As more hikers are in the "over 50" category and many in their 60s and 70s we are seeing more cardiac arrests and/or survived heart attacks on the trail. I personally know of three regional Sierra Club trail incidents in the past 5 years.

As this becomes more prevalent it behoves us to:
1. have a thorough cardio-vascular checkup yearly or at least semi-annually.
2. be trained in CPR EVERY year if possible

Plus, there is a new Bayer aspirin, crystals in an 850 mg. dose in a small foil tube. I now carry this in my 1st aid kit and recommend it because it's THE fastest acting aspirin compound available and it's a LARGE dose of aspirin. Both factors are critical in heart attack patients.

For someone having cardiac infarc symptoms (you?) on the trail it could be a life saver. As the Toiyabe Chapter (all of Nevada) Outings Chair I'm recommending this form of aspirin to all four of my regional Group Outings Chairs to tell their outings leaders to carry. It's that important.

Now, guys, we need to learn women's cardiac problem symptoms. They differ from men's symptoms as a rule, and their seriousness can be overlooked, even by physicians.

Eric