4 Vital Safety Tips for Hikers

Hiking provides hundreds of thousands of people with tremendous pleasure and a sense of adventure each year and 99% 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 are just 4 basic safety tips to ensure that your hiking trips don't land you in trouble.

Safety Tip No1 - Think about taking a friend or partner along.

There's really no need to worry about heading out 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 winding trails and steep canyons then the possibility of getting lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you ought to consider carefully whether you are wise to head out on your own.

Having a partner or friend along can have many advantages, particularly if that person is an experienced hiker. Clearly, 'two heads are better than one' and if you do become lost or run into trouble you're much less likely to panic if you have somebody with you to help solve the problem.

Safety Tip No 2 - Let somebody know where you are going.

If you are new to hiking then you ought to stick to well marked and well traveled trails and ought not to stray from these trails to explore until you have gained some experience and have had an opportunity to learn and practice the basics of map and compass work. However, it will not be too long before you are ready to tackle some more adventurous routes and the possibility of getting injured or lost will arise.

Consequently, you should always let somebody know where you are going and when you expect to return so that a search party can be dispatched if you do not return when expected.

Safety Tip No 3 - Make sure that you take along some basic equipment.

It's essential that you carry a basic survival kit with you and the local hiking club will be able to give you advice on the items that this should include. What we're talking about here are things like matches and a lighter, a first aid kit, a good knife and a flashlight.

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

Safety Tip No 4 - Make sure that you take some basic provisions along.

Water or other fluids like sports drinks are clearly essential because you can lose a lot of fluid even over a short period of time on a hot day. You should remember though that water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon, so take along enough but not too much. Remember though that you should not drink from local streams as natural water sources might look inviting but they are often heavily loaded with bacteria and can make you sick very quickly.

Also take along enough food to last you. It is no fun to be hungry out on the trail but don't forget that you can last a good deal longer without food than without water.

Visit The-Hiking-Club.com for advice on everything from finding a great pair of waterproof hiking boots to backpacking Grand Canyon.