reason. The desert can be beautiful and deadly growing up in AZ I’ve seen this scenario first hand lost a good friend years ago went for a dirt bike ride wrecked broken ankle and died before anyone could find him.
Click to expand...
I remember a dirt bike rider who was riding solo on Oahu was found dead after he crashed and broke his leg. He tried crawling out, but didn't make it...
 
What the hell. I obviously don’t know what their plan was but I would be curious to know where they planned on hiking to? Drive that bastard out! I can’t imagine a high speed chase fugitive from justice stopping when they get a flat tire. They test the limits of man and machine in those high speed chases until that car CAN’T go any further.
 
Colorado4x4 said:
What the hell. I obviously don’t know what their plan was but I would be curious to know where they planned on hiking to? Drive that bastard out! I can’t imagine a high speed chase fugitive from justice stopping when they get a flat tire. They test the limits of man and machine in those high speed chases until that car CAN’T go any further.
Click to expand...
So, I'm familiar with the area they were in and could make a pretty good guess at what happened and what they were trying to do. That guess would be they were tying to go camping at a location that was maybe 25 miles away from the closest town/highway that you can drive to. From that point, where they were trying to go to was Death Valley destination along Badwater Rd just 4 miles away but to get there, you had to cross a mountain range and descend a canyon on foot.

Typical rule of thumb is 1 gallon of water per person per day. Even if they had 6 gallons of water with them, carrying it over the mountain in triple digit heat would burn through it very fast. As mentioned, driving out or trying to for as long as you could and then staying with the vehicle would have been the smarter thing to do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom