Keeping Safe while collecting

[OregonFossil]

Sometimes I have to collect by myself. Here in the US Pacific Northwest we have wonderful locations, but some come with associated dangers. What do you do to stay safe while out collecting?

 

1. Tell someone where you going and give the a time table.

2. Have a small first aid kit including prescription medications included.

3. Compass and something like a utility tool. Learn how to use a compass and a map if you go off road or hike far. Water...

4. Learn about the biological dangers in the area you are going to.

    a. What lives under rocks you will be lifting: Scorpions, Spiders (only a very few are dangerous), bees/wasps/hornets and snakes (by far the most dangerous animal you are likely to encounter under a rock). Do no harm if you find any of these animals you are disturbing their home. My state only has two snakes of interest (both rattlesnakes).

   b. Mammals : My area its Bears, Cougars, and Hoof animals (Deer, Elk, Moose, Mountain Goats, Big Horn Sheep). A couple of my favorite areas having warning signs about bears and cougars but not the hoofed animals which during certain times of the year (or if they feel endangered) can be a menace (I had an unpleasant Elk encounter once that lasted about 20 minutes and it was not fun).

5. Protective gear for hands and eyes (both are not replaceable at the current time). If you have ever had a piece of rocks from a hammer blow "stick" you, you understand how important these two items are.

6. In the summer here in the NW, know the signs of what a forest fire looks like in the distance because the travel a lot faster than you.

7. listen to your inner voice when trying to climb in talus or up a cut. Don't take a chance even if you have someone with you. Ever see what a 20 or 30 pound rocks falling from even 20 feet does when it hits something?

 

Everything in life has risks, but some knowledge and using good judgement can keep you safe and collecting for a long time. Have fun and be safe.

 

 

 

 

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

Wearing a hard hat, making sure the hunting spot is safe with no suspicious activity around it, no trespassing or collecting on public land, (follow all laws.) Where I live, watch out for rattlesnakes, and if hunting in a coastal area, make sure there are no stingrays where you are stepping. If you are stepping on a wet rock, make sure there’s no algae or other slippery substance. Pretty much just follow common sense.

[OregonFossil]

It's amazing how uncommon "common sense" is

 

Every year here in Oregon we have folks (somethings families) that get caught with "sneaker waves" even though almost every beach has warning signs. Often the results are tragic. Two children and a Dad this year among others

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

I live within a walking distance of a place called “sunset cliffs.” Every year, someone seeking likes on Facebook goes past the safety signs and roped of areas to walk backwards inches from the edge of the cliff for a selfie. I see people doing it all the time, and every year we get some people who fall off a cliff taking a selfie that would have been exactly the same inside the safe area. To make it worse, those cliffs are often roped off because they are unstable and will collapse soon. The upper layer is Bay Point formation, which is a soft sandstone that erodes easily, so much so that it is often classified as badlands. Underneath is Point Loma formation, which is a shale. Mineral veins form in between these two formations, and the hollow spaces in those are slippery, with moisture from the ocean coming in. This makes the upper layer liable to fall off. The roped areas are where cracks have formed, so it is a terrible idea to do it, but that never stops the tourists.

[Thecosmilia Trichitoma]

34 minutes ago, OregonFossil said:

Two children and a Dad this year among others

It’s worst when children are endangered, as they have no control of what the parents do, and just have to go along with it.

[Kane]

I'll add some safety tips for those collecting in working quarries:

 

1. Always wear complete safety gear (as mandated by law): hard hat, protective eye-wear, reflective vest, safety-standard workboots. 

2. Give a wide berth of the trucks, crushers, etc. Do not collect where quarrying operations are in progress.

3. Comply with all quarry safety regulations/rules. 

4. Do not collect too close to the edge atop a wall. Do not cross any berms that usually come close to that edge.

5. Do not collect right up against the high walls. A safe distance is roughly a 45 degree angle from the top of the wall to the quarry floor.

6. Move slowly and carefully over blast piles -- they are not always stable, and rock-slides/falls can be an imminent danger. 

7. Try not to collect out of visual range of others, which can be more challenging if the quarry is massive. Every few minutes, I like to do a visual check of those collecting nearby. 

[Bob Saunders]

I say yes to all. I do not own a hand held GPS and may get one but i would need lessons. Relying on your phone for a compass etc. can run down your battery. Also is their a cell signal? They do make ones that will contact a satellite. Also here I asked at  CPR class, if we are on the Lake Michigan beach and need to call 911. He said that due to the high dunes and Land, terrain, tell them where you are because you may be calling Wisconsin. as they say to boaters leave a float plan. I'm pretty good as long as I can see the sun. Cloudy days not so good. 

[LabRatKing]

Rule #1 should always be Never Go Alone.*

Rule #2 is “If I have to wonder if doing this is safe, it probably isn’t.”

 

other tips: take a spare pair of socks. Trust me on this one. Great for feet, great for protecting the good finds.

 

dust mask- important for active quarries

 

A note on headgear- hard hats are useless without a chinstrap. Rock climbing helmets are superb, but active quarries require they be ANSI certified.
 

 

*Unless you are a pro at backcountry techniques and even then it is a poor choice.

 

 

[FossilNerd]

I mainly hunt road cuts. Some on busy roadways. Keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings is a must. There are the usual dangers of falling rocks, losing my footing while climbing around, and various wildlife that might be encountered. However, my biggest concern by far is the cars passing by. Distracted driving is a real issue these days. Especially when someone is distracted by the crazy man climbing around on the rocks. 

[LabRatKing]

26 minutes ago, FossilNerd said:

I mainly hunt road cuts. Some on busy roadways. Keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings is a must. There are the usual dangers of falling rocks, losing my footing while climbing around, and various wildlife that might be encountered. However, my biggest concern by far is the cars passing by. Distracted driving is a real issue these days. Especially when someone is distracted by the crazy man climbing around on the rocks. 

Got you an orange vest I hope!

Best 5 bucks roadcutters can spend! Comes in handy in active quarries too.

[FossilNerd]

2 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

Got you an orange vest I hope!

Best 5 bucks roadcutters can spend! Comes in handy in active quarries too.

Yes sir, but mine is the yellow/green color with reflective stripes. Similar to this.  

 

[LabRatKing]

11 hours ago, FossilNerd said:

Yes sir, but mine is the yellow/green color with reflective stripes. Similar to this.  

thats even better, they did studies years ago that found the "electric yellow" is more visible than the "blaze orange"!

[Creek - Don]

To be safe whenever I do go fossil hunting here there are certain bugs in the creeks and lakes that will burrows into your skin which causes inflammation . That lasts for weeks.  I had plenty of those bites on the face and other parts of the body which were not very pleasant.  I personally use Avon Skin so Soft Bug Guard PLUS IR3535 Insect Repellent Moisturizing Lotion which were very effective against bugs here in Texas.  

[LabRatKing]

32 minutes ago, Creek - Don said:

To be safe whenever I do go fossil hunting here there are certain bugs in the creeks and lakes that will burrows into your skin which causes inflammation . That lasts for weeks.  I had plenty of those bites on the face and other parts of the body which were not very pleasant.  I personally use Avon Skin so Soft Bug Guard PLUS IR3535 Insect Repellent Moisturizing Lotion which were very effective against bugs here in Texas.  

Don't laugh too hard, but I use the old  Army Ranger trick of wearing a baselayer "suit" made from two pairs of pantyhose against biting invertebrates- ticks, fleas, mosquitos, leeches, ants, etc...can't get through it. I can't stand the feel or smell of insect repellants. Just cut off the feet and cut a hole for your head in one pair. Head net then tucks into the head hole. Regular clothing overtop, et viola! critter armor!

[Creek - Don]

3 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

Don't laugh too hard, but I use the old  Army Ranger trick of wearing a baselayer "suit" made from two pairs of pantyhose against biting invertebrates- ticks, fleas, mosquitos, leeches, ants, etc...can't get through it. I can't stand the feel or smell of insect repellants. Just cut off the feet and cut a hole for your head in one pair. Head net then tucks into the head hole. Regular clothing overtop, et viola! critter armor!

    That's a good one.   I still don't think that will protect you from the bugs that burrows under your skin since they are almost invisible and naked to the eye.  

[LabRatKing]

Just now, Creek - Don said:

    That's a good one.   I still don't think that will protect you from the bugs that burrows under your skin since they are almost invisible and naked to the eye.  

Which critter are you referring to? Scabies type mites? I ask as the pantyhose is very very fine mesh, we also use it for catching micro and nano plankton since it is ~50 micron. I ask only as tiny, nasty critters are my day job, LOL

[Creek - Don]

5 minutes ago, LabRatKing said:

Which critter are you referring to? Scabies type mites? I ask as the pantyhose is very very fine mesh, we also use it for catching micro and nano plankton since it is ~50 micron. I ask only as tiny, nasty critters are my day job, LOL

I think they maybe mites, but not sure.   I think ~50 micron would help.  Anything bigger than that  may not help though.  

[LabRatKing]

1 minute ago, Creek - Don said:

I think they maybe mites, but not sure.   I think ~50 micro would help.  Anything bigger than that  may not help though.  

Yeah, its a tried and true chemical free repellant, works for jellyfish and siphonophore stings too.

 

Plus, anything bigger means the fishnet stockings clash with my kilt...

[Thomas.Dodson]

3 hours ago, FossilNerd said:

I mainly hunt road cuts. Some on busy roadways. Keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings is a must. There are the usual dangers of falling rocks, losing my footing while climbing around, and various wildlife that might be encountered. However, my biggest concern by far is the cars passing by. Distracted driving is a real issue these days. Especially when someone is distracted by the crazy man climbing around on the rocks. 

I don't know if it is a Midwestern thing as it's only happened on roadcuts in the Midwest but people frequently honk at me climbing on roadcuts, usually single short honks like people do as a hello. I found it distracting at first when I'm on ledges but now I'm totally used to it. Considering I almost never see cars on roadcuts in North Dakota I'm surprised by the number of times it happens.

 

Vests are good, so are traffic cones for putting behind your vehicle.

 

On the simpler side of things something for bites and stings is as good to have around as repellents, especially if you're sensitive to these things. Never know when you might drag your kayak over a hornet nest (personal experience), park on top of a fire ant hill and step out onto them (more experience), etc. Easy enough to make it part of a first aid kit.

 

 I know a lot of people from field research who swear by Tecnu for poison ivy. I've never used it since ivy doesn't affect me much but I've heard good things.

 

[FossilNerd]

6 hours ago, Thomas.Dodson said:

I don't know if it is a Midwestern thing as it's only happened on roadcuts in the Midwest but people frequently honk at me climbing on roadcuts, usually single short honks like people do as a hello.

The “hello honk” is not just a Midwest thing. Happens here in the Southeast all the time too. I just smile and wave.
On occasion I have even had people stop to ask what I am doing. Especially if I’m in one of the smaller blink towns. The locals tend to get curious as to who the weird stranger is crawling around on the rocks.

 

All have been friendly encounters and have sometimes yielded me a better hunting spot. “Oh you are looking for those? Try looking over here. I see them there all the time.”  
 

Hunting near intersections usually gets more honks and conversations going as well. 

 

6 hours ago, Thomas.Dodson said:

Vests are good, so are traffic cones for putting behind your vehicle.

 

On the simpler side of things something for bites and stings is as good to have around as repellents, especially if you're sensitive to these things. Never know when you might drag your kayak over a hornet nest (personal experience), park on top of a fire ant hill and step out onto them (more experience), etc. Easy enough to make it part of a first aid kit.

 

 I know a lot of people from field research who swear by Tecnu for poison ivy. I've never used it since ivy doesn't affect me much but I've heard good things.

All good advice.

 

For anyone allergic to insect stings and the like an EpiPen would be a must.

 Poison ivy doesn’t bother me much either, but I have also heard good things about Tecnu.

[FossilNerd]

7 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

Don't laugh too hard, but I use the old  Army Ranger trick of wearing a baselayer "suit" made from two pairs of pantyhose against biting invertebrates- ticks, fleas, mosquitos, leeches, ants, etc...can't get through it. I can't stand the feel or smell of insect repellants. Just cut off the feet and cut a hole for your head in one pair. Head net then tucks into the head hole. Regular clothing overtop, et viola! critter armor!

I’m not laughing. Sounds like a great use of all those old pantyhose that my wife no longer wears. I see a nice suit of bug armor  in my future! 

[Kane]

The "hello honk" may be almost universal. I find them more often the case in rural areas up here when working a roadcut. 

[FossilDAWG]

9 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

Which critter are you referring to? Scabies type mites? I ask as the pantyhose is very very fine mesh, we also use it for catching micro and nano plankton since it is ~50 micron. I ask only as tiny, nasty critters are my day job, LOL

I'm certain he is referring to chiggers: larvae of trombiculid mites.  Chiggers are notorious for their bites that provoke an extremely intense itch response that lasts for up to a week or more.  There are a lot of "folk remedies" that don't really work.  Prevention is the best strategy.  Avoid wading through tall grass if possible (not always realistic).  Wear socks and long pants, tuck your pants into your socks, tuck your shirt into your pants so there is no exposed skin for them to reach.  Permanone sprayed onto your clothing (not directly on skin) is a decent repellent.  Alternatively you can dust your clothes with powdered sulfur which is also effective.  If you do get bites the itch is due to histamine released from mast cells and eosiniphils that are responding to antigens present in the mite saliva, so topical or oral antihistamines can help.  Ice or cold packs can give temporary relief.

 

Some of the "folk remedies" assume the mites are burrowed into the skin, and so seek to remove them.  This is false though.  The mites remain on the surface, but they create a channel to the capillaries to access blood, and they deposit a proteinaceous material to reinforce this channel.  The mites feed and drop off within a day but the deposited material persists, slowly dissolving and releasing proteins that stimulate a strong immune response.  This response is dependent on antibody production (the antibodies bind to the mite proteins and stimulate mast cells to release histamine) which takes time to ramp up, so the mites are gone by the time the itching becomes a problem.

 

Don

[LabRatKing]

13 minutes ago, FossilDAWG said:

I'm certain he is referring to chiggers: larvae of trombiculid mites.  Chiggers are notorious for their bites that provoke an extremely intense itch response that lasts for up to a week or more.  There are a lot of "folk remedies" that don't really work.  Prevention is the best strategy.  Avoid wading through tall grass if possible (not always realistic).  Wear socks and long pants, tuck your pants into your socks, tuck your shirt into your pants so there is no exposed skin for them to reach.  Permanone sprayed onto your clothing (not directly on skin) is a decent repellent.  Alternatively you can dust your clothes with powdered sulfur which is also effective.  If you do get bites the itch is due to histamine released from mast cells and eosiniphils that are responding to antigens present in the mite saliva, so topical or oral antihistamines can help.  Ice or cold packs can give temporary relief.

 

Some of the "folk remedies" assume the mites are burrowed into the skin, and so seek to remove them.  This is false though.  The mites remain on the surface, but they create a channel to the capillaries to access blood, and they deposit a proteinaceous material to reinforce this channel.  The mites feed and drop off within a day but the deposited material persists, slowly dissolving and releasing proteins that stimulate a strong immune response.  This response is dependent on antibody production (the antibodies bind to the mite proteins and stimulate mast cells to release histamine) which takes time to ramp up, so the mites are gone by the time the itching becomes a problem.

 

Don

That’s what I figured. Pantyhose works against them.

[OregonFossil]

Don't forget to know how to ID plants like Poison IVY, Oak, hemlock and a few others that can cause you great grief. Here in Oregon we have a little critter called a Rough Skin Newt, never will hurt you unless you touch it, any kind of cut on your hand and perhaps even if you don't have a cut can be serious event - Buffototoxin. Worse than a snake or Widow bite. The trick is to educate yourself and then put all you learn into practice. Because it seems there are lots of folks who like geology but not paleo I often go alone (@71), and when I'm off road my friends Smith and Wesson often come with me. Even then I am not adventurous as I used to be, but with 2 4 wheel drive vehicles and loving to explore I gear up and head out, but always with a plan (my wife actually supports this as long as I had a plan I don't deviate from).

 

I forgot to mention in my first post that you should always take water and a few energy bars. You don't want to "bonk" while out collecting.

 

Last big find I forgot to check some of the rocks, and when I got home found a new species of spider (Among my prize possessions is a book that ID's over 500 spiders from California to BC), I felt bad relocating them as I had found a lot more among the mudstones and "found them new homes" before I left.