Hiking provides millions of people with a great deal of pleasure and a sense of adventure each
year and ninety-nine percent of the time it is anything but hazardous. This said, people do get lost
and have accidents every once in a while and it can then become a hazardous activity very fast if
you are not prepared.
Here we look at are just 4 simple safety tips to ensure that your hiking trips don't get you into
difficulty.
Safety Tip No1 - Take a partner of friend along.
There's really no need to worry about heading out by yourself if you're taking a short hike in a
nearby area on easy terrain, but, if you are heading out into heavily forested wilderness areas with
winding trails and steep canyons then the possibility of getting lost or sustaining injury becomes
very real and you ought to think carefully about whether or not you are wise to head out alone.
Having a friend or partner along can have many advantages, particularly if that individual is a
seasoned hiker. After all, 'two heads are better than one' and if you do get lost or get into
trouble you're far less likely to panic if you have someone with you to help solve the problem.
Safety Tip No 2 - Ensure that someone knows where you're going.
If you are new to hiking then you should certainly stick to clearly marked and well traveled trails
and should not start to stray from these trails to explore until you have some experience and have
had an opportunity to learn and practice the basics of map reading and compass work. However, it
will not take you too long before you're ready to try some more adventurous routes and the
likelihood of getting injured or lost will arise.
For this reason, you should always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return so
that a search party can be sent out if you don't return as expected.
Safety Tip No 3 - Ensure that you take along some basic equipment.
It's essential to carry a basic survival kit with you and your local hiking club will give you
advice on the sort of items that this should include. What we are talking about here are such things
as a lighter and matches, a good knife, a first aid kit and a flashlight.
In addition, it is a good idea to take a map and compass along and a fully charged cell phone.
Safety Tip No 4 - Ensure that you take some basic provisions with you.
Water or other fluids such as sports drinks are essential as you can lose a great deal of fluid even
over a short period of time on a hot day. You should note though that water is bulky, so take enough
but not too much. Don't forget though that you must not drink from local streams as natural water
sources may appear to be inviting but they are often filled with bacteria and may make you sick very
quickly.
Also do not forget to take along enough food to last you. There's no pleasure in being hungry out on
the trail but don't forget that you can last a good deal longer without food than you can without
water.
