Hiking 411 | Trail Etiquette

People who reside in urban areas often overlook why they went on a hiking trip to begin with: calm, serenity, and great scenes. In order to enjoy that experience, and let others as well, you need to follow some practical guidelines.

'If you bring it in, bring it out' - this is a traditional rule among reasonable hikers. Don't leave items on the trail that you brought with you, for the sake of other travelers and your upcoming enjoyment. Leave your hiking trail much as you found it.

Toilet paper, for instance, can take weeks or months to degrade. Upon using it, if you can't dispose of it somewhere, you should bury it. To bring it out with you, a Ziploc bag will confine odors until it can be properly trashed.

On a related note, if you urinate out in a wild area, do so at least 100 meters away from sources of water and paths where others walk. Feces should be buried in a small hole well off the main trail.

One immense delight of hiking and camping outdoors is appreciating the peace and quiet. Lots of exciting stuff done in the city involves creating loud sounds. Hiking trails are a different animal. Recognize others, keep your voice down, and ride motorcycles somewhere else. Fortunately, with the arrival of MP3 players, blaring music is a much less frequent occurrence in this day and age.

Find out the local regulations regarding fires and camping. It's very much preferred that you don't create a wood-based or open fire, under any circumstances. They easily spark and spread, even by accident. If that happens, they are awfully difficult to put out before turning into serious trouble.

If you're planning on setting up camp, do so in an open vicinity and use a Coleman or other like oven to cook food. When you break, don't leave anything behind that will not degrade inside a day.

Take related efforts when you go fishing or perform other endeavors that oftentimes go along with hiking vacations. These can be appreciated by a large number of hikers for a long time if just a bit of temperance and common sense are used.

Stay away from animals the same as they avoid you. Bears or mountain lions to be sure. Wildlife is particularly guarded during the mating season and when taking care of their young. Otherwise quiet animals can become violently protective and threatening if pushed. Some could have sicknesses that can spread to humans. Looking is enough. If you want to touch an animal, visit a petting zoo.

Mountain lions, bears, skunks, and others should basically be steered clear of. Bears aren't always 'Gentle Ben' like TV depicts. Usually they stay away from humans, but are known to kill and eat them. Large cats, also, will eat children. While generally shy, they're beasts of prey. YOU just don't have to BE their prey.

Apply common sense and respect and everybody, you chief among them, can enjoy your hikes now and in future.

Hiking Trip

Trail Etiquette