Highlights
Best Safety Tips for Camping and Hiking
Camping and hiking trips are fun, and you enjoy a lot in the wild territories away from your home. The camping trips offer you a great time with your family or friends. However, there are many risks associated with camping and hiking tours.
Campers cannot ignore the risks of camping, and they need to prepare themselves for their safety before leaving for such trips. So, let us read in this post what preparations we need to make for our safety on hiking and camping trips.
Make a list of essential gear
There are a lot of safety essentials that you need to carry on your camping trip. Safety gear includes a camping knife, rope, tent, tarp, fire starter kit, food, extra water, water filter, etc. Usually, many people especially the first time campers forget to carry some essential items that they come to know when they need them. To save yourself from such trouble, make a list of all the things you need on your trip.
Take a map with you
It is essential to carry a paper map with you to find the main routes on the camping site. Most campers think about why to carry a paper map when they have GPS in their smartphones. However, the battery of smartphones can become low anytime, and there is no facility for charging. At many locations, there is no network coverage due to which your GPS will not work. In addition to a map also carry a compass to find the directions.
Avoid hiking or camping in the dark
It is best to walk or roam on the camping sites in the daytime only as you can easily get lost in the dark. In the daytime you can find directions and routes, but not in the dark due to poor or no visibility. Moreover, many wild animals come out in the night to find prey. So it is always best to hike in the daytime and rest in the night in your tent.
Research about the area
If you are a first-time camper, or you are going to a place for the first time, it is essential to research the area to which you are going camping or hiking. Study about the wild plants and animals you might encounter while camping on the wild terrains. Also, study the regulations related to camping, hiking, and hunting in that area.
First aid kit
It is essential to take a first aid kit with you as campers and hikers can get injured at any time. You can buy the first aid kit from the market, or you can also create your own. Your first aid kit should contain the medications for camping. It must include the essential medications, along with the snake bit serum, and insect repellents. These medicines and ointments come in handy when a member gets injured or in case of snakebite, and similar situations.
Check the weather forecast
You must check the weather forecast of the camping site and location for the next week or ten days. The weather at camping sites is pleasant, but it can change anytime. If you are going to a hilly area, the weather is usually cold, and it can rain anytime. So it is essential to prepare according to the weather conditions and take the required clothing with you.
Clothes for camping
As you know about the weather and climatic conditions of the location where you are going, you should carry the clothes accordingly. If you are going on a camping site that is hilly, pack enough pairs of warm clothing including, innerwear, sweaters and warm jackets. You should carry three-layer clothing for the winter season. For summers and hot climate, carry the sweat-wicking clothes that allow your skin to breathe easily.
Firestarter kit and dry wood chips
Don’t forget to carry a fire starter kit and dry wood chips to start a fire in the evening. The weather is usually chilled in the mountains, and there is a risk of wild animals. Fire is essential to keep you warm and for protection from wild animals. You can rest and sleep in a warm area and also stay protected from animals, and they don’t come near the fire.
Water purifier
The water you carry may not last longer than two days. You may need to drink water from streams or rivers that are not fit for drinking. A portable water purifier enables you to drink the water directly from streams and springs. It purifies the water and kills harmful bacteria and viruses within seconds.
Final Words
Camping and hiking trips offer you a great time with friends or family. Don’t forget to carry all the safety essentials and enough food rations and water. Carrying all the essential gear for hiking and following the safety tips for hiking can make your trip safe and enjoyable.
