La Reserve

Are you a nature-lover?
Do you hike and camp in the backcountry?

Never Say "Getting lost is something that will never happen to me" !!!

Be always prepared.
1. Tell someone you trust where you are going and what is a realistic time for your return BEFORE you leave for the backcountry. Make sure they know whom to contact (and when) to initiate a search-and-rescue operation. Valuable time can be saved if the right person is contacted immediately.
2. Carry more food and clothing than you think you will need. Prepare for the worst possible conditions ever known for your chosen geographic area at your chosen time of year.
3. Learn how to use a map and compass and carry them at all times.
4. If you become disoriented, recognize that you have a problem. SIT DOWN and evaluate your circumstances as calmly as possible. Panic is your greatest enemy. Take an inventory of what you have with you and mentally retrace your steps. You will probably realize your situation is not as critical as it seemed at first.
5. It is no shame to be lost. Once you realize you are, stay in the immediate vicinity. Do not wander. This will likely take you out of the area in which rescuers will search.
6. Without shelter, your chance of surviving an unexpected night out is minimal. Loss of body heat is the primary killer of someone lost and exposed to the elements. Get out of the wind. If there is nothing else available, bury yourself in leaves, pine needles or other forest debris. In snow, dig down to the bottom of a sheltering tree or burrow a hole, preferably in a depression out of the wind, just big enough for your body. The smaller a shelter, the more easily it is heated by your body. Insulate yourself from the ground as much as possible.
7. If possible, start a fire. Learn what natural materials will work best for fires in your area of travel. Fires are a heat-giving, light-giving and psychological comfort-giving companion to the lost. In an emergency, a big fire may substitute for shelter.
8. Find water. Your body will suffer first from exposure and second from lack of water. Your minimum intake of water should be between three and four quarts each day.
9. If you decide you're really lost the next morning, signal your position. Bright fires at night and smoky fires during the day may alert searchers. Sets of three signals are a universal appeal for help: three fires, three blasts on a whistle, three shots from a gun, three flashes from a signal mirror. If a clearing is nearby, indicate your position to air searchers by building the largest arrow possible out of whatever is available pointing to your location. Stamp out an arrow in the snow. Brightly-colored outdoor clothing and gear make very visible markers when laid on the ground or hung from a tree.
10. If you run out of food, don't eat unless you can positively identify nutritional wild edibles; the chance of eating something unhealthy is high. Remember, it takes three to five days before hunger becomes a real problem, and much longer for it to become a life-threatening problem.
11. Especially on day trips, pack and carry a lightweight survival kit with you at all times. Practice using the items in the kit before you need them.

› Fire

Forests are extraordinary places which cover almost 1/3 of the Earth's land. They provide shade, food and shelter for an enormous variety of plants and animals which call them "home".

Forests are invaluable to the Earth. Not only are they places of beauty and recreation, but all over the world people rely on trees for fuel, food, raw materials and medicine. Even more importantly, forest trees and plants ensure that the temperature on Earth is livable and that we have enough oxygen to breathe!

One of the greatest threats to these forests is fire.
Fire can destroy not only the lives and homes of the forests' plants and animals, but those of the people whose communities are nearby. Can a forest ever recover? The answer is a yes BUT, unfortunately, it can take a lifetime, or longer! An average forest of trees is about 70-100 years old, older than your grandparents.
And trees in some forests can be 4,000-5,000 years old, like our cedars !

› Wildlife

Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not approach or follow animals.
never feed them. Feeding wild life damages their health, alters natural behavior and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising youngs or winter.

Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
Preserve the past: examine but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.

Do not build structures, furniture or dib trenches.

› Dispose of waste properly

Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash and spilled waste. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.

Deposit human waste in catholes dug 15 to 20 cm deep and at least 70 m from water, camps and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.

Pach out all toilet papers and hygiene products.

To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 50 m away from streams or lakes and use little amount of biodegradable soap.

› Clothing for outdoors

1. Clothing should provide comfort and ease of movement and should not restrict circulation. Loose-fitting clothing is typically the best choice, but some new stretch synthetics fit snug while providing the same comfort and ease of movement as loose-fitting clothing.
2. Clothing should provide insulation. Clothing works as insulation by creating dead air spaces, air trapped between the fibers of the garment, which protect you from conductive and radiant heat loss. The best clothing does not lose its ability to insulate even when wet with water or sweat.
3. A windproof and waterproof outer shell should be available at all times to protect you from convective and evaporative heat loss. Windproof does not always mean waterproof. Read the label.
4. Double-stitched seams, strong zippers and reinforcement at areas of stress (such as elbows, knees and seats) are usually worth the money.
5. Functional designs that include large pockets that fasten and unfasten easily, roomy hoods on parkas, leg zippers on wind and rain pants, and adjustable closures on wrists and ankles are usually worth the money.