[pct-l] safety on the trail

[Lon Cooper]

Brick, If your numbers are accurate, that is a pretty high rate of
death for thru hikers. About a 1 in 1,100 chance, assuming 500 hikers
a year, over 11 years and 5 deaths.

If the statistics here are accurate:

http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm

You had a 1 in 6,535 chance of dying in a motor vehicle accident in
the year 2004. Making thru hiking the PCT is about 6 times more deadly
than driving or riding in a motor vehicle.

But your point is well taken, that none of these were caused by bad
guys (or bad animals) on the trail.

-Lon



On Jan 14, 2008 1:19 PM, Brick Robbins <brick at fastpack.com> wrote:
> On Jan 14, 2008 10:52 AM, Donna Saufley <dsaufley at sprynet.com> wrote:
> > Don't forget John "Seabreeze" Donovan who got lost in the San Jacintos and
> > died from unnamed causes (presumably hypothermia, but not confirmed).  His
> > death could probably have been prevented if he had carried maps and a
> > compass and knew how to use them.
>
> Thanks for reminding me of SeaBreeze. I guess I'm getting old, to
> forget such an event.
>
> But 3 trail deaths (from falls and getting lost in weather,) and 2 in
> a car accident in 11 years doesn't' seem to warrant a whole lot of
> extra concern for worry about bad guys bothering you on the trail.
>
> Which is not to say it can't happen, but I personally think there are
> other things that probably deserve more attention.
>
> All IMHO, YMMV and HYOH
>
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