Be Safe when You Visit!

Time and again we hear about frightening accident that happen when inexperienced adventurers hike without care or precaution. Before enjoying the outdoors, there are a couple of things that you should always keep in mind to prevent.

1. You should always let someone know exactly where you plan on going and, more importantly, when you will be back. A relative or a friend, or someone else who will understand that something is wrong if you don’t call back in after your day in the wild.

2. Always bring some essentials to prepare for the unpredictable, whether that is unexpected storm or an injury from a fall: Enough food for a day or two, a first aid kit and some water purification tablets. Also, you should have a compass or a GPS.

3. Check the weather forecast. The sky might look perfectly clear but only ten minutes from now it might be all different. If you are about to leave and the sky looks questionable, don’t go. And if you are on your way already, come back immediately.

4. The Buddy System: Never go alone. Whatever happens, it will always be good to have someone with you.

5. Stay on the trails. We know you like adventures but the trail system is designed to lead you to safety at some point – whether that is other hikers or the way back into civilization.

There is more to know. If you are interesting in learning all about hiking safety, check out this site that gives you more detail on what matters when you are outdoors.