Hiking Safety Lessons 101

Novice hikers are not the only ones to be plagued by trouble at some point of the trek. According to one of the members of the county sheriff department who lived through numerous California mountain hikes 19th century stories are an excellent source of survival info. The guy thinks that a smooth sailing outing is possible as long as no idiotic mistakes are committed and these include going missing in the wilderness.

Proper arrangements have to be made if a trek into the woods and wild is to be successful. There are 10 important items needed for any kind of hike and these include sunglasses along with a map and compass plus some spare food and clothing along with a first aid kit and waterproof matches as well as a pocket knife and a fire starter and also a flashlight.

Steel yourself to possible bad news. It also would not hurt to bring a whistle along with a signal mirror and space blanket that can produce a light flash when a reflection bounces off sunlight says search and rescue professionals in case hikers decide to spend an unscheduled night out in the wilderness. Info gets sent promptly by communicating with light. Hikers gone missing have had success being found thanks to camera flash bulbs they used to signal where they are. Even though whistles offer some help it is usually not that reliable as the sound it makes can be easily buried by woods noises.

You cannot expect mobile phones to work everywhere but they still provide one effective means of communication while hiking particularly in areas like the front country. Straying from the established trails or taking alternate routes is usually how hikers lose their way and is a leading cause of a search. Sticking with established paths of you have no experience interpreting topographic maps. In case confusion and panic set in search and rescue people suggest remaining in one place so the odds of being found are greater. A searcher will have fewer problems locating you if you are rooted in one spot so avoid moving around.

STOP is an acronym many experts advise using. STOP if the situation is stressing you out. THINK of the area you last passed that you were certain about. Note and OBSERVE certain features of the area that could lead to your true destination. Take action but PLAN it out first. If you got lost in the evening then an overnight stay in the place might be in order. Remaining dry and warm are what counts most in this case. The situation would be more pleasant if a space blanket was available but getting together some tree boughs and leaves is decent alternative also.

Eating is a good way to keep the core temperature of the body within normal ranges. According to most search and rescue teams staying put and locking their arms around a tree are the best actions to take while keeping in mind that rescuers are on the way.

By: rswilliam

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