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Oplopanax Horridus

A veteran SAR volunteer's experiences in British Columbia

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Category: Essay

Articles that I spent more than average time and research on, notable for thoroughness.

The Autoimmune Expedition

By Michael Coyle Posted on 20/02/2013 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with adventure, avalanche, backcountry, fundraising, mountaineering, ski
The Autoimmune Expedition
Mount Rainier,Disappointment Cleaver

My friend Peter Marshall is climbing Mount Rainier to raise funds and awareness for Autoimmune Disease. He could use your help: Autoimmune Expedition

Smart Phones and Battery Life

By Michael Coyle Posted on 15/09/2011 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with communications, GPS, mobile phone, safety, smart phone, SMS, technology
Smart Phones and Battery Life

The biggest energy drain in a smart phone other than the cellular radio is the screen. Advice on how to best use this information, and preserve battery life

Personal Locator Beacons from the Rescuer’s Perspective

By Michael Coyle Posted on 26/08/2011 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with backcountry, beacon, case study, helicopters, HETS, management, map, personal locator beacon, PLB, rescue, safety, Tyler Wright, weather
Personal Locator Beacons from the Rescuer’s Perspective

A case study of a rescue with a Personal Locator Beacon in SouthWestern BC detailing rescuer’s difficulties accessing the location.

Finding Someone from a Helicopter

By Michael Coyle Posted on 15/08/2011 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with backcountry, rescue, safety, SAR, search
Finding Someone from a Helicopter
Well hello there.

A description of a search, and of finding someone from a helicopter. Some tips on how to be spotted.

Why you shouldn’t use Smart Phones for Backcountry Navigation

By Michael Coyle Posted on 23/05/2011 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with communications, gear, GPS, how-to, map, smart phone, technology
Why you shouldn’t use Smart Phones for Backcountry Navigation

Smart phones are problematic for backcountry navigation; they are fagile, have terrible battery life, and are less accurate than a wilderness GPS unit.

Frequency of SAR Incidents

By Michael Coyle Posted on 19/12/2010 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with InfoSAR, numbers, SAR, statistics, technology
Frequency of SAR Incidents
SAR Incidents by Week and Type (2003 to 2010)

I analysed some numbers on SAR Incidents in British Columbia and made a few graphs showing how the frequency of incidents changes with the season.

Distribution of SAR Incidents in BC

By Michael Coyle Posted on 17/12/2010 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with InfoSAR, numbers, SAR
Distribution of SAR Incidents in BC

The distribution of SAR tasks in British Columbia

SAR Numbers from other Provinces

By Michael Coyle Posted on 08/12/2010 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with InfoSAR, numbers, SAR
SAR Numbers from other Provinces
Flying over Whistler Village in 2008

Comparing SAR incident volumes in BC to those in other provinces. BC has more than the rest of Canada combined

How to Kill Yourself Snowshoeing

By Michael Coyle Posted on 29/10/2010 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with accident, InfoSAR, numbers, safety, SAR, ski, snow, snowshoe, weather
How to Kill Yourself Snowshoeing

A review of snowshoe accidents in BC reveals that snowshoers are more likely to die in a slip and fall than in an avalanche.

On Getting Lost (Part 2): Corner and Edge Cases

By Michael Coyle Posted on 28/10/2010 Posted in Blog Entry, Essay Tagged with how-to, lost, rescue, safety
On Getting Lost (Part 2): Corner and Edge Cases

Corner and edge cases for how people get lost, based on personal experience.

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