A lot of people with ADHD find that they love being outside. Personally, I feel like my ADD vanishes the minute I leave civilization. I’m usually the first one to spot wildlife, catch birdsong, or to notice a change in the weather. Maybe there’s something to that whole Hunter/Farmer thing.
However, heading outside can be also be intimidating if you have ADD. We forget things a lot, and when we’re packing to go out into the wilderness, that can be a scary prospect. If you’re traveling to Paris and you forget your water bottle, you can buy another one. If you’re traveling the John Muir Trail and you forget your water bottle, you might be toast.
Well, my buddy Deb Lauman, aka Ramkitten, has just the thing for you.
Ramkitten befriended me when I was brand-new to the communities over at Squidoo.com and Tagfoot.com. It turned out she’s an avid hiker (as serious as I would like to be, but am not) and had recently visited my favorite place on earth, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. She’s also a Search And Rescue volunteer.
Her SAR work made her realize how many rescue situations could be prevented if people set out with the proper equipment. This led her to invent the 24-Hour Pack. It’s a day pack that comes pre-packed with all the supplies to get you through a night in the wilderness if you find yourself unexpectedly stranded.
The keyword there is “unexpected”. Nobody Ramkitten has ever rescued expected to be lost, hypothermic, dehydrated — or, in the most tragic cases, dead. Fortunately, many of her missions end happily. Deb blogs here about why she never feels silly carrying her 24-Hour Pack, even when she’s only expecting to be gone for a 20 minute walk.
I’ve got to admit, I’m not always as cautious as I should be, and I know better. I’m an experienced backwoods canoe camper. I’ve been a wilderness guide and a Girl Scout leader. But I still take chances I shouldn’t. Let’s be real; I have ADD. I’m impulsive. When I’m outside, I hate to sit still … which means I’m constantly fighting the inclination to head out farther and in worse weather than I really should.
Ramkitten’s writing has gotten me thinking deeply about the precautions I need to take next time I head out on a hike, even if it’s just up crowded Mt. Tam. If you’re an ADHD hiker you should check out the following:
Hikers: Common Mistakes to Avoid If you think you know everything about hiking, you don’t.
The 24 Hour Pack: Hike Smart, Be Prepared, Be Safe If you’ve already got a day pack or three, read this article about what to put in it to make your own 24 Hour Pack.
The PRE-Pack: A Pre-Equipped Day Pack for Hikers New to hiking? Lost your gear in a flash flood? Let Deb do the work for you. And remember to read Common Mistakes To Avoid before you head out!
Thank you so much for writing about my articles, website and blog. I think being organized is part of being prepared, and that applies to every one of us who goes into the backcounty (even it’s not very far). Our SAR team once spent most of a night searching for a family who’d literally intended to go for no more than 20-minute walk, round-trip, from and back to their car. So they left their hiking gear–their extra layers of clothing, flashlights, water … everything–IN their car, rather than carrying their daypacks–less than 10 pounds–with their “just in case” stuff. Then, when the sun went down, it got really cold at that elevation. They (and we) were lucky we found them before it started to rain. They had young kids with them too. So for reasons like that–and many others, including some that didn’t have happy endings–I’m a big advocate of always carrying a 24-hour pack. Before I got into SAR, though, I wasn’t nearly as careful about that. I was just lucky.
Thanks for visiting. That story is a great illustration of why preparation is essential.