![]() ![]() ![]() Forest Service on what to do if you do get lost or find yourself in distress: it’s chock-full of great tips on how to keep it together when all else fails. And be sure to study this guide from the U.S.If you have the cash to spare, consider investing in a personal locator beacon (usually a few hundred dollars), which will allow you to send your exact location and/or an emergency distress call when there’s no cell reception.If you can’t get to one of these locations, check out the Appalachian Mountain Club’s introduction to navigation or this video from REI. Many major gear outfitters and regional chapters of Orienteering USA offer map and compass courses for new users that usually cost less than $100. Invest in a decent compass and topo maps of your hiking destination, and know how to use both.Always make sure an emergency contact is aware of your intended itinerary, when you plan to return, what vehicle you’ll be driving, and who is going with you. That means if you get lost (and even the best hikers do), it’s going to be up to you to get yourself found. Assume that you’re not going to have cell-phone reception for at least part of your hike.It’s your job to minimize them with some basic precautions: Safety FirstĪs great as backpacking is, it also comes with certain risks. With a little bit of planning and creative preparation, you can easily have the time of your life out there, even if this is your first overnight sojourn. For many people, the real appeal of backpacking is the quiet remoteness it affords, a chance to step away from the rat race and experience some real solitude. Each is a massive commitment, with gear bills in the thousands of dollars and up to six months away from work.īut backpacking doesn’t have to be a months-long, bank-account-draining undertaking. Each year about 4,000 backpackers attempt thru-hikes on the nation’s big three footpaths: the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide Trails. ![]()
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