As mountain runners and ultrarunners, our fitness has normalized the practice of heading out for long days in the backcountry with minimal equipment. Usually just a rain shell, maybe a small water filter and some extr...
Tag: Safety
Luke Nelson started running, in part, because of his desire to be in the mountains with less of a risk than climbing or kayaking. After years of climbing, kayaking, ski patrolling and river guiding, Nelson readily too...
I’ve been wanting to talk about safety for decades. After over 50 years of running (and skiing, climbing and paddling) in the backcountry, here is the full list of the disasters, injuries and near-death experiences I’...
In early June of 2009, prolonged storminess had left me feeling restless and trapped in the Owens Valley. All spring, after excitedly realizing that my planned route was 100k in round-trip length, I had been patiently...
Illustration by Liza Howard If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “There is no safe place outside in a thunderstorm,” you’re correct. And if you shouted the safety mantra, “When thunder roars, go indo...
Q: What are the essential first aid or safety items I should always carry with me? A: How much risk are you willing to accept when you go on a trail run? It’s a question worth thinking about because running down a tr...
Minimalism seems to be a continuing trend in the outdoor scene, and for good reason. After all, who wants to lug around a ton of heavy stuff that slows you down and makes trail adventures even harder? But (and this is a...