wrote on Jan 7^th, 2005 at 6:18am:

We are traveling as a twosome in a remote area. Let's say it is one travel day to an area that might have other campers, and two travel days to a ranger station. We are halfway over a nasty portage and I take the big fall. I am unconscious with unknown injuries... (actually, this is not much different from my normal condition  ::) ). What are you going to do?

Well, I guess that I am going to bite...

The simple, general answer is the same for any emergency
situation: Assess the situation, consider the alternatives,
and act on the best alternative.

You are unconscious, but what else? Are you breathing
regularly or are you in serious respiratory trouble. What
injuries do you have (you may not have fallen on your head).
Can you be moved? Do you need to be moved? What other
conditions are to be considered (weather good or bad, bear
was just sighted on portage, you took all three paddles out
with the fall...). You get the idea.

Some situations cannot be predicted, nor planned for - you
have to react. I believe the same can generally be said for
choosing a tripping partner. A lot depends upon how much
the other person wants to go on the trip. Not many
persons would be able to resist the urge to enhance the
quality of their answers if they really wanted to trip.

I sailed out of Traverse City once on a weekend trip to
Manistee to help a fellow worker get his boat to winter
storage. Before the trip we were polite but not close.
After the trip (and a half dozen knockdowns and a blown out
mainsail) we became friends for life because we were able to
quietly depend upon each other to get out of trouble. The
point is that there was no interview for the part (he
probably would have chosen any number of others with
more sailing experience if he had known bad weather was
ahead). And we all know that boats are boats...paddling,
sailing, motoring - it's all the same.

BTW, how long is a rope?

-aj