P.E.E.P.S
P – Person, as in your Heath and wellbeing
How are you and your fellow adventures doing today? Is everyone feeling strong? Is anyone feeling sick, dehydrated, etc.? Are you stressed or are you mentally prepared for the challenges proposed? Does everyone have the nutrition and hydration needed for the planned adventure?
E – Environment and conditions
What is the temperature variability? If body temp is 37 degrees, is the air temperature the same? - 20? 40? What about the water temperature? What about the winds? For your kiting or sailing trip are they forecast to be steady at 15 knots? Or with gusts to 50 knots? Are conditions at the summit stable or is a front blowing in?
E – Equipment
Is your equipment optimized? Are repairs needed or have they been completed? Is your rudder functioning? Are your kite lines frayed? Does your avalanche beacon work (we already do this in a beacon check)? Do you have your life jacket and is it on properly? Is your harness properly attached? Do you have enough warm clothes?
P – Partner or team
Look around and partner up if necessary, especially if the group is large. Who can you be responsible for and who is responsible or can help you? Did the two strongest partners of the team pair with each other, leaving the weaker members to pair with each other? Or is there a better mix of strengths and weaknesses?
S – Scenario
Consider verbally walking through one emergency situation. What do you do in an avalanche? What is the plan for a capsized boat? What is the plan on the ridge top when you hear lightning?
Let’s take a closer look at an unfortunate event that occurred December 8, 2015, on Lake General Carrera in Chile. Doug Tompkins was kayaking that day with five friends in what started out as a beautiful, calm day (for a review of the events that transpired, see
Jamie Lieberman’s article in Wilderness Medicine Magazine and
this recap from National Geographic).
Based on written reports and my interview with a surviving member of the party, it is interesting to look back at the sequence of events and consider whether reviewing PEEPS would have made a difference.
P – Person
Let’s assume they were all doing well and feeling well. They were certainly a very experienced group.
E – Environment
The lake was 38 degrees F. The air temperature was unknown. The water/body temperature spread was huge! The winds each day had been progressively higher, and the location is well known for sudden storms. By 10:30 A.M., the wind was kicking up 50 mph gusts and six-foot waves, coming from multiple directions.
E – Equipment
Was everyone’s boat in optimal working order? There were reports of Tomkins’ boat rudder malfunctioning. Presumably, everyone would have made sure prior to departure, but perhaps a verbal reminder might have triggered another evaluation? And what about clothing, considering the environment? Only two of the six were wearing a wetsuit.
P – Partner
This was a group traveling together. How was the decision made to separate and all head for shore? Was this planned in advance? Or did each kayaker fend for himself or herself?
S – Scenario
Of course the critical question here would be what to do if someone capsizes? Should all parties huddle together in the middle of the lake? Immediately tie off a boat and tow it in, requiring easily accessible rope?
There are never simple answers to the above questions, but the point is to verbally run through a checklist.
The reality is that most of us have some informal evaluation we each do in preparation for the adventures we undertake. The above checklist can truly be expanded, but right before you set off, a last minute out-loud checklist with all members verbally participating just might bring out a safety item that is critical. It works in medicine. It works in aviation. As they say, "the life you save just may be your own." So before your next adventure, make sure you check your PEEPS!