4 Vital Tips for The Novice Hiker

Hiking provides millions of people with tremendous pleasure and a sense of adventure every year and 99% of the time it is far from dangerous. This said, people do have accidents and get lost from time to time and it can become a dangerous activity very quickly if you are not prepared.

Here we look at just 4 simple safety tips to make sure that your hiking trips don't get you into difficulty.

Safety Tip No1 - Take a friend or partner along.

You do not have to worry about setting off alone if you are going for a short hike in a nearby area on easy terrain, however, if you are heading out into heavily wooded wilderness areas with steep canyons and winding trails then the likelihood of becoming lost or suffering an injury becomes very real and you should think carefully about whether you are wise to head out alone.

Taking a partner along can have many advantages, particularly if that person is a seasoned hiker. Obviously, 'two heads are better than one' and if you do get lost or run into trouble you're much less likely to panic if you have someone with you to help to sort out the problem.

Safety Tip No 2 - Ensure that somebody knows where you're going.

If you are new to hiking then you ought to stick to well marked and well traveled routes and ought not to stray from these routes to explore until you have some experience and have mastered map reading skills and know how to read a compass. But, it will not take you too long before you are ready to try some more adventurous hiking and the likelihood of getting injured or lost will arise.

As a result, you must always tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return so that they can dispatch a search party if you do not return when expected.

Safety Tip No 3 - Ensure that you 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 advice on the items which this should include, as well as providing you with advice on basic emergency first aid steps. Here we're looking at things like matches and a lighter, a good knife, a first aid kit and a flashlight with fresh batteries.

In addition, it is a good idea to have a map and compass along and a fully charged cell phone.

Safety Tip No 4 – Take some basic provisions with you.

Water or other fluids such as sports drinks are clearly essential because you can lose a great deal of fluid even over a couple of hours on a hot day. You should remember however that water is bulky, so take along sufficient but not too much. Don't forget though that you should not drink from local streams as natural water sources may appear to be inviting but they are often filled with bacteria and might make you very sick very quickly.

Also do not forget to take enough food to last you. It is no fun to be hungry out on the trail but remember that you can last a lot longer without food than without water.