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4 Essential Safety Tips for Hikers Print E-mail
Written by Donald Saunders   
Hiking provides millions of people with a great deal of pleasure and a sense of adventure each year and 99% of the time it is anything but dangerous. However, people do get lost and have accidents every now and a again and it can become a dangerous activity very quickly if you are not prepared.
by DonaldSaunders


Hiking provides millions of people with a great deal of pleasure and a sense of adventure each year and 99% of the time it is anything but dangerous. However, people do get lost and have accidents every now and a again and it can 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 - Take a partner of friend along.

There's really no need to worry about setting off by yourself if you're taking a short hike in a nearby area on easy terrain, however, if you are hiking through heavily wooded wilderness areas with winding trails and steep canyons then the likelihood of getting lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you should think carefully about whether or not it is sensible 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 - Let someone know 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 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.

It is also a good idea to have a map and compass with you and a fully charged cell phone.

Safety Tip No 4 - Take some basic provisions with you.

Water or other fluids like sports drinks are clearly essential as you can lose a great deal of fluid even over a short period of time on a hot day. You should remember however that water is bulky, so take along enough but not too much. Do not forget though that you must not drink from local streams as natural water sources might appear to be inviting but they are often loaded with bacteria and might make you sick very quickly.

Also take enough food to last you. It is no fun to be hungry while you are out hiking but remember that you can last a good deal longer without food than without water.

About the Author:

Visit The-Hiking-Club.com for advice on everything from finding a great pair of Timberland hiking boots to the wonders of a Hawaii waterfall hiking adventure
 
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