Sunday, 26 February 2012

Trangia


LABELLED TRANGIA


















A and B;  are the Bowls 
C ; is the Fry Pan
D ; is the Wind Shield 
E ; is the Base
F ; is the Fuel Container and next to it is the Flame Controller 
G ; is the Spondoolies 
H ; is the Strap


SAFETY OF TRANGIAS
1) Set it up correctly to make sure there is nothing that might tip or because its unstable
2) Flat Ground finding one would be much safer and easier to cook/put your trangia
3) Don't light the trangia without having the windshield over the top
4) Use the Spondoolies to pick up every single piece of equipment when cooking
5) Clean all equipment, because if you don't it could lead to mold or food poisoning  therefore you would get sick and that wouldn't be fun.
6) Never leave open flame, if you do someone could kick it, and it could be trouble



* always make sure no metho spills onto the ground, its a fire risk
* always make sure you use the correct amount of metho, because if it runs out while your still cooking you need to make sure fuel container is cold enough to hold in your hand before re filling it.
and vis versa if you use too much metho you need to atcj your flame and wait till you metho burns out.

How to find an adequate campsite

  • The first thing you need know about being able to find a good camp site is safety, is everyone going to be safe there.
  • Allowing time to set up camp, you don't want to be setting up in the dark so if you need to travel or you need to do other things make sure you leave pretty early to be able to get to your site before dark
  • Is there enough space for you + family,school mates, anything other people camping with you
  • Use established area so use areas you know other people have camped at and are safe 
  • There always flat ground where you are makes it so much easy to camp on
  • Is there shelter from the wind, are there trees around if the wind starts to pick up you have to be care of these things just in case.
  • Check for hazards- like trees and things like that 
  • is it near a water source, are you going to have to travel further and stuff like that to be able to get your water.





On school camp last year at the Murray Venture, our over night base camp location had to be changed due to the floods, the original campsite was flooded and shrubs had grown over the area we were going to set up the tents, which meant we could no longer camp there because there wasn't a safe location to set up the tents.

Another experience i have had when finding an adequate campsite is when i went camping with my family a couple of years ago, when we got to the campsite it was almost dark so we quickly picked a location and set up out tent as soon as possible, without checking the safety points, to avoid the sun setting before the tent was set up. We then set up a camp fire, had dinner and a while after went to bed. After laying in our sleeping bags for not even 15 minutes we had realised we picked a bad spot to set up the tents! We were sleeping on a really uncomfortable rocky surface, which meant it was extremely hard to get comfortable and get to sleep. Since it was too late to re set up the tent because of the darkness, we had to wait till the morning. Which meant we hardly got an sleep and were tired the next day.

- ALWAYS make sure you have a flat surface when setting up a tent, because a comfortable sleep is really important.

Sunday, 19 February 2012

How to set up a tent

            1.      Practice setting up your tent before you go camping
-         Setting up your tent at least twice before you actually go camping is a very good idea. This will ensure you have all the pieces you need to set up your tent correctly, and prior knowledge is always helpful!

2.      Find a flat ground free of any stick or sharp objects
-         Sleeping on an uncomfortable ground when camping can result is bad sleeping patterns and an un-settled sleep, this is why finding the flattest surface possible is extremely effective. This will also ensure no rips or tears on your tent.

3.      Pick a location free of wind and sun (if possible)
-         Picking a location free of wind and sun will ensure comfortable camping, if your tent in located in a windy area you may lose equipment or your tent may even fly way.

4.      Unpack the tent (all parts)
-         Sort the parts of your camping tent into groups, tent stakes, tent poles, rain fly so you're not hunting for them as you set up the tent.

5.      Connect tent poles
      -     Tent poles usually come in sections that you put together. You need to make sure you connect the           appropriate poles together to ensure the tent poles are even and set up correctly, securely and safely.

6.      Secure the part water proof fly
             -     If your tent has a rain-fly, secure it over the top of the tent. This usually involves            fastening the corners of the rain-fly to cords that attach to the base of the tent.
7.      Take care of zips
                 -    Zips should be treated with respect. Don’t tread on them and wash off any mud.






The picture above is an example of a tent set up on a camp in 2011, The Murray Venture. Through out Murray Venture myself and my group, of five had to set up tents and back up tents numerous times. I found the steps above to be completely successful. The most important step in my opinion would be number 4. A couple times my group did not unpack all parts of the tent, in particular the poles, which meant we set our tent up in correctly because we had the incorrect poles put together, always make sure you unpack all items of your tent! it helps enormously when trying to set up a tent quickly.


Kayaking







Kayaking strokes
·         Forward paddle
·         Backwards paddle
·         Sweep stroke
·         Emergency stop
·         Turn

How to pack a kayak
·        Pack lightly
·        Keep your packages balanced to ensure your kayak is balanced
·        Pack small packages

Water proofing
·         Small packages
·         All packages need to be air tight
·         Only water proof what NEEDS to be water proofed
·         Use garbage bags
·         Double bag everything
·         Triple bad necessities (sleeping bag, clothes)







      Above are some photographs of myself kayaking on the Murray River.
      I was kayaking to over night camps which meant I had to pack clothing, food, toiletries, etc, for up to two days. This ensured water proofing only necessities so they would obviously continue to stay dry. The tips I have written about water proofing are enormously helpful! Always make sure you double, or even triple bagging things. This is the best tip I can give anyone! Because not double bagging my only jumper for the night on camp was the biggest mistake I made, of course the bag ripped and my jumper become heavily wet and I had to go without.

Monday, 13 February 2012

First aid Scenarios

DRABC
Danger- the first thing you need to do is assess the dangers to yourself to prevent yourself from becoming hurt. Then assess the danger to others and lastly the danger to the victim.

Response- check if the victim is responsive, you can do this by asking them verbally ‘can you hear me?’ visually checking the victim to see if they are moving or if their eyes are open. Checking the victim physically by asking them to squeeze your hand or shaking them gently.

Airways- check the victim’s airways to see if they are clear. You can do this by gently pulling down the chin to see the victim’s airways. If there is an object caught immediately move the victim into the recovery position.

Breathing- Check to see if the victim is breathing, this can be achieved by checking for a pulse, feeling the victim’s chest or nose for movement. If the victim is breathing you may need to monitor the breathing (depending on the injury)

Circulation- Check the victim’s circulation, this is achieve by looking for a pulse. You also need to check for open wounds, swelling and bruising.


1)   Adam is walking through the woods and trips over a tree root sticking out of the ground. He immediately begins screaming for help because his shin bone is poking through the skin, and he is bleeding profusely. What can you do to help Adam?
After following DRABC as stated above, to help Adam you would need to apply a donut bandage on Adam’s leg, and brace his leg in a splint for support. A donut bandage would be perfect for this situation because it is a great bandage for absorbing heavy blood loss and creating a barrier around the bone sticking out to prevent any further knockings of the bone and further injury.  

2)   Megan is building a snow fort with her younger siblings. It is very cold outside, and they have been outside for about four hours. Ben, Megan’s little brother, comes in and says he can’t feel his fingers. You look at it, and see that it is very white. When you touch it, it feels hard and waxy. What is wrong with Ben’s finger and what should you do?
Ben has developed hypothermia in his fingers. To treat Ben’s hypothermia you should immediately try to warm his body temperature. Hot water bottles and warm fluids are the most effective way. You should then remove any wet or frozen articles of clothing from Ben. Ben should then be placed in warm blankets or sleeping bags with another person. Body warmth of another person is also an effective way of increasing Ben’s body temperature.

3)   It is the middle of summer; Erin and Reba have decided to paint their house. They put on the radio and their swimming suits, heading outside to paint. When they are about finished with the first coat, Erin begins to feel faint. Reba checks her pulse, finding it to be weak and fast, but her skin is sweaty, and cool. What has happened to Erin, and what can be done to save her?
Erin has developed Hyperthermia (heatstroke). You would need to follow DRABC as stated above, after that you would need to focus on first aid treatment for hyperthermia. Erin would slowly need to rehydrate and cool her body temperature down, drinking cool fluids is effective. After this you should sponge Erin’s skin with cool water. Removing any heavy or dark clothing is the next step you should take in cooling Erin’s body temperature, and then followed by situating Erin in a cool and shady area.

4)   Matt is trying his hand at cooking again. He has decided to make spaghetti for his parents, but when he goes to take the lid off of the boiling water for the noodles, his hand gets burned by steam. What degree of burn does Matt have, and what could possibly stop the pain?
After following DRABC as stated above, you would need to take particular care to Matt’s burn. Considering the burn was a steam burn I would say it’s only a superficial burn. Meaning it only damaged one layer of skin. These are the steps to care for a superficial burn.
-   Cool burn under cool water for 20 minutes.
-   Remove any jewellery in case swelling occurs.
-   Cover the burn with a non stick bandage. Specifically a non stick bandage so the bandage doesn’t rip the layer of skin trying to heal when removing it.  

Monday, 6 February 2012

First Aid

Shock
What is it?
Shock is a dangerous physical condition in which the flow of blood throughout the body is drastically reduced, causing weakness, confusion, or loss of consciousness. It can result from many kinds of serious injuries and illnesses. If shock is not treated quickly, a person can suffer permanent organ damage and may die.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms you may notice if someone is in shock
·           Pale, cool, moist skin
·        Rapid breathing
·        Rapid and weak pulse
·        Excessive thirst
·        Nausea and/or vomiting
·        Altered conscious state
How to treat it
People in shock should be taken by ambulance to a hospital as quickly as possible. They should be kept lying down on their back with their feet raised about a 30cm higher than their head. This helps the blood flow back to the brain and heart. They should be covered up with something like a blanket to keep them warm.



 

 
Hypothermia
What is it?
Hypothermia is when the core body temperature drops.  Are normal temperature is between 36 and 37.2° C unless you have a fever. If your internal temperature falls too low, it can be very dangerous. This is most likely to happen when you are either in water or around ice/snow, when the body becomes wet as water is very good at cooling the body.
Symptoms
Symptoms of hypothermia include
·        Feeling cold
·        Pale skin
·        Shivering
·        Loss of concentration
·        Drowsiness
·        Confusion
·        Dizziness
·        Slurred speech
·        Dilated pupils
·        Slowed breathing
·        Loss of feeling in limbs and extremities
How to treat it
Once hypothermia has occurred you should attempt to re-warm the victim as soon as possible (find a sunny spot if available). Attempt to keep the victim out of the wind. After this you should remove any frozen or wet clothing from the victim and replace them with dry clothes. If dry clothes are not available still remove the wet or frozen clothes and use a blanket to keep the victim covered. After the victim is in new clothing or covered with a blanket another person should then get in the blanket with the victim, body warmth is one of the fastest ways to re-warm anyone suffering from hypothermia.





Hyperthermia
What is it?
Hyperthermia (or commonly known as heat stroke) is when the body becomes too hot, above 37.2 c, it uses several strategies to cool down, including sweating. But if a person spends too much time in the heat without drinking enough fluids, the body's cooling processes can't work properly. When the body becomes dehydrated, it can no longer cool itself by sweating. When this happens, body temperature can raise high enough to make the person sick.
Symptoms
Heat stroke can come on suddenly, but warning symptoms often appear first. They include:
·           Abdominal cramps
·           Muscle cramps
·           Nausea
·           Vomiting
·           Headache
·           Dizziness
·           Weakness
·            Heavy sweat or a lack of sweat
·            Disorientated or confused
How to treat it
· slowly rehydrate by drinking cool liquids.
· Sponge or mist skin with cool water.
· Remove heavy or dark clothing.
· Get into a shaded and breezy area or move into a cool indoor environment.



 

Bite/Sting (not snake)
What is it?
Insect bites often cause one or more red bumps that are usually itchy and sometimes painful. Often there's a small hole in the middle of the bite, perhaps with the end of the sting sticking out. These can be very painful and may even feel like they are burning. Itchiness may persist for some time due to the poison or irritant that the insect injects or leaves behind when it bites or stings. Sometime the body may have an allergic reaction to the poison and a major allergic reaction called anaphylaxis may occur.
Symptoms
·         a rash or swelling that gets worse instead of better
·         the site is red, tender and swollen
·         headache
·         dizziness
·         nausea
·         pains in the chest
·         choking or wheezing
·         difficulty breathing
·         Itchiness at the site and perhaps around the area
How to treat it
If an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis occurs then medical assistance must be as soon as possible and death can occur if left untreated. If the reaction is minor then creams can be used to sooth the pain. Ice may be applied to reduce heat in the area and reduce any swelling. If there is a barb left in e.g. bee sting then it needs to be carefully removed. The area should be washed with cool clean water to try and wash any poison off the outside area of the sting.



Sunday, 5 February 2012

Group Dynamics

After completing the Leadership Styles quiz i found, not only do i show one Leadership style but two! The Leadership styles i show are Participatory and Free Rein.

Participatory - This leadership style requires input form others. People tend to be more concerned about the process of how the decisions are made and that everyone has a voice. Participatory leaders tend to make decisions in a slow, thoughtful process. Generally, these people are good listeners and cooperative.

Free Rein - This leadership style is more relaxed and supportive. People who are free rein tend to be your regular old Joe. Details are not much of a concern, because things will get done. They are comfortable with teamwork and group activities.




 

Things that make a good leader

- Open to new ideas
- Passionate
- Easy to approach
- Adapts to change well
- Friendly and easy going
- Can take situations seriously when needed
- Helpful towards others
- Supportive and encouraging
- Trusting
- Inspirational
- Determined and dedicated
- Treats people equally is shows fairness