Going on a hike or a camping adventure tends to be very overwhelming for some users, especially the ones who eventually don’t arrive prepared for the trip. We always recommend coming with all the necessary and useful items if you want to go to the wild – but there are also many things to consider apart from the gear.
Here we will explain five of the major factors that hit the hardest when it comes to going to the wilderness. If you want to know more – then come a step further to learn!
5 Tips to Consider Before a Trip to the Wilderness
Going to the wild is not easy. There are thousands of things to consider, several items you should bring, and many things that can happen. Luckily, we are here to help you make the trip easy and bearable. The next five things will help you enormously in any wild trip you make:
1. Extra Food & Water are Vital
You don’t know when you may lose food or water you bring. It happens often when you’ll need to let a piece of equipment behind. Sometimes, it is time for either a water bottle or food bag to stay. And when this happens, you’ll want to have some extra just in case.
That’s why it’s extremely recommended not only to bring food you can cook and eat easily such as canned fruits & grains. But it’s also useful to bring things that are long-lasting like energy bars and non-expiring cereals that you can carry easily and don’t occupy much space in your pack.
The same with water bottles, you can always bring something like a small vial of water or a built-in container in your daypack. This will make it easy to travel with and prevent any dehydration in the process. It’s always important to know how to purify water if you are stuck out in the wilderness.
2. Getting Lost is Normal
When you try to cut a trail or just get a little far from your group, you may end up lost in the wild without even noticing. This can be daunting, frustrating, and sometimes and awful experience entirely. To relief some of your nerves and fear in these situations, you should know that this is completely normal.
In case you get lost or just lose your group, we recommend sitting for a few minutes and relaxing. This will calm your nerves and make your group come back to you. If after a few minutes no one comes back, you can start looking for your way to the camp or nearest trail using the GPS tracker or detailed map of the place.
If you can get to higher terrain and watch over trees or vegetation it would be a plus in case you’re looking for a group of people or trails. And always remember that thinking straight & calm is what will eventually take you anywhere you want to be.
3. You Are Not an Expert (Unless You Are)
This happens regularly as well, and it could be either you or a group member in the trip. People sometimes think that because they watched a survival show or video, doing these things is easy or just straightforward. But in reality, everything is harder and more time-consuming than it looks.
From making a fire to healing a wound, staying hydrated and even finding food in the wild are very difficult activities you should consider before going on any trip. Never think that because you saw or read something you are already an expert.
This also applies to selecting mushrooms or fruits to eat, purifying water, finding the ideal place to make a camp, and more. You won’t like to poison yourself by trying to look like an expert (that you aren’t), or eventually camp in a place that could leave your group stranded.
In case you are experienced in survival, then make sure everyone else in the group does things correctly. This could mean survival for the entire group.
4. First-Aid is Always Useful
Imagine getting cut with a branch, falling from a high tree and bruising your arms, or just slipping in wet dirt and breaking an ankle – but then you don’t have a first-aid kit to treat them. This could put you in a very serious life-threatening situation, and it’s something you don’t want to happen.
That’s why bringing a first-aid kit is critical for any hike, camp or trip to the wild. Even if you are going on a vehicle, bringing a few things to cure probably injuries or wound will be ideal. And if you can learn first-aid treatments and be useful in emergency situations, that would be even better.
5. Knowing How to Make Fire is Critical
There’s probably nothing more important in nature than having the chance to make fire. From getting warmer when it’s cold to cooking food and sometimes just as defense or light – fire is an essential survival aspect in the wild.
While having a lighter, some fuel and a lot of wood to use as tinder can be useful – sometimes they are not enough. That’s why it’s always great to have an optional fire-starting kit as well. This could save you in case you lose your main fire-making instruments, or they just get wet.
We also recommend learning how to make emergency signals with fire so you can allow rescuers and people see you in a critical situation.
Knowing how to use fire in your advantage will not only make your trip more comfortable but probably even save your life.
Don’t Let a Great Experience Go Wild!
We know it’s hard when you are in the wild with little to no experience. But as long as you know how to take care of yourself and prevent unnecessary pain and work, you can always strive even in the hardest situations.
So make sure to follow these tips and be prepared for any wild trip you make. You don’t know when a simple hiking or camping trip can go wild.