Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 31

Rain gear helps keep you dry and acts as a buffer from wind, allowing you
to stay dry when faced with rain, snow and other inclement conditions.

My mistakes were numerous. When wet, cotton
clothing becomes a body heat-stealing conduit. Now,
I always wear fleece pants when outdoors, and my
upper body layer starts with a polypropylene top and
some other insulating material like merino wool. Both
wick moisture from the body. I always carry rain gear,
which repels water and the chilling effect of wind. Also,
whenever I step into the great outdoors, be it hunting,
fishing, photographing or hiking, I'm equipped with
a fanny pack that has essentials for basic survival. If
required to spend some time facing the elements,
it won't necessarily be comfortable, but preparation
increases survivability.

Weather strikes

Thunderstorms, like the one I experienced, are no
stranger to Wyoming, often bringing brilliant shows
of lightning. While amazing to watch safely from a
distance, getting caught outside in one can be deadly.
Several years ago, two acquaintances were killed bow
hunting pronghorn when a storm rolled across a
high-desert sage prairie. Finding a low depression in
the sagebrush, they laid flat on the ground with their
bows between them. A lightning bolt struck a bow,
killing both hunters. If caught in the open during a
lightning storm, safety experts recommend crouching
in a ball to create a smaller target and not having any
metal near you. Other precautions include getting off
and away from water and finding shelter, preferably
a building. Riding it out in a closed vehicle like a car
or pickup is better than an open vehicle like an ATV.
Avoid high ground and single trees; seek the lowest
depression you can, like the bottom of a coulee. If

Wearing the proper gear outdoors while hunting can protect you against numerous kinds of elements, including cold
and snow.

with other people, put distance between yourselves.
Lightning kills an average of 49 people each year, and
hundreds more are hurt. Beyond burns, survivors often
suffer lifelong neurological disorders.
Some look at weather as neither bad nor good, it
just is. There is wisdom in that. The difference between
good and bad is whether you're prepared to weather the
conditions. Given all the technological advancements
continually improving forecasting, will weather ever
become 100 percent predictable? I doubt it. Why?
Because conditions can change in unpredictable ways.
Whatever the journey, preparing for all that might
happen acknowledges the unpredictability of life itself
and weather. No one expects to be in trouble ... until
you are.
- Tim Christie is an outdoors writer based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,
and is a regular contributor to Wyoming Wildlife.

		

Wyoming Wildlife | 31


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Wyoming Wildlife magazine

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