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Aug 31, 2014
post-Aaron Sofer rules for tiyul reminder
One thing I think needs to be expressed as a "lesson learned" from the Aaron Sofer case is how people go on hikes and tiyulim.
It gets very hot in Israel in the summer. Even in the heights of the Jerusalem hills.
Do NOT go hiking in your wool suit and felt hat. Do not wear your shabbos shoes that give you no traction. Do NOT go without water, thinking it is only a short hike.
I don't know what to say about a cellphone. I understand the concern some people have about holding a cellphone. A mobile phone is something that is recent. People hiked without cellphones for a long time. Sure, it can make things more convenient and even help save lives in plenty of situations, but does that mean everyone should be obligated to hold one? I don't know. I might say it is smart to take a cellphone on a hike, and make sure the battery is full and maybe take a spare battery pack, but should it be obligated? I dont know. And anyways, I have been on plenty of hikes and tiyulim where the batteries ran out in the middle, so I dont think obligating one to carry a cellphone necessarily solves the problem.
So, a cellphone is probably a good idea to include in your carry items for a tiyul, but I am hesitant to say it should be obligatory.
When you go on a tiyul, please follow basic safety rules. Make sure you have water - a lot of water. 3-4 liters per person, at least Make sure you are dressed appropriately - a sun hat, light clothing - both light in color and light in weight and heat, appropriate shoes. maybe a walking stick - it helps with balance, and can also relieve some stress on the body. Get familiar with your route and take a long a map of the area. Don't split up from your hiking partner for no good reason.
and more water.
Be safe.
It gets very hot in Israel in the summer. Even in the heights of the Jerusalem hills.
Do NOT go hiking in your wool suit and felt hat. Do not wear your shabbos shoes that give you no traction. Do NOT go without water, thinking it is only a short hike.
I don't know what to say about a cellphone. I understand the concern some people have about holding a cellphone. A mobile phone is something that is recent. People hiked without cellphones for a long time. Sure, it can make things more convenient and even help save lives in plenty of situations, but does that mean everyone should be obligated to hold one? I don't know. I might say it is smart to take a cellphone on a hike, and make sure the battery is full and maybe take a spare battery pack, but should it be obligated? I dont know. And anyways, I have been on plenty of hikes and tiyulim where the batteries ran out in the middle, so I dont think obligating one to carry a cellphone necessarily solves the problem.
So, a cellphone is probably a good idea to include in your carry items for a tiyul, but I am hesitant to say it should be obligatory.
When you go on a tiyul, please follow basic safety rules. Make sure you have water - a lot of water. 3-4 liters per person, at least Make sure you are dressed appropriately - a sun hat, light clothing - both light in color and light in weight and heat, appropriate shoes. maybe a walking stick - it helps with balance, and can also relieve some stress on the body. Get familiar with your route and take a long a map of the area. Don't split up from your hiking partner for no good reason.
and more water.
Be safe.
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Aaron Sofer,
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Good rules - but one more - NEVER HIKE ALONE - and always stay with your hiking partner.
ReplyDeletePreferably in groups of at least 3-4 so if someone gets hurt, a second person can go for help while someone stays with the hurt person. (Especially if you don't have a cell phone).
However, even with all the rules above, it is still easy to run into trouble. I hike regularly with my family, and we always have plenty of water and a map of where we are going, but we have had experiences where we lost the trail or mis-read the map, or mis-judged the distance and ran low on water and phone battery - fortunately we have never run into serious trouble, but it can happen to even an experienced hiker.
another good rule is when someone goes missing - maybe don't blame arab/muslim terrorism right off the bat.
ReplyDeleteHow many posters on FB and other social media claimed it was or was most likely the jew hating arabs.
Of course when we find out the truth, those same posters never offer apologies.
just another lesson from this tragedy.
The fact that cellphones are relatively new should not factor in to whether or not we should carry them on hikes. Every lifesaving thing as new at some point. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't use them because people managed before them. They way we managed was with a higher rate of things going wrong. If something can potentially save your life, it's foolish to not take advantage of it just because at some point in the past, it would not have been available.
ReplyDeleteI agree it is a good idea. I agree is it is foolish not to. I just dont know if it should be considered obligatory
DeleteTake a cell phone but don't dare ever count on it. (a) the battery might go dead, (b) you might not have reception, (c) we don't need more hikers needing helicopter airlifts because they figured if they get lost they can always call emergency services. In that case they should actually get the bill.
ReplyDeleteAnother rule - if you go out walking in a generally populated region on a Friday and/or during a vacation month, and there's no one else anywhere you are, then you have picked a trail that isn't a trail and better find a different one. Especially if you're new to hiking.