Technology is a great gift to safety.
Heading out into the great outdoors — which has become a popular attraction during the pandemic — always presents an element of risk where you’re almost entirely self-reliant.
And although our wilderness is never too far from an urban environment, exploration of local trails can present challenges.
That’s where a bit of preparation and technology come into play.
But the first thing to do, says Shawn Gibson, president of Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue (GBVSR), is to let others know where you’re going.
“Make sure somebody knows where you’re going,” said Gibson. “If they don’t show up or don’t come back, they can simply provide that information to police.
“So it’s not that 127 hours when nobody knew where he was.”
The organization’s adventure smart program has a trip planner in its app, which includes details such as the destination, timeline and others in the group that you can email to a friend.
Other important elements emphasized in the program is to pack the essentials like a fully charged phone, water, map, whistle, food, clothing and knowing what you’re going to be doing.
In addition to checking the weather and becoming familiar with the area, you’re going to by checking out a map, Gibson suggests staying within one’s own limitations — if you have no rock-climbing experience, for instance, perhaps a solo trip is not the best time to scale a rock face.
Then there’s the technology.
“The what3words app is brilliant,” he says, because it allows you to quickly find your location and share it if you need help.
That’s when it becomes important to pack a fully charged phone.
“It will give you an exact location of where you are," Gibson says.
GBVSR also offers weekly suggestions through its Tips Tuesdays on Instagram.
“Ideally, we’d love to see a world ... where no one gets lost,” says Gibson.