Be Prepared, Hiking or Biking: Hikers' Hazards, Safety Supplies & Precautions

As the scouts say, be prepared. Save worry for yourself, your family, and potential rescuers. In some areas, hiking trails are marked as easy or difficult.

 Things to do

1 Find a friend. Do not travel in the outback or forest alone.

To join groups starting from cities, contact Hash house harriers with the name of the city. They often meet once a week or once a month, and may have groups for men, women, or families, or families with pets, or different language groups, and may make a charge to visitors, especially if they provide a meal at the end of the run. 

2 Check weather reports and suggested supplies for the route.

3 Pack your car with a sleeping bag and first aid kit.

4 Route References Registered

Inform in the USA a ranger of your route.

Leave a map of your route and estimated time of return for your family.

5 Pack food and drink. 

Enough for a week in case you get stranded. In containers which stop predatory animals attacking you for food. 

Black bears unable to reach backpacks. Photo from Wiki.

6 Print a map and have GPS finder.

7 Select Suitable Clothes For all weathers. Wear a ski jacket which enables you to be found in snow with a bleeping device. A helmet for cycling or motorbikes. Insurance. Anti-tick socks. Goggles for swimming and sun in the snow. Hats and caps which tie on so they don't blow off or get lost. I have a swimsuit with a hood so I don't need a swimming cap.

8 Have a suitable jacket.

9 Wear insect repellent and carry bite soother.

10 In snake-infested areas, sing and throw stones ahead to make snakes move away.

11 Carry a mini tent like an umbrella for shelter in winter or bad weather.

12 Carry hand warmers. (Sold in ski and hiking areas.)

13 Have spare clothing.

14 Have an empty water bottle and wet wipes in case you need a toilet and or can't move because you have hurt your ankle.

15 Do not hike when menstruating because blood attracts dogs and bears and other animals to attack you just as they would attack a bleeding animal for food.

16 Carry a sewing kit. 

17 Put a survival guide on your phone.

18 If lost without paths, go downhill to the river in a valley to get drinking water, find a road, or hail passing boats.

19 If stuck in one place, such as a beach or a clearing, or even a road, use clothes or branches to make a large sign to attract searching aircraft. 

20 Check on local safety sites.

Online you can buy whistles, torches and knives as well as waterproof clothes and pickpocket proof clothes.

Wiki has advice on what to do when lost.

You can also buy survival guides. In France you can get guides to edible mushrooms.

Useful Websites

California Hiking Safety tips - and tips for bikers and others

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30043

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11464643/Body-teenage-hiker-disappeared-popular-New-Hampshire-trail-four-day-search.html#reader-comments

https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Safety/s?k=Hiking+Safety

http://www.wiki-safety.com/postdtl/en/-C2079/2165/

http://www.romehash.com/ 

amazon.co.uk/s?k=anti-tick+socks

Temporary dental repair kit

https://dentemp.com/dentemp.html

Americanisms and British English

US - UK

anyways - anyway

flashlight - torch

oftentimes - often

stove - oven

stove top - hob

waders - waterproof trousers and/or boots for fishing

UK _ USA 

anyway - anyways

hob - stove top

often - oftentimes

oven - stove

torch - flashlight

Wellington boots/Wellingtons - waterproof boots, rubber boots, waders

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English

See my other posts on this subject.

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Best, Safest, Travel Clothes And Bags - and avoiding real life bears

Why not travel all in black so that you are co-ordinated? No dirt and stains.

Firstly, don't have a plain black suitcase. On 9/11 (11 Sept 2001) a bomb threat was made to my Singapore Airlines plane going to S Africa for a conference. Our incoming  and outgoing plane was directed to a distant runway. All the luggage was offloaded onto the runway. Each family or group in turn had to identify our own luggage. My bag was black. I was faced by a river of black bags. Guarded by men with machine guns. I ran from bag to bag saying, "Here it is - no, it isn't."

What I look for in travel clothes & bags

Loose
Hard-wearing
Easy to wash
Smart enough to get me upgraded
Handy pockets
Secure anti-theft pockets
cheerful colours
some pattern to not show stains
Colours easy to co-ordinate
Not such small sleeves that it feels like wearing a tourniquet
Not such large sleeved that I can't wear a jacket on top
Patterns of lack of patterns to not clash
Arms down to wrists or with tab so they let down to wrists
Anti mosquito
Protection from sunburn

For a jacket
Pocket big enough for a hat
Hood attached so I can't lose it
Secure pockets
Inside pockets
Zips off fast at security
Won't stain easily
crease-free
Enough pattern to hide stains but not so much that it clashes with everything else

Shoes
No heels - too tiring and they rub up inflable escape chutes so you will be asked to remove them and leave them behind or carry them
Quick release straps so you can remove them at airport security

Suitcase
Not black.
Add identifying ribbon to handle.
Add strap in case locks break
Carry food and drink in a separate bag
4 wheels so I can wheel it upright without stooping and straining my back
Solid top so I can put a handbag on top
ideally an outside pocket for extras, but not one which when full tips over

Suitcase cover
Won't work if it prevents me opening an outside pocket

The packing list in wiki reminded me that you need sports clothes and a sports bra for using the gym on holiday or at a hotel.

Take insect repellent and sunscreen and water bottles and a torch (flashlight in the USA), swimsuit and sports bra for the hotel, sturdy waterproof walking shoes.
You want to avoid leaving food in your backpack near you overnight, and prepare food far away from your sleeping area.

Apart from theft, loose pockets allow items to drop out. Two suggestions:
Double pockets with your credit card inside the pocket inside or behind the main larger pocket.

If zips break or your new jacket has no zips on pockets, add a zip or press stud.

No time, no zip, can't sew zips?
You can also sew in an airline amenity bag which has a zip.
Pack a small sewing kit including a self-threading needle and a couple of press studs.

For advice on backpacks and how to escape or fight a bear, see
https://wikitravel.org/en/Wilderness_backpacking
It says bears are like dogs and chase after somebody running away. (Same goes for the police.)

Useful websites
https://www.bustle.com/p/the-15-best-travel-dresses-18224345
craghoppers
https://www.craghoppers.com/
ebay
https://wikitravel.org/en/Packing_list

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Troubles In Tunnels And Safety and Protection Hiking in Madeira

Problems
Some of the tunnels on the hillside levada (waterway) walks go for quite a distance, in the dark.

Answer
Carrying torches
Our hiking holiday group organisers had warned us to take torches. You can take an ordinary hand held torch.

Packing Torches
Check batteries before packing. It can take twenty minutes to find torches, sort them out, find where to open them. Check batteries, clean contacts.

Decide where in the luggage to keep them so they can be retrieved quickly.  Outside pocket of suitcase or backpack? But then pad them, so they don't get broken.

You might want to take spare batteries. Keep a note of the battery size in case you have one minute in a shop whilst others wait, to show shopkeeper.

Another option is a head torch. That leaves your hands free for your camera, or holding instructions, holding on, reaching out.

However, if you look down where you are walking, you might miss a low roof. One of our group hit his head on the roof. He was a six footer. (Six foot tall - in meters ....?)

Luckily he was wearing a hat. That prevented bleeding.

Head Protection
But a blow to the head is never a good idea. If you have a helmet such as a motor cycling helmet or other protection, you might like to take that. Any kind of hat is helpful. The more padding the better. You might wear one hat over another.

One walk to the Peninsula was on a very windy day. You risk being blown over, or having a baseball cap or unsecured brimmed hat blown off.

Securing A Hat

Don't sit on ledges which might crumble - rock fall signs everywhere. Don't sit on stone parapets. If your hat blows and you reach for it, your balance goes.

You could reach for a hat, or a dropped camera whilst taking a selfie. You might lean sideways or backwards to avoid a swooping bee or fly. You might lean back to evade a bird tyring to grab your sandwich.

You can secure a circular brimmed hat by making a hole either side with an awl, knitting needle or other improvised implement. Use a long shoe lace for an emergency tie.

If you have time at home to adapt a hat in advance, buy a matching ribbon and sew it securely to both sides of the hat. Pin it first to be sure the position of the ribbons is right.

First Aid Packing
Pack layers of clothing. On a sunny day we drove uphill into a mountain with mist. A freezing cold wind hit.

What else to pack? Of course, minimum is a couple of different sized sticking plasters. Ideally, bandages, a mini first aid kit, a link on your phone to first aid page, and save it for when there is not internet connection. First aid kits, either carried by everybody for when you separate taking different trails, deliverately, or by accident, or at least the leader of the group so when you stop and meet for lunch, for example at the waterfall destination, which is clearly marked on a path, you can pool resources.

Some groups have a policy of every man, or woman, for himself. Family groups pool resources. Friends have the option. In a large group it helps if the leader sets the policy so you know that you must rely on yourself, or you know that you are expected to help others - or both.

Foot Protection
Trainers don't necessarily have good toe protection. One of our group stubbed his toe. Each time he did that again, the minor blow made the sore worse.

One person on one hike lost a toenail. (Another friend on a marathon found his toes went blue from bruises.)

Buying And Packing
When buying shoes, or choosing which of your shoes to wear, consider toe protection.

On a long trek, I like to wear thick socks to prevent shoes rubbing. Long socks also prevent scratches and bites.

But they are heavy and get damp quickly from perspiration. So you might need two pairs, to let one dry overnight.

How to dry socks in a hurry? Use the hotel hairdryer. I did not notice it until I needed it. The hairdryer might by on the wall in the bathroom or in a drawer with a reminder not to use electric items near water in the sink or on the flat surface. Bath, shower, toilet, bidet - water is everywhere.

You can also dry off socks:
by using a towel
by using toilet paper or kitchen roll
by breathing on them
by hanging in the breeze on a balcony.

Holiday Shopping
Need more clothes or shoes? On holiday, ask for the nearest sports clothing shop. An evening trip might enable you to catch up. In Madeira, I was told that the nearest shopping centre, La Vie, was open from 10 am to 10 pm in summer. I was able to dash along between 6 and 7 pm before dinner.

Socks, Safety, Comfort
When packing, consider your clothes and footwear, are you protected, head to toe!

Suncream and Insect Protection
You will need:
1 Sun protection (including long sleeves) cream or spray
2 Insect repellent
3 Insect bite relief


All else fails? Use drinking water from your bottle to wash.

Some people say lick your wounds. If you can't reach the wound, or you don't want dirt in your mouth, spit on a hanky and then wipe. I'd still prefer to wash with clean water.

Now you know, what to buy, pack, research. Fore-warned is fore-armed!

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Fog in London, bad weather, driving, photos and DIY toilets

Problem
You can't see because of rain or fog or morning mist.How might bad weather affect you and your community or holiday destination?
1 Can't leave home for work. Trains cancelled. Planes not leaving and arriving at airports or diverted.

Answers
1 Plan your return. Leave home early. Leave your destination early to return home. Go to places you know.
2 Dress warmly and in white at night so cars can see you.
3 Don't walk home drunk from a pub along a canal or river. Ensure people leave in pairs and walk on the opposite side of the road to water. You don't want anybody slipping, lurching, walking the wrong way, or getting in an argument and giving just one push which knocks the other over.
4 Carry a torch.
Your mobile phone can be used as a torch. Either turn it on and just use the light. Or check its functions and memorise how to find the torch.
5 If planning to fly, check flights are operating before driving to the airport.
6 Carry on car journeys phones, phone chargers, charge holding packs, blankets and hot water bottles, a thermos of hot drinks, water, food and fruit.
7 Plan how you will go to the toilet. Either buy a emergency toilet device, or covered kids potty, or improvise a plastic bowl and plastic bag which seals or ties to act as an emergency toilet. (Why? For several reasons. So you don't go out in the cold. So you don't have to open your car and be vulnerable to robbers or wildlife. To avoid feeling embarrassed. If you are on a motorway you do not want to be on a video nor in a suburb on somebody's house camera. Nor arrested for being indecent. For privacy you can hide behind an opened umbrella. The bigger the better. A golf umbrella would be handy.
8 Have all your belongings in one bag in case you have to leave a damaged vehicle in a road accident or flood.
9 Go to the toilet before taking any journey, even a short ski lift.

Stories
1 Snow Slow Go In Snow And No Toilets in Bushey
I got stuck in snow in a traffic jam on a hill in Bushey coming home from work. I had said to myself, "It's getting dark. I'd better leave now. I won't stop to go to the toilet. I'm only ten minutes from home." I got stuck in a traffic jam beyond Chalk Hill driving past the lights at Bushey Arches. As the minutes ticked past, and I sat in a stationery car, I was really sorry I had not gone to the toilet earlier. No chance of getting out, shops and houses and pedestrians all around. I could not leave the car in case the traffic started moving again.
2 Abandoning My Car On The M4
I was in an accident in broad daylight on the M4 on the way to my Writers' Holiday in Wales. My car was rear-ended. Luckily I was well enough to continue my journey. I had all my holiday clothes in two small airline flight bags on wheels. Good. But my books were scattered about and heavy. I also had maps, umbrellas, my blanket and other items which I wanted to take with me in case I never saw my car again. (It ended up in a scrap yard, a long journey, two hours each way to retrieve my belongings, plus a half hour weight in a queue to get to my car.) I needed to pack and carry all my belongings from my small car into the small cabin of the tow truck which was dropping me off at the nearest station (Reading) to continue my journey. Moral Pack Light.
3 Our journey back from Europe to London was once affected by bad weather. We were diverted to Birmingham or Manchester. Fortunately nobody in my family had to be at work or school within the same day. But we had a driver waiting for us at the airport. On another occasion we were diverted but had left our car in the airport so we had to go back to get it. It took several weeks of correspondence to recover the extra parking charges. I think we did not even bother to claim for the far back to the airport to collect the car.

Tip
Even bad weather can be an opportunity for a photo. Rain, fog - you might have a news photo or a different view.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please follow my posts and share them. Look on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram. Type in Angela Lansbury, Author, (or poet or travel writer) because there are four of us called Angela Lansbury, two writers, an actress and one other.