wiiawiwb Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Three years ago, I almost stepped on a timber rattler. By night's end, I had done my research and ordered a pair of snakeproof gaiters. Fast forward three years and last week a friend of mine walked right past the biggest, fattest timber rattler I've ever seen. He walked within inches of the snake, which lay inches away hidden by cover, and it announced itself with a very loud rattle for several minutes. It could have nailed him but didn't. I was also in the strike zone but slowly backed away. I wasn't wearing my gaiters. For anyone who ventures off the beaten path into snake country I'd strongly recommend Turtleskin Gaiters. They are the lightest ones available and are very flexible and comfortable. The delta cost of those versus a regular pair of gaiters is a small investment particularly considering the downside of getting a venomous bite. Tissue damage would be the least of your worries. Moreover, having to get airlifted to a hospital that has antivenin could cost a fortune. I'll never go out to my sasquatching areas again without my Turtleskin gaiters again. https://turtleskin.com/default/snake-gaiters.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catmandoo Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, wiiawiwb said: Moreover, having to get airlifted to a hospital that has antivenin could cost a fortune. The last time that I set up my medical coverage, I had one deal making factor. Helicopter life flight. With my plan, I have world wide life flight air ambulance with a $300 deductible. I don't know if I get a choice of Bell, Eurocopter or Agusta Westland but the inflight meal of a bag(s) of saline solution sucks. And remember, depending on the location of the bite, your friends may not help you. Edited July 9, 2020 by Catmandoo more text Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted July 9, 2020 Author Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) Where I go sasquatching, there is no cell service. I would have to high-tail it out of there on foot and contact the local hospital once in cell range or trigger my Garmin InReach Mini and begin a satellite-texting dialogue. A medi-vac can occur one of two ways. The first, is if you stay put, trigger your PLB, or InReach, and have a helicopter airlift you from where you are in the field to a hospital. The second, is if you arrive at the nearest hospital which has no antivenin and you have to be airlifted to a hospital that does have it. I may be completely wrong but I think one is considered a medical evacuation where the other is a medical transport. I've looked into insurance coverage but the ones I saw required I be at least 100 miles from home. Where I go isn't always always outside that 100-mile circle and that means the air-vac insurance wouldn't pay for a transport. I'd buy insurance without hesitation and firmly believe in having insurance to cover potential liability issues (an umbrella policy for example). I'd sleep better knowing I have insured an air-vac transport rather then be forced to dig very deeply into my pocket to pay for it myself. Did you arrange this coverage through a normal health-insurance carrier or did you buy a specialty medi-vac policy? Can you share the name of the company you use (even if in a PM)? Edited July 9, 2020 by wiiawiwb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRockBigfoot Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, wiiawiwb said: Where I go sasquatching, there is no cell service. I would have to high-tail it out of there on foot and contact the local hospital once in cell range or trigger my Garmin InReach Mini and begin a satellite-texting dialogue. A medi-vac can occur one of two ways. The first, is if you stay put, trigger your PLB, or InReach, and have a helicopter airlift you from where you are in the field to a hospital. The second, is if you arrive at the nearest hospital which has no antivenin and you have to be airlifted to a hospital that does have it. I may be completely wrong but I think one is considered a medical evacuation where the other is a medical transport. I've looked into insurance coverage but the ones I saw required I be at least 100 miles from home. Where I go isn't always always outside that 100-mile circle and that means the air-vac insurance wouldn't pay for a transport. I'd buy insurance without hesitation and firmly believe in having insurance to cover potential liability issues (an umbrella policy for example). I'd sleep better knowing I have insured an air-vac transport rather then be forced to dig very deeply into my pocket to pay for it myself. Did you arrange this coverage through a normal health-insurance carrier or did you buy a specialty medi-vac policy? Can you share the name of the company you use (even if in a PM)? @wiiawiwb You can get airlift and SAR insurance with GEOS through Garmin so long as you have an Inreach. https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=dENvi0yoo51ib0Zh8L4El6 It's currently 25 bucks a year for the SAR insurance, while medivac insurance costs around $125 a year. Edited July 9, 2020 by BlackRockBigfoot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAfooter Posted July 10, 2020 Admin Share Posted July 10, 2020 On 7/9/2020 at 1:20 AM, Catmandoo said: And remember, depending on the location of the bite, your friends may not help you. Reminds me of a joke I heard way back in high school. I cannot repeat it here... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catmandoo Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 3 hours ago, VAfooter said: Reminds me of a joke I heard way back in high school. I cannot repeat it here... And the last line is: " you are going to die". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAfooter Posted July 10, 2020 Admin Share Posted July 10, 2020 Uh-huh.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incorrigible1 Posted July 10, 2020 Share Posted July 10, 2020 As an amateur herp at one time, my grateful acknowledgement for not summarily dispatching the timber rattler. Certainly best admired from a safe distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntster Posted July 11, 2020 Share Posted July 11, 2020 I was bitten by a small rattlesnake on the foot (I was barefoot) almost 7 miles from my car when I was 16 years old. I had to hike out. It was one of the most traumatic events in a life repeatedly shaken with trauma. I was evacuated by helicopter from a remote Alaska location after a gunshot to the head in 2001. It was 37 degrees below zero. Federal Blue Cross paid the $11,500 bill, but they weren't happy about it, and they tried desperately to shirk the bill. Just the other day I was searching for a missing friend along a remote Alaska creek named Bear Creek........and you can guess why it's called that. Several times after tripping over logs and getting whacked in the face with brush I thought about getting out of there after injury. It would be daunting. I have snake gaiters on my to-get list, and there aren't even any snakes in Alaska. I like to go to the American southwest in winter, and even though snakes hibernate, I don't trust them. Those gaiters look pricey, but they're worth it. Thanks for the recommendation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiiawiwb Posted July 12, 2020 Author Share Posted July 12, 2020 On 7/9/2020 at 10:37 AM, BlackRockBigfoot said: @wiiawiwb You can get airlift and SAR insurance with GEOS through Garmin so long as you have an Inreach. https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=dENvi0yoo51ib0Zh8L4El6 It's currently 25 bucks a year for the SAR insurance, while medivac insurance costs around $125 a year. Thanks BRB. The GEOS Medivac is one of those companies that requires you be 100 miles from home which excludes most of the time I'm out sasquatching. 21 hours ago, Huntster said: I have snake gaiters on my to-get list, and there aren't even any snakes in Alaska. I like to go to the American southwest in winter, and even though snakes hibernate, I don't trust them. Those gaiters look pricey, but they're worth it. Thanks for the recommendation. Many of the other snake gaiters out there are rigid and more geared for someone who does limited walking. Yesterday, I was in an area that is loaded with Timber Rattlers. A friend of mine bought those gaiters at my recommendation. We hiked 10 hours going up and over three mountains with lots of rocks and crevices and places for rattlers to hide. You wouldn't know you were wearing the gaiters because they're that comfortable. For me, it's an insurance policy that you pay once for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntster Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 The comfort and fit is important to me, after effectiveness, of course. I even considered snake pants, but have rejected them after weighing the cost, discomfort, need for the protection above the knee, and the fact that I'm primarily a winter visitor to snake country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiflier Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 Read somewhere that Rattlers may be in the evolutionary process losing their rattles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntster Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Every one I find loses his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiflier Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCBFr Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 On 7/20/2020 at 2:26 PM, hiflier said: Read somewhere that Rattlers may be in the evolutionary process losing their rattles. True, they are being hunted so much in states like Texas that the ones that rattle give away their position and are quickly captured and then killed. The ones that do not rattle stay hidden and survive. That is how the process works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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