A helicopter rescue charity has warned of the dangers of in its and highlighted one affordable piece of survival kit that every hiker should carry in cold seasons. Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance operates two helicopters that fly to Scotland’s islands and remote areas where regular emergency services can’t reach people. Providing life-saving care, the crew comes to the rescue of injured trekkers.
Last winter, the SCAA saved the life of an experienced hiker who’d torn his knee ‘to the bone’ in excruciating cold temperatures. Named only as Stuart, the man was trekking with his son Cameron, and their dog Oakley on a popular Cairngorms trail in rough, snowy conditions when he fell and sustained the potentially life-threatening injury. Despite the severity of their situation, the SCAA has highlighted how Stuart and Cameron were well prepared for emergencies, carrying extra and as well .
“We called the emergency services, layered on more clothing, and hunkered down in our survival bags,” says Cameron in the SCAA’s winter appeal. “My dog Oakley snuggled in beside us, and I protected him from the wind with our rucksacks.” In freezing winter conditions, this extra insulation may well have been life-saving, warding off the deadly effects of for long enough to get help.
Designed to keep you kicking in emergency situations, bivy sacks generate and trap body heat to battle back against the elements. In our expert guide to the , we ranked the as our . Made from Metal.