Why are personal backcountry “Emergency Kits” dangerous?
“Emergency Kits” are dangerous because they are not sized to the individual, the season, the weather, and the adventure. They are a quick feel good “item” that does not provide real safety for an individual or a group. Read on, or jump to the answer and then come back to the beginning to Read on. The tragic death of snowmobiler Roger Rouse from the effects of hypothermia after becoming lost in unconsolidated powder snow and windy cold snowy weather has prompted the public to seek protection for themselves by preventative measures. Roger Rouse and his son Brian Rouse, 29, lost the marked snowmobile trail and decided to seek safety in a run down hill toward a residential area six miles down Bridge Creek and east of Tumalo Falls. They abandoned their snow machines which became bogged down in the loose wet snow and branching streams and they continued on foot, wet and clothed in cotton.. We visited REI a few days after the missing snowmobilers were found and talked to an Associate who said
