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I just finished a magical week of backpacking with my dad. As I prepared for this trip, I was reminded of all the effort that goes into planning and gear selection. The reality is that there’s been so many changes in gear since I first started backpacking decades ago. (Before you ask, yes, my dad and my mom got me into backpacking)

Comfort is number one. A key to comfort is having the right gear for the type of terrain and weather you think you will encounter. Along with a little bit of emergency stuff for the unexpected. Now adays the gear should be as light as possible. There are so many good options out there. I would shop for weight and cost and find the balance between the two.

It’s pretty clear that wildfires are increasing, and with them smoke and bad air quality.[1] When the air quality drops it can be hard to navigate health and wildfire smoke. Especially for us outdoorsy folks. I wanted to gather a few tips that have helped me to manage my outdoor time despite the wildfire seasons.

First off why does is health and wildfire smoke a concern and how does it affect us and our ability to get outside?

Let’s start with the obvious- breathing in smoky air sucks. Not only does it smell bad, but it can quickly irritate the lungs. Especially when you are exercising and breathing heavily and deeply.

It’s important to note that wildfire smoke can contain a mix of gas and particulates from organic matter as well as chemicals (if human made structures are also being burnt). Gases and fine particulate matter can penetrate deep into the tissues of the lungs. Some of this cause  temporary irritation and inflammation. Some gas and particulates can cause long term health problems. [2]

We can’t stop fires or change outdoor air quality. But below are 4 things we CAN do.

With incoming winter temps and atmospheric rivers heading back to California I thought it was a good time to review a case study on prevention and treatment of cold injuries.  If you are looking to learn more about hypothermia you can view last year’s January treatment of hypothermia article.

This case study is based on an incident on Mt Denali- but keep in mind frostbite is a risk factor even in California.

People often ask me about emergency communication devices so I thought I’d share a bit about the types of SOS devices, their pros and cons, and the limitations of each.