Hiking and Camping Tips for the Beginner

Many people in America and around the world enjoy the sporting activity of hiking and camping. The number of people who are taking up this activity is growing exceptionally fast and with this growth there are usually some people who just don't believe the outdoors holds any danger especially not to them. Many times these people find out the hard way that they are wrong, dead wrong.

First, if you are a beginner, you are exactly that, a beginner or novice. There is no shame in this since everyone, including the "experts," were once just where you are now, at the beginning. If you are learning, go slow and learn well because what you learn can one day save your life or that of a friend or loved one.

Equipment is extremely important when hiking and/or camping. The two most important pieces of equipment, at least from my point of view, are a good compass and waterproof matches. If you have a good compass and know how to use it the chances of getting lost in unfamiliar territory are slim to none and waterproof matches can mean the difference of a warm comforting fire and spending a cold, dark night without a fire. These two items should be at the top of any outdoorsman's/woman's list when they are going into the wilderness, even if it is territory you know. Accidents sometimes happen and having the ability to survive until help arrives can be as simple as keeping a good fire going.

The next piece of equipment is a good topographical map of the area you intend to traverse. I know many people stick mainly to parks with marked trails but you wouldn't believe how easy it is to wander off the marked trail and not be able to find your way back. If you are one of the more adventuresome hiker/campers who makes their own trails, then a map is required reading.

The next piece of equipment you carry with you at all time and that is your head. Use and don't lose it when and if you find yourself in a bad situation in the wild. If you realize that you are lost, above all else, don't panic. Many times people who are lost find that if they had just stopped and thought about the situation there were many things they could have done differently and quite possibly gotten out of their situation more rapidly.

Some things to remember when you believe you are definitely lost in the wild: First, find a place to sit down, get still and be quiet and listen. Do this for at least a half hour to one hour. Most places used to hike and camp are not quite as wild as people think. Usually you will be able to hear a highway or even a locomotive. If you hear a highway or train, that is your pathway to civilization, so take it.

Another thing to remember after you have listened for vehicles and have decided here are none close enough to hear, make it a point to stop and listen again at regular intervals. Just walking can make enough noise to block these sounds from being heard.

Deciding which way to go when you are lost can be a difficult one but not an impossible one. First, unless you started at the top of a mountain and drove down it to begin your hike, don't go uphill. Secondly, if you happen upon a stream or waterway of some kind, go with the flow. A waterway like streams and rivers will at some point cross a road, highway or thoroughfare and many times it's sooner than later.

Above all, if you are lost and realize you will most likely be spending the night in the wild, stop soon enough before dark to build your fire and gather as much wood as possible. After you accomplish this then if possible build some sort of shelter even if it is just a few branches broken from trees and leaned against each other, because the feeling of security cannot be any more prevalent than when you are in some sort of shelter.