Entries filed under 'WMI'

To Your Health: Tips for Dealing with Ticks

It is tick season again, and this year the little buggers are out in force. According to Cornell University wildlife expert Paul Curtis, this year's early spring means more ticks and potentially higher numbers of Lyme Disease cases. Staying tick-free and disease-free takes a little effort, but it's well worth it. Let's review the fundamentals of antitick warfare, shall we? Let's consider 3 main ideas: tick removal, protective clothing and chemical weapons. Tick Removal The most important thing ...

Posted by Hovey WMI on June 8, 2012 1:04 PM & Tagged DEET, Lyme disease, WMI, permethrin and ticks | permalink | Comments



Almost Killed by a Cactus: A True Story

This March during an orienteering competition in Florida, high school sophomore Joshua Reyes heard another racer whistling for help. It was Micah Robinson, who was trying to get himself out of a sticky situation. In a Hernando (Fla.) Today newspaper story, Joshua explained, "He'd fallen face first into a cactus, and he had those little quills all over his hands and stuck in his face all around and inside his mouth. I helped pick the quills out of his hand, but as he stood up, he was dizzy. I ...

Posted by Hovey WMI on May 4, 2012 12:34 PM & Tagged NOLS, WMI, Wilderness Medicine Institute, cactus and wilderness first aid | permalink | Comments



Tree Wells: the Skier's Deathtrap You've Never Heard Of

Recent heavy snowfall in many parts of the West makes this a timely tale of caution: Scott Allen Meyer died on January 8, 2011, at Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana on a calm and clear day in good snow conditions. There was no avalanche, and Scott was a skilled snowboarder. He never saw it coming. What's worse, the same thing happened only a week before to 16-year-old Niclas Waeschle. These deaths were not only tragic, they were preventable. What killed Scott and Niclas? They skied ...

Posted by Hovey WMI on February 1, 2012 5:17 PM & Tagged WMI, Wilderness Medicine Institute, skiing and tree wells | permalink | Comments



1-10-1: Three Numbers That Could Save Your Life

Jenna and Jenessa, ages 6 and 7, were recently enjoying a sunny, cold Christmas Day in Hutchinson, Kansas, by playing outside. Not far away was a pond, frozen over for the winter. They walked out onto the ice to slide and skate around, as little children often do, until about 20 feet from shore the ice ruptured beneath them. Both girls plunged into the frigid waters. What would you do? How would you help them? If you fell into a frozen lake, how would you survive? Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a ...

Posted by Hovey WMI on January 11, 2012 2:13 PM & Tagged NOLS, WMI, Wilderness Medicine Institute, ice and rescue | permalink | Comments



No More Icy Fingers: Warm Tips from the Wilderness Medicine Institute

Do your fingers and toes easily get cold? You may be experiencing Raynaud's Phenomenon. As an instructor at the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS, I share my friend Abby's story and tips on how you can avoid it happening to you. Abby and I were dayhiking in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon, headed up to see Multnomah Falls. The walking was easy, the day was clear and beautiful, and we were having a grand time immersing ourselves in the lush greenery of the Pacific Northwest. We stopped at ...

Posted by Hovey WMI on December 15, 2011 2:30 PM & Tagged NOLS, Raynaud's Phenomenon, WMI and layering | permalink | Comments