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Taking Precautions

LEAVE AN ITINERARY

KNOW YOUR LIMITS

AVOID HIKING ALONE

BRING THE RIGHT GEAR

The 10 Essentials

Except when hiking on gentle trails in city parks, hikers should always carry a pack with certain essential items. The standard “10 Essentials” have evolved from a list of individual items to functional systems that will help keep you alive and reasonably comfortable in emergency situations:

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Just carrying these items, however, does not make you prepared. Unless you know things like how to apply basic first aid, how to build an emergency fire, and how to read a topographic map or use a compass, then carrying these items does you no good. These skills are all fairly simple to learn, and at least one member of your group should be familiar with each of them.

More important to your safety and enjoyment than any piece of equipment or clothing is exercising common sense. When you are far from civilization, a simple injury can be life-threatening. Don’t take unnecessary chances. Never, for example, jump onto slippery rocks or logs or crawl out onto dangerously steep slopes hoping to get a better view. Fortunately, the vast majority of wilderness injuries are easily avoidable.