Staying Safe and Healthy on the Trail

Hypothermia?

Tim Leadem of the Sierra Club calls hypothermia the greatest single cause of death among amateur hikers. It can happen on the Northern Circuit. It can happen to you.

A shocking number of people start the Crossing without sufficient clothing. It is a big concern for the authorities.

Hypothermia is profuse loss of heat from the body core. Despite all warnings, a high percentage of hikers still set off with insufficient clothing.

Signs & Symptoms of Hypothermia:

• shivering (may be absent in later stages)
• numbness
• lack of co-ordination, slurred speech
• confused or unusual behaviour, poor judgement
• body temperature below 35 degrees C (95 degrees F)
• loss of consciousness (in extreme cases)

First Aid:

• remove wet clothing and dry the casualty
• put on dry clothes
• keep the head warm
• put the hiker into a pre-warmed sleeping bag
• add hot water bottles into the bag or, even better, have another hiker strip down to underwear and climb into the sleeping bag with the victim to share body heat
• if the casualty is alert, have them drink warm liquids & high calorie hot food

The best strategy is prevention. Stay warm and dry. If you start to get a chill, get moving. Pick up the pace to increase your own body heat.

Heat Exhaustion? Sunburn?

Bring a broad brimmed hat — the sun is strong & unrelenting on this hike. The ozone layer in New Zealand is thin.

Do not be lulled into complacency by morning cloud. It often burns away.

Watch for signs of heat cramps, which often precedes heat exhaustion, and the potentially fatal heat stroke.

Signs & symptoms of heat cramps:

• severe muscle contractions, usually in the legs and the abdomen
• normal body temperature (usually)

Treatment:

• cool the body (wet the clothes)
• have casualty rest in a cool place
• drink fluids
• stretch and massage muscles

Dehydration?

Plan to drink far more liquids than normal. It is not unusual to drink 4 - 6 litres of fluid / day. Plan ahead your water stops. Water is available only at the huts — most other sources need treatment in this volcanic region.

Keep your water bottle handy. Consider adding flavouring to make fluid intake more palatable.

Many hikers are using Platypus, Camelbak, or Dromedary hydration systems these days – but good old water bottle(s) will do just as well.

Check the colour of your urine as an indicator to see if you are drinking enough liquids.

Are there any dangerous snakes or spiders?

No snakes. You often hear about the single poisonous spider in New Zealand, the katipo, but it is almost impossible to find one.

Increasingly Kiwis are worrying about an Australian imigrant spider called a whitetail for the large white spot on the top of the body. It can bite humans & cause grief.

Still, there are fewer dangerous beasts in new Zealand than anywhere else in the world!