Office of Risk Management

Field Trips

So, you're headed for the wilds of Lake Monroe, the Dunes, Brown County, the Hoosier National Forest along the Ohio River - or maybe Montana. Are there safety precautions you should be aware of, things you can do to make it more likely you'll safely return?

Here are some suggestions:

Make sure someone knows where you're going.
If something does happen to disable you in the field, be it injury or just car trouble, potential resucuers need a starting point to get to you. Help them out by letting someone know your destination.
When you tell them where you're going, tell them when you'll be back.
It's difficult to know if you're overdue if no one knows when you were due. Lying in the woods with a broken leg is not the way to spend your evening.
If you will be in an area where hunters might be, wear hunter orange.
Most hunters follow the rules; some don't. Even if you will be on posted land, it isn't wise to assume everyone has obeyed the signs. And, you may be adjacent to land that is open to hunting. Be safe - follow the clothing rules hunters are supposed to follow in the field.
Know your locale.
Are you on a geology field trip in Montana? There may be snakes in the rocks. Perhaps you are part of a field trip to University Lake on the IUB campus. It's a known copperhead area. There may also be hornets and yellow jackets wherever you are. Is the terrain rough and uneven? If so, wear proper footgear. Take raingear if it might rain. The list goes on and on, but common sense is a good guide.
Be equipped.
Think of footgear, rainwear, sun block, headgear, layered clothing. In some areas you may want snakebite kits. If you're allergic to stings, take a sting kit.
Another piece of equipment you need to consider is a cell phone. They are useless in some areas, but, where they will work, they are an invaluable tool in an emergency.
How far into the wilds will you go? A GPS is an inexpensive tool that can save you a lot of aimless wandering through the woods.
Be smart.
If you find trespassers on marked land, you may be outraged. Confronting them may not be the smartest thing in the world to do. Think safety. We don't want to go through life afraid of every shadow, but people are subject to assault, especially women. Taking a partner - going in pairs - may be safer than going alone.
If faced with a crisis, try not to panic. Panic will only make things worse. Take a few seconds to calm yourself and formulate a plan of action. What you must do, what you should do, depends on the crisis. If you need emergency help and can reach them, give clear directions to your location and a clear description of the emergency.
Being lost can strike terror into your heart, but stop to think. You really can be lost in some areas of Montana, Canada, Alaska, places with vast unsettled areas. In the lesser wilds of southern Indiana (as an example) you are not so much lost as just misplaced. You may not be able to find your car, you might have to spend the night in the woods, but you're never very far from roads and people. (Keep in mind that "very far" applies to the able-bodied. A few yards can be too far if you're injured.)
If you are not injured or seriously ill and you don't know where you are, follow some simple guidelines that can be found many places, such as Boy Scout manuals. Other sources:
http://www.1srg.org/Contributed-Materials/WhatToDoIfLost.htm

http://www.sarbc.org/litw3.html

Don't let fear prevent you from enjoying your field trip, but be smart before you go and while you're there.