20 Safety Tips for Beginner Solo Hikers (No BS or Fluff)
20 Safety Tips for Beginner Solo Hikers (No BS or Fluff)
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In this video, I share 20 important safety tips for solo hikers. When you’re hiking alone, there’s just way more that you need to follow because if something bad happens, you’re out on your own. These tips cover pretty much everything – from navigating to avoiding animals to avoiding dangerous situations. I tried to make this as the ultimate guide for safe hiking, without any BS or fluff.
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Outdoor Vitals CS40 Ultralight Backpack ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Fcs40-ultralight-backpack)
Outdoor Vitals Fortius 2P Ultralight Tent ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Ffortius-2p-trekking-pole-backpacking-tent)
Outdoor Vitals Stormloft 0F Quilt ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Fupdate-stormloft-0-30-f-down-topquilt-sleeping-bag)
Outdoor Vitals Novapro Down Jacket ➜ (Outdoor Vitals: https://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tool_type=cl&merchant_id=7e589116-9b06-4f1d-beee-aa18820b0454&website_id=00f5b60f-5b24-479f-ab2d-8d5328a2ac5a&url=https%3A%2F%2Foutdoorvitals.com%2Fproducts%2Fnovapro)
Nemo Tensor Insulated Sleeping Pad ➜ (Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RJhVw9
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Stoic Nykroppa Synthetic Camp Slippers ➜ (Bergfreunde: https://www.bergfreunde.eu/stoic-nykroppa-slippers/)
Smartwool Merino Wool Socks ➜ (Amazon: https://amzn.to/4anHY3h)
Darn Tough Merino Wool Socks ➜ (Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GJnnsm)
▼ TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00 – Intro
00:05 – Tip 1
00:48 – Tip 2
01:12 – Tip 3
01:43 – Tip 4
02:03 – Tip 5
02:41 – Ad
04:11 – Tip 6
04:56 – Tip 7
05:40 – Tip 8
06:03 – Tip 9
06:35 – Tip 10
06:59 – Tip 11
07:38 – Tip 12
08:05 – Tip 13
08:26 – Tip 14
08:41 – Tip 15
09:05 – Tip 16
09:37 – Tip 17
10:05 – Tip 18
10:38 – Tip 19
11:36 – Tip 20
12:13 – Outro
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▼ MUSIC ATTRIBUTION
Music (CC BY 4.0): Street Symphony by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Nostalgic Series 004 by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Relaxing Lofi – Tessera by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Lazy Cat Groove by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Sneaky Snitch by Sascha Ende
21: Be extra careful, if you are a woman
A fox tried to mug me for my bin bag recently 😂😂😂
Navigation backup:
My best backup so far is extremely good preparation! As a geocacher, the usual routes are of little use to me and I have to find my own personal route for each tour. This way, however, this route is very well etched in my memory. I have already had the situation where I forgot to download the map and of course there was no internet at this exact spot. I managed pretty well for half a day, with very little deviation from my route.
So: Plan the route in detail and go through it several times in your head and learn it by heart!
Guard dogs are the friggin bane. There could be a dozen of them, size of the small bear.
Don’t mess with livestock. They can be unpredictable and dangerous. Elk and moose can be super-aggressive, especially in rutting season or when they have calves. Seriously, big herbivores can be just as dangerous as bears and mountain lions, so keep your distance.
Fuck whatever that plantar flexion is.
We are a soft society, how did man survive 1000s of years
I liked the comment on how safe hiking actually is and not to worry about dangerous people so much or dangerous animals. Some noise is usually sufficient.
awesome video
as to food.
do critters go after freeze dried like Mt house or military mrs?
i do not do week long hikes so unknown to me on this.
Thank you, great safety tips. I never really considered encounters with domesticated dogs in relation to guarding/herding animals.
Sleeping with all your electronics in your bag in freezing temps, otherwise your charger and phone will be useless. Also water filter, if it freezes its no longer safe to use.
zero drop (minimal) shoes have prevented me twisting my ankles for years (unless it’s snowy terrain where you need hiking boots)
small pepper spray for other animals, dogs, mountain lions and so on. It works 💯
Straight to the point! Tks!
A good stout walking staff shot in metal a good hunting knife on the belt and that will keep most things deterred you have your long distance taken care of and your short distance if they get past a big stick and then if it’s a gun well there’s nothing you can do unless you have a gun and when you went out of a gunfight most people don’t have to worry about that thankfully unfortunately kitchen knives are a problem so always have a blade on you even if it’s just the bare minimum legal box cutter anything’s better than nothing eh
Well done
Great staff
Bears do climb mountains in North America. Bear cannister recommended above treeline in bear country.
Communication in an emergency:
If there is poor or no network coverage, be sure to use the "ancient" SMS function! The data packets are extremely small, as only a few text characters are sent. The phone will repeatedly try to send these small data packets whenever there is even the slightest chance. The recipient reassembles these packets and the message becomes readable. The chance that this will work is much higher than with a phone call or a WhatsApp message, which has to be sent over the Internet.
As a solo i’m learning the 300 cai "alta via dei monti lattari" all alone, step by step. It’s a long trip and it takes around 3 days do be done. I won’t do it at the "first try", i prefer going from the place i know to another point just to learn it ad have the chance to give myself much more time to go back just in case.
You cannot and should not use statistics to determine how safe you are. Its a fallacy, because all of those hikers were actively engaged in danger avoidance, which involved looking around them and assessing situations ahead of time. If I hiked in a strait line without changing my speed or looking where I was going, there is a good chance I would die. That stat would not save me.
You can EASILY become apart of that statistic by not being smart about your safety. Always consider it. Dont hide behind a number that hides reality from you. Know what your capable of, and have surprises.
#1 safety tip for hiking alone: Don’t hike alone. I never do.
I dare you to get into a fight with somebody and only use trekking poles I think they’re going to beat your ass probably those poles don’t have much mass behind it sure you can jab with it but that’s pain compliance a lot of people have a high pain threshold and you could also aim for joints vital points but most people aren’t stationary targets so unless you practice that a lot get into muscle memory doubtful you’ll probably miss the target and then they’ll probably bash your face or whatever their go-to first movies depending if they’re a brawler or fighter is my not so humble opinion Oscar
This has to be some of the absolutely best advice I’ve heard when it comes to hiking!😄🙏
I must also commend you on telling people to trust your instincts, that is truly underrated advice!😊
Water bottles, microplastics and bacteria:
I worked in a bottling plant for water gallons for water dispensers for a few years and also did the regular hygiene service for these water dispensers, so I know a lot about this topic. The bacteria that are always(!) present in small amounts of water grow extremely quickly, especially when warmth is involved – and they grow exponentially:
1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, … a development that is difficult for people to understand, especially since we are trained "linearly":
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, … (Note the difference between the two series of numbers of equal length!)
So before refilling any bottle: RINSE! RINSE! RINSE! Especially if you drank from it directly with your mouth. (But your hands, which you used to open the lid, are also full of bacteria!)
Let each bottle that is to be used permanently dry out completely before it is not going to be used for a long time, ideally after disinfecting the bottle with a denture cleaning tablet.
As a "water bottle professional" I do it like you: I use thre PET bottle in which I bought the water for as long as it seems hygienic to me and then buy a new one.
If you are concerned about microplastics, you should think further: What about the microplastics that are washed out of fleece clothing every time you wash it and are fed directly into the water? What about the microplastics that are created when our equipment is manufactured, etc. …
You can’t cross the lawn without trampling the grass, but you can be aware of the damage you are doing and try to reduce it by making smart choices – choices that balance the effort and benefit in a way that makes sense.
"Tracking poles are the best, except for bear spray" – tell me you don’t live in America without telling me you don’t live in America.
👍
Im gonna carry my 10mm or my .44, magnum. Relying on a pole for self defense is utterly foolish.
Excellent advices! One of the best video I’ve seen on that topic. My first solo trip was almost all based on roadcuts.. omg how I regret it) All ended well but I lost an incredible amount of time and strengths)
25% of all that risk can be avoid carring a gun. you should always go armed to camping
"deodorant" is a huge waste of space and weight. bin that poison.
i favor my ultra light weight .357 pistol. hate the recoil. but thats because it is super light..
– – but it is for the very last resort- –
a ham radio. got the money get a “spot”
couple flare’s. and there plastic launcher.
bright orange lay out banner in a X .
forget the flashing lights. a small fire with lots of smoke. and a good flash light. white light only.
as well as letting people know where you can be found.and when you will be home.
should keep you safe and easy to find.
but yes by all means, give the guard dogs a very wide space.
Carry a sidearm if you can. Here in the US I would never go hiking alone without one.
Deadfall is one that deserves more attention. You need to know if there are any dead trees around you. This is especially important if you hammock camp, a storm is incoming, or it winter and the leaves are not on the trees.
It is stressful laying awake in your tent as the storm is howling and remember you did not check for any dead trees or branches.
super funny thing. watching "those videos" is what made me wanna go hiking🤣🤣🤣 adrenaline junkie type sht
When i was a kid i went close to a cliff. 4-5 feet down was a big ledge you couldnt see. I waved to ky mom and said "i love you buh-bye" and dropped right down onto ledge, safe and sound, ducked under the overhang that was there, then realized it was a terriblenidea as mom went truly hysterical, only time my mother ever punched me, and my papa yelled at me. Guess i went to far, looking back, ya, that was mean, like super mean. And after having help raise kods, i can see where i messed up.
hiking in Amazon…never ever sleep on the ground…theres another universe under the leaves…always have a hammok sleep always up on the trees
FFS. If it’s so bad, stay home. (Having hiked *mostly* alone for 50 years, four seasons, day, night, fair weather and foul, *I thank you* for staying home, and for competently hitting the trail.)
Take several pairs of glasses or readers additional to the pair you use….I had brought the wrong strength ones mountainbiking (the wifes, same style readers from Home Bargains!) and when I needed to study the Garmin I was in trouble, had to "double up" to try and see close and that included squinting the eyes…!! (I wear 2.5+ sunglasses for normal distance vision biking, and doubled up that for reading, hers were just 1.5+ or 3.0+ in effect), and get a pair on a neck band in case your too close to the edge look over results in them falling off your head! There’s not enough videos for those of us who are suffering crap vision as we age- severely affects and even prevents certain activities, I’ve abandoned sea kayaking as glasses and salt water are a nightmare and I hate contacts!
In addition to guard dogs, you need to identify and locate the bull when you encounter cattle. Bulls can also be very protective of the herd.
21. Give women, girls and children a wide berth to avoid false accusations of perversion.
Lol trekking poles for self defense. Better hope you break skin or hit an eye with the carbon steel tip. Otherwise, your twig is as good as… well, a twig.
I once hiked in very rocky area where rattle snakes were known to be. Sure enough…I got bit. After 5 days of serious pain…the snake finally died. LOL
Thanks for sharing knowledge brother. Safe travels.🙏🙏🙏
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Number 1 should ALWAYS be other humans. They are the most dangerous.
Number 2 should ALWAYS be ticks. They are prevelant, can carry disases (most commonly Lyme), are hard to spot so you can have on on you without you knowing.
I personally carry a paper map
i would change the last one to trust your senses as that is what you are really doing while "trusting your gut"
Relying on your phone too much is my tip nr.1 and bring a second shirt if you are prone too sweating. Regarding the phone: if you go on a hike that is 7 hour plus and through mountains you might drain the battery or loose signal. Gps devices or maps can be had cheap used, use free maps and have battery life for days. Same applies for a led head lamp, take one as especially in winter you might get a delay and be surprised by early dark. As for the dry shirt: I sweat a lot under my pack and straps and once you are up a mountain on the way down you tend to cool a lot faster and switching to a dry shirt is just a giant comfort and reward and an extra merino shirt doesn’t way much
Biggest thing is situational and awareness always be aware of your surroundings even if you look like a weirdo swiveling your head back and forth it’s a cue to people that know you’re are aware of your surroundings & not an easy target.