Mind& Bldl
Butdnr fun rtqares safety preparetess
For those in the wilderness,
help isn’t always just a
phone call away
Jennifer Rollings
lor the Emerald
The great outdoors.
It can be an exciting place for
sports and activities, but a terri
ble one in which to be faced with
an injury or emergency.
“It’s a world where 9-1-1 is
rarely an option,” said Dan
Geiger, associate coordinator of
the Outdoor Program. “Safety is a
responsibility that people should
take seriously.”
For students concerned about
this responsibility, there is one
time-honored adage that still
holds true: always be prepared.
“Outdoor safety begins with
having the right clothing and
equipment, checking route and
weather conditions and being
physically fit for your adven
ture,” said Michael Strong, co-di
rector of the Outdoor Pursuits
Program.
Strong, who teaches mountain
climbing, avalanche safety and
environmental education, stress
es that the risks of outdoor activi
ties require skills beyond what
can be gained from a basic first
aid class.
“If you’re going into the back
country, you need to educate
yourself on the specific chal
lenges of a wilderness environ
ment,” Strong said.
According to Strong, any per
son planning an outdoor trip
should know how to deal with
emergency situations and life
threatening injuries such as hy
pothermia and severe bleeding. If
nothing else, one should receive
CPR training.
“Statistically, CPR is most ef
fective at saving hypothermia
and near-drowning victims,”
Geiger said.
Another defense against the
perils of the outdoors is a well
equipped first aid kit.
“Ideally, every kit should be
customized for the trip you’re
going on," Geiger said, “but get
ting a commercial kit is a good
idea.”
According to Strong, a proper
first aid kit should contain a CPR
shield, latex gloves, medical
tape, gauze and bandages. How
ever, he cautions that in a wilder
ness environment, injuries must
often be treated without sophisti
cated medical supplies.
“A good outdoorsman should
know how to improvise with
whatever is around,” Strong said.
He recalls being on a climbing
trip in a remote location when a
friend suffered a serious fall.
Strong and his party substituted
a door from a nearby ranch for a
stretcher.
It is also important to learn
how to address minor problems
such as sunburns and sprained
ankles.
“There are cases where peo
(( A good outdoorsman
should know how to
improvise with whatever
is around. ^
Michael Strong
Co-director, Outdoor Pursuits
pie on trips have dialed 9-1-1
for frivolous injuries,” Geiger
said. Tying up the phone lines
at emergency service centers
with insignificant complaints
may prevent callers in danger
ous circumstances from reach
ing help.
Another outdoor safety re
source is the Allard & Casey
Memorial Safety Library, located
in room 37 of the Erb Memorial
Union. The library provides stu
dents who participate in outdoor
activities with cell phones,
avalanche transceivers, radios,
navigational aids and instruc
tional books and videos.
Students interested in wilder
ness safety and survival classes
offered through the Outdoor
Pursuits Program should contact
either Strong or James Blan
chard, or visit the program’s
website at http://darkwing.uore
gon.edu/~opp/index.htm. Those
who want to receive CPR train
ing can sign up for courses at the
Student Health Center, which
will offer certification work
shops for both adult and child
CPR this spring.
NEWSROOM — T46-SS11
Editor in chief: Ryan Frank
Entertainment Nicole Garton, editor.
Jack Clifford, Bryan Petersen
Freelance: Ashley Bach, editor.
Copy Desk: Jennifer Shinen, Rich Dirks, copy chiefs.
Emily Aanderud, Monica Hande, Amy Horton,
Stephen Palermini, Tom Patterson.
News Art Matt Garton, editor
Katie Nesse, graphic designer Scott Barnett, Amanda
Cowan, Matt Hankins, Nick Medley, photographers.
ADVERTISING — 346-3712
Becky Merchant director.
Rachelle Bowden, Leigh-Ann Cyboron, Brian Dia
mond, Dan Hageman, Doug Henlges, Andrew Lake
fish, Amy Ruppert, Erick Schiess, Emily Wallace
BUSINESS — 346-5512
General Manager Judy Riedl
Business: Kathy Carbone, business supervisor.
Judy Connolly, receptionist
Distribution: Jason Flemming John Long, Chartes
Schoies.ZachTessnier
PRODUCTION — S46-4S81
Michele Ross, manager Tara Sloan, coordinator.
Joselyn Bickford, Nicole Garton, Sarah Kidder, Lau
ra Lucas, Katie Nesse, Brandt Nelson, Broc Nelson,
Gabe Silverman
ironworks
-GYM
189 West 8th Ave. 485-4475
our juice bar*:
Top'Motch Bicycle
Service Now.'
We take the time to discover what you need,
then we do it right.
MTB, Hybrid & BMX Bikes from
Giant • Mongoose * Voodoo
Great Bikes, Great Service!
687-0288
1330 WILLAM
\
iddlefielD
18 minutes south of Eugene
in Cottage Grove .942-8730
2000 Cal Young Rd.
Eugene -484-1927
0057221
Afternoon Rates
9 Holes...$600
Monday - Friday after 1 pm • Good till 4/30/99
THIS FISHER MOUNTAIN BIKE IS A STEEL
PAUL’S Bicycle Way of Life
2480 Alder (342-6155)
& 152 W. 5th (344-4105)
Gary Fisher recognizes the
peerless qualities of the
steel bicycle frame. Supple
and comfortable, yet strong
and light, Fisher’s new 4
pound air hardened chrome
vanadium steel frame is at
the heart of a killer ride. If
you’re a rider, not a poser,
check out the Gary Fisher
Aquilla, and Hoo Koo F.
Koo
005923
1166 South A, Spi
• Bgfyflc • Recycle • Recycle