Provides outdoor leaders with suggestions for items to include in a leader pack. The pack should include a first aid kit, as well as survival and emergency gear. Recommends using a journal to document information about participants, events, and accidents. (KS)

This paper outlines management guidelines for outdoor adventure pursuits based on analysis of accident case studies in the literature. Managing risk, to a large degree, involves managing human errors related to natural environmental hazards. The knowledge needed to manage risk may be gained through personal experience (the most dangerous way),…

Describes a 10-step process for analyzing danger as a way of reducing the chance that an accident will happen, or minimizing its consequences to acceptable and recoverable levels. Factors that can inhibit the process include inappropriate attribution, relaxed concentration, rushing to maintain a schedule, group or peer pressure, and poor judgment.…

Outdoor leaders and those involved in personal outdoor adventure pursuits must be knowledgeable in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in the backcountry. In the wilderness medicine setting, extended time periods of patient care, rugged terrain, severe environmental conditions, and limited resources create…

A high-profile liability case concerning a fatal ice-climbing accident provides the background for this discussion of liability issues in adventure activities. A brief history of outdoor adventure litigation, emerging trends, and how outdoor guides can protect themselves and their clients is presented. Guides should candidly describe the risks…

Analyzes present trends in accidents occurring among groups engaged in outdoor or environmental education in England and Wales. Assesses the causes of the accidents and the qualifications of the group leaders. Provides statistics and examples of several incidents. Emphasizes the need for expert leadership to avoid hazards. Contains several tables…

Critical decision making on a whitewater trip goes beyond simply having knowledge of safety practices. Rather, prudent decisions are arrived at through a complex interplay of diverse factors. The question is: how can outdoor educators prepare themselves and their staff to make the "right" decision when faced with a potentially dangerous…

In the event of a debilitating injury or illness, outdoor leaders should consider four critical phases in successfully managing backcountry field evaluations. The first phase, managing the immediate scene, involves assuring scene safety, medical care of the patient, instituting the emergency response plan, and providing for the needs of uninjured…

This paper reviews aspects of Canadian and U.S. law related to liability and negligence of outdoor programs and suggests strategies for risk management. To prove negligence, an individual injured in an outdoor program must prove that the outdoor leader had a duty of care to the participant, standards of care were breached, actual injury was…

Describes duties and responsibilities of outdoor instructors under British criminal and civil law. Discusses elements of negligence under civil law including damage, duty of care, standard of care, in loco parentis, students' duty of care, foreseeability, and employer's legal duty. Presents risk management in terms of primary, secondary, and…

Analysis of a case study of a whitewater rafting accident reveals that such accidents tend to result from multiple actions. Many events leading up to such accidents include procedural and process factors, suggesting that hard-skills technical training is an insufficient approach to accident prevention. Contains 26 references. (SAS)

This proceedings contains 20 papers from the 1995 International Conference on Outdoor Recreation and Education. The papers include guidelines for various aspects of outdoor leadership and materials relevant to program development and administration in outdoor recreation, outdoor education, and adventure therapy and education. Papers are:…

This proceedings contains 16 papers on recreation and adventure programming, outdoor education, and outdoor leadership training. The papers are: (1) "Beyond Recreation: Our Classroom Is Wild America" (Barry Auskern); (2) "Outward Bound Leadership Model: An Exploratory Study of Leadership Variables" (Natalie L. Bartley); (3)…

This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" published during 1996. The newsletter addresses the treatment and prevention of medical emergencies in the wilderness and training resources. Issues typically include feature articles, interviews with doctors in the wilderness, conferences and training…

This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" issued during 1995. The newsletter addresses issues related to the treatment and prevention of medical emergencies in the wilderness. Issues typically include feature articles, interviews with doctors in the field of wilderness medicine, product reviews,…