The safety kits are to be carried by the guides on all tours.
The safety kits include a first-aid kit, emergency bivvy bag, matches and a headlamp with spare batteries inside a 10-litre dry bag. It also includes a bear spray that should be carried in an easy-to-access location that will be with you at all times and a Zoleo.
The raft kits are in a heavier-duty dry bag. In addition to the standard kits, they also include a wrench for the frames and oars.
First-Aid Kits
The content list for the first-aid kit is available here.
The incident form included in the first-aid kit is available here.
Vehicles that we use to carry passengers (e.g. the bus, truck or rental vans) have Type 3 kits in them. The content list for those kits is available here.
The kits include an SOL Emergency Bivvy Bag instead of an emergency blanket. These bags are reusable (but hard to repack) and provide a lot more warmth when needed.
Our guide first-aid kits meet the OH&S requirements for one guide working with guests. If we have two or more guides at any location then two of the guide kits must be carried.
The kits also meet the Transport Canada requirements for raft tours.
Bear Spray
Like with everything else, prevention is the best approach when it comes to bears. This includes making sure that we make plenty of noise while out on the trail, keeping our distance when seeing wildlife and keeping the areas we visit clean.
We do carry bear spray on all of our tours as a last line of defence. The bear spray should be with you at all times in an easily accessible location. That’s why we recommend wearing it on your belt instead of on your backpack.
The bear spray we use is the 290 grams Counter Assault Bear Deterrent. The manufacturer estimates that it has a 40 feet spray distance and 8 seconds spray duration.
This video from Parks Canada explains how to use it.
Zoleo
The Zoleo devices work on their own but are much more capable when paired with the app on your phone. This allows you to send and receive messages and, in case of emergency, to communicate directly with the rescue monitoring service they provide.
Our Zoleo Field Cards with the most used functions are available here.
The instruction manual for the Zoleo is available here.
You can see more videos from Zoleo on how to use the device on their YouTube Channel. The videos below provide more information about the SOS function.
