miniMe-
What's with the rush to judgment that this hunter is a fool lacking reason and/or outdoors skills? From all that I've read we don't have anywhere near all of the facts about his story. He might be an inexperienced wilderness neophyte who used a flare to set a signal fire or he may be an expert outdoorsman whose wilderness-rated distress flare had a defective parachute. Until the facts are in passing judgement on the guy seems premature.

I'd like to quote a guy whose opinion I've come to trust:
"The hind-sight 20/20 machine is an interesting friend. It is much better used when you accept that the situation that happened to someone else can, indeed happen to you........If you hind-sight 20/20 machine only told you that you are so much smarter than the poor schmuck that this happened to that it could never happen to you then you have wasted the opportunity to actually learn."

We should all try to from this guy's bad experience but let's wait until we have all of the facts.

Ed

BTW Those are your words, you were defending Aron Ralston