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Topics - Oakleaf

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Emergency & Backup Equipment / Uk Flooding and Potable Water
« on: February 19, 2014, 09:14:00 AM »
Now at the outset, let me caveat by saying I take 99.99% of news media output with the dose of salt it deserves. 'Freddie Star ate my Hamster' probably remains the most relevant, well researched and accurate reportage of the last 50 years.  ;)

But I'm seeing image after image of flooded areas, towns etc in the Southern UK. Also seeing many people wandering through said flood waters with seeming impunity.  Other than the odd shot of some bottled water, there doesn't appear much if any concern of warning regards contamination in either the flood water or tap water.  Yet bitter experience of flooding up here - Moray - in previous years had such issues as a priority.

I know two Police Officers who ended up being forced to retire with very poor health after exposure ( in the line of duty ) to flood water.  Friends who have covered overseas flood disasters etc tend to place secure potable water production as a high priority - to the extent of taking personal gear in addition to official supplies.

A quick review of the Government website seems to play down most issues with helpful advice such as ' if your tap water tastes a bit funny call the water company its their responsibility'  ' and boil it for now'. So chemical contamination seems zero concern.

I have three different filter units - PreMac. Surviva Pure Canteen and a Lifesaver Unit  and a couple of Millbank Bags. Ok, so I teach Bushcraft and work outdoors, but  am I just the saddest paranoid in the village or something? You can give it to me straight  ;)

Interested to hear from anyone down there and those with hands on experience as to what I've missed  and given the Forum Section Title, interested what people use/ recommend for treating water.

2
Emergency & Backup Equipment / Spot/In Reach/ PLB - balancing them
« on: January 01, 2014, 12:19:58 PM »
Hello,

I've done some searching on the forum and that has been useful, but would like to pick the collective brain further if I may.

I'm a deer stalker and spend a lot of time training/ assessing stalkers.  In general stalking has a great safety record and yet compared to many other outdoor participants, the level of safety related equipment carried is ( or seems ) quite low.  Things are changing and professional stalkers in particular now routinely prepare in a way and carry gear that was unheard of even a decade back.  But there seems to be something of a rather novel inertia - given the gadget obsession that shooters are generally guilty of! ;)

I've pushed for and supported the land use PLB changes and tried to push that within the field as well. Take-up has basically been miniscule and in trade interest really a collective yawn.  So in many ways quite pleased I'm getting an increasing number of queries as to 'which system is best'  ( inverted commas for the obvious reasons on that! ). I'm a long time follower of ETS and Doug Ritter's reviews and that has coloured my thoughts. Add in I'm a small 'c' conservative when it comes to gear - I still use a Nokia 6310 and have an in car kit fitted in the 4x4.  I like a phone to make and receive calls and a camera to take pictures and games to come in a box from Waddington's.  Start to mix and match things and I feel a prickle of uncertainty. Certainly experience with gear  ( outwith my Leatherman Wave ) is that Jacks of all trade seldom master any.

So that's my mindset when it comes to rescue type communications.  I envisage that when I want it I actually need it and it simply has to work - with the ground breaking experimentation etc having already been done by more intrepid souls :D  Hence I carry a Fast Find Ranger PLB.  Anything short of a true emergency can most likely wait until I get to somewhere with SMS signal for the mobile.  Yet if the chips are down, then I have high confidence that flipping the lid, extending the antenna and pressing the button on the Ranger is going to bring help. ( usual caveats ).

Spot - I can see some comfort in the tracking and in particular messaging options. But it seems, to me, that hands down emergency distress is compromised in the process. They are popular on a number of estates, but operation does seem patchy and ultimately you rely on a commercial enterprise.

In-Reach - only seen one unit thus far - the Delorme one.  Its mated to a 'new fangled' phone - but believe that is merely to facilitate the messaging etc - it will work with set messages and SOS alert on a stand alone basis? It appears a more substantial and systemically more robust than Spot?

So my current advice is to ask where their priority lays - if its chips are down help message must get through - PLB. If the ability to let XYZ know you're running a bit late or need picking up etc and the likelihood of getting a phone signal at a convenient point is too small then In reach ( in preference to Spot ).  But not discounting considering both!  For professionals who may have non-english speaking and rather disoriented Foreign clients with them, I push the PLB as a sensible tool.

Is this appropriate advice? I'd be grateful for your views and correction on any misconceptions etc.

3
New Member Introductions / Hello from Moray
« on: December 30, 2013, 04:26:44 PM »
With what will undoubtedly be an audible sigh of relief from Mr Brotherton - who I suspect believes I'm stalking him ( pun intended ) - all set up and logged in.  I do apologise to Admin for the hassle in getting thing resolved and thank you for your patience.

I'm Andy, self-employed, working mainly in Deer Management - and deer related training in particular.  I also do what is now termed Bushcraft, but am old enough to remember when it was just called  'being outside'  ;)  and formal training was having read Anthony Greenbank's Survival for Young People!

My current work is really just a natural progression of a life long interest in most things outdoors that's taken me through training as a Geologist, ending up as an Accountant with the DTi to now delivering deer stalker training. It was a convoluted route to an obvious place looking back!

This forum is  a great resource and I hope I can contribute in a meaningful way.

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