>>>...assemble a substantial medical kit with your doctor's assistance (peak flow meter, nebulizer, compressed gas to power the nebulizer, bronchodilator solution, oral, inhaled, and injectable steroids, antibiotics, etc.).<<<<br><br>Two points. One, I do carry most of these with us on trips, with the exception of the compressed gas and the injectable steroids, which have not beed required to date because we have always been close to electrical power sources and reasonably close to medical help. Two, I plan on following up with the key piece of advise in your statement, "doctor's assistance." The kit and procedures we've used so far were developed with his allergist's aide and they have met our needs to date. So it makes sense to go back and discuss our new set of needs, or "desired" needs. The information you have provided will certainly help as I now know more options to discuss, such as the use of compressed gas to drive the nebulizer.<br><br>>>>...you need to be prepared for the worst case. <<<<br><br>This is exactly what I am doing, with everyone's help. My son has never had even a mild attack during the summer months while camping. The fall is the worse time of year for him and he's had mild attacks triggered by campfire smoke at camporees where there are dozens of campfires in a relatively small area. He's also had an attack during the winter at a cabin campout because of the wood burning stove. So I know I would not even consider a trip like Boundary Waters in the fall as the risk is way too high. We still may decide, along with his physician's imput, that a summer trip is still too risky. But I'm investigating the options in advance to make such a determination.<br><br>>>>People still die of asthma. <<<<br><br>Too true. It was just over a year ago that a lawyer in our office, who was in his mid-forties, died, literally on the doorstep to his apartment in Chicago... from an asthma attack. He was an intelligent man who knew of his condition. So it is a serious condition and should not be taken lightly.<br><br>>>>... plus written (?plastic laminated) protocols on treatment of asthma based on peak flow readings ...<<<<br><br>I do have instructions written down along with his physicians' phone numbers in the case with the nebulizer and emergency medicine. But the instructions are written more from my point of view and may not be easily understood by the average bystander. I need to rewrite them in case I am not available or my son is unable to communicate instructions (he actually manages his asthma very well and does not need much direction). I also plan on creating a credit card size set of instructions for a his PSK altoids tin. Plus I need to laminate them both.<br><br>>>>I don't know about the use of those transmitters on inland waters. Canoes are vessels, same as any other!!<<<<br><br>Actually, this was the crux of my initial question as information on this site relates to marine communications, primarily with the Coast Guard. And I wasn't sure if land based emergency or SAR organizations have different communication devices and protocols. My impression is that emergency procedures are chiefly localized resposibilities and that there is no common SOP between responsible agencies (please correct me if I'm wrong).<br><br>>>>Have fun, sorry this is so long and rambling.<<<<br><br>No appologies needed. Your reply is very informative and helpful.<br><br>BTW, the US Forest Service did respond to my inquiries. The local counties are responsible for emergencies in their own counties. And they can and do contact the USFS for use of their float plane in an extreem medical emergency.<br><br>She also pointed out to me that there are areas of the Boundary Waters that are more acesable than others. This was something I had not taken into consideration. If and when the troop decides to return there, I can lobby for a crew (they split into 3 crews this trip) that stays in the more accesable areas. <br><br><br>Willie Vannerson<br>McHenry, IL