The number of injuries and, specifically, the number of athletic injuries have declined. The number and rate of near-miss incidents increased as a result of better reporting; the rate of nonmedical incidents held steady. Motivation continues to be our leading category of nonmedical incident. Efforts at collecting incident data provide a useful measurement from which we can gauge our risk-management performance.

No abstract

Appropriate eye protection, including adequate lenses with appropriate side shields, should be worn in mountain or water environments in order to prevent UV keratitis. This data supports the conventional conception of UV keratitis as a relatively mild and self-limited condition, if treated appropriately.

Based on our results, an individual's packweight, anthropometry, and individual characteristics neither increase nor decrease their risk of experiencing a musculoskeletal or soft tissue injury while hiking with a backpack. Other factors, including fitness, pretrip training, and footwear, should be examined to determine appropriate strategies to reduce significant musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries on wilderness expeditions.

Over this 28-year period, the incidence of soft tissue injuries associated with the most common activities decreased. Incidence of activity-independent injuries did not change significantly, but reported severity decreased. These data provide unique insights to help improve wilderness risk management for institutions and individuals and suggest areas in which educational efforts may further reduce risk.