Serious Survival: How to Poo in the Arctic and Other essential tips for explorers. Bruce Parry
key endangered species such as orang-utans and polar bears.
For the participants the expeditions have been life-changing, opening their eyes to a whole new world way beyond their day-to-day experiences back home. The trips have also demonstrated that with the right preparations and attitude most people are capable of achieving far more than they might first think.
ALL IN THE MIND
It can’t be emphasised enough that the key to heading outside your ‘comfort zone’ into harsh environments is mental attitude. Yes, basic fitness is important, preparation is fundamental and expert assistance is often vital, but time and again a ‘can-do’ positive outlook has been proven to make all the difference in the world.
It’s not about revelling in being uncomfortable, dirty and tired – most adventurers love their luxury hotel just like the next person. It’s the deep satisfaction of pushing yourself to new limits and experiencing all that life has to offer.
And at the end of a tough expedition you’ll appreciate that five star hotel all the more – even if the hotel receptionists show slightly less appreciation of the filthy, bedraggled individuals lowering the tone of their lobby.
FITNESS
A basic level of fitness is essential for most expeditions – walking any distance with a rucksack at altitude or in the heat of a jungle is debilitating at the best of times, and is certainly no fun if you’re really unfit. Plan an exercise programme that gradually increases in intensity (and if you’re not used to exercise talk through your proposed programme with your doctor or a fitness expert).
For stamina, half-hour walks and short jogs at least three times a week should build to longer hikes of several hours as you get closer to the trip. Carry a rucksack and use the boots you’ll be using on the expedition to wear them in. Regular gym sessions will also improve your strength.
Having said that, it’s important to keep things in perspective and not become obsessed – only the most extreme challenges, such as attempting a Himalayan peak or walking to the North or South Pole, require superhuman fitness.
Once on location experiencing the outdoor life, your stamina will increase further day by day. With luck you’ll be absolutely glowing with health by the time you return.
ADVENTURE WITH A PURPOSE
All Serious Adventure trips have an environmental goal, and you might want to look at whether you can also add this extra dimension to your trip. It can be extremely satisfying knowing you are helping the environment, and it may also help you through any difficult times when tough conditions threaten to get the better of you.
Many trekking and expedition companies offer such opportunities, and various animal groups are on the lookout for volunteers to help with projects in the field. Even if you don’t take part formally, they may be interested in information gathered about sightings of endangered creatures.
Everything you do on expedition should of course be planned with the maximum respect – and minimum disturbance – for the environment, animals and local people. As the old maxim says: Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.
PROTECTION AGAINST DISEASE
a) Inoculations
Most extreme locations require a range of inoculations to protect against diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever and hepatitis A & B (to name but a few). Your doctor or a travel clinic will be able to advise as to what is needed for the particular area you intend to visit. Get onto this early as some diseases need a course of inoculations over a period of a month or more before departure.
The inoculations required will also depend on the immunisations you were given as a young child and whether these are still ‘in date’.
b) Malaria tablets
Many locations need protection against malaria. Anti-malaria drugs are usually taken as a course of tablets beginning before the expedition and continuing until well after the trip has ended. The exact drugs recommended will depend on the type of malaria found in the area visited (see also Staying Healthy).
It’s always hard to assess the true risk of an expedition in an extreme environment. As you start to list the potential hazards, the trip can quickly begin to look like a complete nightmare that nobody in their right mind should undertake. The trick is highlighting the dangers without overplaying the risks. (It’s often said, with some statistical justification, that the most dangerous parts of an extreme expedition are actually the journeys to and from the airport.)
A way to get the risks in perspective is to imagine how dangerous, say, remote Amazon tribespeople would find our day-to-day life in ‘civilisation’. Never having seen traffic before their chances of safely crossing a busy road would be extremely low.
To ensure survival they would clearly need to key into advice and expertise from local people, which is exactly what anyone planning a trip to their environment should also be doing.
MANAGING RISK
Everything is risky. For example, many people break their leg before even leaving the house by tripping over the doorstep. The aim during an expedition is to reduce the risks to an acceptably low level. There are various things to help achieve this:
• Careful planning in advance of the trip is essential, taking into account all the worst case scenarios and the actions that will be taken should the worst actually happen.
• Critical to this ‘risk assessment’ is an evacuation plan, listing how you would get someone to a suitably equipped, first-class hospital at any point on the expedition and how long it would take. If in the territory of dangerous snakes, for example, you will generally need to ensure that you are no more than four hours from a hospital with anti-venom.
• Local expert guides are indispensable.
• Fully charged satellite phones should be carried by key members of the expedition at all times, along with GPS satellite handsets to pinpoint location. Don’t forget spare batteries.
• A number of two way VHF radios (walkie talkies) may greatly help communication between key expedition members.
• If going to very remote areas consider taking an EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon), which will transmit your position to the rescue services in case of dire emergency.
• Employ the buddy system, in which expedition members are paired up for the duration of the trip. The aim is that each looks out for the other at all times: they should always know where their ‘buddy’ is to ensure they don’t get lost. The pair should regularly inspect each other to check for frostbite, leeches, rashes and so on.
• Each member of the expedition should carry their emergency kit at all times (see Essential Kit).
• A medic should ideally accompany the expedition with full emergency medical kit to stabilise casualties. If this is not possible, ensure at least one member of the party is trained in first aid, and bring a medical kit appropriate to the region as advised by a good travel clinic.
• Take out full medical and evacuation insurance to cover local hospital treatment and repatriation.