Hiking Along: Survival Information 101

Problems can strike hikers even seasoned ones at any point during treks which they are ill prepared for. Reading 19th century hiking survival tales is recommended by one of the county sheriff department members who went through his share of wild nights in the mountains of California. The way he sees it is that the less unnecessary errors such as becoming lost are committed the greater the odds of the hike being a success.

Ventures in and out of the wild require plenty of planning and the right preparations. For hikes of any distance and length, no day pack should be without the 10 essentials such as map, compass, flashlight, extra food, extra clothing, sunglasses, first aid supplies, pocket knife, waterproof matches and fire starter.

Make room for the possibility of something going awry. Unplanned nights in the wild will go better with a few additions to the basic items brought along specifically signal mirrors for some illumination bounced off sunlight plus a space blanket and a whistle according to search and rescue pros. Info gets sent promptly by communicating with light. A lot of lost hikers have successfully used camera flashbulbs to signal their location. Water obscures whistle noise while foliage absorbs it so it does not really count for much when it comes to summoning help.

A cellular phone might not be the most sure fire way out of a hiking problem but it can still be used to make calls while within the area of the front country. Trekkers fond of experimenting with paths taken often explore shortcuts or ignore set trails and end up being rescued by search parties. Do not experiment with paths taken if you are not good with interpreting topographic maps. Meandering elsewhere when already lost is not smart and search and rescue staff say the best solution is to simply remain in one spot and wait to be found. It's natural to think that you can find your way out, but often it's easier for searchers to find a stationary target than a moving one.

Some experts recommend the use of the STOP acronym. The terror of the situation could be too much and in this case simply STOP Think about where you were last sure of your location. OBSERVE and gather clues from various details regarding your most likely trek path. PLAN the next step carefully. In the case of evening descending the plan could be to remain in one place and spend the night. Fending off the cold and managing to stay dry are the top concerns in this instance. Leaves and branches might not be the most comfortable but they will serve the purpose if you forgot to bring your space blanket.

When possible eat something to avoid elevated core body temperature. Professional search and rescue people believe youngsters should know better than to wander about and add that locking hands around a tree in one spot will get them rescued that much sooner.

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