This is my first interview on my Adventure Blog and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

Dan Human is a hardcore backpacker, mountaineer and writer living outside Buffalo, New York. His backcountry accomplishments include an Appalachian Trail thru hike in 1998 and successfully summiting all 46 of the High Peaks in the Adirondack Mountains. He’s also been an active member of Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue (SAR) team for eight years.

I wanted to talk to Dan about something I’ve always been curious about – what is it like to join a search and rescue team? And what are the lessons that an experienced SAR team member takes with them when they go out on their own backcountry trips?

Dan shares a bunch of awesome stories and this is a can’t-miss interview for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to join a rescue squad.

Rapid Fire Questions

Before we dive into the meat of the interview, I asked Dan a few rapid fire questions to warm up, and give you, the reader a bit more context.

Proudest wilderness accomplishment?

As far as my proudest wilderness accomplishment, spending four and a half months trekking from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail is certainly up there. It seems like everything in my life leading up to my hike was preparing me for that journey and everything since has been a reflection of that experience.

Favorite local hike?

The scenic Niagara Gorge is situated within twenty minutes of my home and it is my favorite place to hike in Western New York. Despite being surrounded by urban environments, the trails that wind along the river just downstream of Niagara Falls are rugged and offer a great place to reflect close to home.

Most cherished piece of gear?

I have this unbranded fleece neck gaiter that I’ve had since I was in the Army and it goes everywhere with me. Besides keeping me nice and cozy, I’ve used it as a potholder, water filter and for first aid.

Scariest situation you’ve encountered in the backcountry?

I was solo winter peak bagging in the Adirondack High Peaks at night (not a smart thing to begin with) when a wind gust caught me while climbing on the shoulder of Algonquin. I didn’t fall far but it sure hurt when I hit the ice. I crawled behind a rock to get out of the wind, got a map check and retreated below treeline where I made an unplanned bivy. I hobbled out the next morning to the trailhead.

Life on a Search and Rescue team

Now let’s get into the real meat of the interview – lessons and stories from an active SAR team member.

How did you get involved in SAR and work your way up to your current position?

I was approached by one of the team founders who happened to be one of my customers at the outdoor retailer for which I worked. While talking about gear, he said they were starting a SAR team and asked if I would be interested. Soon there were about a dozen folks that were very experienced in the outdoors and wanted to give back something to the community. We didn’t know exactly what we were doing at first, but we learned from our mistakes, experiences and the helpful guidance of the NYS Forest Rangers. Now we’ve grown to more than fifty members and are capable of responding anywhere in the State.

I started as a ground searcher and as one of the team “experts” in navigation. I wrote our early GPS protocols and helped our members that had only used a map and compass for navigation. After having a few searches under my belt and a couple of years experience, I went through the Crew Boss course. This certification enabled me to lead crews on various missions and meet some great folks from other teams too.

I’m not sure how or why it happened, but I increasingly became involved more and more in training. At first, I was just teaching a seminar or help setting up clues for a training mission. Then a few of us started talking about how we could make our exercises more productive and valuable. Before I knew it, I was head of the training committee.

What’s the most memorable rescue or mission you’ve been called out on?

Last year, our team and many others had been called out to a search for a 70 year old man that had gone missing while taking his morning walk. The massive search brought out hundreds of trained volunteers, K9 teams, law enforcement and even air support; however, after several days there was no trace. Soon those days turned into a week and we were honestly thinking the worst. Probability models didn’t fare too well for the missing man.

I was out on the seventh day when we saw vultures circling. We shot an azimuth to begin investigating when we heard the radio call that the subject was alive. After a week out with no gear the man was conscious, talking and a bit hungry. We could barely believe what we heard and asked for confirmation before heading back to incident command.

Though the man was injured, he did recover and reinforced a lesson for all of us. That lesson was to never give up and that a person’s will to survive will defy statistics every time. A good portion of the searches we’ve been on haven’t had the best of outcomes and sometimes even the most optimistic searcher gets jaded. It is missions like this that reinforce the mantra to never give up and encourage us to throw on our packs and head off in the night after a total stranger.

What are some mistakes that new SAR recruits make?

When our team started, all of us were carrying large thirty to forty pound packs that were teeming with every piece of gear you could need. I generally see this in our new recruits as well. Though you want to be prepared, having a large heavy load slows you down and makes you less agile. In the thick brush where most of our searches take place, a large pack is a liability.

As you progress in SAR, you’ll discover what you really need and how to pack so that your hasty pack can easily turn into a 24 to 48 hour pack. Most importantly you’ll learn how to improvise and how to make your gear multipurpose tools. Plus, experience allows you to coordinate quickly with other teammates for sharing group equipment.

Besides the grueling physical aspects, what are some of the more unexpected challenges that come with being on a SAR team?

The majority of SAR resources in the United States are volunteers; that said, you are a professional volunteer. You have invested countless hours into learning about navigation, communications, tactics and first aid. You have likewise invested thousands of dollars of your own money in buying the gear you need and using vacation days to go look for a missing hunter. All in all being a professional volunteer can be tough.

I remember a call-out on Christmas Day for an elderly man with dementia. Sure, I didn’t “have” to go and my wife wasn’t too happy with my decision. However, I’d like to think that if I had a family member go missing, that people would answer the call in my hour of need. That day, SAR team members wearing Santa hats responded from across New York State to help look. As a professional volunteer, you have to be able to make the call to achieve that family/work/team balance.

Any advice for others who are thinking about applying to their local SAR team?

Before applying to join your local SAR team, get to know them first. Talk with a member or two to see if you and the team are going to be a good fit before investing in equipment and time for training. All trainees on my team undergo a six-month academy to get them up to speed before they can join us on a call-out. That is a lot of time to contribute if you aren’t going to stick with it. Some teams may even allow you to accompany them on a training mission beforehand.

You have to get it into your mind that you are applying for a part-time [job] for which you will not get paid for and will actually cost you money. Commitment times differ, depending on your team position. If you decide to specialize in rope rescue or K9, be prepared for many more additional trainings. This is why it is important to look at a team’s calendar before joining.

What are some skills or gear you wish more people had in the backcountry?

Nothing irritates me more than encountering someone in the backcountry who is out there with nothing more than a smartphone. Everyone that heads out should carry the “Ten Essentials” and know how to use them. Plenty of rescues could be avoided if people carried basic gear like a headlamp and a first aid kit. As one of my mentors says, “every time my feet leave the pavement, I am in wilderness and should be prepared to spend the night.”

As far as a skill goes, it would surely be navigation and map reading. From being able to plan your route to recognizing which mountain you are climbing, this is a skill that many folks do not have. Knowing how to find your way with map and compass is an essential and perishable skill that must be honed and studied by everyone that ventures outdoors. I’ve encountered so many bewildered hikers that I now print extra maps to give away to the unprepared.

What are some things hikers can do to increase the chance of a positive outcome in the event of an emergency in the backcountry?

The first thing a person can do to increase their survivability, is to dress appropriately for the outdoors with the idea that “wetness equals death.” Wear systems of non-cotton clothing that dry quickly and retain their thermal properties despite being wet. Remember that because the thermal conductivity of water is greater than air, wet clothing will conduct heat away from your body at a rate about 200% greater than dry clothing.

The second thing a person can do to increase their chances of survival is to make a trip plan and leave it with a responsible person at home. Detail the trails you are taking, including any emergency routes as well as where you plan on camping. Of course, your trip plan should include the gear you carry, when you’ll be back and who to contact in an emergency. Filing a trip plan is insurance in case you don’t come back on time but also helps you with establishing a process from which epic trips are built upon.

The third thing you can do when faced with an emergency in the backcountry is master the art of building improvised shelters and starting fires. Sure, this sounds simple. Heck, ancient man did it without awesome things like blastmatches and wetfire tinder. Of course, they did it on a daily basis – you should probably practice it a few times a year. Building a shelter will keep you safe from the elements and keep you stationary. Starting a fire will keep you warm, give you a positive mental attitude and will make things easier for searchers to find you.

If you liked this interview, you should definitely let Dan know on Twitter! Also be sure to check out more of his writing on HubPages.

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