4 Vital Tips For Those People Who Are New To Hiking
Hiking provides hundreds of thousands of people with a great deal of pleasure and a sense of adventure every year and ninety-nine percent of the time it is anything but dangerous. But, people do get lost and have accidents every once in a while and it can become a dangerous activity very fast if you are not prepared.
Here we look at just 4 simple hiking safety tips to make sure that your hiking doesn't get you into difficulty.
Safety Tip No1 - Think about taking a partner of friend along.
You do not have to worry about setting off alone if you are going for a short hike in a local area on easy terrain, however, if you are heading out into heavily forested wilderness areas with steep canyons and winding trails then the possibility of becoming lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you should consider carefully whether it is sensible to head out on your own.
Taking a friend 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 run into difficulty you're far less likely to panic if you have somebody with you to help to solve the problem.
Safety Tip No 2 - Make sure that someone knows where you're going.
If you are a novice hiker then you should stick to well marked and well traveled paths and ought not to stray from these routes to explore until you have gained some experience and have mastered map reading skills and know how to read a compass. However, it won't be too long before you are ready to tackle some more adventurous hiking and the likelihood of getting injured or lost will arise.
Consequently, you should always let somebody know where you are going and when you plan to return so that they can dispatch a search party if you don't return when expected.
Safety Tip No 3 - Take along some basic equipment.
As well as a good pair of hiking boots and sensible clothing it's essential to have a basic survival kit with you and the local hiking club will give you excellent advice on the sort of items which this should include, as well as providing you with advice on basic emergency first aid steps. What we're looking at here are things like a lighter and matches, a first aid kit, a good knife and a flashlight with fresh batteries.
Additionally, it is a good idea to have a map and compass with you and a fully charged cell phone.
Safety Tip No 4 - Make sure that you take some basic provisions with you.
Water or other fluids like sports drinks are clearly essential as you can lose a great deal of water even over an hour or two on a hot day. You should note though that water is bulky, so take along enough but not too much. Don't forget though that you should not drink from local streams as natural water sources might appear to be inviting but they are often filled with bacteria and can make you very sick very quickly.
Also do not forget to take sufficient food to last you. It is no fun to be hungry out on the trail but remember that you can last a good deal longer without food than you can without water.
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