How to Prepare for Potential Hiking Dangers

Series Summary

Hiking and backpacking through beautiful wilderness can be a an exhilarating experience full of breathtaking views and, at times, terrifying dangers. Though it is definitely worth the risk, hiking is not a stroll in the park, consequently it is essential that you adhere to basic hiking safety rules. If you are planning a hiking trip, make sure that your incorporate learning hiking safety into your preparation. If you would like to learn basic hiking safety, learn for free, online, from our expert hiking guide.

In this free online hiking safety video series, learn from hiking expert Kate Carcio with Zoar Outdoor. She will teach you basic hiking safety tips such as, how to forecast and evaluate weather conditions that may endanger you and your group, how to beware of objective hazards like falling rocks and trees, how to treat blisters on your feet, how to stay hydrated, how to "stay found", how to be aware of toxic and dangerous plants, how to hike safely during hunting season, how to cross rivers, how to be safe around wildlife when hiking, and how to navigate steep slopes and steep terrain.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I’m Kate I’m with Zoar Outdoor on behalf of expertvillage.com and we’re going to be talking about hiking today. We’re going to be going talking about hiking judgment. When you’re setting out for a hike for the day, you need to know who you’re hiking with, what your goals are, where you’re going to be and anything you need to be concerned of. If you’re hiking with someone who has asthma or bee sting allergies is something you need to be aware of. You should look at the weather, you should look at your terrain and you know your mileage. You don’t want to set yourself up to get hurt, to get lost, to be tired. Pick a good amount of mileage for the day, if you don’t want it to be too strenuous, a couple of miles would be good. For your first hike, you should only make it a couple of miles to see how far you can go and how long it will take. You’re also going to want to make sure that you’re not going out into the middle of storm or hurricane, that’s bad judgment. Anybody you’re with, anybody that you see on the trail, you just have to be aware and use precautions and know that the people you’re with are going to be helping you just like you’ll have to help them if anything should go wrong. So keep an eye on the weather, know where you’re going, know your distance and don’t set after dark you don’t want to be caught in the woods if it’s getting dark out. Make sure you have proper equipment if you’re going to be going up in elevation, even if it’s only a couple thousand feet, it could be a 28 degree difference. Know where you’re going, know the terrain, know your footwear is good, there’s a lot of things you need to be concerned with in hiking and it should all be dealt with in the morning before you head out and you should have a really good day. "