Safety Tips: Getting Lost and Getting Found - To avoid getting lost, don't stray from the established or posted trails, and stay oriented using your trail map. Be aware of landmarks on the trail, and look back occasionally to note landmarks behind you. Involve children in this activity by letting them give "names" to various landmarks you pass on the trail.
- A safety game you can play with younger families is to decide on a secret code word. In the event that a child became lost, parents could relate the code word to park rangers. A lost child in the woods will be more trusting of an adult stranger who can tell the code word. This game will also help keep children mindful of the possibility of becoming lost -- and the importance of avoiding it -- without unduly frightening them.
- Adults as well as children should be mindful of the following rules in case someone becomes separated or lost from the group:
- Remain calm. Though the feeling of being lost is certainly frightening, others are sure to be looking for you. Becoming panicked or agitated will not be beneficial.
- Use your whistle. Blowing three short bursts indicates that you're lost or in need of help. Use your whistle to signal for help, rather than yelling. Conserve your energy. A response of two short bursts indicates "I hear you."
- "Hug a tree." Pick out a prominent tree and make it your home base and your landmark. Stay close to it. The branches will offer some shelter, and staying in one spot rather than wandering will make it easier for others to locate you.
Safety Tips: Electrical Storms
It's always advisable to check weather reports before hiking to avoid inclement weather. If you should encounter unexpected bad weather, however, here are some tips to keep your family safe during an electrical storm. - If you're at a high elevation with a storm approaching, get down the trail as far and as fast as possible. Stay off of high ridges. Even descending a few feet can help.
- Look at your map for other trail options. There may be a lower, more sheltered trail nearby.
- If the storm's almost on you, try to find some shelter. Look for a cave or overhang. An overhang that's steep will give you good protection, but a shallow opening can be dangerous because of how electrical currents move through the ground. Stay away from a tall tree standing alone. A solitary tree or other tall object can attract lightning. A dense growth of short trees is actually a safer bet.
- If lightning is striking nearby, squat down, put your hands on your head, and place your elbows on your knees. Assuming a low posture like this keeps your body from acting as a lightning rod and could help reduce the effect of electrical current in the event of a strike.
- Finally, once you've taken shelter, shed any metal you might be carrying -- such as a hiking pole or metal-frame pack. Leave it a few feet away from you and your family until the storm passes.
Safety Tips: Wild Animals - Bears. If you're hiking in mountain terrain where there are populations of bears, be watchful for them and be aware of their natural behaviors. If you encounter a bear, observe it only from a safe distance. If you encounter one unexpectedly, don't simply turn and run. (Be assured, the bear is faster than you are.) Instead, back away slowly and leave. Bears are not likely to attack as long as they're not approached. Do not feed bears. There are several very good reasons not to. It's dangerous, and it promotes undesirable behaviors in wild bears. If you should encounter bear cubs, resist the temptation to come close to them. Their mother is almost certainly close by, and mother bears with cubs are often more likely to engage in aggressive behavior -- to protect their offspring from a perceived threat -- than other adult bears.
- Mountain lions. These big cats, though now rare, tend to be more active at dawn or dusk than during daylight hours. If you're hiking in a region where there are mountain lions, stay together as a group and don't let children wander off alone. In the unlikely event that you encounter one at close range and it exhibits defense behavior, experts advise that making yourself look "bigger" (e.g., standing up tall, raising your arms) may discourage it from approaching you. Moving slowly and deliberately, walk away.
- Snakes. If you should encounter a snake, remember that there is no need to panic or be unduly afraid. By a huge margin, the vast majority of snakes in the North America are nonpoisonous and entirely harmless. And all of them are afraid of humans or just about any moving object that's larger than they are. Of the hundreds of varieties of snakes that live in North America, only four types are poisonous (rattlesnake, water moccasin, copperhead and coral snake), and you can easily learn how to identify those (and learn what geographic regions they live in) with a field guide.
Given their choice, snakes will nearly always flee when approached by a human -- just as birds, squirrels and other small animals do. It is not in the behavioral makeup of a snake to "attack" or pursue people. Almost without exception, snakes will exhibit defense behavior (i.e., biting or striking) only if they are trapped, cornered or stepped upon. And aside from the few poisonous varieties, snakes have only tiny teeth and could cause no harm to humans even if they wanted to. If you encounter a snake, it will most likely crawl quickly away as soon as it detects your presence. (A snake has no ears: it can generally sense your presence only if it sees you or feels the vibrations of your footsteps.) If the snake doesn't crawl away immediately -- and you'd prefer not to have a close encounter with it -- the solution is simple: walk well around it. Never kill a snake simply because you've happened upon it. Snakes are not harmful pests that need to be eradicated. In fact, they are for the most part shy and harmless creatures that serve an important and beneficial role in the scheme of nature.
RESOURCES :
The Sierra Club Family Outdoors Guide
Model: 0871564424
Author: Marlyn Doan
Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Bicycling, Water Sports, and Winter Activities With Children
Sierra Club Books
Parents' Guide to Hiking & Camping: A Trailside Guide
Model: 0393316521
Author: Alice Cary
Volume from The Trailside Guide Series from W.W. Norton and Company.
W. W. Norton & Company
Backpacker's Handbook, 2nd Edition
Model: 0070653151
Author: Chris Townsend
McGraw-Hill Companies
Website: www.mcgraw-hill.com
Best Hikes With Children series
Author: various authors
Book series on hiking with children. Individual titles are by region.
For example, Best Hikes With Children in Western Washington, Best Hikes With Children in Colorado, Best Hikes With Children: San Francisco's South Bay, etc.
Mountaineers Books
Website: www.mountaineersbooks.org/
American Hiking Society
American Hiking is a national organization dedicated to serving hikers and protecting the nation's hiking trails. From the halls of Congress to the backcountry, AHS speaks up for America's hikers and the trails they love.
Bear Aware: Hiking and Camping in Bear Country (A Falcon Guide)
Model: 1560444568
Author: Bill Schneider
Falcon Publishing Company
Website: www.falcon.com/
Backpacking Tips (A Falcon Guide)
Model: 1560446617
Author: Bill Schneider (Editor), Russ Schneider (Editor)
Falcon Publishing Company
Website: www.falcon.com/
Hiking With Kids (A Falcon Guide)
Model: 1560448164
Author: Robin Tawny
Falcon Publishing Company
Website: www.falcon.com/
Reading Weather (A Falcon Guide)
Model: 1560446625
Author: Jim Woodmencey
Falcon Publishing Company
Website: www.falcon.com/
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