By Adam Bofinger
In this fast growing technological world we see more and more high tech gadgets being used all over. Things like video game consoles with high definition picture, cell phones with internet, and MP3 players capable of holding thousands of songs are becoming the norm in everyday life. Believe it or not, technology is even beginning to play a role in outdoor wilderness adventures. During our last expedition, we were able to see how the use of technology can have both a positive and negative impact on a wilderness expedition.
Why bother using modern technology on a wilderness expedition? Technology in the backcountry can be good for a couple of reasons. First, let us look at GPS for example. During our bush whack it became apparent that using these devices can indeed help us find our way through an off trail section, simply by following some pre-recorded waypoint settings. It was almost astonishing how simple it was to find our way to our destination simply by following a little hand held device. Another positive of technology is that it can often times be more fast and efficient than using some of the more traditional techniques. The Steripen is a great example of how modern technology can be fast and efficient. To sterilize water all we had to do is just stick the devise in our water bottle and 90 seconds later we have water that is ready to drink, where as other forms of purification can take up to 20 minutes. Modern technology can also be helpful in other forms like getting a weather forecast, determining a trend in barometric pressure, ensuring the safety of our food from bears, and even calling for help in a time of emergency. But, no matter how helpful technology may be, there will always be drawbacks when using some of this modern day equipment.
Based on past experiences using technology, I feel it is often times very unreliable. Without a keen understanding of how some of the devices we used on our wilderness expedition function, it may be very hard for one to see why we bother using them at all. The biggest problem with the reliance on technology is its probability of malfunction. We saw this on our last expedition with the Steripen when it was not working properly due to possible battery corrosion, or another unknown reason. Also, some of us had trouble figuring out how to use the GPS units due to our lack of technological understanding. It is hard for me personally to feel comfortable relying on modern day technology solely for these reasons.
Regardless of the positives and negatives of modern day technology, we can still look at the impact it can have on an adventure education curriculum and the students’ learning. While there may be drawbacks with the use of these high tech devises, they can still create excellent learning outcomes. It was nice to become familiar with these new pieces of equipment because I was able to learn when to rely on technology and when it was time to go back to traditional techniques. Also, the use of these modern day pieces of equipment is important because at the rate in which our society is giving its dependence to technology, it will be crucial to have a strong understanding for future endeavors. I found the technology we used on this last expedition very impressive, and I cannot imagine what we may be using 10 or 20 years from now.
The use of modern day tools in wilderness expeditions may indeed raise ethical questions. I personally feel that in order to truly get the feeling of being immersed in wilderness, we need to practice traditional techniques of navigation, water purification, weather forecasting, and other crucial wilderness techniques. I think that others may agree that one of the biggest aspects of a wilderness expedition is that separation from the modern world. I feel that we can learn and gain a better understanding of wilderness by sticking with traditional practices that have been proven to be effective for numerous years now. Some of our early adventure pioneers never had high tech equipment to travel in the backcountry, so why is it that this era of individuals feel it is necessary to incorporate the use of these often times unreliable practices?
Perhaps it is becoming a legal issue? There is indeed a lot of risk involved in a wilderness expedition. Perhaps this is why some adventure education programs are choosing to mesh the use of modern and traditional equipment together? I can understand why it may be important to carry a satellite phone on a long expedition. When you are in the backcountry there is no easy way to get help in times of emergency. By carrying a satellite phone it may ensure the legitimacy of running a high risk outdoor program. It can also ensure if something were to go sour that a program could reach help in times of crisis.
I have discovered many ways in which the use of modern technology in a wilderness expedition can be both positive and negative. I have also found that there are times when we can indeed rely on technology for assistance. But, regardless of whether we think it is good or bad, it is important for us as aspiring adventure educators to learn about the uses of modern technology in the wilderness because as we know, our world is becoming more advanced and there may be times in the future where we will be thankful we have a slight understanding of how and when to use some of this technological equipment.
