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Every year people disappear in the woods without much of a trace. Most get lost or sustain an immobilizing injury. Many of these people are either not found in time to survive their injuries or in some cases, they’re simply never found, even after extensive searches. Of course, in certain areas, bear and mountain are the cause of missing people. These are rare occurrences, though. And let’s not forget those horrible human predators who kidnap and kill in the woods. So, with all the perils of hiking, what should we do before we start a fun trek?
There are some for-sures that we should do before any hike and there are some options that we can choose to utilize as well.
Let’s start with the hiking prerequisites:
- Always tell someone what time you’re starting your hike, where you are going to be and what time you plan on getting out of the woods.
- Bring a phone. or better yet, a satellite phone. Recently, I was hiking near my home where I thought for sure there’d be cellular service but when I tried sending a text and then making a call—nothing, no service. A satellite phone or a phone with satellite capabilities could have worked.
- If possible, go with a companion or companions.
- If hiking alone, choose areas that are not desolate and have others enjoying the woods also.
- If in bear country, never hike alone and always travel with Bear Spray.
Safety options
- Take along pepper spray on your hikes. Pepper spray works fantastic against human predators. Bear Spray is essentially Pepper Spray with much more irritant content and more power to shoot greater distances than most traditional pepper sprays. Bear spray is of course made for bears, but it will work on humans just as well. Pick a spray.
- If you have one, take your dog. Some dogs can deter other animals and people with bad intent, however, don’t expect your dog to save you from a determined or crazed attacker.
- Carry a firearm. A firearm in trained hands is the best self-defense weapon against human predators.
- Some people say, carry a stick to keep animals or even people at bay. Keeping animals away with a long stick can work and of course it can help us trek through the woods as well. However, a stick against a determined enraged human is not recommended. Pepper spray or a firearm is.
I love the woods and I love hiking; however, we should take some time to prepare for our hikes. Be prepared for human or animal predators and ready to summon help if need be. And don’t let anything damper your enjoyment in the woods; I don’t!
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