Outdoor Safety Quiz

by Peter Pagnucco, safety expert, from US

1. You have fallen out of your raft, kayak or boat and into the river. The correct way to be carried downstream is    

a) headfirst, so you can see rocks and other obstacles downstream.
b) to thrash about wildly to avoid being controlled by the current.
c) on your back, with feet pointing downstream and toes visible above the surface of the water (allowing you to push off rocks rather than ram into them).
d) Try to swim upstream.

2. You are biking along a road or trail with great speed and need to brake suddenly. The safest and surest way to brake is by using    

a) the front brake only.
b) the back brake only.
c) both the front and back brakes.

3. A well-fitting bicycle helmet should    

a) sit level on your head - straight over the brow.
b) be secured with a snug fitting of the chin strap -- only a finger's width of space between strap and chin.
c) have a certification sticker inside.
d) all of the above.

4. It's okay to drink untreated water    

a) from a pond or lake.
b) from moving water.
c) made by melted snow.
d) all of the above.
e) none of the above.

5. Safe water treatment methods include    

a) running it through a suitable water filter.
b) the addition of iodine.
c) boiling it for several minutes.
d) all of the above.

6. Body heat is lost mostly through    

a) hot, sweaty feet.
b) the head.
c) the torso.
d) none of the above.

7. The possibility of overexposure to radiation from the sun (sunburn) is greatest    

a) in the late morning.
b) from late morning to early afternoon.
c) from the middle of the afternoon to late afternoon, when the air has warmed up all day.

8. It is perfectly safe to cross a frozen lake when    

a) the ice is smooth.
b) there is a layer of snow blanketing the ice below.
c) the ice is thick enough so that you cannot see through it.
d) all of the above.
e) none of the above.

9. The best clothing material for use in cold weather include:    

a) wool or fleece (polypropylene and similar synthetics).
b) cotton.
c) long underwear.
d) polyester blends.

10. When hiking, it is most important to    

a) remember to carry water with you.
b) wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes or hiking boots.
c) avoid coming in contact with poison oak, poison ivy, and/or poison sumac.
d) all of the above.

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