http://www.sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ys-mmaweektanner090808&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Motorcycle runs out of gas. Blogs about equipment failure that could kill him. No mention of water caches, reliable communications ( PLB) or even reliable friends ( 2 days.)

Western writer Ed Abbey on venturing into the desert "bring lots of water, stay out of the noonday sun, pray frequently."

Knowing how likely it is that news coverage is incomplete and innaccurate, I would reserve final judgment on the causes of this event.

The information on hand supports speculation that the individual did not equip his motorcycle with gear and supplies to enhance chances for desert survival in case of misadventure. We can also speculate that he did not do as Chris suggests: set up caches in the area of operation to enhance chances for survival in case of misadventure in an environment known to be unforgiving toward man and his machinery.

Other speculation would wonder if tempting fate was the all too successful goal.

In any event, I wish his spirit peace.

Having spent all of last winter in that area (and goin' back again this Jan), all I can say is that is some really rough country, and super hot this time of the year. It would take A LOT of preparation to do what he had planned and survive...

He was looking to find out what his limits were. *shrugs* At the risk of sounds heartless, he found them.

My big question is his buddies. Waiting two days? I'm sorry, I give you until two hours after dark if you weren't planning on sending the night.

"...At the risk of sounds heartless..."

At the risk of sounding even more heartless, I have little sympathy for those who set off totally unprepared to do dangerous things and get bitten in the butt...

But he wasn't totally unprepared.

“I plan on going so deep into the desert, that any failure of my equipment, could cost me my life,” he said. “I’ve been doing a great deal of research and study. I want to know all I can about where I’m going, and I want to make sure I have the best equipment.”

"These short trips were not new to Tanner, said Vincitorio. It is something that he has done numerous times over the years."

This time he didn't make it. Sh-t happens. A lot of people have died trying to climb Everest, too. Not because they weren't prepared, but because sometimes mother nature is just a b*tch.

What it looks like and what it is may be two different things. Still early days in this story.

Maybe "totally" was a little harsh. But he did manage to run his scooter out of fuel (pretty unprepared in my book), and obviously wasn't prepared to make it the two miles (or more) back to his camp...

Of course, the devil is in the details.

The point is that we do not yet know enough to conclude what preparedness and survival lessons may be accurately and fairly drawn from this story.

That would be a bigger tragedy in my eyes. Rather then spend time condeming a dead man for doing nothing but living life the way he wanted, why don't we respect that he had the guts to live life rather than be a walking dead.