Hiking Safety

Items to Take Care of Before a Major Trip

​Every year we all hear or read about hikers/campers that got themselves into trouble and no one knew that they were even missing. With Winter upon us here in New England, hiking safety is even more important than ever since what might be a “problem” on a summer hike can turn deadly on a Winter hike. As with many things in life the most essential information items are the “Who, What, When, Where and How” facts.
 
So here’s a list of some of the things that you need to think about, take care of, and/or inform a friend/family member about before you embark on a major hike.

Who
Who is going on the hike?

• List the names, ages and experience of everyone in the group.
• Does anyone have any specific medical conditions?

 
What
What’s a summary of your overall plan?

•  Something like:
  • “The 3 of us will be taking a 4 day camping trip in the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire centered around the Crawford Notch State Park.”

When
When are you going on your trip?

• When do you plan to depart?
  • Give actual calendar dates (e.g. 10 July 2017) instead of days of the week (e.g. Wednesday) since they provide more clarity.
• How many total days do you plan to be gone?
• Where do you plan to park your car?
  • What type/model/color car do you have?
  • What’s your car's license plate number?
• When do you plan to return?
• When should your friend/family member contact the Authorities if you don’t return on time?
  • Who should they contact?
    • Give them the Park Ranger’s or Local Authority’s Phone (e.g Police/Sheriff's  Department) Number
  • We normally make this date at least one day after our planned return since sometimes plans slightly change and you don’t what people searching for you when you are just enjoying the outback more than anticipated.
    
  • However, since a lot can go wrong in a couple of days in the outback, it’s best not to add too much buffer to your planned return date.

​Where
Where do you specifically plan to be on a day-by-day basis?

•   What will be your starting point?
  • State the Park name, Area name, Campground name, Trail head name.
    • Be as specific as possible.
• Where do you plan to spend each night (if camping overnight)?
  • Campground name
  • Latitude/Longitude points
• What trails do you plan to take or what direction do you plan to travel?
  • Trail names
  • Planned travel distance and times for each day
  • Compass direction
  • Latitude/Longitude points
• What will be your ending point?
  • State the Park name, Area name, Campground name, Trail head name.
    • Be as specific as possible.

How
How are you going to ensure that your trip is a success?

• Have you checked where you are going to get water during your trip?
  • Do you have the proper water purification equipment?
• Do you have enough food?
  • Will the food provide the energy that you need during the trip?
    • This is important since the type of foods that provide you the energy necessary for a slow-paced flat terrain hike in cold weather are different then what you might want to take on a steep mountain trip in the Southwest in middle of a hot summer.
• Have you checked the weather in the local area?
  • Since the local weather can be significantly different from the weather at your home due to different terrain and altitudes you have to check the weather forecast in the area that you will be hiking/camping in for the planned duration of your trip!
    
  • You would be surprised how many people fail to do this and then get surprised that the weather in the mountains is worse than what they anticipated.
• Do you have detailed maps for the area that you will be hiking/camping in? What kind of terrain will you be hiking/camping in?
  • Since the terrain and weather directly impact the type of gear (e.g. jackets, gloves, tent, sleeping bags, food, etc.,) you need, and the distances that you can hike in a day, this is a critical element to check; especially if there are significant elevation changes.
    
  • Many a plan has failed when a planned 10 mile day became a 3 mile day due to the combination of steep/rocky terrain and bad weather.

• Do you know when the sun will rise? Do you know when the sun will set?
  • The further you plan to hike each day the more vital this information becomes since not knowing it can lead to hiking in the dark – and that’s never good.
• Do you have the proper hiking/camping permits if they are required.
  • It’s never good to arrive at a campsite that has spots for a small number of tents after a long day only to find out that they are all occupied by people that have permits that you forgot to apply for.
• Will there be cell phone coverage?
  • It’s best not to plan on this – but it’s good to know in case of an emergency.
• Will there be internet coverage?
  • It’s best not to plan on this – and best to have apps that don’t need it on your phone if you need to use them in the outback (e.g. terrain maps, route maps, sky maps, sunrise/sunset  apps, etc.,) - but it’s good to know in case of an emergency.
• Do you have the appropriate medical gear and the knowledge of how to use it.
  • Since the severity/consequences of injuries that can occur on a short 1-night overnight trip in a local park can be significantly different than the injuries that occur on a 7 night wilderness trek having the right First Aid gear/knowledge can be critical.

​Now that you know the things that you need to think about, take care of, and/or inform a friend/family member about before you embark on a major hike - what’s a “major trip”?

In our opinion it’s a hike that is more complicated than a couple of hours on a known trail in your local area. So if it’s an overnight trip – this list applies. If it’s a hike that is in an area new to you – this list applies. If it’s a hike in a treacherous area – this list applies. If you are hiking in adverse weather – this list applies. In short, if you have any concerns about the trip you are about to take – this list applies. Obviously, the more significant and complicated the trip is - the more detailed the information you need to give a friend or family member.
 
Of course, when hiking you also need to take the right gear for the trip. You can download PDFs of our recommended gear lists here:
 
            1) Hiking Gear Checklist
 
http://www.hikingcampingandshooting.com/uploads/7/7/4/6/77460618/hcs_hiking_checklist_21_feb_17.pdf
 
            2) Camping Gear Checklist
 
http://www.hikingcampingandshooting.com/uploads/7/7/4/6/77460618/2_-_hcs_camping_checklist_21_feb_17a.pdf
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