I feel like if you go to Death Valley, in July, when we're having record-breaking temps all over the world, and you wear flip flops...look, I'm not saying anyone deserves to lose a foot just because they're making stupid choices, but maybe like, a toe. Because man, that is wildly stupid.
this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2024
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While I fully agree with you, for a second there I wondered what could have been proper clothing and footwear for this type of trip. I normally wear Chaco sandals in the Summer and they seem to be sturdier and more appropriate footwear for this walk and then I thought they could melt too, so... Hiking boots? Those would possibly not melt, so maybe they would have been appropriate, but I'm not sure...
A strange game, the only winning move is not to play... You don't go to Death Valley in the boiling hot summer (I myself have been in June of many years ago and it was a chillier day)
It’s Death Valley.
You want at least mid-rise hiking boots. Trail hiking shoes might be okay, except in the case you step on a rattler.
The boots aren’t full proof protection but they’re much better than a sock.
The biggest reason to go down to shoes is if you plan to be moving over boulders- it’s pretty hard to edge.
Biggest things are that they’re comfortable, sized right and sturdy enough to not fall apart. (Also? Bring lots of socks. Swapping socks frequently will help with the perspiration)
(ETA) For general clothing avoid dark or bright colors- light tan is best, wear light breathable pants and similar shirt. Id recommend avoiding cotton (it sucks for wicking,) and go with linen. I recommend long sleeves but a lot of that has to do with me having 3 shades- white, pink and burnt.
Hat and sunglasses that are comfortable.
Also? The biggest rule? Tell someone where you are going, what your route is, and when you expect to get out. I recommend checking in and out with the parks service cuz they’re gonna be the ones looking for you.
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Though they wanted a helicopter to fly him out, helicopters can't generate enough lift to fly in the heat-thinned air over the hottest parts of Death Valley, officials said. So park rangers summoned an ambulance that took him to higher ground, where it was a cooler 109 degrees and he could then be flown out.
TIL.
Death Valley: We mean it.
Legit, I did not know this until I read this article, either.
For those of you who don’t know Fahrenheit:
123F->50.5C
170F-180F-> 77-82C
200F->93C
109F -> 43C
For those of you who only know temperatures based on internal temperature of cooked meats:
123F-danger zone of most meats, some bacteria will continue to grow at these temperatures
170F- all meats including ground poultry are safe to eat at this temperature, but most people would call steak way overdone at this temperature
200F- start of 6 pack number 2 for cooking brisket, depending on what texture you're going for you might be able to pull it or drink another beer
109F- you trying to kill someone with that burger?
And for those of you who only know temperatures based on brewing tea or coffee:
123F: Probably insufficient for even fairly delicate teas. You could probably make "sun tea" at this temperature by leaving tea in room temperature water to be heated by the sun, but this is not recommended as anything below ~130F is considered the danger zone for bacterial growth.
170F: This is the appropriate temperature for delicate or green teas to preserve flavor, antioxidants, and prevent bitterness.
200F: An acceptable temperature below boiling (212F) for black teas and coffee where overextraction is minimal.
109F: Unacceptable for tea brewing, barely above body temperature.
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Group of pioneers in 1849: "This place is dangerous! Let's call it Death Valley so people know to steer clear!"
Who wears flip flops to the desert?!
Have you ever even met a Belgian?!?
There's a good reason their car numberplates are red, it's so you can avoid the daft cunts 😂
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"sand? so it's just like the beach!"
was he German? they love going hiking in sandals, and then need to get rescued from mountains.
why does anyone go into the desert with flip flops?
Humans seem to have a special mental gap when it comes to mountains. It's warm and sunny so they go up in flip-flops and tiny short shorts, but on the actual mountain it's freezing cold and often raining and they require rescuing because at some point they either fall over due to trying to wander around in what are essentially plastic slippers, or they're too cold and they can't carry on.
We know that the temperature drops as you go up and yet somehow that seems to fail to register for people.
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In the 80s, and I was 7, we went to Italy and my parents and I went up Mount Etna and I was wearing flip-flops, making it pretty much impossible to walk up a bunch of lava rocks without them slipping off and cutting my feet. My parents only thought I was complaining about the walk until my mother looked down and saw my feet bleeding.
I haven't been a big fan of them since.
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Belgian, so I'm surprised they were sensible enough to wear any kind of footwear
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If i was ever going to hike in death valley I'd probably want to go on like a guided group hike, I'd have plenty of sunscreen, snacks and a camelbak filled with ice water.
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People chronically underestimate nature.
They see some beautiful desert, a peaceful sea, or an idyllic mountain and assume that nothing so pretty could possible hurt you.
Forget about cute animals that are actually dangerous, any of the above can secretly store so much energy that humans are completely insignificant gnats, in comparison.
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This reminds me of the story of the German family that went on a trip to Death Valley and ended up accidentally driving up an Arroyo they thought was a road, getting stuck, and dying of dehydration after they tried to walk to safety.
If you’re going to go to a new and strange environment, make sure you get some advice from a local and don’t push yourself. Many tragedies like this are caused by people making genuine mistakes, but they can be prevented. If he’d simply asked someone if walking around Death Valley in flip flops was a good idea, he’d be fine.
I live a half hour from Death Valley, and it's not named ironically, it's a death zone. It's not really habitable for humans, you should never go alone, have full body covering clothes, heavy duty foot wear, lots of food and drink, and know how to get out from where you are at all times. It's not safe, many people still die there every year. It's just sad to me. I'm always sad to hear about anyone that dies or gets injured, we're a little isolated out here and tourists are some of the best people we regularly deal with, I love tourists. They just aren't always aware of the risks out there.
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Wow, people really wear flipflops there? That's crazy.
Actually, going there is crazy too.
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Might seem like a stupid question but that's Fahrenheit right not Celsius? I like how in the article they unnecessarily clarify that he's talking about temperature in degrees, (a concussed duckling would be able to work that one out) but not the unit of temperature.
Correct
120f = 48c
200f = 93c
I feel like better temporary solutions could be found (than flaying your own skin on hot sand) like ripping your shirt off and tying it to your feet?
"I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and it melts your skin off."
So do we just need to close death valley or require permits in the summer or something? The safety issues seem to be compounding with the extreme heat.
I assume you have to pay a fee to enter Death Valley National Park, and like every National Park I assume the rangers at the entrance and signage all throughout warn you of potential dangers. You can easily get yourself in trouble at Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, or Big Bend National Parks, for example, if you don't take the risks seriously and make poor decisions.
Sure but those other parks.. they aren't called "Deathstone" or "Death Mountain" or "Big Death"...
I feel like Death Valley is being very frank with you on the matter.
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I can't feel bad for these people. Death Valley in mid-summer and you go unprepared. I suppose it's a testament to our amazing transportation systems.
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