Now's the time to start getting that kit ready!
Go further, experience more, kit up!
It's been a strange old world for the past year or so, pandemics seem to screw many things up, and left many of us chomping at the bit to get back out there, and get on with things!
The outdoors has been discovered by many as a new addition to their options of 'things to do', often because there was nothing else to do for long periods of time!
Yes the mountains and wilds of thew world are awesome and beautiful, but don't ever underestimate nature!
Tips:
If going somewhere new and remote, let someone know where, and when you're going, and where applicable your desired route. Have a simple contingency plan, perhaps as simple as telling someone you'll check in with them when you're home, or back at the car etc.
Map reading skills aren't deemed necessary by many with the abundance of sat navs out there, but technology can go wrong, get damaged or lost when dropped. A backup map and retro compass is always a good idea, knowing how to use them even better!
Take into account that the sun doesn't always shine! I've seen so many people arrive by car the bottom of a mountain walk/climb, where they're out of the wind, it's warm and life's good, off they go with a big grin and a few mars bars and nothing much more. I've seen these same people transformed to frozen, soaked through and very unhappy individuals at the top. No waterproofs, insulating layer, no nothing other than the T Shirt and jeans they got out of the car in. You risk serious exposure problems if the weather turns, even a simple sprain, which means you can't move quickly enough to generate heat can mean mountain rescue or other specialist extraction teams are required. It also puts these rescue teams who may be called to your aid at risk. If you're not sure what to bring, check the official visitors guide for the area you're visiting, if they have a minimal kit list, aim to at the very least take those required items with you. If it's something technical, and you have no experience, maybe consider joining a group or getting a guide. Build experience, confidence and resilience.
You need to drink! If it's cold, then warm drinks are great, but you need to hydrate either way. Simply becoming de-hydrated over a few hours of hard graft is enough to cause you to become dizzy and possibly lose balance, which in a mountain environment could be game over. Keep a clear head, bring enough water.
Bring a first aid kit, know whats in there, and how to use it if needed.
It's out there waiting..
Making sure your compass, GPS, Satcoms etc are secure is important. It's why our products exist, to provide security for your safety critical items.
This is no way near an exhaustive list! but it's a few of the very basics that some don't consider, and end up in trouble because of it.
And yeh, I had plenty of kit just out of camera shot ;)
Get out there and stay safe!
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