Now Ye're Talking - to an expedition training, travel safety & first aid expert

Boards.ie: Niamh · 09-05-2017 3:36pm #1

Ruairi from Venturesafe.ie is here to answer your questions about travel safety, first aid and expedition training!

Ruairi has a military background with 25 years of service, as well as being an adventure sports enthusiast with a passion for diving and the outdoors.
His military service was mostly as a Cavalry Officer, specialising in Armour and vehicle operations and ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance), a former Cavalry Squadron Commander and Chief Instructor of the Cavalry School. He has also worked extensively as a military logistics officer.

Ruairi served overseas on numerous missions to the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He has trained abroad with the UK, Netherlands and Austrian Armed Forces.

He is a former Chairman of the Defence Forces Council for Adventure Training as well as having been the Chairman, Diving Officer and Chief Instructor in the Army Dive Group.

Ruairis love of diving led him to become a Diver Medic, Diver Medic Instructor and then on to become an Occupational First Aid Instructor, Cardiac First Responder Instructor, American Heart Association Heartsaver Instructor as well as becoming a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician with WEMSI and Mountain Rescue Ireland.

He now runs a company Venturesafe.ie specialising in training others, giving them the skill sets and confidence to deal with the all the varied issues life can throw at us while at home, with kids, abroad working or on holidays, or while going on the expedition of a lifetime.

Venturesafe courses suit a variety of people ranging from teenagers travelling for the first time to well-travelled pensioners, those with no experience or lots of experience, those looking to improve on their safety and skills, or just going to new, far flung and out of the way places.

He cannot answer any questions with regard to his military service that could be of a safety, security, policy, political or sensitive nature, and in no way is he speaking on behalf of the Defence Forces, all views expressed are entirely his own.

As per Boards.ie rules he will not be permitted to give any medical or professional advice.

The best areas to ask questions about are about expedition and travel planning, preparedness, equipment, techniques, first aid skills, tips and tricks, packing, training.

Venturesafe are offering a 20% discount off courses for anyone who mentions Boards.ie when booking. This offer is valid for 2 months from the time of this AMA.

kmgirl1 · 12-05-2017 10:31am

Hi there, just wondering in terms of your military training and experience. I'm almost 28, female and am involved in self defence training myself although only as a hobby. I was in a boot camp last summer and would love a career which incorporates that kind of strength and discipline as well as general excitement in your day to day. Have looked at applying for positions in the army and navy before, but am beginning to worry that it might be too late for me now. In your experience did you come across many 'late starters?' What are the ages restrictions? Am I passed it :-( I'm a Uni grad of languages too so hopefully that might help (?) Any advice much appreciated

blapabrew22 · 12-05-2017 10:52am

Regardless of the size of the adventure you might be looking at going on, whether it's climbing the Sugarloaf v. the Materhorn, what are three essentials that everyone should have when packing that we might not think of? (I'm thinking other than the usual, like water, good shoes, etc).

Also, what is the scariest situation you might have been in yourself when on an expedition, and how did you get yourself out of it?

Venturesafe · 12-05-2017 11:03am

kmgirl1 wrote: »

Hi there, just wondering in terms of your military training and experience. I'm almost 28, female and am involved in self defence training myself although only as a hobby. I was in a boot camp last summer and would love a career which incorporates that kind of strength and discipline as well as general excitement in your day to day. Have looked at applying for positions in the army and navy before, but am beginning to worry that it might be too late for me now. In your experience did you come across many 'late starters?' What are the ages restrictions? Am I passed it :-( I'm a Uni grad of languages too so hopefully that might help (?) Any advice much appreciated

Hi there !
I'm afraid you might have missed the boat on age, I think 28 is max age for cadets and younger for recruits. If you check out military.ie careers section you should find latest info. I pretty much found that late starters generally do well as they are more mature and focused on what they want to achieve.As for all that excitement in the job, we have a saying that its "5% adrenaline and 95% boredom" the tricky bit is your never quite sure when it will be which! Something like an outdoors pursuits instructor / leader might fit the bill for you, and languages are always a bonus ! A lot of my thrills over the years have been as a diving instructor.

dudara · 12-05-2017 11:09am

Hi Ruairi,

Firstly, I just want to say how wonderful and impressive your career has been to date.

Since you set up Venturesafe, what has been the most unusual or most memorable request? And how varied is your job now?

Venturesafe · 12-05-2017 11:18am

blapabrew22 wrote: »

Regardless of the size of the adventure you might be looking at going on, whether it's climbing the Sugarloaf v. the Materhorn, what are three essentials that everyone should have when packing that we might not think of? (I'm thinking other than the usual, like water, good shoes, etc).

Also, what is the scariest situation you might have been in yourself when on an expedition, and how did you get yourself out of it?

I'd say that a whistle, a head torch and a plan are the essential top 3.

Outdoors types usually try to pack the ten essentials whenever they leave the beaten track, although I'd add one or two more.
1. A plan - leave word with someone responsible if you don't come back
2.Navigation - map / compass ( GPS /spare batteries )
3.Insulation - always carry one more layer of clothing than you expect to use
4. Illumination - head torch always the best / and spare batteries
5. First Aid Kit
6. Means to make fire - lighter / matches / fire steel
7. Repair kit - few strips of duck tape / few cable ties / multitool / knife
8. Hydration - water, and a few purification tabs in case your caught out.
9. Nutrition - your lunch, and always some extra high energy emergency food that doesn't need to be cooked.
10.Shelter / Wet gear - never go anywhere in Ireland without it!, a survival bag / bothy are life savers
11. Sun protection - skin and especially lips.
12. Communication - always a whistle, and some other way to get help, like a phone / radio etc. Leaving a plan behind you with expected return time counts here too
13. A big sense of humour for when things go pear shaped !

Venturesafe · 12-05-2017 11:22am

dudara wrote: »

Hi Ruairi,

Firstly, I just want to say how wonderful and impressive your career has been to date.

Since you set up Venturesafe, what has been the most unusual or most memorable request? And how varied is your job now?

It always sounds better to the uninitiated !
Get lots of variety with Venturesafe from first aid in creches, to survival training with scouts or working with those slightly crazy ( not a requirement but it helps ) adventurous type. I worked with a guy who drove overland from Dublin, Ireland to Delhi, India on his own !

mum2kids2cats · 12-05-2017 11:23am

What would you say are the absolute essential skills any parent / minder needs with young children (toddlers and babies)?

Despite best efforts to babyproof and chop up food small, we've always got small toys and things around the house that a baby could put in their mouth, and I always worry they'll choke on their food.

Thanks!

Venturesafe · 12-05-2017 11:27am

blapabrew22 wrote: »

Also, what is the scariest situation you might have been in yourself when on an expedition, and how did you get yourself out of it?

Oops forgot this bit,
It might not sound too scary, and it can happen easily, but it did it for me at the time, cause we were a long way from anywhere. I came up from a dive ( with my buddy ) in the Indian Ocean into a big swell and couldn't see the boat. Ended up drifting for about 40 mins until we were spotted. Got out of it by having good torches, a bright orange inflatable surface marker buoy ( 2m high ), whistles and sticking close to my buddy.

Venturesafe · 12-05-2017 11:36am

mum2kids2cats wrote: »

What would you say are the absolute essential skills any parent / minder needs with young children (toddlers and babies)?

Despite best efforts to babyproof and chop up food small, we've always got small toys and things around the house that a baby could put in their mouth, and I always worry they'll choke on their food.

Thanks!

Ha! with a few of my own, a good sense of humour is essential, as are quick draw baby wipes. Its impossible to baby proof the place and kids put everything in their mouths!
Choking is always a big worry, but can be easy to remedy, most babies are very good a puking though. I have run courses for parents and a couple of hours can cover all the basics like how to deal with choking, cpr, concussions, breaks / cuts etc. Takes the fear away. A good slap on the back between the shoulder blades and no lower is always a good start, and learning how to do abdominal thrusts properly. Can't help with cleaning up the dodgy nappies or puke!
I would say that my personnel big fear is those small button batteries, as they can cause lots of harm if swallowed, but you might not know they did it, so they are always kept safe in our house.

Roger Hassenforder · 12-05-2017 8:52pm

Why can't anyone make a bloody blow and arrow on Bear Grylls 'The Island'?

Venturesafe · 13-05-2017 10:29am

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

Why can't anyone make a bloody blow and arrow on Bear Grylls 'The Island'?

Sure would be no fun watching everyone being quietly efficient and getting everything right !! in fairness if Bear can't do entertaining TV we'll be in trouble.

Boaty · 14-05-2017 1:36am

With all the training for the worst that you've done, does it make you paranoid?

Venturesafe · 14-05-2017 11:18am

Boaty wrote: »

With all the training for the worst that you've done, does it make you paranoid?

That's a good question, had to think about it. Answer is a mixture of stuff I guess. So I'm definitely much more aware of stuff that can happen and go wrong. I try not to let that stop me or others doing anything.

I like to say "A ship in port is safe but that's not what ships are built for".

I have definitely cultivated a number of comfort blankets over the years that keep me happy, so I like to be prepared for things that could go wrong rather than avoid them.
I would definitely feel a bit uncomfortable if I was without my own stuff while away / adventuring.

Mind you the more knowledge you have the less stuff you need. Luckily knowledge is very light in your pack and can't be left at home.

Sabre0001 · 16-05-2017 10:15am

What is an essential first aid skill that you feel everyone should know?

What ads related to health and safety skills do you think have the greatest impact (I can still remember the CPR to Staying Alive / FAST signs of a stroke, for example)?

Your checklist above is quite interesting. What's the most basic thing that you commonly see people overlook?

Venturesafe · 16-05-2017 10:52am

Sabre0001 wrote: »

What is an essential first aid skill that you feel everyone should know?

What ads related to health and safety skills do you think have the greatest impact (I can still remember the CPR to Staying Alive / FAST signs of a stroke, for example)?

Your checklist above is quite interesting. What's the most basic thing that you commonly see people overlook?

The No1 skill is knowing when to call for help. Knowing how to call 112/999 gives you instant access to a medic on the line to help you while other help is on the way.
The other skills that are essential are how to recognise and deal with the Big 4 ( Cardiac Arrest, Heart Attack, Choking and Stroke ). These are essential as they require immediate action which cannot wait for an ambulance.
Irelands survival rates for cardiac arrest are steadily rising due to bystander CPR and increased training readily available ( as well as the avail of Advanced Paramedics, Dispatcher led instructions, and the avail of AED's )

After that how to deal with bleeding, breaks, burns as per most first aid courses and are all useful life skills.

As for the ads, I really liked the Vinny Jones add with included "Stayin' alive"
Here's the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxhK_uHS0EE

You can also use "Another one bites the dust" for the pessimists, or for creches I teach them to use "Nelly the Elephant".

A more recent add from Denmark, I thought was great. It had a split screen with one side showing what happens if you don't do CPR and the other showing what happens if you do. This is the website in Danish, Førstehjælp.com , or its also available on my Facebook.com/venturesafe.ie

The FAST adds also made a great impact and have hugely increased awareness of stroke.

As for the checklist, I'm finding that people are assuming their phone can be their torch, communications, GPS/ map / compass. Therefore they don't carry that stuff and then it all goes pear shaped when the battery dies ( which happens quicker in the cold ) and there is no coverage and they have lost them all.

Lyle Lanley · 16-05-2017 12:21pm

Venturesafe wrote: »

Oops forgot this bit,
It might not sound too scary, and it can happen easily, but it did it for me at the time, cause we were a long way from anywhere. I came up from a dive ( with my buddy ) in the Indian Ocean into a big swell and couldn't see the boat. Ended up drifting for about 40 mins until we were spotted. Got out of it by having good torches, a bright orange inflatable surface marker buoy ( 2m high ), whistles and sticking close to my buddy.

Were you the guide or a customer?

I'm a dive instructor myself and have found myself in a similar situation in Thailand, but it was purely down to the boat driver not following instructions. We surfaced exactly where I told him we would and sat for 40 mins awaiting pick up!

What federation(s) are you an instructor with? Anywhere you've worked that you'd particularly recommend?

Venturesafe · 16-05-2017 12:57pm

Lyle Lanley wrote: »

Were you the guide or a customer?

I'm a dive instructor myself and have found myself in a similar situation in Thailand, but it was purely down to the boat driver not following instructions. We surfaced exactly where I told him we would and sat for 40 mins awaiting pick up!

What federation(s) are you an instructor with? Anywhere you've worked that you'd particularly recommend?

I hear ya! I was the customer, and the boat cox'n had a lot to answer for. What scared me the most was he had no VHF on the small boat !!! Always worth having a few bits in the pockets. At home I ALWAYS carry a PLB, DSMB, waterproof flare and smoke, torch and spare, my hood is orange inside and a whistle - not planning on getting left again! ( can't take the flare/smoke with me abroad )

I'm registered with CFT / Irish Underwater Council, IANTD & PADI ( not PADI Instr ).
I've never worked as an instructor abroad other than on trips away, and my instruction in Ireland was in the Army, my club and CFT. So I never made any money out of it !
I've been lucky to have dived all over the place but I still love the cold water diving as you get the place to yourself ! Warm water is great but in places like the Red Sea and Thailand it can be like walking down Grafton Street on a dive site.

Lyle Lanley · 16-05-2017 1:45pm

Venturesafe wrote: »

I hear ya! I was the customer, and the boat cox'n had a lot to answer for. What scared me the most was he had no VHF on the small boat !!! Always worth having a few bits in the pockets. At home I ALWAYS carry a PLB, DSMB, waterproof flare and smoke, torch and spare, my hood is orange inside and a whistle - not planning on getting left again! ( can't take the flare/smoke with me abroad )

I'm registered with CFT / Irish Underwater Council, IANTD & PADI ( not PADI Instr ).
I've never worked as an instructor abroad other than on trips away, and my instruction in Ireland was in the Army, my club and CFT. So I never made any money out of it !
I've been lucky to have dived all over the place but I still love the cold water diving as you get the place to yourself ! Warm water is great but in places like the Red Sea and Thailand it can be like walking down Grafton Street on a dive site.

VHF seems to be treated as a luxury item, used for talking to your mates on other boats in a lot of Asia.

The flares are a good idea. SMBs are difficult to spot depending on sea conditions and the angle of the sun.

I'vw just done a few months working in Thailand so I know exactly what you mean!! Gets a bit mental at times. Drysuit is on the way to me so will be doing a lot more cold water diving shortly.

blapabrew22 · 17-05-2017 10:08am

Other than your usual hot spots like Iraq, Syria, etc, is there anywhere that you would not recommend travelling to an individual or group either in the past or now, and if so, for what reason?

Have you ever refused to provide guidance or advice based on a proposed expedition or trip going somewhere that you didn't believe was safe, or out of principle for whatever reason, did not feel comfortable supporting?

Seeing as you plan, teach, and advise those going on expeditions or trips, would you ever consider being a guide yourself and actually taking interested parties on bespoke trips?

LuG123 · 17-05-2017 10:35am

Really interesting read., thanks for coming on.
I did a first aid course around two years ago and while I found it great, I'm not actually sure if I would remember what to do in an emergency situation. I pretty much felt this way straight after I finished too. Do you think one day is enough? If so what course is the best to do. I had a look at your site and I see there are a few different options.
Thanks

Fox Hound · 17-05-2017 2:51pm

did you do the scouts when you where a kid?

Sabre0001 · 18-05-2017 10:43am

What's the best way of dealing with sun burn / sun stroke?

What dives have you done? Aside from the Indian Ocean situation, any memorable experiences?

How do you think Irish people compare to others in being willing to get out and about?

How do you think people could be more encouraged to go out and explore the country / world?

Ubbquittious · 18-05-2017 12:30pm

Did you meet any really badly prepared people in your travels? Find anyone up a mountain who was in a bad way because they left at half 8 in the evening wearing a t-shirt and flip flops and no water or torch?

Venturesafe · 18-05-2017 6:01pm

Lyle Lanley wrote: »

VHF seems to be treated as a luxury item, used for talking to your mates on other boats in a lot of Asia.

The flares are a good idea. SMBs are difficult to spot depending on sea conditions and the angle of the sun.

I'vw just done a few months working in Thailand so I know exactly what you mean!! Gets a bit mental at times. Drysuit is on the way to me so will be doing a lot more cold water diving shortly.

A few months diving in Thailand sounds like heaven ! SMB's much better than a black hood the size of a football! Good luck with your new drysuit, although really only damp suits in the long run. My drysuit tip for you is to duck tape Euro100 and your phone numbers to the inside, in case you or your buddy gets choppered to a chamber.

Venturesafe · 18-05-2017 6:33pm

blapabrew22 wrote: »

Other than your usual hot spots like Iraq, Syria, etc, is there anywhere that you would not recommend travelling to an individual or group either in the past or now, and if so, for what reason?

Have you ever refused to provide guidance or advice based on a proposed expedition or trip going somewhere that you didn't believe was safe, or out of principle for whatever reason, did not feel comfortable supporting?

Seeing as you plan, teach, and advise those going on expeditions or trips, would you ever consider being a guide yourself and actually taking interested parties on bespoke trips?

There are loads of places I wouldn't recommend travelling to if you are alone and less if traveling as groups and less still if you are an experienced, skilled and equipped group. It can change on a daily basis too as to where is safe or not safe.
I always start with Dept of Foreign affairs App ( which is great ), or website for advice, then I look at the US, UK, Canada, Australian and New Zealand versions. As predominantly english speaking, white, wealthy westerners we can all be considered the same to the locals so good to look at all advice.

I've never refused advice, my advice has been refused though ! I give people the tools to research the options / risks ( or do it for them), the training, the risk v's reward matrix etc.
At the end of the day they have to consider their own comfort zones, make their own choice, and ultimately live with the consequences.

I would absolutely travel as a guide / leader, and I do on Dive Trips. For diving everyone needs to be qualified and certified to the required level, so its easy. For other trips, I would really have to look at the group. There can be really interesting dynamics. Often the guy with the money is appointed as the leader, even though in a lot cases they are the least qualified to make the hard choices ( i.e. don't want to turn back because they have paid for this trip ).
If something happens to me can I rely on the group to assist me?
I often pose this question to groups as they can use a guide as an emotional crutch. If you are not happy to go somewhere without the support of a guide / leader or lost them halfway through, are you prepared enough ???

Short version would absolutely love to go on expeds / trips with a strong, capable group as an integral but not irreplaceable team member/ guide / leader / medic, but less hot on the idea of going as the babysitter or last ditch insurance policy with an unprepared group, cause I need to come home in one piece too!!

Venturesafe · 18-05-2017 6:54pm

LuG123 wrote: »

Really interesting read., thanks for coming on.
I did a first aid course around two years ago and while I found it great, I'm not actually sure if I would remember what to do in an emergency situation. I pretty much felt this way straight after I finished too. Do you think one day is enough? If so what course is the best to do. I had a look at your site and I see there are a few different options.
Thanks

Thanks LuG123.
Your not alone!!! Everyone is the same, me included.
For example the stats show that after 3 months CPR skills diminish.
Like anything if you don't use it you lose it.
Most courses such as CFR - Cardiac first responder, heartsaver etc re-certify every two years, to keep up with advances, best practice and that loss of comfort / skill.

One day courses are great for giving the information and skills to people but rarely have enough time to run lots of scenarios and reinforce the muscle memory that we rely on in an emergency. Three day course is better. Better again is doing lots of refreshers, even if its only 10mins on a dummy confirming what you know.

There is a saying in the military that amateurs practice something until they get it right, but professional something practice until they can't get it wrong.

Even a good 4 hour course will give you great CPR skills. For extra skills I think the three day courses ( occupational first aid / first aid response ) are a good allround base and compromise. Then keeping up to date with one / two day refreshers every two years are best bang for your buck and time.

For me I would do an instructor rectify every two years, and have to evidence that I've been an active instructor.
My WEMT recertification ,(wilderness emergency medical technician), is a week long, day and night fully residential course every 3 years to try and retain all the skills / knowledge and best practice.

Having said all that, ANY TRAINING IS BETTER THAN NONE!

Venturesafe · 18-05-2017 6:56pm

Fox Hound wrote: »

did you do the scouts when you where a kid?

Yup, thats where all my "Be prepared" stuff started!.
I was a cub, a sea scout and now I'm back again as a Scout leader!

Venturesafe · 18-05-2017 7:18pm

Sabre0001 wrote: »

What's the best way of dealing with sun burn / sun stroke?

What dives have you done? Aside from the Indian Ocean situation, any memorable experiences?

How do you think Irish people compare to others in being willing to get out and about?

How do you think people could be more encouraged to go out and explore the country / world?

Best way to deal with them is avoidance !!
Sun burn is really a first degree burn, so treated as such, burn gels / aloe vera , lots of fluids etc.
Sun stroke on the other hand is a killer. When your body temp rises above 40.6 C and you can no longer control it things can get bad really quickly! You can't cool someone down too quickly in this case. Had to deal with this in the sahara, Into the shade, get rid of excessive clothing, mist them with water ( spray water over them from your mouth rather than pour it ) and fan them with magazines books clothes etc, you can have 4 people doing this, if they can drink get lots of water and electrolytes into them. If you can't cool them and get fluids in, its medic time.

Dive wise, I've thousands in Ireland, Spain, Canaries, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius, Maldives, Thailand, Tanzania, Denmark, UK & Cyprus. Many countries multiple times and I'm off to Indonesia later in the year ( yippee ). Red Sea and the Maldives have constantly been great trips over the years. Too many memorable experiences to list, big wrecks, big sharks, mantas, whales, dolphins, octupuses, and good safe buddies always memorable.

I think the Irish are fantastic travellers, finding a group of Irish people that haven't been abroad is really hard. At home we're not great, bad weather and good pubs don't help. Its a shame because our landscapes and seas are pretty pristine when your off the beaten track. Wild Atlantic Way !!!

I really like the scouts and forest schools etc for getting people to love the outdoors from an early age. Long power cuts would also really help.

Venturesafe · 18-05-2017 7:51pm

Ubbquittious wrote: »

Did you meet any really badly prepared people in your travels? Find anyone up a mountain who was in a bad way because they left at half 8 in the evening wearing a t-shirt and flip flops and no water or torch?

Don't get me started see it all the time, I really wonder how people get by in life sometimes. Croagh Patrick, nothing with you and in your bare feet, lunacy.
I have a very vivid memory of finding 6 Spanish students about 600m ( distance not altitude !) shy of the summit of Lug in Wicklow in T shirts and runners and nothing else with them.
I'm showing my age now, but it was pre mobile phones and the middle of the week so no chance of help. Anyway the weather was starting to come in so I basically bullied them off the hill, although they wanted to just hit the summit. The bullying was a bit easier as I was armed to the teeth at the time with 6 similarly armed and camo creamed recruits behind me !!! So brought them down Camara in a hurry, by the time we hit the road, the weather had closed in completely. I often wonder if they even realised how close to a wipeout they were.

By the way in the Glen of Imaal, if you didn't drop it don't pick it up,stay on the approved routes and stay away if there are red flags, they are firing stuff designed to kill people. Always call into the Range Warden Service, they'll give you a free map and take your details and route card too if you want. If they advise you not to go up, don't.

RasTa · 19-05-2017 5:50pm

What exactly could have went wrong even if they summited at 925m?

Now Ye're Talking - to an expedition training, travel safety & first aid expert

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