By Ben Trister
Using Technology in the Wilderness
In recent years technology has been taking on a more prominent role in the wilderness industry. The need for better technology has always been demanded by those trying to push limits in wilderness pursuits. When Sir Edmund Hillary summated Everest his team used the best technology available at the time without sparing any expenses. Today, those who continue to push the limits of human endurance will use everything possible to manage the risks of their ventures. The question whether it is justifiable to die in the pursuit of adventure will always loom overhead. There are those who seek purity of style and will seek out the most dangerous ways of taking risks; leaving behind safety equipment to save weight, going solo, using traditional gear: but these attitudes will never be acceptable for commercial or educational enterprises nor should they. The implications would simply be negligent and unlawful.
Technology must be used and taught in adventure education. However the use of technology has both its advantages and drawbacks. Technology cannot be fully relied upon because little electronic gadgets are fragile and can malfunction of their own accord for unexplainable reasons. An expedition without appropriate map and compass skills is vulnerable. GPS’s make navigation both on and off trail downright easy. During our attempt to bushwhack to the base of Carrigan Mountain, both parties followed an almost identical route through a dense forest with thick underbrush and some sinister groves of spruce. The GPS’s along with all the other advanced equipment made many things on our trip a lot easier. But these devices add weight to our packs and limit our ability to rely on ourselves and learn from experience.
Using these technologies becomes an ethical issue in the heart of adventure education. The real point of an adventure is to do something when the outcome is uncertain. With these devices come a large measure of predictability and a powerful illusion of security. The use of technology when educating future adventure educators can stunt the growth of core wilderness skills. It becomes impossible to give your students or clients a full dose of wilderness adventure. It is the programs and the leader’s responsibility to manage all the risks. If you need permission from a doctor to give life saving medicine you better have a satellite phone and a doctor on call. This limits legal liability protecting the program. The leader needs to be able to do whatever it takes to protect their clients.
