7 Top Tips for a Safe Hike

We all have different reasons for heading out on a hike. But I’d like to think we all share the goal of coming home from every hike safely, and the following seven practices pack a big punch to help you do exactly that. Turning these tips into habits can really up your odds of having a safe hike, and might even put you in position to help others in need.

1. File a Trip Plan

If you were overdue from a hike, would anybody know where to look for you — or that you were missing at all? Filing a trip plan is the number one way to make sure that in the unlikely event something bad does happen, people really will come looking for you.

The Alaska State Troopers offer a really excellent downloadable trip plan template that prompts you through all the information that would help rescuers find you more efficiently. This is one of those things you do, over and over, for the 1% of the time when it actually matters — because when that happens, it matters a lot.

Even if you don’t use the template, but I’d encourage you to check it out to see what key information is useful for SAR (search and rescue) teams. Key points to include in any trip plan are:

• When you’re setting out, and when you expect to return
• Where you are going, and what route you’ll take to get there
• Your vehicle make, model, color and license plate
• The color of large, easily distinguished pieces of gear, like your tent, jacket, and backpack.
• What kind of supplies are you packing? Knowing whether you’re prepared to survive for a while on your own, or you set out with nothing but a water bottle in hand, can make a big difference in the SAR strategy.

Just as important? Give your trip plan to someone you trust to follow through if you don’t come back as planned. Then stick to the plan! Otherwise that plan you filed becomes a red herring that sends searchers to the wrong place, instead of doing its job of ensuring a safe hike. If things change on the fly and you’re out of cell range — which is usually the case up here — carrying a satellite communicator device like the Garmin InReach is one good way of updating your check-in person on your new plans.

2. Check the Weather Forecast

It doesn’t take long for hikers to get savvy to checking the temperature so they know what to pack for a safe hike. But do you also check the forecast for wind and expected precipitation? There’s a huge difference between 60 degrees with sideways rain versus 60 degrees on a sunny, calm day. Ratchet those temperatures a few degrees lower, i.e. half the year here in Alaska, and the differences caused by wind and precipitation feel more extreme. And depending on where you’re going, visibility can have a serious impact on your hike too.

Just like filing a trip report, checking those different weather factors only takes a few seconds nowadays. Knowing what you’re heading into makes it ever so much easier to pack the right layers and gear for a safe hike — and a more comfortable one, too.

My favorite mobile app for this is Wunderground, because it’s relatively easy to find nearby weather stations in that network. Of course that only works where you have cell signal. Some satellite devices, like the Garmin InReach, allow you to check NOAA or NWS weather reports even when you’re outside of cell signal range.

3. Wear/Pack Appropriate Clothing

Now that you know what sort of weather conditions to look forward to, dress in layers that are adequate for the conditions you expect to encounter. Don’t just pack layers to keep you warm while you’re moving and generating lots of body heat to keep yourself warm. Think in terms of what layers you need to keep yourself warm if you have to stop for a while, whether there’s a stubborn moose in your way or because your hiking buddy has a badly sprained ankle.

I personally feel like bringing an extra layer along, just in case, sets me up for a comfortable and safe hike. There are only a few times I’ve had to use that extra layer, but each time I was really glad to have it along.

Also, keep in mind that weather forecasts are usually just educated guesses at best and Alaskan weather can get pretty wild with no advance notice, even during the summer.

4. Know Your Wildlife Safety Manners

Do you know what to do if you see a moose? How about a bear? Spoiler alert: Give them both lots of space and, if necessary, DO run from a moose (or climb a tree, or get something solid — like that tree — in between you). DO NOT run from a bear because, as a biologist once told me, even if bears don’t want to eat you, they’d love to chase you.

For more on how to handle bears, I’ll refer you to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s excellent advice on traveling in bear country. The big takeaway here is that having a few basic concepts like that in your pocket to handle wildlife encounters is a key ingredient for a safe hike anywhere.

5. Carry an Emergency Beacon or Satellite Communicator

The majority of hikes in Alaska will take you outside of cell phone range — sometimes miles beyond the reach of cell signal. With that in mind, packing an emergency GPS beacon or satellite communicator really does a lot to ensure a safe hike, or at least getting help if your hike becomes unsafe. That is assuming your beacon/communicator is charged, has an active subscription if necessary, and that you know how to use it.

It’s important to note that not all emergency beacons function on the same satellite networks, and not all satellite networks work well once you head toward Alaska’s northern latitudes. Heck, some of the coverage maps stop around Talkeetna, as if people never go any farther north than that.

Luc Mehl has a nice write-up on the ins and outs of satellite communication in Alaska, and I am personally fond of carrying the good old-fashioned Garmin InReach — yes, the big one with its own screen — because you can pair it with your smartphone or use its built-in screen and keypad to communicate even if your smartphone isn’t working. Yes, the built-in interface is clunky as all get out, but I’ll take “clunky” over “nothing” in an emergency.

That said, the only useful emergency device is the one you’ll actually carry AND can afford to buy. I only have a full-size InReach because my mother gave it to me, probably tired of knowing I spent so much time out in the mountains and the woods by myself. The Garmin InReach Mini is hugely popular since it’s smaller, lighter and much more affordable, and it still pairs with your smartphone — it just doesn’t have its own built-in interface.

And hey, whatever you choose, figure out how it works before you hit the trail. The middle of an emergency is no time to find yourself struggling with a set of instructions for your beacon or communicator.

6. Carry the 10 Essentials

Carrying the 10 essentials in your pack means you have what you need to deal with unexpected emergencies on the trail — or help people around you who might be in the middle of an emergency. There’s just one catch: Much like the idea of having a satellite communicator along, make sure you know how to use everything that’s packed in your 10 essentials/emergency kit.

Best of all, you only really have to think about it once: Assemble your kit with the 10 essentials, throw it in your pack, and it’ll always be there to help you, and everyone else around you, have a safe hike.

7. Understand Unusual Hazards Where You’re Hiking

Every region has its special hazards that, if they strike, can turn your outing into something less than a safe hike. Up here the “unusual” hazards are things like avalanches, darkness, and cold during the winter; during the summer it’s more likely to be surprise wildlife encounters. In other places, flash floods and thunderstorms are common hazards. You get the idea.

Knowing what kind of hazards are possible in your area, which factors contribute to them, and what to do if one strikes you or if you come across others dealing with that hazard, is a super-easy, and usually very fast, way of ensuring a safe hike next time you go out.

Other Tips for a Safe Hike

The seven tips above are some of my biggest, best tricks for a safe hike — but we all have countless small habits to help ourselves be safer and more comfortable on the trail. For example, starting at a prudent time of day — especially during the winter, when our daylight hours are particularly limited — does a lot to keep you from stumbling around in the dark if your hike goes long.

I’ve also known some outdoor adventurers who used a three strike rule: If three things go awry on the way to the trailhead or the crag, they take that as a sign that they’re not in for a safe hike or climb that day, and detour for pizza and beer instead.

Share your favorite trick for a safe hike — or a more comfortable one — in the comments!

Photo credit: The awesome top image is by Noel Bauza from Pixabay!