4 Outdoor Safety Tips for Budding Adventurers

Auvrey Lavigne
Aug 31, 2018 · 3 min read
Photo URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/v0TfIt-S6-o

Feel a thirst for adventure? Or maybe you’re just looking for some excitement. Perhaps your idea of an outdoor adventure is walking around the city at night. Technically, that’s still an outdoor activity.

Wherever your plans take you, you must always prioritize safety first. You want to go home unharmed, and keep in mind these four safety tips when travelling outdoors.

Always Bring Water

Dehydration is a subtler assassin than hunger is. It can sneak up on you and sap your energy until you’re left with nothing but a darkening vision of creeping death.

In fact, death by dehydration, after the initial discomfort of a parched throat, is relatively painless. It’ll settle in and snuff out your life within three to ten days if you haven’t sipped any water/beverage or eaten any food (food contains a bit of water).

Even if you’re not gone that long, not drinking anything can still cause muscle cramps and headaches, both of which may jeopardize your safety outdoors. Therefore, always make it a habit to take a bottle of water with you. It’s recommended that you carry at least one liter of water for every two hours you’re out adventuring.

Stay Visible at Night

Nightfall can usher in a different kind of adventure, but it also introduces new dangers, especially in areas without adequate lighting. After all, the night is dark and full of drunks.

However, for some people, cycling, jogging, or taking a walk may only be possible at night. Perhaps their jobs last until midnight or the evening traffic makes it impossible to do anything other than slog through it.

If you’re one of them or maybe you’re just a nocturnal type of person, you may want to wear a reflective LED safety belt so drivers can see you and avoid hitting you.

Light-colored clothes may not be enough. They typically only reflect light when it’s nearby. Motorists, especially those travelling at high speeds, may not have enough time to react after noticing you. That said, add an LED belt to your night riding gear. Besides, it looks pretty cool.

Wear Appropriate Clothing

Your clothes protect you from the weather and the environment. Some forms of clothing are more suitable for a specific situation than others are. Wearing the wrong outfit may even put you at risk.

For example, when you’re going camping up a mountain, you need comfortable, long-sleeved clothes to protect you from the sun and keep you cool under its heat. On top of that, you also need insulated clothes for the cold high-altitude peak.

You do not want to be sunburned or to be stricken by hypothermia. The former can cause cancer, while the latter almost always leads to death unless treated immediately. Always suit up according to where you’re going, and pack an extra set of clothes just in case your initial outfit isn’t enough.

Always Notify Someone about Your Plans

Whether you’re just cruising around the city or sauntering up Mount Everest, always let your family or your friends know where you’re going.

Make that a habit so that, in case something happens to you, they’ll know where to find you and contact the local authorities to rescue you. You may get lost in the woods or be stranded in a shed on the bad side of town with no one aware of your fate.

Even if you bring your phone or any other means of communications, you never know when you’ll lose access to that. If you live alone, use social media at least to do a general update. It may seem obnoxious, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Conclusion

These tips can be summarized into two words: “Be prepared,” the Boy Scout motto. Keeping yourself safe means being prepared for anything. Wherever you’re going, consider all situations that you may encounter, even those least likely to happen, and pack your gear accordingly.

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