4 Important Safety Tips for Those New To Hiking

By Donald Saunders

Hiking provides hundreds of thousands of people with tremendous pleasure and a sense of adventure every year and 99% of the time it is far from dangerous. But, people do get lost and have accidents from time to time and it can then become a dangerous activity very quickly if you are not prepared.

Here we look at are just 4 basic safety tips to make sure that your hiking doesn't get you into trouble.

Safety Tip No1 - Consider taking 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 partner along can have many advantages, especially if that person is a seasoned hiker. Clearly, 'two heads are better than one' and if you do get lost or get into difficulty you're a lot 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 a novice hiker then you should stick to clearly marked and well traveled trails and ought not to stray from these trails to explore until you have some experience and have mastered the basics of map and compass work. But, it won't take you too long before you are ready to tackle some more adventurous hiking and the possibility of getting injured or lost will arise.

As a consequence, you should always tell somebody 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 - 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 items which this should include. What we're looking at here are things like 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 sufficient food to last you. There's no pleasure in being hungry out on the trail but don't forget that you can last a lot longer without food than without water.

About the Author:

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