 
Hiking and backpacking in the wilderness
means leaving the safety and predictability of civilization
behind. That is part of the adventure, and part of the danger.
Here are six hiking and backpacking tips you can use to make it
much safer, without taking away from the adventure.
1. Carry a compass, a map, and the knowledge of how to use them.
Even if you don't have a good map. any map is better than
nothing. People lost in the wilderness have often hiked farther
into it because they had no idea in which direction was the
nearest road. Practice with the compass near home, and use it
before you need it, just to keep in practice.
2. Bring the necessary safety items and knowledge. On Mount
Whitney I saw hikers eight miles from the nearest road, at
nightfall, with no water, facing a sub-freezing night with short
sleeves. They underestimated the time they needed for the trip.
They also hadn't prepared for the possibility of their hike
taking longer than expected, or for possible changes in the
weather. Check weather reports, think of all the possibilities,
and have some preparation and planning for each before you
leave.
3. Take care of your feet. Your feet might not take you back out
to safety if they are covered in blisters. Stop to air out your
feet a few time daily. Condition them beforehand. Bring a spare
pair of socks to change into in case your feet get wet or too
sweaty. Cover "hot spots" on your feet with moleskin before they
become blisters. Stop to shake stones and sticks out of your
shoes or hiking boots.
4. Carry matches and practice making a fire. Try making a fire
and lighting it with one match. Try it in near home when it is
raining, and try it in the snow too. A fire really can save your
life. People rarely die from starvation in the wilderness, but
they commonly die from exposure. Learn how to keep yourself warm
and dry when hiking and backpacking, and always carry matches
and a lighter.
5. Let people know where you are. how can anyone can come to the
rescue if nobody knows where you are? Leave an itinerary behind
with someone you trust. Should you carry a cell phone? I don't
care for them myself, but they do save lives all the time. You
might want to take it and just leave the ringer off until you
need it. Just be sure to charge the battery before you go.
6. Learn a few survival skills. Basic survival skills make
hiking and backpacking safer as well as more interesting. Just
remembering that sleeping under a pile of dry grass or leaves
can keep you warm could save your life someday. Knowledge of a
few wild edible plants can feed you when you lose your food, and
make a trip more interesting in any case.
People new to the wilderness, but also experienced outdoorsmen
have paid the ultimate price when they forgot or refused to take
a few basic precautions. It helps to read hiking and backpacking
tips like these, but apply them too.
A lighter pack, bag and shelter is just a beginning, though. The
most important thing you can do to lighten the load is to follow
rule number one: Consider each item carefully. Ask and answer
the following questions:
Do you really need to bring it?
What would happen if you didn't bring it?
Is the value it adds to the trip worth the weight?
Can it be used for more than one function (ex: tarp and rain
poncho)?
What lighter alternative can you bring?
Better to be ruthless the first time you make your packing list.
Then, once you've really cut down your weight, you can always
add back one or two luxuries. In this way, you'll identify what
really is important to you on a backpacking trip - and leave the
excess toys home.
With knowledge, you can stay dry with a tarp instead of a tent.
You can safely carry only a pint of water by filling the bottle
at every stream - if you know the area. You can eat a belly full
of berries instead of carrying fruit into the wilderness.
Knowledge lets you backpack with less weight and more safely.
Keep fires small and you'll spend less time collecting firewood. Just get
closer for warmth. If you are also using the fire for possible
signaling in an emergency, you can still keep it small, but keep
a pile of brushy branches nearby to add if a plane goes by.
Digestion is more difficult at high altitude. This seems to be
especially true for fats and proteins. If you are headed above
12,000 feet, you may want to save your crackers and other simple
carbohydrates for snacking on top of that mountain.
In hot weather, soak your hat in every stream or water source
you pass. A wet hat is like having a little air conditioner on
your head. A wet bandana around your neck helps too.
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