What’s in a Rescuer’s Pack Series- Part 4 First Aid Kit & Training!

October 14, 2025October 27, 2025 David Lottmann adventure travel, Backcountry Skiing, backpacking, Climbing Education, Gear Reviews, hiking, hiking, Mountaineering, Professional Development, Self-Rescue, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Navigation, Wilderness Survival, winter hiking adventure, health, hiking, nature, travel

First Aid Kits and Training for Outdoor Recreation and Search & Rescue

Part 1- Physical Mirrored Compass

Part 2- Digital Map (and maybe a physical backup)

Part 3- Headlamps… plural!

Part 4- First Aid Kit & Training!

Part 5- Water and Water Treatment

Every outdoor adventure gear list includes a first aid kit. However, possessing first aid supplies is far less important than having some level of first aid knowledge. Most search and rescue organizations either require or highly encourage their members to obtain a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification. Those seeking greater confidence in their ability to treat common injuries and illnesses in the backcountry should aim for a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification. Advanced SAR teams may also include Wilderness EMTs or AEMTs, along with ER nurses or physicians.

These courses are offered by a few organizations all over the country. If you are located in the Northeastern US I highly recommend taking one of these courses at SOLO in Conway, New Hampshire. Not only does SOLO have some of the best instructors in the outdoor emergency treatment field their campus, classrooms, and “Toad Hall” lodging have a very warm and welcoming vibe.

Patient care is generally the responsibility of the highest-trained team member present. But everyone starts with little or no training, and progresses from there. Before purchasing or assembling a first aid kit, I strongly recommend obtaining proper training. Not only does training clarify what should be in your kit, but it also prepares you for real emergencies. Fortunately, there are many avenues for affordable or even free first aid training options.

In the outdoor and rescue communities, CPR certification from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association is emphasized. While CPR is often included in WFA or Wilderness First Responder courses, it can also be taken as a standalone course. That said, I believe practicing bleeding control should be prioritized more highly. In outdoor settings—and even during everyday life—the likelihood of encountering a medical emergency requiring effective bleeding management far exceeds the need for CPR skills. Car accidents, workplace incidents, household mishaps, and firearm-related injuries all demand swift, decisive action to improve outcomes.

(Medical CPR Mask)

To that end, I highly recommend completing the free online Stop The Bleed course offered by the American College of Surgeons. It takes less than an hour, and while online-only training lacks hands-on practice, the knowledge gained provides a solid foundation. After completing this program or an equivalent, the next step is to add a quality tourniquet to your everyday carry (EDC). A tourniquet is your best chance at stopping life-threatening bleeding before the patient can reach advanced medical care. Keep one in each vehicle, as car accidents frequently cause injuries requiring tourniquet application. If you work with firearms—whether in law enforcement, hunting, or self-defense—it’s wise to carry a tourniquet on your person at all times.

Be cautious of cheap tourniquets sold on Amazon; I’ve heard too many stories of handles breaking during application. I recommend the CAT Gen 7 Tourniquet by North American Rescue, which I keep in my range bag, vehicles, rescue pack, and emergency sling pack. I also carry the RATS Tourniquet, especially useful for small children, as it reportedly performs better on them.

Once you’ve completed the Stop The Bleed course, explore other free online first aid trainings through a simple Google search. Ideally, you’ll find time to attend in-person Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder courses, which offer invaluable hands-on experience and help you fine-tune your kit. While some prefer to assemble their first aid kits from scratch for cost savings, I recommend starting with a high-quality commercial kit and supplementing it with additional supplies. Two reputable brands I’ve used are Adventure Medical Kits and My Medic.

Two great beginner kits are the AMK Ultralight/Watertight .9 First Aid Kit and the My Medic Sidekick IFAK, which I enhance with extra medications, nitrile gloves, a tourniquet, and a small spare headlamp. For more comprehensive needs—particularly around firearms—the My Medic Everyday Carry Kit includes additional items like chest seals and a tourniquet, which can also be added separately to other kits.

For Search and Rescue missions, I also include a SAM Splint, chemical hand and body warmers, and an EpiPen.

You can supplement your online and in-person first aid training with books. A few I would suggest to add to your library are:

NOLS Wilderness Medicine

SOLO’s Field Guide to Wilderness First Aid, 5th Ed.

Wilderness First Responder: How to Recognize, Treat, and Prevent Emergencies in the Backcountry

You can also learn by following some medical related Instagram/YouTube channels. I recommend following North American Rescue and Medical Talks on Instagram. <- Graphic Sensitive Content Warning! Both these account show graphic injuries quite often.

Summary:
While a small first aid kit suffices for recreational hikes, SAR team members often respond to injuries or accidents requiring more advanced supplies and skills. As such, your kit should be more comprehensive than a typical hiking first aid kit. I hope this guidance helps you acquire the training and equipment necessary to treat minor injuries effectively and, in critical situations, potentially save a life.**

Support New Hampshire Search and Rescue

Wondering how you can contribute to New Hampshire’s amazing volunteer Search and Rescue community? First, buy an annual Hike Safe Card! If you want to go above and beyond consider making a donation to the NH Outdoor Council. This organization helps efficiently dispersing donations to the multiple volunteer search and rescue teams in the state of New Hampshire. If you would like to donate specifically to teams I am currently a member of you can find their donation pages here:

Androscroggin Valley Search and Rescue Donations

Lakes Region Search and Rescue Donations

While not currently a member I am proud of the decade+ I spent serving on the Mountain Rescue Service Team and their donation page can be found here.

Comments? Questions?

Let me know below! Ask me about anything related to first aid kits or training or my suggestions.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Disclaimer: The author is not a doctor and this post is not intended to provide medical advice. The opinions above come from the author’s experience as a Wilderness First Responder and Search & Rescue Team member. Seek proper instruction from qualified trainers. Affiliate links above support the content created here. If you make a purchase after visiting one of these links the author earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

What’s in a Rescuer’s Pack Series- Part 2 Digital Map (and maybe a physical backup)

September 18, 2025October 27, 2025 David Lottmann adventure travel, Climbing Education, hiking, Land Navigation, Mountaineering, Professional Development, Self-Rescue, Tech Tips, Tech Tips, Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Navigation, Wilderness Survival, winter hiking adventure travel, backpacking, climbing, digital mapping, hiking, Land Navigation, mountaineering, online mapping, search and rescue, Wilderness Navigation, Wilderness Survival

Part 1- Physical Mirrored Compass

Part 2- Digital Map (and maybe a physical backup)

Part 3- Headlamps… plural!

Part 4- First Aid Kit & Training!

Part 5- Water and Water Treatment

Using Smartphones for Wilderness Navigation

In my last post I shared my opinions on why carrying a physical mirrored compass while hiking is still relevant. Physical compasses are important in both outdoor recreation and professional SAR despite modern smartphone technology. In this post will show my preference for digital mapping over physical maps.

There are some disclaimers and caveats to get out of the way here. Relying on only a cell phone app with no foundation of true navigational skills with traditional map & compass is really a gamble. At some point your cell phone battery will die. It will be too cold for your cell phone to function. You’ll drop your phone in a raging current or deep powder snow and have to go without. I’ll say it one more time…

DO NOT rely on smartphone navigation as your ONLY source of navigation.

But can it be your primary source of navigation? Heck yeah! It’s been 10 years since I wrote this article, Should you use a Smartphone for Wilderness Navigation? in which I make a strong case for the use of smartphone apps for navigation.

Ten years later I still stand behind my arguments in this opinion piece. Even better smartphone batteries have made large advancements in how much juice they can store. Digital displays have improved in resolution, brightness, and color. When I first wrote that piece I was using the iPhone 6 model! Today my iPhone 13 Pro is my main digital navigation tool with some apps I will get into below.

I still do not own a stand alone GPS unit. However, they still have a place in the outdoor recreation and rescue industry. They have a few advantages of smartphone GPS apps for navigation.

Much more durable. Quality handheld GPS units are typically waterproof to at least 30 feet. They can withstand significant impacts that would destroy a smartphone.
Much longer battery life. Most models can run full tracking for over 150 hours without being recharged.
The best models can double as a two-way satellite communication device. This point is less important if your smartphone has satellite communication ability as well.

I would invest in a standalone GPS device if I often embarked on extended trips (a week or longer). This device would serve as a backup communication device in remote parts of the world. After looking at the current market of these devices, I would lean toward the Garmin GPSMap67i. It is a well-reviewed high-end choice in the field of GPS navigation devices with satellite communication feature.

You can rely on your smartphone for navigation like I do. You can find success if you follow a few key tenets. Here are my 8 commandments.

Thou shalt use a proper mapping navigation app (NOT AllTrails).
Thou shall pre-download maps and topographical data while connected to a WIFI or Data network. Do this before leaving civilization.
Thou shall start the hike with a smartphone charged to 100% when you leave the trail head
Thou shall close all unneeded apps. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth manually. Turn on Airplane Mode. Turn down screen brightness to the lowest usable level.
Thou shall keep your smartphone warm.
Thou shall carry battery backup on extended trips.
Thou shall use Bluetooth headphones if one must listen to music
Thou shall still be capable of navigating should thou smartphone unexpectedly stop working

For more than ten years I’ve been using CalTopo.com on my laptop to create custom maps for both recreational hiking, guiding, and search and rescue missions. I then download the created geospatial PDF’s into the free Avenza app for off-grid use in the field. CalTopo does have an excellent app that you can use. However, I still find it more efficient to create the detailed maps I want on a laptop or desktop platform. It is easier than doing it on a smartphone app.

One of the coolest newer features of the CalTopo software is the ability for SAR teams to enable live tracking. Any group who purchases a “Teams” account can do this for everyone on the team. This feature can allow team members and rescue commanders to see real time locations of members of the search team. Members must be connected to the network by either cellular data. Alternatively, they can link a GPS device like the Garmin inReach Mini 2. This is a powerful tool that rescue commanders can use to track dozens of search teams over large geographic areas!

Other apps worth looking at are MilGPS, Gaia GPS, PeakFinder, and Theodolite. I will do a more detailed breakdown of these apps in a future post.

Using Smartphone for Wilderness Navigation — *MilGPS app*

Smartphone apps are complex. They could be using a lot of power in the background. The safe bet is just to close all apps you are not using. I pretty much only have Avenza/CalTopo, Strava, and the Camera app occasionally running during my trips.

While Airplane mode should turn off WiFi and Bluetooth, these can both be turned back on while in Airplane mode. I think it is best to turn them both off individually. This way, if you come out of Airplane mode to make an emergency call, you don’t accidentally leave WiFi on. You don’t accidentally leave Bluetooth running. This also applies to an “I’m running late” call when you don’t need those connections.

Screen brightness probably has a smaller effect on battery life but every bit can help.

Cold can drain cell phone batteries even if the phone is powered down. Do not carry your smartphone in the top pocket of your backpack in cold conditions. I prefer a hip pocket or chest pocket for winter conditions.

If I’m expected to be out for more than 48 hours, I will pack a backup charger. I prefer options like the Anker Portable 325 PowerBank. There are dozens of other options out there but I would look for store at least 20000mAh of juice!

If you need to listen to music or podcasts while hiking, Bluetooth headphones are a great choice. They will save your phone a lot of battery. This is especially true compared to using the smartphone’s external speakers. The same applies if you’re sleeping in a tent during windy conditions or in a crowded, snoring bunkhouse.

Having a backup paper map is easy insurance against a smartphone failure. I will be honest and say I do not always carry a paper back up with me. I justify this by being very diligent with conserving my battery life. I keep my phone warm in cold environments. I also keep it secure in either a zippered pocket. In a more vertical environment, I tether it to my body with a retractable lanyard.

If you have access to a quality color printer you can print very detailed custom maps directly from CalTopo. If I have the time, I often send the Geospatial PDF’s I’ve created to the local UPS Store. Sometimes, I send them to Staples for laminated color copies. For a SAR mission that is likely short, I rarely carry a detailed paper map. These missions usually conclude in less than 24 hours. I will have the regional AMC White Mountain National Forest Maps for the area I will be in. This way, I can perform resection from any vantage points along my route. I will do this if my digital tools are failing.

Get Skilled

There are some great, and not so great, books on navigation you can learn from. A couple of my favorites:

The Essential Wilderness Navigator: How to Find Your Way in the Great Outdoors, 2nd Ed.

Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS

The Natural Navigator, Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide

Pinpoint: How GPS Is Changing Technology, Culture, and Our Minds <- thanks Zeb for pointing me to this one, just started reading it and it’s good!

Guided Instruction

If you would like to work with me directly, I have a custom 8-hour Wilderness Navigation Course. This course covers everything from Survival/Improvised Navigation to creating detailed “White-Out” navigation plans. It also includes using modern smartphone apps. It’s a couple hours of morning classroom followed by real life field practice of all skills. Reach out if you’d like to learn more!

Summary

This topic is slightly controversial. Almost any hiking authority will urge you to carry a paper map at all times. I’m not arguing against that. From a search and rescue team member’s experience, I think back on the dozens of missions I’ve been involved in. I struggle to recall pulling out my paper map at any point during a search. I always have very detailed pre-downloaded topographic data in a smartphone. I carefully conserve power and keep a backup. This combination has always gotten me to my next checkpoint. I continue practicing following a compass bearing through thick woods to a target. I do this because I want that skill to stay sharp and support the existing technology I’ve decided to embrace. I hope sharing this mindset with you encourages you to evaluate your own capabilities.

Support New Hampshire Search and Rescue

Androscroggin Valley Search and Rescue Donations

Lakes Region Search and Rescue Donations

While not currently a member I am proud of the decade+ I spent serving on the Mountain Rescue Service Team and their donation page can be found here.

Comments? Questions?

Let me know below! Ask me about anything related to digital navigation, maps, or my suggestions. Let me know what your favorite mapping app is! Do you feel competent with digital mapping navigation?

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Affiliate links above support the content created here. If you make a purchase after visiting on of these links the author earns a small commission on no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Conditions That Promote the Growth of Surface Hoar (And SnowVisa Giveaway!)

December 9, 2023December 9, 2023 David Lottmann Avalanche Courses, Avalanche Gear Reviews, Backcountry Skiing, Deals on gear!, Mountaineering, Professional Development, Ski Gear Reviews, Tech Tips, Wilderness Survival, winter hiking avalanche courses, backcountry skiing, mountaineering

Yesterday I posed the question, “What are the conditions that promote the growth of Surface Hoar”. There were many correct answers. Let’s dive a little deeper into the conditions and take it beyond the level 1 understanding.

In my AIARE 1 avalanche courses I teach students to remember the three “C’s” that promote the growth of surface hoar.

Cold- Unsurprisingly it needs to be below freezing (32°F, 0ºC) for surface hoar to form.

Clear- The mechanisms that drive the growth of surface hoar require rapid radiative heat loss from the snowpack. This only occurs on clear nights. Cloud cover has an insulating effect on the earth and pretty much prevents the type of heat loss needed for this process to occur.

Calm- Surface hoar crystals, once formed, are vulnerable to moderate wind speeds. The ice forms have very little horizontal strength, and if you find a pocket of decent sized surface hoar you can test this easily by getting close to the crystals and giving them a hearty blow of air from your own lungs.

That is pretty much the level 1 type knowledge I instill in my students. Now let’s dive deeper into other important considerations that contribute to the snowpack’s ability to form surface hoar.

Humidity & Dewpoint– Basically surface hoar is winter’s equivalent of “dew”. There must be a high level of humidity (over 70%) in the air right at ground level.

Air movement– Since the crystal growth of surface hoar is removing vapor (moisture) from the air as it grows that moisture must be replaced for the crystals to keep growing. The air movement required is so light that an observer would record “calm” for wind speed.

Temperature Inversion/Gradient– A strong inverted temperature gradient is needed right at the snow surface. This gradient is best achieved by the rapid radiative heat loss scenario promoted by cold clear nights. Even a light breeze will remove this ground level inversion and inhibit growth.

Now that we’ve gotten the sciencey weather stuff out of the way let’s get into some practical terrain considerations for the topic.

Sheltered/Lee– Since we know any noticeable wind inhibits surface hoar growth we can expect to find it in areas protected from the wind, i.e. lee.

Canopy– Because surface hoar requires rapid radiative heat loss any tree canopy will inhibit growth. Surface hoar is often found in clearings that are not obstructed by any tree cover.

Aspect– It is reasonable to assume northern aspects may be more likely to grow surface hoar as they are colder aspects. In areas with predominant west winds (White Mountains) you may have more luck finding surface hoar on your North to East aspects.

Elevation– Since above treeline conditions rarely promote the growth of surface hoar this weak layer is more common below treeline, and in the right conditions middle elevations.

Slope Angle– Surface hoar has what is called “anisotropic” structure. What this basically means is it is strong on the vertical axis and very weak on the horizontal axis. This property is the main reason it is such a reactive weak layer when buried by new snow. Its ability to withstand gradual increases in load until it reaches its breaking point is why in certain snow climates it’s the primary issue for human triggered avalanches. It is also why you would not expect this in steeper start zones. In the rare case of this forming on a 40 degree start zone of an alpine gully any cohesive snow that falls on top of it will quickly overwhelm its horizontal strength. Field observations show this is a common layer for remotely triggering avalanches on flat terrain. Twenty five degree rollovers are also commonly triggered on surface hoar.

Slope Shape– Research shows that concave slopes inhibit growth. This is due to the reduced radiative heat loss on concave slopes. Conversely, convex slopes may see more progressive growth as they can accelerate rapid radiative heat loss and a stronger surface left temperature gradient. Yet another reason convexities on a slope are common trigger points.

Proximity to Water– Because the ground level humidity needs replenishment you can often find this growing next to creeks, streams, and steam “vents”. These “vents” are pretty cool, even on a negative temperature day if you stick your thermometer in one of them you’ll find the air temp hovering around freezing (32°F, 0ºC).

Snow Climate– The prior mentioned weather conditions are most common in Continental (Rocky Mountain) snow climates. Surface hoar can, and does, form in any snow climate, but it’s most prevalent in Continental snow climates.

Local Examples– I have found a few places in Mount Washington Valley that I consider “surface hoar farms”.

The most reliable spot I have found is just south of the trestle cut at the top of Crawford Notch where some sheltered steam vents on the west side of the tracks often have surface hoar crystals around them. Unfortunately the railroad is active this winter and no trespassing signs are posted so I don’t recommend heading there.

The field just outside the AMC Highland Center has had some brilliant surface hoar displays over the years through they are usually short lived as calm clear weather doesn’t last long at the top of the notch.

The base of the Cog Railway has small slopes that have produced some of the largest surface hoar crystals I have ever seen in person, some up to 4 centimeters in size!

I’ll often find small pockets on the sides of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail but the spot on the east side of Mount Washington I’ve had the most luck is on the Summer Lion Head trail, right as the trail steepens and crosses an old avalanche path there are a couple small steam vents on the left side that have a clear view of the sky (thanks to old avalanche activity).

Summary– Well that’s about it for my brain dump on surface hoar. Hope you’ve learned something new about what is likely my favorite type of ice formation. For more reading you can check out The Avalanche Handbook. It’s where most of my information is derived and a great resource for those who really want to dive into the minutiae of avalanche formation.

Snow Visa Giveaway

Snow Visa Sticker Avalanche Safety Avalanche Education

Learn more about this innovative snow safety tool here and enter to win one for free by clicking this link! Contest ends on at 8PM EST on 12/24/2023!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Affiliate links above support this blog. Purchases made through those links earn me a small commission at no additional cost. If you found this content to have value consider a small donation via Venmo or PayPal to support this blog. Thank you.

Tech Tip- Listen to Avalanche Podcasts

March 3, 2020 David Lottmann adventure travel, Avalanche Courses, Avalanche Gear Reviews, Backcountry Skiing, Climbing Education, Gear Reviews, Mountaineering, Professional Development, Self-Rescue, Tech Tips, Tech Tips avalanche education, avalanche rescue, avalanche safety, know before you go

I find it hard to believe the avalanche course season is almost over! I’ve had a great time teaching courses for Northeast Mountaineering with an amazing group of co-instructors and despite a relatively inconsistent Mother Nature field conditions have been quite prime for our course objectives.

One of the seasonal components of the AIARE Framework is “Continue Your Education”. AIARE 1 students often realize quite early in the course that becoming safer back-country travelers is a lifelong process. There is no finish line when it comes to avalanche education. To that end I share with my students one of the ways I’ve continued to learn about a subject I’ve been studying and teaching for over 10 years is by subscribing to multiple podcasts related to avalanche education. Multiple students have asked for a list of what podcasts I listen to which was the motivation of this post. So without further delay here’s my current playlist with a quick recap of what to expect from each. If you like to play in the snow you should give a few of these a listen on the commute into work or your drive up to the mountains!

The Utah Avalanche Center Podcast by Drew Hardesty

“The podcast that helps keep you on top of the snow instead of buried beneath it.” This one is at the top of my list and if you only pick one podcast to listen to this is the one I’d recommend most. So many great episodes I hesitate to call out just one but I will… The April 5th, 2019 episode “Low Danger” is a must listen.

Right behind my first suggestion is the The Avalanche Hour Podcast by Caleb Merrill.

“Creating a stronger community through sharing stories, knowledge, and news amongst people who have a curious fascination with avalanches.” What can I say this podcast is fantastic! The range of guests is great and I haven’t found a single interview to not be engaging and enlightening… add it to your library!

Third on the list is Slide: The Avalanche Podcast by Doug Krause.

Sadly it seems Doug hasn’t been able to keep this project going but the first two seasons are here for us to learn from. Doug focuses mostly on the human element and some of the episodes that have stayed with my had to do with effective communication in the backcountry and how we see ourselves in our stories (impaired objectivity). Definitely worth listening to the 1.5 seasons that are there and hopefully Doug can return to this project soon!

Honorable mention goes to the American Alpine Club’s Sharp End Podcast by Ashley Saupe. While not 100% about avalanches I’ve been a long time reader of the AAC’s Accidents in North American Climbing, a fantastic education resource in its own right and worth the annual cost of membership in my opinion! In each episode Ashley interviews those involved in climbing (and sometimes avalanche) accidents in an effort to learn what we can from these stories.

Well that’s the list. Within these 4 podcasts there are hundreds of hours of quality content that is sure to make you a more informed and safer backcountry traveler. If you found this post helpful please leave a comment below and if I missed one of your favorite podcasts please let me know! It doesn’t have to be avalanche related but outdoor recreation and risk management should be a consideration!

Happy listening and see you in the mountains!

Northeast Alpine Start

Affiliate links help support the content created here. Thank you!

Tech Tip: Optimizing your First Aid Kit

October 29, 2019 David Lottmann adventure travel, backpacking, Climbing Education, family camping, Gear Reviews, hiking, Misc Reviews, Mountaineering, Professional Development, Self-Rescue, Tech Tips, Wilderness Medicine backpacking, first aid, hiking skills, mountaineering, rock climbing, wilderness first aid, Wilderness Medicine, wilderness skills

We all carry a first aid kit with us on our adventures right? For today’s Tech Tip I want to share what first aid kit I use and how I customize it with a few extra items. While you can go to a pharmacy and piece together your own kit I prefer to start with the Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/Watertight .7 Medical Kit as it’s a solid foundation to build upon. Here’s the details on the kit:

Designed for life in the bottom of the pack, zippered rip-stop silicon nylon outer bag has 2 inner DryFlex™ watertight pouches to ensure contents are kept clean and dry
Wound care items: 3 butterfly closure strips, 2 triple antibiotic ointments, 3 antiseptic wipes and 1 pair of nitrile gloves
Bandages: 8 sterile dressings, 2 non-adherent sterile dressings, 2 conforming gauze bandages, 5 adhesive bandages and 3 knuckle bandages
10 yards adhesive tape, 1 elastic bandage, 11 pre-cut and shaped moleskin pieces and 3 alcohol swabs
Medications: 6 ibuprofen, 2 aspirin, 2 antihistamine and 2 AfterBite® sting-relief wipes
Other equipment: splinter picker forceps, 3 safety pins and a 26 x 2 in. roll of duct tape

Adventure Medical Kits Wilderness First Aid — Manufacturer Image

Technical specs

Best Use	Hiking, Backpacking
Material(s)	Silicone nylon pouch
Dimensions	8.5 x 6.5 x 2 inches
Weight	8 ounces

This is a great start for only 8 ounces! AMK markets this as ideal for 1-2 people for 1-4 day trips. While I do find the suggestion a bit arbitrary I feel this is a great size for a group leader or guide to start from. There is a .5 version that weighs less than 4 ounces that would be good for trail running, casual hiking, or just to keep in the glove box. A very minimalist .3 version is better than carrying nothing.

Now let’s get into what I add to this kit to make it a bit more capable of handling any situation. The first thing I add is a Petzl Zipka Headlamp. This 2.5 ounce headlamp has great light output and the retractable cord keeps it from getting tangled with other things in the kit. I consider this a bit of a “back-up” headlamp. If I know I’ll be out after dark I bring my Petzl Actik Core Headlamp and have the Zipka available to loan to someone who forgets their headlamp.

I then add a simple small knife that can be used for cutting bandages, duct tape, and clothing to make slings & swathes if need be. Occasionally it might even have to cut some summer sausage and hard cheese.

Then I add a fire starter, usually just a small Bic lighter but you can go for a fancy windproof one if you want!

Next I drop in a little bottle of Potable Aqua Iodine Tablets. I use these to treat water in an emergency.

Then I have a small travel size Advil bottle that I carry extra Antihistamines (Benadryl) and pain/fever reducers (Advil). I prefer to use this bottle and refill it from home when needed and save the prepackaged medications for when I forget to refill this container. Don’t forget to check the expiration dates on the prepackaged medications!

I also squeeze in a small notebook with a pencil. This is important for writing SOAP notes or sending detailed information with someone. On longer trips I carry a Rite in the Rain Notebook separate from my first aid kit.

With still room to spare I now add my two EpiPens. While I haven’t been tested for a bee allergy I feel it is a good idea for me to carry Epi after getting swarmed and stung by over a dozen yellow jackets last year. There’s also the fact that some one in my care may have a unexpected severe reaction when we are over an hour away from definitive care and having Epi in the party could be a life-saver. I also add a super light disposable CPR Face Shield.

Finally I add about 3 extra pairs of Nitrile gloves in addition to the one pair that comes with the kit. It has been my experience on multiple rescues that one pair of gloves is never enough in the mountains as they will definitely tear while dealing with a patient, and bystanders who might be able to help often don’t have their own gloves.

These additions bring my first aid kit up to one pound 5 ounces. Considering that if I grab my first aid kit I have 5 of the “Ten Essentials” I’m more than ok with that weight! I also carry either my SOL Escape Bivy (summer) or my more durable Ortovox Single Bivy (winter or while on rescues).

Adventure Medical Kits First Aid Kits — Bigger more rugged bivy in the winter or when out on rescues… smaller lighter bivy for summer/day use…

I’ve also taken to sliding a Saywer SAM Splint down into the back panel of my pack. While I can improvise splints from my wilderness medicine training a real SAM splint is really nice to have for quick ankle/wrist fractures or as an effective neck collar.

I feel the above set-up is quite adequate for the amount of time I spend in the mountains both guiding and recreating. For expedition leaders or large outing club type groups I’d suggest looking at the Adventure Medical Kit Ultralight/Watertight PRO Medical Kit. It’s quite all inclusive with a SAM Splint, EMT Shears, precision forceps, and more.

Summary

Undoubtedly carrying a first aid kit in the mountains is a very good idea. Accidents will happen. The longer your recreate in the mountains the more likely you, someone in your party, or someone you come across, will need a touch of first aid. Hopefully it’s something minor like a blister or small scrape. Unfortunately we can’t remove all risk from our outdoor hobbies and will are going to break some bones, or worse. There’s two things YOU can do to make these situations better.

#1 Carry the right gear

#2 Get some training

Wilderness First Aid courses are offered all over the country! Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities (SOLO) teaches Wildness First Aid (16 hours), Wilderness First Responder (72+ hours), and Wilderness EMT (170+ hours). If you have zero medical training, and wish to play in the mountains for decades to come, do yourself a huge solid and sign up for one of these courses! You’ll be more prepared to handle what comes your way!

I hope you found this helpful. If you did please let me know in the comments below. If you carry something different or I missed a key item please let me know! Just so you are aware the links above (except for SOLO) are affiliate links. That means if you click on them, and make a purchase, a small commission is earned. That really helps keep this blog going, so if you do make a purchase thanks! If not maybe just share this article with someone you think could benefit from it!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Snow, Avalanches, Reflection, and More Snow for MLK Weekend!

January 22, 2019January 29, 2019 David Lottmann Avalanche Courses, Backcountry Skiing, Professional Development AIARE, American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education, avalanche courses, avalanche safety, know before you go

Well that was an intense four day weekend of snow, snow, and more snow. It all started for me on Friday when I taught an AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course for Northeast Mountaineering. The timing of our first rescue course was somber as an avalanche accident made national news the evening before when two young men would die from being caught in an avalanche and many others injured in Taos Ski Valley, NM.

New Mexico Avalanche — From ABC News: People search for victims after an avalanche buried multiple people near the highest peak of Taos Ski Valley, one of the biggest resorts in New Mexico, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. The avalanche rushed down the mountainside of the New Mexico ski resort on Thursday, injuring at least a few people who were pulled from the snow after a roughly 20-minute rescue effort, a resort spokesman said. (Morgan Timms/Taos News via AP)

My thoughts and prayers go out to the two young men, their families, and friends who have suffered this tragic loss.

Friday’s rescue course brought 10 students from first year back-country travelers to seasoned vets who teach avalanche awareness classes for the Appalachian Mountain Club. We spent a couple hours in the morning going over rescue gear and methodology before moving to a field location for hands on realistic practice. Towards the end of the day I was partially buried a meter down in the snow while my friend and SOLO Instructor Sue addressed patient considerations, treatment, and evacuation. I thank former USFS Snow Ranger Jeff Lane for showing me the effectiveness of having students try to pull an unconscious 180 pound person out of a burial position.

avalanche rescue — Just my airway cleared and one arm free there is a lot of work to do before proper treatment can begin- photo by Ryan Mcquire

We ended the course just as the edges of an incoming Nor’easter brought some snow fall and by Saturday morning it was coming down steady!

Nor'Easter Avalanche Course — My AM check of the radar showed multiple heavy bands of cold fluffy snow was on tap for all day Saturday

Saturday was the start of a three day AIARE Avalanche 1 Course and with my co-instructor Grant Price we had a full course of 12 students, all ski tourers with various levels of experience, but all eager to learn. After a productive morning of classroom and an afternoon of rescue practice I headed north to the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center to present a Know Before You Go presentation. This one-hour program is designed for a broad audience to introduce the 5 steps of avoiding getting caught in an avalanche.

Get the Gear
Get the Training
Get the Forecast
Get the Picture
Get out of Harm’s Way

Know Before You Go at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center — Presenting at AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center- photo by AMC Parker Peltzer

In attendance were various guests, visitors, AMC trip leaders, and an AMC avalanche awareness class. After the presentation Q&A took us pretty late into the night.

avalanche education — Some Q&A after the presentation- photo by AMC Parker Peltzer

Driving home around 10 pm I got to see some of the heaviest rates of snowfall before waking early Sunday to get Day 2 of the avalanche course going. We spent a little time inside talking about Human Factors and Heuristic Traps, some of which I had quite recently let get the better of my own decision making, before jumping into some sweet online tools and creating a tour plan for the rest of the day.

As soon as we hit the trail we started spotting obvious clues of unstable Storm Slab. Just as we were crossing the first Cutler River bridge we saw this… can you spot the two clues to unstable snow?

There are two natural “baby” slab avalanches in this picture. One is just left of the rock in the center and harder to see. The one on the right is easy to see. This is evidence of this fluffy “fist” density storm snow has gained cohesion and is sitting on a reactive weak layer… in other words it has formed into a “slab”. We found multiple spots along side the trail where “hand shears” would fail during isolation and informal ski cutting would produce noticeable results, on of the best just off the trail while crossing a small creek and captured by this students video:

We continued up to Hermit Lake and took a few minutes to poke in the snow near the Volunteer Ski Patrol Cabin. As we were close to our established turn around time we soon found ourselves enjoying some nice if not a bit bumpy turns down the Sherburne ski trail.

I’d later find out my friend and fellow avalanche educator Ben Allen was out in Bill Hill Glades in Gorham kicking off small slabs there. I could just picture his smile and giggle as he poked around in the snow triggering small inconsequential avalanches. If you didn’t know that is one of the favorite things for an avalanche educator to do! Well, that and shred super stable POW of course…

On Monday, the final day of our avalanche course, our students started trip planning at the NEM Bunkhouse at 8 AM. The Mount Washington Avalanche Center was forecasting HIGH danger for the day. In addition the Mount Washington Observatory’s Higher Summits Forecast was predicting ambient air temperatures to plummet to the negative teens with wind chills in the -50 to -70 range. A conservative tour was needed, and the group selected a tour up the Cog Railway with a high point of Jacob’s Ladder and possibly a side trip over to the top of a new slide path.

We hit the trail close to 10 AM with a parking lot temperature of -9 Fahrenheit but surprisingly very low winds. The skin up to Waumbek tank took us just over an hour.

During a break the group decided they would like to visit the top of the new slide path so we made our way up a few more hundred feet before contouring and bushwhacking over to the slide path.

Here I could feel the Human Factors tugging hard. The snow looked great. No tracks in it! We hadn’t really seen any signs of unstable snow like we had the day before. No cracking or whumping. It wasn’t as windy as we thought it would be. We had time to ski it. It was cold but climbing back up it would really warm us up.

I thought back to last weeks course when I had let Human Factors have a serious negative effect on my decision making. It was bluebird… no wind… perfect day to gain the ridge and complete a full “tour” on the last day of an avalanche class. The snow down here looked good… it must be good over there? Right? A student was apprehensive of her ability. Basically first time in the back country… My impaired objectivity reared its ugly head. “You can do it” I reassure without any evidence that she could. “We can side slip down until you feel comfortable making turns” I wrongly assumed. “It’s not that steep”… sure, for me, but what about her?

Listen to Every Voice, Respect Every Veto. These are tenants in good back-country partners.

Blue Sky Syndrome, Powder Fever, Over Confidence, and even some Kodak Courage had all crept into my consciousness. I failed to practice what I preach. I was not being objective. We made it down to the trail head just before dark. It took a few days and a formal debrief to really look back on that day for what it was. While I could call it a complete failure I’m looking at it as an ice cold head dunk of a wake-up call. 10 years of teaching these skills and I can still mess up. We all can. It’s how we move forward after making a mistake that counts.

Back to the top of Phillip, we turn our backs on what might be a killer powder run and head back to the Cog. We enjoy great low angle riding in calf deep powder back to the parking lot. We’ve returned way ahead of our turn around time as we listened to each other when we admitted we were pretty cold. No one got frostbite. The ski down had warmed us up enough for a quick round of Compression Tests and an Extended Column Test on a nearby slope.

We headed into the warmth of the AMC Thayer Hall for a tour debrief and to close the course. I handed out feedback forms that had been missing since the new curriculum rolled out.

What did you get out of this course?

How could the course be improved?

Where did you feel most at risk or in danger?

How can the instructors improve?

At the end of the day I read through all 12 forms. Small changes can be made based on these suggestions. Small changes lead to better learning environments for students and growth for the instructors.

I’m grateful for every comment and nudge from every student, fellow instructor, or guide I’ve ever gotten. Keep them coming.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Avalanche Rescue Course

December 4, 2018December 18, 2018 David Lottmann Avalanche Courses, Backcountry Skiing, Climbing Education, Professional Development American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education, avalanche education, avalanche rescue, know before you go

This past weekend I lead the first avalanche course of the season for Northeast Mountaineering, the relatively new AIARE Avalanche Rescue Course. This one day course is a excellent part of the new AIARE curriculum.

Ortovox Avalanche Beacons- photo by @photocait

Course Description

AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a one-day stand alone course that is intended to be retaken on a regular basis in order to keep abreast of best practices in rescue techniques and gear. New participants will learn the basics of companion rescue, while returning participants will expand their skill set with advanced topics and realistic scenario practice to help improve their skills.

Each participant will have the opportunity to receive professional coaching on their rescue skills, and will receive a rescue card acknowledging the completion date.

AIARE Avalanche Rescue is a prerequisite for the AIARE 2 and Pro 1 courses. AIARE recommends that all backcountry travelers keep their skills current by taking an Avalanche Rescue course and receiving a rescue card at least every other year.

Who Should Take this Course

The Avalanche Rescue Course is a one-day course aimed both at new and experienced recreational backcountry travelers and aspiring avalanche professionals.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the end of the Avalanche Rescue course the student should be able to:

Describe what to do if they or a member of their party is caught in an avalanche.
Identify and be able to use gear necessary for avalanche rescue.
Set up a realistic scenario in order to practice an avalanche rescue response.
Improve their response skills and times during and after the course with feedback from instructors and peers.
Develop a plan for continuing practice.

All students will have the opportunity to get feedback from an instructor on their rescue skills and timed practice in a realistic scenario.

Students who have previously taken an AIARE 1 or an Avalanche Rescue Course will find value in having a professional help them set up realistic scenarios, practice skills in a realistic setting, receive feedback from an instructor, keep up with current best practices, and have an opportunity to practice advanced rescue skills.

Prerequisites

Students must be able to travel in the snow, and bring appropriate equipment for traveling on snow to class. There are no other prerequisites.

COURSE DETAILS

Length: 1 Day [8 Hours]
Guide-to-Client: 2:12
Price: $150 per person includes one night lodging!*

*As space permits. Requires additional online reservation at The Bunkhouse.

2018-2019 DATES

January 18
March 21

We only have two dates on the calendar so they will likely fill up soon! Please contact me directly with any questions or help booking the date at nealpinestart@gmail.com.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Creating Recreational Maps With Modern Tools

November 7, 2018November 6, 2018 David Lottmann adventure travel, Climbing Education, Land Navigation, Mountaineering, Professional Development Land Navigation, map and compass, Wilderness Navigation

I finally finished the curriculum for a 4 hour course designed to teach outdoor enthusiasts and professionals how to create, print, and use custom maps that are better than any map currently available from an outdoor retailer or publisher. Monday night I held the first course in partnership with the Kennett High School’s Adult Education Program. In attendance were some members of Granite Backcountry Alliance and the Conway Police Department.

map example — This map show some of the features available when making maps on CalTopo like DEM Shading (red is possible wind slab issues based off avalanche bulletin data), range rings (no camping .25 miles from AMC hut, creating routes, decision points, and run lists, in addition to using polygons to mark “open” and “closed” terrain based on snow-pack conditions. This is purely a fictional example meant to illustrate what is possible with the tool.

Feedback from participants was quite positive and I’m ready to offer this course to the general public. Unlike my 8-hour Wilderness Navigation Course this course is 100% indoors. Participants need a laptop, IOS or Android smartphone, and the Avenza and GuidePace apps to take full advantage of the content.

Wilderness Navigation Course — Being able to determine a bearing from physical map and then follow it in real life is a critical skill for traveling in the mountains. Here students are putting morning classroom instruction to practical use while trying to hit a target half a mile through dense forest

Yesterday I offered an abbreviated version of this course in conjunction with some of my Wilderness Navigation content for a couple members of the Durham and North Conway, NH Fire Departments. With some adaptation this content is quite suitable for professionals who participate in search & rescue efforts.

After positive feedback from today’s participants I will be reaching out to Fire Departments around the state to see if they would be interested in this training. If you belong to an outdoor group or organization that might like to include this in your training regime please reach out to me for more details at nealpinestart@gmail.com.

My Compass

Every course has participants asking me what compass they should get. I’ve been a fan of the Suunto MC-2 for almost two decades! I wrote a long review on this compass here!

See you in the mountains (hopefully not lost),

Northeast Alpine Start

Sendember and Rocktober!

September 6, 2018 Climbing Education, Professional Development, Rock Climbing, Self-Rescue, Tech Tips alpine climbing, fall rock climbing, white mountains

These two months are easily my favorite months to get out rock climbing and while Fall is historically a slower time for rock guiding in the Northeast it’s one of the best times to get out and climb! The cliffs are quieter, the black-flies and mosquitoes are long gone, and the cool temps and lower humidity just make rock climbing the thing to do. And don’t get me started on the foliage that is actually starting to show!

Here’s a list of some Fall climbing objectives I’d like to highlight if you think you might want to get out and climb with me before the snow flies.

Northeast Ridge of the Pinnacle, Mount Washington

This 7 pitch, 900 foot, classic alpine ridge is a must do for every eastern trad climber! Since I have a season pass to the Mount Washington Auto Road I’m offering “Euro-approach” style guided trips to this alpine mecca. Basically by using the Autoroad we save 5 hours of hiking and spend more time climbing! The road closes on October 21st so message me soon if you have a date you’d like to do this!

Requirements: Should be comfortable down-climbing 4th class terrain, and following 5.8. Previous multi-pitch experience required.

Lakeview, Cannon Cliff

This climb was once listed in a climbing magazine article called “Ten Classic Climbs under 5.10”, which is what got me to first climb it in 1994. It’s an excellent introduction to moderate alpine multi-pitch climbing with lots of relaxed slab climbing (some loose rock), and two steeper fantastic pitches at the top. A real pleasure on a nice Fall day!

Requirements: Should be comfortable following 5.6. Previous multi-pitch experience required.

Whitney Gilman, Cannon Cliff

Whitney-Gilman Ridge — Larry after just topping out the 4th pitch, the famously exposed “Pipe Pitch”

The most exposed 5.7 in New England, this sharp alpine ridge is another “must-do” for all eastern trad climbers. After dozens of ascents I still can’t help to marvel over the historic first ascent of this climb that was at one-time, the hardest climb in the US!

Requirements: Should be comfortable following 5.8. Previous multi-pitch experience required.

Endeavor, White Ledge

Endeavor, Whites Ledge, Bartlett NH photo by Drew Lederman

This is a locals Fall favorite! 5 pitches of excellent climbing ending with a stellar 200 foot jam crack and some of the best Fall foliage views to be had!

Gym to Sport Skills

Gear for Top Rope Climbing — Photo by Corey McMullen

The transition from gym climbing to outdoor sport climbing can be a bit daunting. I’ve been refining my single day curriculum to help ease this transition all summer while teaching clinics at Rumney Rocks. I’ll help you make that transition so you are not left at the top anchor wondering if you set everything up right.

Self-Rescue for the Trad Climber

rock climbing self rescue — Chris learns about the initial awkwardness of rope ascension having already “Escape the Belay”

Do you know how to go “hands-free” on your belay device so you can get your cell phone out of your pack? Better yet can you “escape the belay” so you can go get or provide help? Or better still can you escape the belay and climb up a loaded rope to render potentially life saving first aid?

These skills should be high on the list of anyone who wishes to simply follow multi-pitch climbs! You might need to rescue the leader should an incident occur! Over the years I’ve streamlined this 8 hour day into what I think people should know if they plan on climbing more than one pitch above the ground. Grab your partner and dedicate a day to learning how to practice this skills with me!

Cost

All of these courses are offered at the following rates through my employment with Northeast Mountaineering.

1 person: $250 per person
2 people: $150 per person

If you would like to book any of these contact me first at nealpinestart@gmail.com with the date or dates you are interested in. I will quickly get back to you on availability then you can lock the date down through Northeast Mountaineering using “DavidNEM” in the notes box to help flag the reservation.

Fall is almost officially here and the leaves have started to show some color in most of the notches. I hope you get out there and enjoy the best rock climbing weather the Northeast has to offer!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Affiliate links above help support this blog at no additional cost to you! Thank you!

Review- 50 Non-Textbook Anchors I Trusted My Life To, by Mark Smiley (IFMGA Guide)

August 31, 2018 Climbing Education, Mountaineering, Professional Development, Rock Climbing, Tech Tips 50 anchors i trusted my life to, mark smiley, online climbing course, smiley project

Last week Mark Smiley released an online learning course focused on building anchors for traditional and alpine rock climbing. If you are following this blog Mark probably doesn’t need an introduction as his name is quite well known in the industry, but if by some chance you haven’t heard of Mark here’s a quick recap of him from his Smiley’s Project website.

Buy the Discounted Course HERE 25% off ends September 8th!

Experience

FILM MAKING:

-Created 45+ webisodes during a 4 year climbing project: Plays: 400K Loads: 3.8M Embeds: 3.1M

– Contract film work for: Gore-Tex, La Sportiva, American Mountain Guide Association, and others.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

– Published in Alpinist, Rock n’ Ice, Climbing, Extraordinary Health, Outside Magazine, 50+ webpages.

MOUNTAIN GUIDING:

– Organized and led 7 international expeditions, 5 Alaska Expeditions, and many domestic trips in the US.

– IFMGA Certified Mountain Guide by the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA)

I’ve been following Mark through Facebook and Instagram for years and linked his “Creating Safe Bail Anchors” post to my Tech Tip page a couple years ago. When I saw he was offering a hour and half online course focused on upping my anchor building game I decided to invest in it and give it a review. I’m pretty sure a lot of my readers have heard of this new program and might be on the fence as to if it is worth it or not. To help with that decision here’s a recap of what the program offers. After reading this you’ll be able to decide if it’s something that could help your climbing (and score a bit of a discount on the purchase along the way!)

What is an online course?

This might seem rudimentary to some but it deserves a little clarification. Especially as it pertains to this course. Basically when you purchase this online course you get lifetime access to the “chapters” that the curriculum has been divided into. These chapters are more than just video though… they include text below to supplement the material covered on screen. Occasionally relevant links are made to appropriate research papers that support claims made during instruction.

In addition each chapter has space to publicly comment and question anything suggested during the chapter. While not replacing “live” learning this is far more interactive than simply trying to learn a skill via say… YouTube!

Buy the Discounted Course HERE 25% off ends September 8th!

How much does it cost?

Before I get into the course content I’ll go over the course costs and offer a bit of a comparison. This course costs $199 (before a 25% off exclusive discount I list at the end). This is about equal to a day of semi-private 2:1 or 3:1 guiding with a highly trained guide. Comparing the two though is a bit apples to oranges. This is concentrated info around a diverse and complicated subject. After sitting through the 26 chapters and reading a lot of the accompanying text and external links I can say that the value is most definitely here, and that comes from a climber of 25 years of trad experience. What truly adds value to this course though is once you are enrolled Mark will send you an invite to a private Facebook group that is strictly for posting anchor pics, asking questions, and getting constructive feedback by an IMFGA trained guide.

This simple addition to the service is what makes this a great value for both new climbers entering the field to seasoned vets ready to up their game. Oh, and Mark offers a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee… so if you don’t feel you get your money’s worth reach out!

What will I learn?

This question must be broken down by two user groups. First, aspiring traditional climbers, then experienced climbers with a few seasons under their harnesses. The first group might seem a bit overwhelmed. While Mark is an engaging and well paced presenter there is simply a ton of info thrown at you in an hour and a half. Don’t expect to understand or retain it all after one sit-though. The good news is this isn’t a single private guided day where you try to remember everything the guide said. You can watch these chapters over and over until you feel you gain an understanding of the concepts. As Mark points out a few times through-out though you can still benefit from a qualified professional or mentor in order to build more real-life context.

For the experienced climbers out there (and a lot of my friends and partners) what will you learn from this that you haven’t learned already? Well that will vary from person to person but for me I gained a better understanding of bolt anatomy, type, inspection, and strengths. I learned more about pitons, from inspection to best clipping methods. I was reminded about the use and benefits of “the swamp knot”. I learned some better analogies to help with teaching quality nut placements (loved the flashlight analogy Mark). I learned a slick way to incorporate a cam into a slung horn anchor that I can think of at least 3 places I wish I knew that trick over the last few years.

Mark Smiley 50 Anchor Online Course Review — How to properly clean up that rat’s nest!

While the overall focus of the course is on anchors you will pick up other tips that will help your climbing. Most noticeably how to occasionally “terrain belay” and move faster in 3rd and 4th class terrain with greater security than just soloing the terrain. You’ll learn how to build better bail anchors. On that note huge props for Mark’s “Just say no to stupid anchors” campaign that essentially encourages you to add that second piece if you need to bail without worrying about the financial loss… Mark will replace that piece for you (details in course). Finally I learned how to better clean up “rat nests” and upgrade rap anchors with quick-links as a service to my fellow climbers. I’ve got a few anchors locally in mind that will get some TLC very soon!

Summary

Online learning isn’t anything new. Applying it to climbing education in such a fashion kind of is. Mark is spearheading this here and I have hopes of following him with some less technical type courses (namely using CalTopo and Avenza for creating BA trip plans and maps) but when I see the quality of a course like Mark’s I realize I need to up my game to create a quality of product worth selling. Mark’s done it here, and I’m glad I bought in.

Exclusive Discount!

I am super excited to be able to offer an exclusive discount on this course for Northeast Alpine Start readers! From now until 11:59EST on September 8th you can get 25% off the course tuition by entering promo code “alpinestart25” during checkout here (or just use this link). That brings the $199 course down to $149.25 and gets you lifetime access to Mark’s private Facebook group to help solidify your learning.

Buy the Discounted Course HERE 25% off ends September 8th!

After two decades of climbing it has become obvious to me that the learning never stops. This online course is an excellent addition to a multi-faceted approach of gaining new skills and I doubt few would ever regret the investment.

Continuing Ed.

As an Ortovox Athlete I’d be embarrassed if I didn’t also mention the recently released Safety Academy Lab Rock. This is a fantastic online learning tool you should check out! It’s totally free! It does not however cover the types of anchors Mark covers in his course but I think the two courses combined compliment each other quite well! Also if you are looking to pick up some old-fashioned good ole’ reading on these subjects heres my list of the best instructional climbing books out there!

Thanks for reading.

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

Disclaimer: Affiliate links support the content created here at no cost to you, thank you! The author purchased this course with his own money, but if you purchase the course through the discounted link above the author will receive a small commission. All opinions are those of the author.