Accident strand Arizonaa backpacker who survives

“If I had a waterproof Personal Locator Beacon that properly functioned I could have activated it even though it was wet. I didn't fall a great distance, I only tripped and broke my knee on a rock sticking up from the creek bed. I wouldn't have damaged the PLB if it was in my pack.
FirstAid Training? Other than advice from Backpacker Magazine I no training. I just found the most comfortable postion for my leg and taped it up. I was mobile again.
Risky? It isn't risky, boulder hopping, occasional big boulder falls, dry falls to skirt, lotta brush and downed trees.I was through the roughest part of the canyon when I hurt myself.
Reimburse? When Officer Tarr escorted me through the hospital doors after landing, he said the rescue and helicopter ride is free, everything past these doors will cost you. I told him thank you and I accepted. Taxes, whats fair what isn't, lot of arguments there. Let talk about the backcountry.
Encourge others? I prefer to let people make their own decisions. I don't know anyone that backpacks solo. But if there was a person with the knowledge, gear and fitness interested in such a trek, then I would share all the information I had with them. As far as encourging then, no, that's their decision.
Phone protection? That was the biggest mistake on my part. It was in a ziplock baggie until I tried to contact my wife. My mistake was not returning it to the baggie when I put it in my daypack.
Why take a phone this time? Additional risks? No additional risks. My wife and I had been discussing a PLB or a Satellite Phone. We just kind of figured that time was catching up to me and I'd probably used up all 9 of my cat lives. Just so happens I had one more. PLB, I buying one.
Enjoy your evening,
KneeCap”

“Hey Ape!

When I started homemaking my guys were 20 mo., 6 and 9.
That started fifteen years ago and went on for five years before I started part-time work.

I didn't get a whole lotta backpacking during those years.

Good luck, Big Daddy!!”

“naked ape, when my 13 yo was 9 mo I quit my job to stay home and take care of her. My wife took the mornins and I came home from a part time job at noon to take care of her. That lasted almost 10 years before I had to go back to work full time. Best years of my life, I wish I didn't have to go back full time. During that time the girls, my son and I went on long walks in the woods, spent hours and hours at playgrounds, paddling around local ponds, we went canoe camping, car camping, beach camping, backpacking, etc.

Of course, I had a wife to share the load, I don't know your situation, but if you are a single dad check with Roam Around, that dude takes his kids all over the place. At least I know he brought them to trail days.”

“Kneecap,

I'm glad things worked out for you, and I hope you use your experience to teach others about risks and how to stay alive in the backcountry. I also hope that there is a silver lining from this and that it will allow you to find people who will be willing to hike with you. Safety in numbers. And watch that one of those bears doesn't bite your PLB in half. We don't want SAR following a PLB in a bear's stomach roaming all over while they are looking for you. *grin*

Take care.”

“"Big Daddy" LOL! Nah, I'm justa little feller, hehe. I worked while my wife did the school thang, and we had our first one shortly after she grajeeated. Our professions are such that she would wind up making a lotta more moolah than me, so I "drawed" the short straw. She got a job over the summer, and received her 6 weeks maternity leave off, and basically I took over from there. We are about as role reversal as you can get. She brings home the bacon, I cook it. I've been doing it for the last 9 years. Even now for me to go soloing(ahem, USA), my dear gal would pull out all her hair with our 3 wee ones, that's just not her part of the deal. On her downside tho, when they want a booboo kissed, they come to Daddy. And when she deployed at the start of the war, nothing really changed for me and the kids, they didn't hardly skip a beat.
I'm not a single Dad hyway, but I do all the "Mom" stuff for the kids and at home. Like I said, pretty much a total role reversal. I do like Roam Around, my kids have been totally everywhere (not yet Trail Days tho, we've not lived close enough yet).

Heck yeah wanderer! I'm guessing that you fly into Phx eh? If so, lemme know when and I'll pick ya up from the airport, or give ya directions here. I'm 'bout 30 mins NW from the center of town, in Surprise. Do stay with us if you can, I've a spare bedroom for fambly and friends. Ain't lying!”

“KneeCap, I shore would like to know some of your fav hikes, before we git back to NC next summer. And I never kiss and tell! So you can tell me your bestest ones..... knowwhutImean? E me.”

“OK, Lil' Poppa!!

I'm totally hip to your trip.
My wife is an engineer and I am King of duh Kitchen. When I was in the midst of my full time stay at home gig the boys and I did a bunch of car camping road trips. In summer '96 we set a record of 22 days on the road going as far as The Gaspe Peninsula in Kwee-beck.
Hell, I used to make pizza every Wednesday in those days. I would start about 2 or 3 in the afternoon punchin' dough and brewin' up sauce. We tried all kinds of stuff like SPAM and pineapple on pizza . Working full time now I don't have time for that stuff anymore.”

“No time for spam?”

“Yup, don't even have time for anchovies.

So sad..........”

“but if you are a single dad check with Roam Around, that dude takes his kids all over the place. At least I know he brought them to trail days.”

Yep, took em to Trail Days, Mt Rogers, snow camping in the Rockies.... my son is 15 now and he's going climbing with me next weekend and has done a rock climbing class, we're planning to start top roping some stuff this summer. My daughter likes hiking, but not too strenuous - she's 13 though so I think she'll come around - she loves being outdoors, just prefers to be more comfortable.”

“You're doing it right, Roam. My kids didn't hike, but every payday I'd buy a dozen cheap baseballs and we'd play home run derby until they were all lost or destroyed (the baseballs, not the kids).”

“my 7 yo son and I were looking through one of the 10 million (seems like it anyway)scrapbooks my wife has made (this is his nightly routine, usually with mommie) and I was really surprised how many of the pics in that album had the kids out camping somewhere. Of course, that could be her camping album and none of the other ones has a single woodzy photo :).”

“LOL mARKo! Hey howdya make that sauce fer yer pizzas, the base sauce?”

“Here is an example of my point about relying on technology to bail you out of a situation:

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/48043,2.php”