SAFETY FOR FOREST VISITORS

ROBERT S. MONAHAN.

Too many forest outings have been marred, if not ruined, by faulty planning, inadequate equipment, or poor judgment. Regardless of whether the recreational travel involves a wilderness expedition or an afternoon walk in the suburbs, it should be a source of happy memories instead of a cause for regret. Those who plan carefully, equip themselves for the unexpected, and use their heads are sure to look back upon their outings with pleasure.

Many vacationists have found that one of the most enjoyable features of their trips is the fun that comes from planning them. Long before departure, itineraries are outlined (and a copy left with a responsible individual who is not making the trip), the equipment is checked, and questions are asked. Such preliminaries are not only interesting, they provide sound insurance for the enjoyment and safety.

Maps are now available for almost any area in the United States. They vary in degree of detail and reliability, but one should get the most recent editions and make the most of them. Even though you may know from previous experience the country you plan to visit, carry the maps with you circumstances might develop that will cause you to travel in areas that you have not seen before.

Do not hesitate to ask questions, either before you leave or while you are approaching your objective. Remember that even the forest ranger generally has to request information when he visits the big city. Intelligent travelers ask questions of those qualified to give helpful answers.

A GOOD PLAN includes the route you expect to follow and alternatives in case of unfavorable weather. It lists the supplies and equipment needed to complete the journey, with a margin for safety. It anticipates the unexpected illness, accident, and stormy weather. It is, indeed, the first essential of any trip to the hinterland.

Probably more outings have resulted in discomfort, if not disaster, from inadequate equipment than from any other cause. Again, do not hesitate to ask questions. Experience is a hard teacher; one can learn the easy way by presenting his problems to those who should know the answers.

Whether you are climbing, fishing, hunting, photographing, or enjoying any of the other pursuits that attract people into the back country, the equipment should be practicable and absolutely dependable.

Outing equipment is too varied to make possible any detailed suggestions. A few general principles apply, regardless of any particular activity: Woods-wise travelers test their gear before they leave home. They make sure that their ski bindings are adjusted properly. They test the sights of their rifles. They are satisfied that their tackle box contains every inducement for whatever fish may be encountered. Most important of all, they inspect the first-aid kit to be positive that it is complete. Veteran campers check their list of items for parts needing replacement during the trip : Generators for gasoline lanterns, flashlight batteries and bulbs, bandages for first-aid kits, and matches in waterproof containers. If traveling in snake country, they make sure that the snake-bite kit is complete and that every member of the party knows how to use it. Those who are to climb mountains carefully check the condition of their ropes. If a winter expedition is contemplated, they make doubly sure that they are prepared for whatever weather may develop.

There is no substitute for good judgment when one is on his own. It can an be acquired only through experience; it can be exercised only by determination to keep a cool head, regardless of circumstances.

The development of a sound judgment is one of the really worth while byproducts of back-country travel. If one cannot learn to think for himself, perhaps he should limit his outings to the fringes of civilization.

Judgment is especially important in the hunting season, whether or not one is actually hunting.

The unarmed traveler, no less than the hunter, takes his own chances in game country and should avoid any possibility of being mistaken for animals or birds. Hunters are exposed to a barrage of safety suggestions, which deserve full compliance. Above all, hunters should be positive of their target before they shoot.

THE VACATION COUNTRY is a friendly land, but there are specific dangers that should be recognized. Let us meet and get acquainted with some of them, before they surprise us.

Most mountain roads are safer than they may appear to flat-landers who are not accustomed to narrow widths, sharp turns, and heavy grades. Before attempting such roads, have your car checked, particularly the tires, brakes, lights, clutch, and cooling system. Be sure your gasoline and oil are adequate filling stations may be few and far between. Use second or low gear while climbing or descending steep grades. Drive slowly, so that your passengers may enjoy the countryside and your car will stay in the wheel track.

Always reconnoiter a strange stream or lake before you bathe in it. Never attempt diving until you are positive the water is deep enough. Watch out for treacherous eddies, hidden holes, slippery underwater ledges and roots, broken glass, and rusty tin cans. A dip in a cool mountain lake or stream is a wonderful tonic after a hot day in the saddle or afoot, but remember that what starts as a refreshing stimulant may end in disastrous shock, if the water is especially cold and your physical condition is below par. Do not swim alone.

The least a forest visitor can do in deference to the landowner, future vacationist, and his own conscience is to make sure that his fire is out dead out. If local rules forbid lighting fires, there is a good reason for the regulation and for obeying it. Use plenty of water in drowning your fire; make sure that it has soaked into the ground thoroughly. Take the time to stir the water into the soil with a shovel or stout stick. Never let it be said that you found a green camp site and left it a ruin.

If there is any doubt as to the purity of the water supply, search for a reliable source, and boil the water for 15 minutes, or add one of the purifying agents available at most camping-supply stores. Take no chances with questionable drinking water.

Learn to identify poison-oak, poison-ivy, and poison sumac. Avoid them. If contact is impossible to avoid, one home remedy is to wash all exposed parts of your body with a strong laundry soap. If you set out to rid a patch of poisonous plants, wear gloves at all times; if you have to burn the plants, keep out of the smoke.

Ticks of various kinds, from mid-April to mid-August, may be a source of infection; the "sick" ticks are potential carriers of spotted fever. After a day in the woods, search for ticks that may have become attached to the skin. Check carefully under armpits and in body creases. If you find a tick, be sure that you remove his head as well as his body. Cautious forest rangers, loggers, and stockmen who work in the tick country properly respect the "sick" tick; they are inoculated before the tick season starts.

The little ones of the forests can cause great discomfort; they should be anticipated when assembling supplies for the trip. The bites of mosquitoes, punkies (midgies or no-see-ums) , black flies and other biting flies, and chiggers or red bugs (mites) can be avoided by repellents, which have little or no odor and remain effective up to several hours, even when those bothersome insects assemble in large numbers. Repellents developed primarily for military use have been adopted widely for civilian purposes. Detailed information is furnished in a leaflet, Use of Insect Repellents and Miticides, distributed by the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Agricultural Research Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington 25, D. C. The leaflet recommends the following mixtures of repellents as effective against a wider range of insect species and on more individuals than any one of the chemicals when used alone (all parts are by weight) :

Mosquito nets often are useful.

Learn also to identify the poisonous snakes. Three of them (copperheads, water moccasins, and rattlesnakes) are easily distinguished from the harmless species by their four nostrils. If one does not care to get close enough to a questionable reptile to count his nostrils, his larger, triangular-shaped head (in contrast to the smaller, oval-shaped heads of the harmless snakes) is usually a safe distinction. The other poisonous snake, the coral snake, can be identified by its brilliant coloring. It is seldom longer than 2 feet and is encircled with alternate red, yellow, and black bands. It occurs only in the Deep South, but it is the most poisonous of all. Do not kill every snake you encounter, but you will be doing a service to mankind by dispatching the ones that have the large, triangular heads (especially those that rattle) and those in the South with brilliant coloring.