Safe Hiking Adventures - Six Tips To Keep You Safe

Failing to take some common sense safety steps can turn a fun hiking trip into a disappointment or even a disaster. Below, I have outlined six tips that will help you to plan a safe and enjoyable hiking adventure the next time you lace up those boots and trek off into the great outdoors:

1. Pick a specific hiking trail. Choose your hiking trail as far in advance as possible. This will give you time to familiarize yourself with the terrain, the difficulty level of the trip, and to learn about any unique features of the location where you'll be hiking -- especially important if your trip is extensive and involves overnight camping. When selecting your hiking route, be realistic about the time you have for the trip, the distance you can reasonably cover, and the degree of difficulty, i.e., is it a trail for beginners or for more advanced trekkers? Don't endanger yourself or overdo things physically and destroy the fun of the trip!

2. Learn all you can about the trail and area. For anything more extensive than a walk in a public park, you really need to be sure you get a good map of the trail. (You might even want to use an online tool such as Goggle Maps and print out the details of your hike.) Are there public rest areas? Eating areas? How about the availability of water, or even food? Of course, you'll need to bring much of this if you're in any sort of wilderness trail -- but make sure you know as much as you can about local resources. Know the trail well enough to know where you are and where you'll be at all times. That's an important approach to a good hiking experience.

3. Get emergency contact information, share your contact information. Most national parks and trails are administered locally, i.e., there is some sort of visitor center or trail head center with people supervising it. That means there is contact information you can get, should you have safety or emergency issues and need to get help. Make sure you get that contact information, i.e., a telephone number or other means to get help. Take along a good cell phone. Unless you are well out in wilderness territory or in the mountains, you can probably find usable phone service. Likewise, make sure you leave YOUR contact information with someone at the trail head, and give them contact information for the people you want contacted if an emergency does arise.

4. Bring emergency/first aid kits, extra supplies. Even if you're hiking adventure is only a few hours and a few miles long, don't forget to bring an emergency kit/first aid kit. You can find really great, really cheap kits that fit comfortably into a daypack or other bag. Likewise, bring along something nutritious and "portable" to snack on -- or perhaps full blown cooking chow if your trip is very long -- just to be safe. Think about the news stories you've heard in recent years of people starting on a short hike who found themselves lost or stranded without food and water for days. Don't let something like that ruin your hike. And don't forget extra water!

5. Dress and equip yourself properly for the trip. You wouldn't wear slippers or flip-flops for a hike, would you? Hiking boots or sturdy all-terrain running shoes are the obvious choice for a hiking trip. What about a jacket? Perhaps even a solid, warm coat or parka? Proper dress and equipment (walking stick or trekking pole, too, perhaps) are vital to your fun, your comfort, and your safety. Which is why you need to plan ahead of time and scout out the terrain, degree of course difficulty, and the weather forecast for your trip.

6. Make a schedule, share that schedule, stick to the schedule. You needn't turn your hiking adventure into a lock-step, forced march. By "schedule," keep it simple -- when you'll get to the trail head, when you'll actually start, approximately when you expect to be where on the trial, and when you anticipate finishing or returning home. Once you map that out, try to stick to the schedule. Make sure you share that schedule with officials and rangers and along the route. Be sure your family and friends know what your plan is and how they can reach you. Write down the details of the trip and contact information to leave at home before you start your hike. If nothing else, such planning and information sharing will reassure family and friends that you're going to be safe!

Get out and enjoy hiking and outdoor living. Don't ruin the fun of your hike by obsessing with rigid planning. Just take these six easy steps to keep it safe and enjoyable for everyone.