These Hiking Safety Essentials Could One Day Save Your Life

Setting out on a multi-day trek is an exciting endeavor, for sure, but if you’re not prepared with the proper safety gear, you can have a bad time in a hurry. Even shorter hikes can pose dangers, especially if you’re hiking in remote terrain where you aren’t likely to encounter other hikers.

The good news is, hiking safety essentials come down to a small group of items, which should still leave plenty of room in your pack for hiking gear and whatever creature comforts you can’t live without. Each hiker will have their own ideas about “safety,” but general hiking safety gear includes first aid, food, shelter and water filtration.

Hiking Safety Legwork

You may notice that a few key things are missing from our list — and that’s by design. Certain items are highly personalized choices and will require some investigation and trial and error to determine how to best suit your own needs:

• Proper footwear: You will be on your feet for most of the day. You want to devote time and resources to finding the best pair of hiking boots that work for your feet, the load you’re carrying, and support any ongoing injuries or other issues. If you’re pushing serious mileage, a pair of custom insoles may not be a bad idea.
• Backpack: Same goes for what you’ll carry everything in. There are several great backpack companies, and you want to pick the right volume for what you’ll realistically bring. Heavier loads might require internal framing in a bag, while loads sub-40 liters might be okay without. It’s worth a trip to your local outdoor store to get properly fitted for a bag and talk with someone who has done your route or something similar.
• Shelter: There’s a certain amount of pride in only tent options, and you could potentially get away with just a hammock in the height of summer (unless you’re in mosquito country), but any other time of year likely calls for an enclosed space. There are ample one and two-person setups out there, with the more advanced and lightweight materials typically costing more.

So consider the following 11 items a solid starting point for your safety list. While you’re at the outdoor store getting fitted, ask the staff about their recommendations. Seasoned hikers have a way of knowing about those little unexpected mishaps, many of which can be prevented with a bit of pre-planning.

1. SOL Fire Lite Fuel-Free Lighter

BEST RECHARGEABLE FIRE STARTER

Fire is crucial on the trail, and there are several ways to go about it. One option is this weatherproof electric lighter with a rechargeable LED light on one end. The bonus is that it also includes a small rope that you can peel back to start as tinder when needed. It’s a lightweight convenience for a trail essential (just please be mindful of all local fire restrictions wherever you’re headed).

2. Ben’s Tick & Insect Wipes

QUALITY INSECT REPELLENT OPTION

Insect bites are more than just annoying — they can lead to serious issues during your trek and the days after. These wipes work to repel both ticks and mosquitoes (another double-duty way to save on space and weight). If deet isn’t your thing, several other solid options are available.

3. Garmin In-Reach Mini Satellite Communicator

BEST COMMUNICATIONS TOOL

If you’re leading a hiking expedition, then a reliable satellite communicator will ensure that you can always call for help in an emergency. This could be a lifesaver if a member of your group is lost or injured in the field. The Garmin In-Reach line of communicators aren’t satellite phones, but they do allow two-way text communication via the global Iridium network. For casual day hikers, this is obviously overkill, but for longer backpacking trips, we highly recommend this product. You will need to subscribe to the satellite network before your expedition.

4. Darn Tough Vermont Full Cushion Merino Sock

BEST MEN’S HIKING SOCKS

Socks as safety gear? That’s right. Without the right socks, you can quickly develop blisters that can make it difficult to walk, especially for inexperienced hikers. The right socks matter almost as much as the proper footwear, and there isn’t a better option than Darn Tough Vermont. Hikers far and wide know the value of the cushioning built into DTV’s hiker lines, and they last forever. On the rare occasion they fail, the company backs them with a lifetime guarantee. They’re worth the investment.

5. BioLite Headlamp 330

BEST HIKING HEADLAMP

There’s no use in fumbling around with a flashlight while trying to dig something out of your pack, so go hands-free with a quality headlamp. BioLite’s 330 is a solid choice with bright light, long battery life and plenty of good social measures that help extend the impact of your purchase.

6. LifeStraw Flex Advanced Water Filter with Gravity Bag

WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

If you have the luxury of being near a water source during at least a portion of your trek, filtering along the way cuts down on the need to carry in all of your drinking supply. Some smaller filters pull directly from the source, but we find that a gravity filter is just more sensible. You can push water through as you need it and have a stationary source hanging from a tree or elsewhere.

Read More: Get the Famous LifeStraw For 50% Off

8. AMK Mountain Hiker Medical Kit

BEST HIKING FIRST AID KIT

A good hiking first aid kit will combat blisters, minor aches, bumps, bruises and a splinter or bee sting. If you’re going into potential unknown wildlife territory, you may need to add a bit to the kit just in case of unwanted encounters.