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UER Forum > UE Main > Urbex Hazards (Viewed 6120 times)
serendipitee 


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Urbex Hazards
< on 12/2/2015 5:30 AM >
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Just a few things I've encountered over the last few months.

1. Nail to the foot.



2. Close encounter with barbed wire.



3. Poison ivy - when the people move out, the poison ivy moves in.



4. Poison ivy - there was so much poison ivy at this abandonment, you would have thought they planted it.



5. Snake 1 - ran into this fellow after massive rains in North Texas, while exploring abandonments near the lake.



6. Snake 2 - second snake while visiting lake abandonments, I almost stepped on this one.



7. Snake 3 - This guy was at an abandoned golf course, his head was already chopped off when I ran across him. Those are my car keys next to him, he was HUGE!



8. This is from those nasty picker things we have all over Texas.



9. Picker scratches from another day.



10. I don't know what these are, but they are all over North Texas too. They stick to your shoes, socks, pants, etc and are not easy to get off.





telefontubbie 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 1 on 12/2/2015 11:10 AM >
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Wow. Snakes! And why....why did i googled 'poison ivy'...Eeeeek

Here we have no big snakes but around old manors and other buildings there are a plant called "Heracleum sosnowskyi" (in latin). This plant unfortunately is very common inside and outside countryside. It can cause serious burns that stays for weeks. Personally i have never touched this plant but there have been times when i want to take a picture of an old manor but i can't do it because meadow in yard is full of these poisonous plants. It also makes you not to choose any kind of "shortcut" when you walk through "random jungle". For foreigners it might just look as a "huge and ugly flower".

Interesting fact: This plant was not common at all here before World war II. During Soviet collectivization, Heracleum sosnowskyi was artificially cultivated as fodder all around Soviet Union. It was a huge and failed experiment because whenever cows were fed with this plant, cow milk had unpleasant odour. Also it was too dangerous for farm workers to gather this plant. It's impossible to gather these plants with bare hands - farm workers needs chemsuits for doing that!

Nowadays, it's kind of sad that these plants are ruining beautiful landscapes. This plant usually grows as tall as average human that's why it looks unnatural wherever it grows between other plants.







[last edit 12/2/2015 11:12 AM by telefontubbie - edited 2 times]

EsseXploreR 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 2 on 12/2/2015 1:18 PM >
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Razor wire is one of the few things that really scares me. My girlfriend got torn apart by it years ago when we were getting in an abandoned bank. I caught my hand on it too. It amazed me how little effort it took for the blades to pass through skin. Then, while at an abandoned power plant earlier this year we were cutting across an adjacent scrap yard to leave. My friend stepped up on some piping that was laying down, but she wasn't paying attention to what was above her. She was half a second away from sticking her entire head into a double spooled roll of the bastard wire. As she stepped up on the pipe, bringing her head within inches of the razors, I shouted "Karlee, STOP!!" and quickly reached my hand up to push down on the top of her head. Our whole group froze and went dead silent. Three errant strands of her hair hooked themselves around one of the blades, but that was as far as she got. The back of my hand just barely grazed the wire. Apparently I have a specific tone of voice for when shit hits the fan that can stop people dead in their tracks. We pulled her hair out of the spool and quickly headed back to our car, shaken. Fuck razor wire.




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jessepwnsyew 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 3 on 12/2/2015 5:05 PM >
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Poison ivy is always an issue. I try to wear long clothes but it always sneaks in.

I recently went into an old school and it was in the worst shape I had ever seen. You could only get around 20% of the building safely. Entire floors were missing and crumbling. I actually broke through the floor up to my knee at one point. It looked like people before us were using old planks to get around.














theduckling 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 4 on 12/2/2015 9:57 PM >
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I'm no snake expert but those first two snakes look like copperheads to me, which are venomous. I now feel obligated to make sure everyone knows that if you are ever bitten by a snake, kill the fucker and bring it with you to the emergency room, if you cut it's head off bring that too, because heads often have identifying marks that help differentiate them from others. If you can't kill the snake the emergency personnel will be left to attempt finding out based on venom that is on your skin that leaks out of the bite. In any case DO NOT WASH THE BITE.




Radical_Ed 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 5 on 12/2/2015 10:02 PM >
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I've fallen through floors on two different occasions and shredded my pants and flesh on normal barbed wire. Not to mention the normal amount of bruises, abrasions, scraped skin, gouges, cuts and completely destroyed clothing. Dropped cameras really suck ass as well.
I've been with people who've had staircases collapse beneath them and it's happened recently to some local N.E. members here. This hobby can be a bitch sometimes. Well, mostly every time, lol! That's why we love it, lumps and all.




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mookster 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 6 on 12/2/2015 10:59 PM >
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Razor wire is indeed the bitchiest bitch of them all. Especially when it's rolled along the top and bottom of a fence.

Palisade fencing is something you Americans are very lucky to not have though. That stuff is nasty. You don't want to even think about climbing over it unless you know exactly what you are doing because one slip or misplaced hand and it's a swift and painful impalement and trip to hospital.




blackhawk 

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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 7 on 12/2/2015 11:10 PM >
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Posted by Radical_Ed
I've fallen through floors on two different occasions and shredded my pants and flesh on normal barbed wire. Not to mention the normal amount of bruises, abrasions, scraped skin, gouges, cuts and completely destroyed clothing. Dropped cameras really suck ass as well.
I've been with people who've had staircases collapse beneath them and it's happened recently to some local N.E. members here. This hobby can be a bitch sometimes. Well, mostly every time, lol! That's why we love it, lumps and all.


I hate hellholes. I out ran a collapsing floor once. Rarely are you that lucky.
Falls through floors or holes are the biggest risk when exploring. Many are hidden. Long pants, long sleeved shirts, and especially high top laced boots help to prevent injuries and poison ivy.

If you can't kill the snake the emergency personnel will be left to attempt finding out based on venom that is on your skin that leaks out of the bite. In any case DO NOT WASH THE BITE.


NEVER try to kill or handle a venomous snake. An angry or dying snake will give you everything it's got. Most defensive are dry bites or lighter venom doses. Hand bites are the worst; expect to loose a finger, hand,or some use of that hand if bit. 70% of those envenomated are either trying to handle or kill a snake. A double strike would really screw you.




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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 8 on 12/2/2015 11:47 PM >
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I'm surprised no one has said this yet... but most of the OP's problems wouldn't be problems if she didn't explore in shorts and flip flops lol. Get some exploring clothes!

Biggest hazards for me personally have been ticks, and toxic crap like asbestos and black mold.




TunnelRunner33 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 9 on 12/3/2015 12:19 AM >
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Thick canvas Carhartt pants and some boots will do the trick for most of that stuff.




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matis 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 10 on 12/3/2015 12:31 AM >
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when i first started exploring a did a huge noob move and fell through a burned up staircase. ruined my camera and twisted my knee pretty bad.

sheesh that totally sucked, be safe out there folks!




sirpsychosexy 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 11 on 12/3/2015 12:48 AM >
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Posted by telefontubbie
"Heracleum sosnowskyi"


That's interesting, a similar species grows in Holland too: Heracleum mantegazzianum. I think it's not native here too. The Dutch name is reuzenberenklauw, meaning giant bear claw. When you touch them you get something on you which will burn your skin very badly, but only when the stuff is activated by sunlight. Maybe it's the same with your species, so when you touch the plant, just make sure to cover the spot immediately with a piece of clothing, quickly go find water and wash it off.

Near my home in the dunes sits a big former landfill, literally anything was thrown on it for years. People recall steaming puddles of toxic crap with weird eels swimming around in it. Now the ground is still highly intoxicated, coincidentally plants grow HUGE on it, including the giant bear claw growing even more giantly than usual. There are fields full of them. In the winter they appear to be dead, they break easily and they won't burn you, but in the summer they grow back tough. Anyways, people have gotten seriously injured from this freaky plant!

Didn't find a good shot of those fields, but these are some random ones on the dump site
'

Posted by mookster
Palisade fencing


Don't know if you already knew, but you can easily overcome such bitchy fences by bringing a doormat or any piece of rubber sheet. I've even used a vest once as a layer between the spikes and my balls.



[last edit 12/3/2015 12:56 AM by sirpsychosexy - edited 1 times]

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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 12 on 12/3/2015 1:09 AM >
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Posted by DawnPatrol
I'm surprised no one has said this yet... but most of the OP's problems wouldn't be problems if she didn't explore in shorts and flip flops lol. Get some exploring clothes!

Biggest hazards for me personally have been ticks, and toxic crap like asbestos and black mold.


I said it, politely.

Ticks are bastards. I've had Lyme disease. It's a rough ride even if treat it immediately. High top boots, cinch & tie you pant legs at the top of the boot with the boot strings. Spray some DEET at the top of the boots. Always check for ticks at the end of the day, I mean everywhere. Seems like a lot of trouble until you've had a tick borne illness.

Asbestos is not a huge concern. If the area is so contaminated that you need a respirator, you'll a complete change of clothing before getting into your car. What about the cam gear? The contaminated clothing are just that. They need to go into a plastic bag. It quickly gets out of hand.
Avoid heavily contaminated areas. In high concentrations with the right type of asbestos, one or a few heavy exposures can cause chronic illness.
A small amount especially if you don't smoke probably won't harm you.

Black mold, occasional light exposures probably won't harm you, but heavy or long term exposure can screw you bad. Even with a respirator, your clothes will be contaminated and need to be treated as such.




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kevinhny12 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 13 on 12/3/2015 1:58 AM >
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I have not run into many hazards like falling through floors and getting cut on barbed wire. I have run into A LOT of mold and thorn bushes. The only other "hazard" I can think of is the occasional bee hive.




[last edit 12/3/2015 1:59 AM by kevinhny12 - edited 1 times]

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Radical_Ed 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 14 on 12/3/2015 3:11 AM >
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Oh yeah, back in the "good old days" at Byberry, exploring the (circa 1913) original "cottages" in the dead heat of summer led to a shitty, three/four day illness we termed "Berryosis".
The air in those buildings could choke an ox.
As soon as you saw the brains 'n' veins of this disgusting, burgundy/purple/scab-colored, arterial mold growing up and from the hundred-year-old plaster lathe and damp decay in the 96 degree sweltering mist, you immediately started to feel your constitution drain, your throat grow sore, your mucous membranes dry out and your will begin to flag.
I swear, this shit seemed to fucking PULSE!
Nausea, fever, sweating... it was a bitch because you knew you'd be back the minute you felt somewhat better!
But fuck those "mansions" until October!
Goddamn... I even miss Berryosis.
Fuck progress.

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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 15 on 12/3/2015 3:32 AM >
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Why would you explore anywhere in flip flops?




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blackhawk 

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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 16 on 12/3/2015 4:31 AM >
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Posted by Peptic Ulcer
Why would you explore anywhere in flip flops?


Lol, being from Texas I'm surprised you'd ask that. Until I came down here I thought people only wore them at the beach and pool.




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serendipitee 


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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 17 on 12/3/2015 9:12 AM >
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Living in Texas and exploring in the summer, I don't know how people wear anything but the least they can get away with.
When it's 100+ degrees outside, it's hotter in abandonments.
I literally could not wear long pants or long sleeves or closed toed shoes and have any kind of fun at all.
I would be melting!



[last edit 12/3/2015 10:03 AM by serendipitee - edited 1 times]

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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 18 on 12/3/2015 7:06 PM >
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Posted by sirpsychosexy

Don't know if you already knew, but you can easily overcome such bitchy fences by bringing a doormat or any piece of rubber sheet. I've even used a vest once as a layer between the spikes and my balls.


Oh yeah there are ways and means of getting over it, which is why you need to know what you're doing. I've heard of more than enough injuries resulting from run ins with palisade, fingers severed and stuff like that.

Also add to the list concrete rebar, which you REALLY know about if you walk into a piece sticking up out the ground.




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Re: Urbex Hazards
< Reply # 19 on 12/3/2015 8:19 PM >
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Posted by serendipitee
Living in Texas and exploring in the summer, I don't know how people wear anything but the least they can get away with.
When it's 100+ degrees outside, it's hotter in abandonments.
I literally could not wear long pants or long sleeves or closed toed shoes and have any kind of fun at all.
I would be melting!


Start acclimating yourself to the heat by jogging in it or simply move slower and rest before you are exhausted. Always bring at least 2 quarts or more of water. Make sure you are fully hydrated before you start. That means plenty of water the night before and no (sorry) drinking.

When I hike in the desert I wear sunglasses, a bush hat, long cargo pants, long sleeve shirt, wool blend socks, gloves, and high top laced boots. Even if it's 106 F ambient. Protection is everything especially in the sun. Not wearing high top boots and long pants is just asking for injury and trouble. Sprained ankles, knee injuries, even broken bones, as well as snake bites can be prevented like this.

Black Widows are shy and retreating; normally no issue. With open toed shoes you run the risk of accidently entrapping one and getting bit. Velvet and fire ants aren't no fun to be stung by, boots and long pants limit or prevent this. I fell into a fire ant nest a few months back and had dozens of them on my boots and pants legs. Got only with only 3 stings instead of dozens.
Ticks are also more of a problem if you dressed properly.

You never know what you'll run or fall into. Better torn leather and fabric than skin and flesh.

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[last edit 12/3/2015 8:33 PM by blackhawk - edited 2 times]

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