Making Your Hiking Trip Safer

Nowadays hiking is an extremely popular type of active sport: it is no wonder why once you see breathtaking views opening up in front of you! However, many people know as well that hiking demands great physical loads, including walking for many hours with a heavy backpack. Therefore, it is important to know how to stay safe during your long hiking trips. This article will help you understand the key aspects of ensuring your safety.

Tip for Hiking Trip Safer

First of all, there is a number of mistakes people usually make when going hiking. In case you take your hiking seriously from the very beginning and plan all the aspects in advance, you can avoid all the following mistakes.

The first and the most common mistake is keeping in secret where are you going and for how long. After all, hiking is not an ordinary short walk outside. It will be best if you can give the plan of your trip to a relative or a good friend, including the time of your trip (the time of departure and the estimated time of return), all the contacts of your fellow hikers, any special medical conditions of yours, and other important details regarding your hiking tour.

Dress

Secondly, pay attention to how you dress. Keep in mind that the temperature somewhere at the trail's bottom is much different from the one on the top of the mountain. You can be able to adjust the temperature of your body and stay comfortable by wearing a number of insulating clothes, including waterproof pants and a soft shell jacket. Besides, you should keep some clothes in your pack and use them in the case of a need, and this will help you avoid catching a cold. Moreover, you have to wear thick winter socks always, since your feet are the first to feel the cold.

You should plan your hike adequately and be realistic about the trail's difficulty and distance. It will be a wrong decision to select a trail you do not know well or the one that may run in a very deep snow, especially if you are a beginner. In addition, remember that it gets dark earlier in winter, so you should start your journey early in order to avoid accidents or getting lost.

Weather

Keep in mind that hiking is a quite specific type of sports, and the aspect of weather conditions is significantly important here. The day before going to hike, check the weather. Here you should know not only the air temperature, but also reports about avalanches, the speed of the wind, precipitation, and the hours of daylight. You must be sure that the weather conditions on the day of your hiking are manageable.

However, it is also important to have an experienced hiker in your team. Apart from the fact that it will bring you more fun during your hiking day, it will also be safer for your group. Besides, it is another point to stress: never go hiking alone!

Gears

It is also quite important to get a thermos with hot coffee or tea for your trip. Dehydration is a quite widespread problem during hiking, and hot beverages can help you to warm up and provide the necessary fluids to your body. Also, make sure that you have high quality, durable gear that will not let you down. And, apart from the thermos with beverages, you have to take the following things:

• First-Aid Kit which consists of anti-inflammatory drugs, bandages, alcohol wipes, non-latex gloves, tweezers, eye drops (also you have to take person medicines as well as bear spray and snake bite kit in case if you are going to hike in the locations with these animals);
• Navigation devices and map ;
• Lights ( like a headlamp ) ;
• Sun protection (like glasses and hats, because hikers are significantly exposed to ultra-violet rays);
• Food (take a little bit more than the amount you think will be enough; it is never a bad decision to make sure that you will have enough food);
• Supplies for making fire ;
• Some emergency haven ;
• Repair kit for your gear .

Sticking to these basic, yet essential pieces of advice may prevent you from getting in trouble or even save your life. Therefore, do not neglect these basic rules when preparing to go hiking, especially if it is your first time.