Template - Trip Plan, Tracking and Communications Document

Moderate Risk to High Risk Trips

Suitable for DeLorme inReach or SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger - also uses a  Satellite Phone

Note to user, this is a Template - Here are instructions on how to use it

Copy the text below the line & paste it into your own document editor (MS Word, Google Docs, etc.)

Then  fill it out (edit it) to contain the correct information for your trip

The information here is extensive and intended for a “high(er) risk” trip

For a more “moderate risk” trip some of this info may not be needed. Omit/modify at your discretion.

Copy text below here:

Trip Plan, Tracking and Communications Document
Alaska Packrafting Trip - as an Example

Ralph Miller:        Male, Age 52, 5’9”, 155 lb, blk hair, grn eyes, no medical history, no known allergies
                Wilderness First Aid certification. Experienced climber, paddler, backpacker/mountaineer

Jack Smith:         Male, Age 51, 6’1”, 175 lb, brn hair, blue eyes, no medical history, no known allergies

                Experienced climber, backpacker/mountaineer

Both are skilled backcountry navigators with previous experience packrafting in Alaska

[for international travel consider including Nationality and Passport Number]

General Itinerary - Total of 10 days packrafting and hiking

Alert the Mounties: 10 pm of last day, 8/21 (unless notified otherwise via text message or Satphone)

Float Plane: Brooks Range Aviation airservice@brooksrange.com  907-692-5444   800-692-5443

PO Box 26010 Bettles Field, Alaska 99726  http://www.brooksrange.com/ 

[or could be car driven to trip start (with license plate #), or shuttle service used]

inReach Track page (in 10 min tracking mode): https://share.delorme.com/xx

Note there is an addendum for SPOT users at the end of this document

Trip Maps with our route on them (PDF) in Shared Google Docs Folder:  https://docs.google.com/?tab=mor=0&pli=1#folders/xxxx

And our route mapped on CalTopo is here: http://caltopo.com/m/xxxx

Emergency Numbers:

• LOCAL: Gates Of The Arctic National Park, Bettles Ranger Station: 907-692-5494

• For Alaskan inland areas, the Alaska Air National Guard operates the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) at Elmendorf AFB, on the north side of Anchorage. Alaska SAR is carried out by Air National Guard units, the Alaska State Troopers and local borough search and rescue organizations.  Main phone line: (907) 551-7230 - Toll free: 1-800-420-7230
• Alaska State Troopers http://www.dps.state.ak.us/ast/contacts.aspx

EMERGENCY CONTACT INFO FOR OUR LOWER-48 BASED CREW

(All below will be monitoring our trip, tracking info, trip comm’s and have a set of our trip maps)

Primary Contacts:

1. Jane (Ralph’s wife) 999.555.1212 m, 999.555.1212 w, 999.555.1212 h, Email: jane@xxx.com
2. Jill (Jack’s wife) 999.555.1212 m, 999.555.1212 h, Email: jill@xxx.com

Alternate Contacts: 

3. Travis (Ralph’s son)        Mobile: 999.555.1212 Email: travis@xxx.com
4. Paul (mutual friend)        Mobile 999.555.1212 Email: paul@xxx.com

MAPS, Paper and Electronic versions

• Each has an iPhone with GPS mapping software and internal USGS 63K scale maps of the area as well as our waypoints loaded.
• Paper maps (with our route) printed out on 11x17” paper. One set for each.
• We will also carry a high quality compass and are skilled in backcountry navigation

ELECTRONICS, Communication, Tracking

• We will carry a DeLorme inReach SE in 10 minute tracking mode. URL for trip tracking page is above. We will also send occasional text messages to our emergency contacts tracking the trip.
• You can reach us with info by sending messages to us (e.g. weather alerts) to the the inReach SE which we will monitor daily. Text us on our iReach: https://support.delorme.com/kb/articles/57-how-to-send-a-message-to-an-inreach-device#inreach
• We will carry and Iridium 9555 Satellite Phone. From the Sat phone may make a brief “we are OK” calls during the trip along with updates to our intended itinerary.
  Note: sat phone taken due to the high risk nature and extreme remoteness of the trip.
• Reach us via Sat Phone Dial 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx (direct to phone) leave voice message.
  Dial 1-480-768-2500, enter 88-163-xxx-xxxx (no dashes). Leave voice message.
• Raph & Jack will each have an iPhone with GPS mapping software and electronic maps

NOTABLE GEAR:

Ralph and Jack have Green ULA Epic Backpacks with green main bags. They will be sharing a bright yellow pyramid shelter (Mountain Laurel Designs Supermid). Ralph has a bright Red Packraft (Alpacka) and an Epic Carbon Fiber wing paddle. Jack a bright Blue Packraft (Alpacka) and a Sawyer Packraft Paddle. Jack wearing Montrail Hardrock Trail-Running Shoes size 12. Ralph wearing Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Trail-Running Shoes size 10.5.

Ralph’s Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Trail-Running Shoes size 10.5 - for size and tread detail

Picture of our shared Mountain Laurel Designs Supermid (pyramid shelter)

Our Alpaca packrafts (or could be a picture of other significant gear like backpacks, skis, rope etc.)

MEANING OF inReach MESSAGES - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MESSAGES

Message 1: Everything Hunky Dory. Likely stopping for the day, lunch (or just tagging a great spot). Sent to: emails of emergency trip contacts, MapShare

Message 2: Something up. no rescue req for now. wx delay. route chng. ill member… monitor us closely: phones (including mobile), email, etc.

Sent to: emails of emergency trip contacts, MapShare

Message 3: Help! We have a problem we cannot solve and require rescue in 24-48 hours

Sent to: emails of emergency trip contacts, MapShare

SOS Message: The following happens when we send out an SOS message

Sent to: GEOS http://www.geosalliance.com/what-is-geos/faq/

FAQ from inReach: “Who is contacted when I need help? When you send an SOS, the message is received by a 24/7, global search and rescue monitoring center called GEOS. A trained expert in emergency communications will confirm receipt of your distress message and attempt to contact you [us in AK] through your inReach and coordinate help with the primary first response agency closest to your reported coordinates. The search and rescue monitoring center will also notify the emergency contacts [you in Lower 48] loaded into your inReach Explore account, so it is very important that you include people who are capable of receiving and handling an emergency call.”

inReach goes dead (no more messages and/or no track movement in 24 hours) = Start to closely monitor your phones, email, etc. for messages, calls and voice mails from our Sat Phone. Absence of messages from both inReach and Sat Phone for 24 hours indicates a significant problem since it is unlikely that both iReach and the Sat Phone will fail and that we haven’t managed to move into a good transmission area to send out some sort of message.

REMOTE MANAGEMENT OF SOS/TRACKING ACCOUNT

In case either of you need to manage the DeLorme inReach Account:

https://explore.delorme.com/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2f

ID = xxxxx PW = maddog22

Addendum if using SPOT

MEANING OF SPOT MESSAGES - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MESSAGES

OK = We are OK and just checking in. Will generally do at the end of the day when we safely make camp. May occasionally do this at lunch or starting hiking for the day

Custom Message = There is something up but it does not require rescue at this point. Start to closely monitor you phones (including mobile), email, etc. Somebody is feeling ill, we have an orthopedic issue, terrible weather has set in, or we have significantly changed itinerary etc.

Help = We have a problem (non-life threatening) that we cannot solve and require rescue in 24-48 hours

SPOT goes dead  (no more messages and/or no track movement in 24 hours) = Start to closely monitor your phones, email, etc. for messages, calls and voice mails from our Sat Phone. Absence of messages from both SPOT and Sat Phone for 24 hours indicates a significant problem since it is unlikely that both the SPOT and the Sat Phone will fail and that we haven’t managed to move into a good transmission area to send out some sort of message.

SOS Message = We have a major problem that requires immediate rescue. Although you won’t receive this message you are on the list to be contacted if it is sent out. (See below for message text & full info.).

Sent to: GEOS http://www.geosalliance.com/what-is-geos/faq/

Note: Unlike the inReach, the GEOS personnel will have no idea what the nature and severity of the emergency is since they have no way to receive information or to contact you in the field.

The following is the text is sent along with our SOS to GEOS

“HIKERS: Ralph (male, ageXX), Jack (male, ageXX). Experienced hikers & climbers. NKA/NO MED HX. (shorthand for: no known allergies, no medical  history). Ralph has Wilderness First Aid Cert.

ITINERARY: In 12-Aug Gaedeke Lake. Out 21-Aug Pingo Lake.

ROUTE: Packraft Alatna R. to Arrigetch Creek. Cross the Arrigetch via Ariel Peak, TalusTop Pass, Mystery Pass. Packraft the Noatak R. to Pingo L.

FLIGHTS: Brooks Range Aviation, Bettles, AK  800-692-5443 or 907-692-5444.

EMERGENCY LOCAL: Gates Of The Arctic National Park, Bettles Ranger Station: 907-692-5494”

Your Primary Emergency Contact Info

Full Name Jane XXX

Country  United States of America

Phone Number  999.555.1212

Your Secondary Emergency Contact Info

Full Name  Jill XXX

Country  United States of America

Phone Number  999.555.1212