When you are out exploring nature’s abode, you want the experience to be serene, relaxing, and tranquil, by giving you a peace of mind as you traverse the trail. Or perhaps you feel like the adventurous type and enjoy going through places that people don’t usually hike through.
Whatever type of hiker you are, novice or experienced, every person is prone to experiencing accidents one way or another, usually through their own errors. This article will walk you through the most common mistakes hikers make.
Underestimating the trail
Just because a trail is short does not mean that you can stop paying attention to the path you are taking. Even short trails can become dangerous should you forge carelessly, as things like elevation and path stability may differ from trail to trail.
The best thing you can do is to always inform yourself of trails you wish to conquer, whether it is from friends, or through researching them yourself. This way, you ensure that you don’t get caught off-guard by a sudden path change, a wall you did not account for, and steep footing that you are unsure if you can balance on.
Overestimating your hiking abilities
While it’s good to feel the thrill and to challenge yourself to new trails that you may not have explored yet, it’s important that you still gauge your actual abilities and physical capabilities of a hike, lest you wound up an exhausted heap with still an hour’s worth of walking to go.
It is always better to gauge your skills, and to hike trails that are just a little below that, even if social media posts and online articles might claim that a certain trail can be “easily done,” as you may risk injuring yourself in the process, or worse.
Going off-trail
It might seem tempting to break off the trail for a bit because of that one Instagram post or online article that showed this one perfect unassuming spot that people don’t usually know because of its hidden location, but unless you are very experienced and absolutely know what you are doing, don’t do it.
Getting lost from the hiking trail is way easier than you might think, and you may end up injuring yourself or worse if you step on the wrong place.
Wearing the wrong clothes
It is best to always adjust depending on where you are hiking and the temperature. You don’t want to find yourself caught in a really cold mountain trail with only one shirt covering your body.
Not wearing the right clothes as well as the right amount will lead to more than just damp and smelly clothes: They may lead you to catching hypothermia!
Stubbornly pushing through a hike that can’t be completed
We get it, it feels frustrating to not be able to finish a hike that you set out to start because of circumstances. Maybe the trail was farther than you expected, or maybe the weather is starting to go bad. However, remember, your priority is always to get home safely and in one piece.
You can still have more hiking trips in the future, but not if you gravely injure yourself from pushing to finish a trail that you clearly can’t finish under harsh weather, especially with insufficient gear.
Not informing anyone where you are going
This is especially true if you are hiking alone.
Informing other people like your friends or family where you are going and how long you might be out for is essential for them to realize when something is wrong if you still haven’t arrived or contacted them at the designated time or place. If they realize this fast, they can call for help to save you from wherever you ended up.
If you don’t inform anyone, no one will be able to help you, because no one knows that there is a problem in the first place.
Not accounting for wildlife
You and your fellow humans aren’t the only people that may be present on the trail; wild animals may appear too! Bears, snakes, mosquitoes, ticks, wasps, the list goes on. Always keep a watchful eye out for any wildlife that may be nearby, you don’t want to accidentally find yourself right next to bear cub whose mother isn’t too far away…
One of the best ways to mitigate potential encounters is to hike in groups, as it discourages animals from approaching. And bring things like bear sprays on trails that may have potential bear activity.
Traveling alone
This one feels more subjective, as many people enjoy the idea of hiking alone, especially for people who are experienced.
However, it can also be risky, because even if you manage to successfully complete many hikes alone, one simple mistake on the trail while alone might change everything.
That does not mean that you can’t hike alone. It does mean, however, that you need to stay extra vigilant when doing so, as you have no one to count on that can help you immediately other than yourself. This also means that more risky hiking spots should be reserved for groups, especially places that have wildlife.
Wrapping Up
Preventing bad scenarios from happening on the trail is the best way to stop a situation from becoming a problem in the first place but nobody is perfect.
Therefore, thinking on your feet and being able to mitigate the damage done when our minds eventually slip (pun intended) is just as important.