4 Important Tips for The Novice Hiker

Hiking provides hundreds of thousands 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. This said, people do have accidents and get lost from time to time and it can then become a dangerous activity very quickly if you are not prepared.
Below are just 4 simple safety tips to ensure that your hiking trips don't get you into trouble.
Safety Tip No1 - Think about taking a partner of friend along with you.
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 wooded wilderness areas with steep canyons and winding trails then the possibility of getting lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you ought to think carefully about whether or not you are wise to head out alone.
Having a friend or partner along can have a lot of advantages, especially if that person is an experienced hiker. After all, 'two heads are better than one' and if you do become lost or get into trouble you're a lot less likely to panic if you have somebody with you to help to sort out the problem.
Safety Tip No 2 - Let somebody know where you are going.
If you are a novice hiker then you ought to certainly stick to clearly marked and well traveled trails and should not start to stray from these trails to explore until you have some experience and have mastered the basics of map and compass work. However, it will not be too long before you are ready to try some more adventurous hiking and the possibility of getting injured or lost will arise.
For this reason, you must always let somebody know where you are going and when you plan to return so that a search party can be sent out if you don't return when expected.
Safety Tip No 3 - Take along some basic equipment.
It is vital to have a basic survival kit with you and your local hiking club will be able to give you excellent advice on the items that this should include. Here we're looking at such things as matches and a lighter, a first aid kit, a good knife and a flashlight.
Additionally, it is a good idea to have a map and compass along together with a fully charged cell phone.
Safety Tip No 4 - Take some basic provisions along.
Water or other fluids such as sports drinks are essential as you can lose a lot of water even over an hour or two on a hot day. You should note though that water is heavy, so take sufficient but not too much. Remember though that you should not drink from local streams as natural water sources might appear to be inviting but they are often high in bacteria and may make you sick very quickly.
Also do not forget to take sufficient food to last you. It is no fun to be hungry while you're out but remember that you can last a lot longer without food than you can without water.
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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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