For Benjamin Westover Idaho is his favorite place to go hiking and he was kind enough to invite me to go and visit him on a couple of hikes last year. Ben and I met through a hiking club actually and he has been instrumental in helping me to learn so much about this world. One thing in particular which Ben taught me was the importance of safety when hiking, especially if doing so on your own. Admittedly when I first starting hiking with Ben I was a little bit young and reckless and whilst I was always hiking with someone else, Ben was keen to point me in the direction of how to hike safely, something which has always stuck with me.
I wanted to pass on some of that knowledge to you guys, as I know many of you will be looking to the great outdoors after being stuck inside for so long.
Route Planning and Sharing
Whilst the idea of wandering with freedom throughout a national park or a large outdoor space sounds amazing, the reality is that for safety reasons a route is always going to be beneficial. This will not only ensure that you do not get lost during your trip but it will also give you the chance to share your itinerary with someone before you go. Regardless of how much faith you have in cellphones and electronics, these things can fail and should that happen, or indeed should something happen to you, then you’ll need someone back home to be on watch to ensure you arrive at each point on the trip. Sharing your itinerary will also help emergency services find you if required.
Weather Prep
Weather preparation is important so that you can take the right gear and also so that you may be able to find ways in which to protect the gear that you have. Also check weather trends as there are many hiking routes with inclement weather that can change very quickly indeed.
First Aid Kit
Your first aid kit should have items inside it which will help with the most common injuries that take place on a hike. These are cuts and scrapes, ankle rolls, bug bites and burns. Ensure that you have a kit which has the basic necessities but which is compact and light.
Watch The Sun
No matter what the weather is doing, those sun rays are breaking through and they are hitting the skin, so you have to be prepared for this. You are going to require sun block and you should be using a cap or a hat. Sun will leave you dehydrated, it can cause heatstroke and sun burn and the effects which it has on the body can be very damaging. This can completely ruin your hike or worse still you could find yourself in danger if the temperature really starts to rise.
Stay safe out there, take precautions and always make sure that you have got a plan B.