5 Things That You Should Always Bring When You Go Hiking

Are you planning on going on a hike in the next few days? Perhaps you will be heading into an area that you have not been before. One of the benefits of hiking is that it affords you the opportunity to see unique areas of the wilderness that most people never get to see. Although you should hike on trails that are well known, especially during times when other people will also be there, there is always the possibility that you could get lost, and you will need to have certain items with you to stay safe. Here are five things that should always be brought every hiking trip that you do to make sure that your safety is maintained.

Basic Necessities To Bring With Every Hiking Trip

Before we talk about the five items that must be brought whenever you go hiking, there are some basic necessities that should always be in your backpack, or on your person. It is common sense to always bring a large amount of water, especially on a hike that will last for more than two hours, or else you could find yourself getting dehydrated. As a general rule, you should bring a gallon of water with you if you are going to hike 3 miles or more. Additionally, you should also bring snacks with you, especially if you are hypoglycemic, and you need to have sugar in your bloodstream. Finally, you should have your cell phone with you in case you can get service after you have discovered that you are lost. A walking stick can also be useful as it will help you go up and down hills, allowing you to maintain your stamina levels by minimizing the amount of effort that you must use. Now that’s start listing the five things that you should always bring on a hiking trip

A Whistle

Many of the people that have been lost, and have also been found by search teams, were able to do so because the hiker had brought a whistle with them. Some of the search and rescue people will state that without hearing them, and the whistle that they blew, they would not have found the people that were lost.

Waterproof Matches

Water Proof Matches – Hiking

These are matches that should be brought along in case you are going on a long hike, one that will take you quite a distance from the main road. If you are lost, and you need to stay out in the wilderness or forest for a day or two, you will want to be able to build a fire.

Firestarter

The matches that you bring will not be very useful if you cannot start a fire, and therefore, you should bring magnesium blocks with you that can instantly light up. There are also items like melted paraffin that can also be brought, as well as small flammable containers that can help you get your fire started.

Bring a Knife

You should also bring a knife with you whenever you go hiking. It doesn’t have to be large, but it most certainly should be sharp. These can be used to cut branches in case you need to build some temporary shelter, and can also be used to defend yourself from animals that might cause you harm.

Trekking Poles

Finally, you need to bring hiking sticks. Hiking sticks allow you to travel without any knee or joint pain. The trekking poles that you get just need to be lightweight and able to support your body weight.

By bringing all of these items with you, including the basic materials, you should have no problem at all in the forest. The wilderness is designed to be a place for creatures in nature, but you can survive there very easily by bringing these items with you. Now that you know what to bring, you can plan your next hiking trip accordingly, making sure that you will have everything with you to stay as safe as possible as you enjoy nature on a hike.