Surviving Your Picnic: 15 Ways to Die Outside and How to be Prepared!

It’s cloudy but the sun is out. It’s a great day to eat outside with a few friends. Then lightning hits the barbecue fork you’re holding… That is a genuine incident from the UK. It’s just one startling example of what can happen if you aren’t aware of the hazards of open-air recreation. In this case, the victim was in the middle of an airfield, making him the highest point in a wide, flat plane… he survived but will choose a better location in future!

At the other extreme some people are overly anxious in wilderness areas… but often afraid of the wrong things. Mountain lion attack? Vanishingly unlikely to be a problem. Falling off something you’re climbing to get a better photo… a top three cause of death and serious injury! This book gives you perspective on the relative risks.

We’re not trying to scare you into staying at home, far from it. The thing people really die from… is ignorance. Often taken as a criticism, it’s a lack of relevant knowledge. It’s as simple as that. Your simple agreement to a weekend picnic seems safe because you are safe in the present. That doesn’t mean you’ll be safe in the activity you just agreed to.

The good news is, it’s easy to understand potential hazards and simple to avoid them. Being aware of these hazards will raise your awareness of others we don’t cover. There’s also general advice to give you new habits for every journey. Finally, if avoidance fails you’ll have knowledge and tools to cope, recover and escape.