IN THE NEWS

Don't get me started on cotton. Cotton is rotten. I told that to a guy in my Tramping Skills night class and a wee while later he was on a trip wearing his Tee shirt. It got colder but he kept going as he didn't want to hold the group up (after all he was with CTC people). In the end, they had to abort the trip as he was getting into early hypothermia.

I've only worn cotton once. It was on an Avalanche Peak Challenge race on a stinking hot day. I got the tee shirt wet going for a swim and then my support people never showed up for hours till quite late and I was very cold and damp waiting for them.

I've had a couple of silk liners. The first one rotted but the trick is to only wash them with shampoo so being a cheapskate, I put it on the floor of the shower when I wash my hair and it gets a nice shampooing for free. I then give it a bit of a wring, throw it in the machine for the final rinse and dry it away from sunlight. I do my possum/merino hat at the same time for the same reason. I've had that silk liner for a long while now and it's showing no sign of wear and tear.

That's Ok if you have got hair to wash!

Honora- thats hilarious!! ..... so its a given then that CTC ppl a notorious for being fast pacers?! I have found my fitness has improved dramatically though after trying to catch them up hill!

I see author and journalist Colin Moore has died in a boating accident. Members will have seen his articles in Wilderness Mag or be familiar with his books 'Outdoors in NZ' and 'Take a Kid Outdoors'. Pretty sad. Too young - probably had lots of good tramping years left in him.

Bugger!! Poor guy is just probably trying to finish his trip.

http://www.stuff.c...escue-annoys-police

It sounds as if the police are trying to revive the pay-for-it debate. Or is it just that they think the second rescue was particularly unwarranted?

http://home.nzcity...05&fm=newsmain,nrhl

The problem with making SAR user pays, and the Police know this, is that people will then avoid or delay calling in rescue services for fear of having to pay.

The problem then is that the situation could then become worse and the search or rescue more difficult.

It is probably cheaper all round if people feel free to go to the Police when in trouble, or atthe hint of trouble and then the experienced SAR advisors can evaluate the situation and respond accordingly.

Sure you get some stupid situations but it is probably better to have an alive fool than a dead one, who then cannot pay anyway.

..and the rescues that require Aus/NZ naval assets? You know, those crazy people that sail/row/swim/hot-air-balloon into remote and dangerous regions, like the Southern Ocean for example. Their rescues cost millions.

Everybody payes taxes and should be able to get help anytime any where.But i think this guy should have learnt his lesson the first rescue and stayed put for a while

Pmcke has a point if you have to pay for the rescue people may make the wrong decissions Doh:cant spell today we need spell check on this site,if you have an accident at sea i dont think you have to pay,as some of the round the world boats get into trouble all the time

Lindsay

It's interesting that they're going through court, though, at least according to that article. It seems to imply they might think there are special circumstances that wouldn't apply to most rescues. (Maybe wasting police time after they'd already told him not to go, or something like that.) If it goes ahead then I wonder if this could be setting a precedent.

I hope I never need rescuing, but if I was I like to think I'd try to at least donate back something towards the cost of my rescue, even if I could only afford a token amount. Does SAR ever ask people for suggested donations as part of a debriefing? Obviously in some cases it would be difficult to put a realistic amount on, especially if lots of volunteers have been involved.