To get the security benefits of a VPN while traveling, first see if your router has an option to be a VPN server. This has the additional benefit that you can access other resources on your home network. Only use a commercial VPN if you need it for: 1. accessing geoblocked content (check laws and regulations) 2. if you are worried about your ISP
Just completed my first multi-day hike solo. First time use trekking poles. A god send. I experimented walking without them and was so much slower and with terrible posture. Also helped in river crossings, preventing falls, tent setup, pretend sword etc.
Yeah, recently got poles as well and even on manicured, flat trails, I find they just force me to have good posture and that makes carrying my pack feel so much easier. And they're absolute lifesavers in boggy terrain!
@@phillipp1399This. I am 48 with knee arthritis. I used just one pole for the very first time this weekend on an overnight, and I couldn’t believe the difference - especially downhill! My pole was an old ski pole that I found in my basement and stripped and sawed, but it worked. Maybe I will splurge on a pair before next weekend :)
At regular intervals I stop and look back at the trail if it isn't well marked or defined and make a mental note of it especially if it's an in and out hike. If something happens to your map or phone and you need to head on back the trail can look quite different. By familiarizing yourself of how it looked in the opposite direction it can help prevent you from getting lost.
Came here to say this and glad I'm not the only one thinking this. Did a 15 mile out and back run with someone once. They were new to the area. We got separated, which I thought was fine because we'd obviously already been there. They got within about 100m of the parking lot before deciding it looked unfamiliar, so they turned around and went back in the *opposite* direction. Took a couple hours to track them down. I frequently turn around and even snap a quick photo looking back at intersections.
just hijacking this comment to say, if you are planning on using ur phone or gps to navigate, keep you map in a waterproof/ ziplock bag. so if something happens to your phone/gps you can just pull your map out knowing it will be fine.
1. As for animals, don’t underestimate cows. Every year people get killed in the Alps when crossing a cow herd. 7. If you absolutely have to look over steep edges, crawl to them. It’s virtually impossible to lose balance that way, though still the edge could break of. Carrying a loud whistle is no big deal, but it can be very helpful if you need to call for help or shy away animals.
So interesting regarding cows because I would have never believed that cows can be aggressive until I encountered an aggressive cow mama in Oklahoma. Long story but don't underestimate the peaceful docel demeanor of a cow. ( Additional information: I was not trying to approach the cows.) Just a random encounter that neither myself or the cows planned.
The guidelines for hikers in Austria include always keeping a distance from cows and walking dogs on a short lead but unleashing them in case of attack.
ad 1. especially if there calves in the herd ... and yes, from experience, mother cows tend to get aggressive fast if you've got a dog with you. No Problem when hiking with open eyes to be honest. Oh, and don't mess with boars ....
#11 Lyme’s Disease, if caught early and properly treated with a successful round of antibiotics, it can certainly be overcome. However, tests for it are famous for false negatives. A friend and I contracted the disease while doing a meadow restoration. My doctor convinced me to go straight to the antibiotics rather than wasting time on a potentially false test. my friend’s doctors were much more difficult to convince and he spent many years debilitated. Eventually, he recovered enough to lead a normal life, only to die of a rare and fast growing brain tumor. Lyme’s Disease can break down the protective blood brain barrier. One of my close relatives has been disabled for decades from Lyme’s Disease. Anyone who thinks they may have contracted it should err on the side of caution. Please!
This. If Lyme disease OR associated co-infections don’t show symptoms and then get treated, you can get long-term lymes disease. I know many people whose lives have been severely impacted because I worked in the field of environmental management. Prevention is key!
You're right - Lyme can be treated successfully IF it's caught early, and no 2 people have the same symptoms. My husband went to the ER with a headache, body aches and a 105°F fever, and the nurse found a 6" bullseye rash on his arm - yet his Lyme test came back negative. He was given doxycycline, and within 24 hrs. was back to normal. I was diagnosed with Lyme but had no symptoms other than an atypical rash that wasn't at the bite site. It's nothing to brush off or wait to have treated.
YES agree totally. One side effect can be an Auto Immune reaction and cause a permanent condition where Steroids have to be taken for many years afterwards...Not nice.. Your own immune system attacks you. Tests are usually negative as there are many different types of ticks in different countries. Respect Ticks!!!
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
@@OscarHikes thank you so much, Oscar! It’s probably a much more sensitive topic for people who live year-round in high-risk areas, rather than just passing through. I enjoy your content!
Trusting your gut instinct is the best advice. I’ve been in many situations where this has saved me. Most recent was feeling I was being watched while hiking alone in a remote area, and I decided to turn back. Found out afterwards that wild dogs were very active in the area and attacks had occurred on other walkers several days prior.
Not really in the wild but in the city, I was on school trip in area that I didn't know. My instinct told "go that way", there was no logic just a feeling. Either way I waited and went with someone who knew where to go. We went the way my instinct told me and after like 5 minutes of walking I was in part of city I recognized
Excellent tips. I've solo hiked and hunted for many years in the US and elsewhere. I'm in Turkey now, where shepherd dogs and wild boars are a major concern. I've been bitten by Kangals on two separate occasions. They can be very safe if they are socialized properly, but most of them in rural areas are not. I've also been accosted by packs or teams of Kangals. All you can do is stay calm, speak in a low and nonthreatening voice, and avoid eye contact until they decide you're not a threat. They can really take the fun out of hiking. I've found myself in the middle of herds of wild boars, and fortunately haven't been attacked. It pays to be aware of your surroundings. I was solo hiking on the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan Province, China at 14-15,000 feet. I got caught in a thunderstorm and my down bag was sopping wet, so there I was in the wet season at high altitude with no sleeping bag. I had to bail out of my trek and changed my route. I did have a bivy bag and tarp that I rolled up in. It took me 2 days to get to a road and after that it took me 5 days to get to the airport. That was because landslides had shut down bus traffic. A Tibetan family took me in for a couple days while I was waiiting for a ride and then I had 3 days of bus and minivan rides on treacherous high mountain roads. Quite a memorable trip!
There are areas in States with a lot of feral dogs. They are more dangerous than coyotes, wolves and bears because they are not afraid of humans. Bear spray works on dogs better than bears. The problem with bear spray if you are alone and it fails it is probably to late for the lethal option. If you are not firearms adverse and live where they are legal don't give into peer pressure, carry a gun.
My girlfriend and I have a Kangal named Penelope. She absolutely loves people and children and is so protective of our animals I've totally forgotten how dangerous her breed is meant to be.
Great video! You definitely know more than me on this topic, but I still have three additions: 1) Addressing your last point: I had it in the mountains that it got _too quiet._ If that happens, this is usually a big clue that even insects are smarter than you foolish humans! In my case, I stopped and listened and tried to find evidence of wildlife. Instead, I heard a faint sound, similar to a wooden sailship catching up wind and the hull creaking, but deeper and barely audible. I was confused and then I heard sand rustling and thought that I hadn't seen any sand. Then I heard pebbles bouncing, and then it became clear to me... Over a mile of the path, big rocks rolled down the mountainside. Not a fun experience... 2) The other thing that nearly killed me was the sudden fog. I can't say that it came out of nowhere, but I've never seen fog like this. I could literally barely see my feet and that in an area with cliffs and generally a treacherous path... 3) I know that water is heavy and even heavier when you need to carry it long time, but it's quite an embarrassment if your entire group runs out of water and some nearly suffer a heatstroke about a mile from civilization and where you have your cars parked with the water...
I heard a similar story about fog from a friend. He wasn't hiking, but he drove up a mountain with his car. At first everything was fine, but when he was up there, suddenly it got really foggy and he had to wait quite a while until he could see enough to drive down again.
The 0.017 a year in 100,000 is a massive underestimation. 1. How many of 327 million park visitors are hiking solo? Majority are camping in the vicinity of their vehicles or hiking in groups. 2. Car death chance is for a year worth of driving. An average solo hike is much shorter. The risk to be adjusted by the exposure.
I spend roughly as much time on the road as I do hiking and I am very, very positive that I've been in way more dangerous events on the road (due to external causes) than I have been on my hikes.. definitely! My last trip is a great example. I climbed a mountain, crossed a glacier, went up a 1000m+ via Ferrata and did not have any dangerous moment. Then I drove back, crosssed the border to The Netherlands and some dude nearly ran me off the highway because he didn't check his mirrors coming from a parking space and overtaking a slower car also coming from that same parking space.. my first thought was.. isn't that nice.. I just climbed a mountain and almost died of a traffic accident going home 😅
I love hiking, and it is relatively safe; however, it is definitely more dangerous to hike in some places than driving. I was in the Gulf during my military days and heard someone use the same flawed statistic method to imply that I was safer there than back in the states because of crime in America. Most people in National Parks don’t put themselves in harms way-falls/bear attacks etc. It’s misleading to use the total amount of people going to the parks divided by hiking fatalities. Use the approximate number of people hiking at parks divided by hiking fatalities to get the real risk. Even then, you probably shouldn’t group all parks together. Some are far more dangerous to hike in than other. I don’t believe people should be afraid to hike in places like Yellowstone, but they should get accurate data when assessing their risks. They shouldn’t go into it believing they have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than having an encounter with a grizzly bear because someone fed them misleading statistics.👍🏽
My husband and I went hiking in a state forest one February in New York state. Beautiful winter day. No snow on the ground. We were hiking the forest perimeter following the blaze markers on the trees. About 4 pm...nearly dusk...heavy snow squal started to fall. Large flakes stuck to the wind side of trees and covered the blazes. We were lost. We only had a creek to follow back to our car which would take hours. I stopped and viewed the terrain. I saw vegetation that usually covers a farm field when no longer farmed. We marked our location with a pile of stones and then trekked into the field. I was correct! It was an old farm field with a road on one side. Once on the road we discovered that we were a half a mile from our car. So glad that day that my father had taught me to be an observer while in the woods.
I live in Poland. Last year I was camping and I could hear elk or deer all around me. They weren't close, but they were active. I looked later and confirmed it was mating season. I listened to music, I strobed my light, I used my emergency whistle a couple of times, but they kept getting closer over the next few hours. Despite me being ready for sleep and it was pouring, I just felt uneasy, so I packed up and walked out of there. No one understood me, but I had to go with my gut. I'd rather not be there when a buck is ready to mate or fight...
Often I'm biking through forest at night, even tho form time to time I saw deer I don't want any confrontation with them. They stand more or less as tall as me on bike, they're wider, heavier and faster and more agile than me. Fortunately so far i just wanted to go my way and they wanted to go their way when we met
7:20 In a tick territory you shouldn't wear shorts or smth like that. You need your legs covered. The most important reason is - efficient anti-tick sprays must not be used on bare skin because 1) they're toxic and 2) they last much longer on cloth. Another point: good anti-tick sprays are only focused against them. General sprays against everything (tick+moskitos+smth+smth, etc) are significantly weaker. Also, you're saying to just remove the tick and you'll be fine. That's not always true. Yes, most ticks are "healthy" but some carry pretty dangerous (even life-threatening) deseases. Tick bites need to be avoided.
@@SoloHiker1 Are you a troll or just stupid? Google diseases like Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia - all carried by ticks, this list might not even be complete, depending on region. And if you're so not afraid of bugs then go hiking through African jungles, without any protective measures, just a week in a jungle, and have some friendly bites by local moskitoes and other buggies. And tell us your story of success. If you ever come back, that is. "If you're afraid of bugs". lol You should be -afraid- wary of bugs if you're not an idiot.
@@SoloHiker1 My comment seems to be deleted (censorship?), so I'm restoring it in a slightly milder form. Are you a troll or just so ignorant? Search for diseases like Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia - all carried by ticks, this list might not even be complete, depending on region. And if you're so NOT afraid of bugs then go hiking through African jungles, without any protective measures, just a week in a jungle, and have some friendly bites by local moskitoes and other buggies. And tell us your story of success. If you ever come back, that is. (Spoiler: chances are high that you won't: lots of explorers of older and modern times lost their lives to African bugs. Almost everywhere except Antarctica - there are also many deaths related to 'bugs', including ticks, annually. In modern times.) "If you're afraid of bugs". lol
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
Another one.. don't panic! It's the worst thing you can do in tricky situations. I have had some scary moments like thunderstorms, lost my map and my phone turned blue due to excessive rain, ran into unfriendly dogs, got stuck on a steep ridge etc. this happens and the best thing you can do is take a deep breath, avoid panicking and deal with the situation as calmly as you can.
Many steep cliffs (example fjords) are steep because they are unstable and will regularly crumble, keeping their edges steep amd sharp. It is better to not go near steep drop offs at all! Even if they look stable to you, the cliff may have a crack much lower where you cannot see it.
Please learn to properly use a paper map! In addition of been a backup for the phone/GPS, learning to read it will help you to better understand the GPS/phone maps at a glance and will setup your route-planning mindset. Having that skills always make your life easier!
That's a really good tip! I used to do a lot of orienteering as a kid, so I always look at the terrain elements as well on my phone's app. It does indeed allow you to look at the phone less ofen and be more confidant that you're in the right place.
Lots of great tips in video and comments! 1. If backpacking, never get separated from your pack, unless you are wearing a daypack containing everything you would need to survive overnight without your pack. 2. If there's a rattlesnake on or very close to the trail, do not leave the trail to go around the snake *unless* the ground is quite bare and you can be sure of seeing any other snakes. Where there's one rattler, there are probably more very close by. If rattler on trail has not rattled at you, do something to be sure it knows you are there. Then back up 10-12 feet and stand quietly. Eventually it will move off once you are not seen as an immediate threat; be patient; maybe take 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully for other rattlers on or near trail as you proceed. 3. Keep your distance from all large herd animals (cattle, horses, bison, elk, etc.) and all animals with horns or antlers or tusks (goats, bighorn sheep, moose, boar, warthogs, etc.). 4. Don't set up your camp/tent on an ant hill, an ant trail, or a yellow jacket nest in the ground. Look closely for these things and for prints showing "animal traffic." 5. Carry a roll of 2 inch wide self-adhesive sport wrap - useful for bracing strained or mildly sprained joints, splinting, bandaging large wounds, holding equipment together...all sorts of things. 6. To cope with heat: Add electrolytes to your water; use NormaLyte or LMNT brands, or use WHO's oral rehydration recipe. Cover your head with a WET 100% cotton light-colored bandana or fisherman's hat (aka "boonie" hat). Re-wet as needed. Keeping your head cool this way helps tremendously. On hot days I put my boonie on dripping wet and carry extra water to re-wet it.
I thought most snakes would be scared by stomping the ground? The only snake in my country can be avoided by simply stomping really hard while walking. I did a hike where I encountered probably 10+ snakes but I just kept walking and stomping my feet and they all scattered.
i have to admit, i hate the false safety some stupid safety gadgets give people. I carry a gun and wont go solo camping without it. Animal attacks are immediatly 10 times less dangerous, and im not scared of humans either.
Do not use tweezers to remove tick! Crashing it's back may cause intoxication. Use proper tool that costs 3$ and can be bought in any pharmacy. It's plastic, lightweight and allows to remove them without compression of it's back.
You can use tweezer if you use light pressure, as light as possible and grip close to the skin. Try several times and build up pressure as you do to try out how much pressure you need. This way insures that the whole tick is removed and does not crush it.
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
Also had a question about the free Gaia GPS: to preface, I have the premium and can download offline maps. How to you get the downloaded data from the free version???
So if you have the free version, you don't "download" offline maps as in clicking a button to download it. You simply zoom in to any area while connected to the internet. The app will then download this area in your phone's cache, so that next time you zoom in to the same area (even if not connected to the interned), you will be able to see everything. I've heard some people saying that relying on this is dangerous, but I literally hiked the whole length of GR11 this way, and never did the "cached" areas automatically delete by themselves. The app size just keeps getting larger and larger until you manually delete the cache in your phone's app settings.
Great video!!! 💪😉 I also have some modest tips: 1 pay attention to the return of a trekking. Descents can be really dangerous. 2 Bring a poncho useful for rain and for spreading it on wet grass. 3 Carry a lemon in your backpack during hot trekkings. If you run out of water you feel less thirsty. Natural vitamin c. 4. Don't compete with others. Physical endurance is subjective. 5. Be careful of high altitude. 6. Observe and listen nature (clouds, sudden silence of animals). 7. Sing if you are scared. I know it sounds stupid but it works. 😅
Great list and video! I have a habit of treating my hiking socks and trousers with permethrin. Many people do it to deal with mosquitoes, but I find it more effective against ticks and chiggers, which don't fly but crawl up your legs. When they get exposed to the permethrin they fall off dead. I find that better than doing a tick inspection, especially if I'm alone.
I'll use that from now on bro, Ticks are the bane of my existence. On all my small hiking trips I've seen them all over the place, specially on summer and opposums aren't as numerous as they used to over here, and to them that's a chance to reproduce, so far I only got bitten once and I didn't got any issues, lucky me, but in the cattle grassing areas near my home THEY'RE HUGE and EVERYWHERE.
Excellent educational video Oscar, not only for beginners but seasoned solo hikers and group hikers as well.Many times a group member will wander off and become lost and alone. I'm a solo female backpacker now in my 6th year and prefer to hike alone. You're absolutely correct with all of your tips, my favorite is "trusting your gut" it's happened to me a few times where I've bailed on multi-day hikes because something just didn't feel right. Thank you for all you do!
A young woman died at the Grand Canyon years ago, she went over the protective rail to get a close up view of the canyon at sunset and sat down when she decided to stand up she went vertigo lost her balance and fell to her demise, a very tragic situation.
You got lucky if you think lume wasn't bad,!!!!! I have chronic lyme. It's absolutely terrible I was destroyed for 4 years borderline bed ridden!!!! Be careful with lume and get it treated immediately!!!!
That was the only advice I was like, WTF? Just because he didn’t suffer doesn’t mean many others haven’t suffered long term. But the rest of his advice was spot on.
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
@OscarHikes 1- Advising hikers to take a moment every 200 m or so to look back over the trail they just crossed is something you may consider mentioning. It’s a curious thing to observe how trails through the forest appear very different when I turn around and look to see where I’ve just come from. I believe that contributes to people getting lost. With that said, this is something that is emphasized on terrain that has short or poor visibility. If you’re hiking along barren foothills along a coastline, it seems evident to me that you would not necessarily need to do that. But it is certainly a habit I use when I hike through California’s Sierra forests and the Coast Range near Santa Cruz. 2 - I have come to experience that learning how to use a compass and paper map is essential. I don’t agree that you need to print up a new map every time you go hiking. Most trails don’t actually get changed very much. Like my books, I take care of my maps. I use a map pouch With a clear plastic sleeve, and I never write on them. With digital technology and networks being hacked, pirated, or otherwise unavailable more frequently, it simply cannot be ignored that relying too much on battery powered digital technology could be your downfall. Learn how to navigate for yourself, and use tools that use no power or digital software. Remember, there have been millions of beautiful and successful hikes in human history long before the advent of digital technology.
I don't hike much, but I agree with the paper maps thing. One of my biggest worries is always that I somehow have my stuff be soaked with water and then anything battery powered could be ruined. Or the battery runs out and you don't have more, probably exactly because of the first thing I mentioned. It's unlikely that that much goes wrong, but it's not impossible. Some bookshops also sell some really detailed hiking maps which are very helpful, even if you do only a short day hike. And almost always you'll also find a few books describing some established routes in detail, so that could maybe help as well if you have pictures and descriptions.
Good video sir, and a great list. The last point is something I can atest to as well. You just get a feeling...listen to it and go else where. It's usually you have seen something, or many somethings, and they haven't registored with your logical brain yet but you have seen signs and they are real. With experience you get much better at listening and also rationalising the feelings. A point, Primus makes a "Winter" Gas and I can say that it works as advertised (minus 22 I think), I have had it down to minus 24 and it still worked. For me it was a game changer during colder camping trips.
Excellent video, great tips. In Australia I know of some deaths from tree branch falls and lightning strike on top of a mountain, so I am very cautious where I camp. However the most concerned I've been in the wild was when a group of 20 pigs approached where I was camping. Ultimately they didn't do anything but I didn't get much sleep. Trekking pole tip is good - I bang it on the ground when walking through grass to (hopefully) encourage snakes to leave.
Good tips! I've also had a similar pig experience. And I also do the rest of the tips that you mentioned - I guess we all learn this stuff over time! :D
This is one of the best videos of seen on this topic, well done. Really sensible tips and well explained. And so happy you included "trust your instincts"! This is always overlooked.
Thank you, Oscar! For me, number 14 (don't walk and use phone at the same time) is a good reminder. Especially after a long days hike when tired and hungry, then try to reduce risk and don't multitask while walking.
Immediately subscribed for the sheer fact you immediately jumped into this video giving us exactly what we want. It’s rare to see that nowadays on RUclips. I know it’s probably a little thing but thank you immensely for this video!
Excellent video. I was doing an adventurous hike in my standards that had a traverse from one summit to the other. My gut was telling me I didn’t feel well and should just take the one summit to turn back. I trusted my gut and was very happy I didn’t get myself hurt.
İ really like your videos… and thanks for the important tips. My first solo hike was this year april. Actually i thought that i planned my hike but it turned out that i didint plan it throughly. First i didint learned about the water situation so in my first day i ended up asking other hikers for water. They were russian guys and they were very nice and shared their water with me. Second i packed to much food. And it made my pack heavy. İ packed the clothes that i planned to wear at the airport and city not to bother people with my dırty clotes and it made my pack heavy… as a result at the first say the route was hard and dangerous , lots of climbing, ups and downs and in some point i got so exhausted that i couldnt move in a rock passing and there was no room to rest. İ am glad that i was alive after that dangerous passing. Next day i left the trail went to a town and sent all the not important stuff to my friends house and lightened my pack from 15 kg to 10 kg. So i became free to pack the amount of water i needed. İt was the best decision that i made… i think without water a pack should be max 10 kg for a regular female person. İf you cant pack a pack under 10 kg dont go solo… sorry i learned it the hard way by risking my life. İ have a garmin watch and i couldn’t lower my heart rate under 180 for about an hour. İ tried breathing exercises, tried to stop and sit but because of the narrow edges of the rocks and cliff and the pounding sound of the waves hitting the cliff under my feet made me nervous. İf i had a light pack i could have passed that dangerous section in a short time and wouldn’t get so nervous that effected my heart rate so badly… because there were hikers passing me by and they had tiny backpacks and easily hopped through the rocks…
Nice video. In the USA we talk of the 4 W's of picking a campsite. Wood (access to firewood), Water (access to water source and considering flood risk), Wind (consider location and position of tent), Widowmakers (consideration of dead treas or branches above that could kil or injure)
Okay I'll add my beginner two cents: If you have trouble getting UP a terrain, either because it is too steep, or too slippery, or both, then you will have even more trouble getting it DOWN. Let alone if it starts raining before going down. Then even a relatively solid dirt becomes trouble on a steep slope. On steep slopes going down usually takes longer than going up. Keep that in mind when pursuing a summit that is "just 300m more" elevation ahead while you see the storm approaching.
Yes. Your last tip is the most important. I always say, half of hiking is simply using good judgement. There have been a handful of times where I have been like "Nope, not worth it" and turned around. If you know where your limits are, you're ready for a lot.
The biggest danger of solo hiking is that you won't do it. Most of us are social animals, and prefer going with other people. But there are great benefits to hiking alone!
I'm a safety freak, especially since the military, so I have at least one more person with survival skills and medical and navigating skills, I have 2 paper maps wich show different pictures of the same area plus a plb plus a GPS tracking device, I prefer not to use technology there just to safe battery even tho I carry a solar Powerbank, it's not like I pre pepper spray people just go be sure but that is what I do, probably too much but I rather have it and not use it instead of needing at and not having it
This was one of the best videos of this kind that I've seen in the past year since I took up hiking again. No bs, straight to the point, and 99% advice that I would have given, if I were to make this video, especially after my last trip which was solo. Big thumbs up!
When hiking solo on high altitude mountains, make sure you atleast carry something with you that is visible from a big distance. Like a peace of clothing that stands out from the environment. If something happens..you spray your ankle for example and you're not able to continue, atleast people that are able to help will see you sooner.
compass do not need battery. It is good backup. At least you keep direction. Every one hour look back to remember where have you been walking. It helps to return if it is necessary.
Deadfall is one that deserves more attention. You need to know if there are any dead trees around you. This is especially important if you hammock camp, a storm is incoming, or it winter and the leaves are not on the trees. It is stressful laying awake in your tent as the storm is howling and remember you did not check for any dead trees or branches.
Great tips. I strongly recommend for people to learn basic navigation skills; they can save your life. You also don't need major landmarks to navigate by. Just small features can provide a wealth of info.
It's not a good idea to use the swiss army knife tweezers to remove a tick, you'll squeeze the tick injeting yourself with tick juice!! use some thing designed for tick removal - like a "tick card" or tick removal tool..
It's true that it can happen if you're not careful, but if you pick it right, then it won't "vomit" back into your blood system. But yes, I totally agree, the risk of this happening with tweezers is much higher compared to a tick cord.
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
I don't avoid watching videos with doom and gloom backcountry subject matter. Many of them contain valuable information that could literally save lives. "Kyle Hates Hiking" is an example of an accomplished thru-hiker who presents such content with respect to those involved.
There are both kinds of videos on the web. Some are designed to scare you away from hiking, while others are designed to educate. Studying mishaps is good education. Learn from the mistakes of others. And from their victories.
This has to be some of the absolutely best advice I've heard when it comes to hiking!😄🙏 I must also commend you on telling people to trust your instincts, that is truly underrated advice!😊
The two things that I liked the most in this video are 1) your pleasant European physiognomy; and 2) the beautiful European landscape. Your hiking tips were also good and helpful. Greetings from Israel.
Relying on your phone too much is my tip nr.1 and bring a second shirt if you are prone too sweating. Regarding the phone: if you go on a hike that is 7 hour plus and through mountains you might drain the battery or loose signal. Gps devices or maps can be had cheap used, use free maps and have battery life for days. Same applies for a led head lamp, take one as especially in winter you might get a delay and be surprised by early dark. As for the dry shirt: I sweat a lot under my pack and straps and once you are up a mountain on the way down you tend to cool a lot faster and switching to a dry shirt is just a giant comfort and reward and an extra merino shirt doesn’t way much
Great video! THX! When hiking I always carry a compass with me. So at least I know the direction. I have been in a wood once and GPS didn't work because there was no line of sight to the satellites.
1:54 As a funny point, if they don't receive any messages from you then they need to first try to contact YOU and only then the authorities. 😄 Some people can be too jumpy (like "He said to contact the authorities if he doesn't send a message some day. It's already 6 PM and no message from him, I need to call ALL the local and federal emergency numbers ASAP!!11"). 😄
Navigation backup: My best backup so far is extremely good preparation! As a geocacher, the usual routes are of little use to me and I have to find my own personal route for each tour. This way, however, this route is very well etched in my memory. I have already had the situation where I forgot to download the map and of course there was no internet at this exact spot. I managed pretty well for half a day, with very little deviation from my route. So: Plan the route in detail and go through it several times in your head and learn it by heart!
As a somehow experienced hiker I always watch advice videos like these in order to potentially learn new things. And I think this video is a good one 👍
What a great video, truly useful among all the other stuff in youtube. Definititely one of my favorites hiking youtubers.Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Other ideas: consider purchasing a locator beacon/inReach, and opt for one which supports messaging. Also, exercise extra caution when not going out and back, since an obstacle/obstruction may require you to go back the way you came, nearly doubling the length.
I liked the comment on how safe hiking actually is and not to worry about dangerous people so much or dangerous animals. Some noise is usually sufficient.
Tip 20: I was hiking a fairly popular trail near a highway & in the metro area of a big American city. As I was sitting at the top watching the sunset I got an uneasy feeling & realized I was the only person at the top. I immediately pulled both my earbuds out & began heading at a fast pace for my car. I then called someone & stayed on the line with them. When I got to the parking lot a single truck was standing their with out of state plates who turned on their highbeams to blind me & the rear window of my car had been unlocked. They left after a second (I think I looked pretty intimidating being a big guy, wearing a balaclava, & holding a knife) but yeah. I 100% learned to trust my gut after that
Yup. My worst incident that landed me very stuck in a hole with no help around was due to me losing focus because I was tired and should have taken a break. Obviously I got out, but it took everything I had and hurt like hell.
If you want good paper maps, most European countries have an official hiking map set for them, they are in 1:50 scale, updated fairly often and pretty reliable. One goes for about 10e, and they are often sold in a boxed set that has all of them for a country or a region. I like to use them, but then and again, I'm an old person who remembers hiking before cellphones were a thing.
If you are wearing boots it's a good idea to bring some light shoes/sandals just to use around your camp. It's annoying to take the boots on just to go up and have a leak at night.
For me trekking poles are an absolute must have 98% of the time I go hiking. I'm super clumsy and I got big feet, and I can't tell you how many times my poles have saved me from taking a nasty fall. The one time I went without them I ended up falling knee first on a rock, and I was sore for a good 2-3 weeks afterwards.
Backpacking in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, it's grizzly country. I keep ALL smellables in a bear canister and take serious precautions like stopping to eat about mile away from any place I'm planning on setting up camp.
I heard that bears can smell food from up to 19 miles! And once you've cooked, jump in the lake and wash to get the smell of food off you, and put clean clothes on. They can hunt you down from miles away!!
Just started solo hiking and documenting waterfalls I visit. Definitely need to work on it but I hope one day to be able to hike around the world without worrying about funds or anything, to be able to just go when and where I want, for as long as I'd want.
great video...I always listen to my gut feeling it is important to always do that. I have turned back a few times on the trail listening to my good old gut and have left some campsites a time or two also.
When I was hiking in the Scottish Highlands I came across a group of sheep and some of them looked very aggressive. I trusted my instincts and backed off. It was a close one.
I don't do anything other than day hikes now but there are times I still carry a life straw filter and clorine tablets. It cuts down on amount of water you have to carry. Check for life around a water source. A dead pool or stream is a sign of toxicity. I always carry a lensmatic compass as the ultimate backup. If you are a serious back country hiker developing dead reckoning navigational skils is a must. It was a requirement to qualify as a watch ofticer in the maritime world for a good reason. If you hike with a dog don't depend on it to alert you to dangerous wildlife especially in the States. It is very breed dependent. A bird dog probably won't alert you to a dangerous predator like a bear or cat. Hounds and herding dogs are your best canine companions in the outdoors.
5. In the North American West, you should always place any food or smelly stuff in a BEAR CANISTER. Always, always, always. Even if it is in your car. Bears can and will break into your car!
Good tips, thank you! My tip is to carry a whistle - we've 3d-printed a small, but loud one at home, but they are sold literally everywhere))) Helped me with the most of the dogs on my last through-hike (not herding dogs, but still) And other one is you can download a chunk of Google map to use offline, not sure whether it would be useful for mountains. But might give you a paper-map level idea of where you are? Have you ever startled a wild animal on accident before?
I've scared off boars and deer a lot, especially when trail running, but they've luckily always ran away. And once, over 10 boars tried to break into my tent (before I started hanging my food). Hmm, I've never actually carried a whistle. I might actually look into that, thanks!
@@OscarHikes I actually consider whistles to be excellent for group-camp security. They have been used for years on the battlefield, because they can be heard through the din of battle (and the roar of vehicles).
Thank u for the video, i feel a sense of fear at the thought of hiking alone, even though i have hiked alone , after then finding others to hike with the thought of going alone feels slightly scary. Except i love outdoors.
When I am a lone hiking I pick common trailers so that if anything goes wrong, people will find me or come and discover me and save me. This is true in camping also away from parks but where people come.
Oscar -- Your advice was first class. I liked your navigational back-ups, even though I'm a map and compass person. I liked your advice about food which should not be stored in the tent in the wilderness. I immediately thought about bears and rats, but not wild boar! One part which would still leave me feeling uneasy, was your lack of attention to night time. I've heard no ends of stories of bad people, creatures and spirits walking around close to the camp site in the Appellation Mountains, US. On your own, you are easy to overcome. Even if you are armed with a pistol, you still need to sleep. To guarantee safety at night, you must have armed staggered night sentries. These will be in silent communication with one person in each tent by string tied to their wrist. Sentries will also have a whistle which signals immediate danger. The camp fire should be maintained all night (lots of dry firewood required). But there needs to be an illumination plan set back from the fire, eg, a lantern tied behind a tree trunk so you can see into the periphery of the forest. Infra-red/ white light alarms can be set on obvious approaches. Latrines will be within the lantern ring, and armed users will be guarded by sentries. As soon as a sentry raises the alarm, all campers are to put their boots on, arm themselves, and be ready to fight. You can buy 3 second set-up / take-down tents from "Reactive Outdoors." All kit not being used should be packed away ready for an emergency withdrawal, which will be reconnoitered beforehand. A head count will always precede a withdrawal, and all kit will be taken.
Oscar, thanks all excellent advise and no fluff. Been backpacking, self taught adult since the '70's (yes that is 50+ yrs) Would love to see a bit on backwoods etiquette as well as skills...leave a no trace campsite, how to make a personal single use latrine, aluminum foil/glass, benefits of fire-less camping. - finally a comment you made in your treking poles video about age - while "backpacking into 60's or 70's may sound old in your 20's & 30's you all should expect to be able to do so into your 80's and 90's. Maybe your generation should look to the 100's - it wouldn't happen unless you believe!
My great-grandfather could out-walk young men when he was in his 80's. He lost his short-term memory, and would forget where he was, so he had to stop. Then his health decayed.
Living in Switzerland, hiking is kind of national sport . I totally agree wirh you, I always plan my tours in advance and let a map for my wife at home. And the other thing, I like my gear in signal colours, I don't go for hunting....
Good tips, I agree with all of them but I also arrivi the comments about not understanding ticks... They have become much more widespread lately due to climate change so everyone should have a high level of alert concerning them. Another side note about navigation: using map and compass, although less immediate than GPS, can be very effective, and it carries several other advantages. You are more aware of your location, of the terrain and of the environment in general, therefore it becomes very very unlikely that you can get really lost. It can also make any track more interesting in general and you're going to remember it better. I always carry a GPS anyway but using it as a backup, saving its battery and thus making sure it will be available if and when needed.
We have always had ticks, but Lyme Disease is a military bioweapon. It is intended to solve the climate change problem by pushing the people into 15 minute cities where they cannot solo hike.
Good advices, 2 weeks ago I went solo camping with a hammock I placed it high. It was nice experience I have spend afternoon sleept and in morning went with my bicycle to my car!! Only thing by the night I have heard except sea sound, was some animal walk near. By sound it could be some fox because boar will make noises, maybe was jackal but then they will be in group I assume I made noise two times like PCH!! And clapping, animal run away far away. It was in west Croatia here we dont have bears and wolfs, only predators can be boars
Regarding gut instinct, about three years ago I was solo hiking in the mountains near my house (I had been solo hiking for half a year at this point) where there is a lot of bear and mountain lion activity reported. It was not my first time in predator country, nor in those specific mountains, but while on the hike I had gone about a Km and then suddenly I was overcome with an inexplicable feeling of dread and paranoia. I can’t explain the feeling accurately, only that I was essentially certain that if I took another step I wouldn’t make it out of the forest. Looking around there was nothing in sight, and no sounds of activity. I decided to listen to my gut - I say this when really I seemed physically unable to take another step forward - and turned around. I’d never felt that way before nor since and I hike alone 99% of the time. I’ve heard big cats can produce infrasound which sounds like what I may have experienced, or it very possibly could have been just a panic attack. Either way, I truly feel I’m only okay today because I left the trail that day. I’ve since been back in those mountains and that same trail with no issues. Trust your instincts. You can always come back another day.
Thanks for the comprehensive safety tips for solo hikers, Oscar! The guidelines you’ve shared are essential for anyone hitting the trails alone, and it’s great to see a no-nonsense approach to hiking safety. Very nice video!🙏
An early backpacking trip with a group, I was the oldest and slowest. They would stop somewhere and wait for me. When I arrived, they immediately picked up and started out again - giving me no chance to sit and recover. After that, I solo backpacked w/dogs until a car accident made it impossible for me to carry a pack. Now I do day hikes or car camping, but still follow all I learned through my brief experience with backpacking. Great video. Thanks.
11:05 more like intuition, than instincts, both of which are pretty real. Intuition is when your subconscious mind presents you with a solution or way of action
I'd add one thing about GPS navigation. Be sure that your navigation app doesn't reset cash for no apparent reason, like google maps sometimes do. Yes I do the same as shown in the video: zoom in desirable area and have it cashed in. The problem is, sometimes application decides to reset it. So I always try to have actual paper maps with me and always have GPS-tracker. Mobile phone is a delicate thing (unless you have special durable model), so it is always good to have alternative ways of navigation. EDIT: Oh well, it was just later in the video :D
Good tips; accurate info. About water crossings, it’s important to know what to do if your intended crossing point cannot be forded. Refer to your map and look for other possible places to cross.
One more: Practice extreme caution on snow-covered terrains. Most European forests are artificial and planted to maximize forestry value, not to withstand heavy layers of snow and ice. Even in a seemingly wonderful winter landscape you can find yourself walking through a patch of forest where all trees are young and have weak branches that could crack from the slightest touch. Not to mention the dangers Alpine ravines pose when they are frozen over. Most hiker deaths happen during the winter season, even short 5-10 km hikes can quickly turn dangerous.
Oh - and it's a really beginner tip, but never try to grip on to terrain elements such as rocks or bushes during ascent or descent, however convenient it may seem. Even old guardrails and bridges can be a risk, but putting your weight on something that may or may not be rooted deep enough in the ground to hold you is a bad idea. I've seen people try to cling on to grass, because they have a natural instinct to grab things that might help with balancing.
@@profemeritus534 Professor Emeritus, with all due respect, have you been off the pavement? We are accustomed to dashing through downfall and untrimmed brush, which we must keep from poking our eyes out. We walk through grass that can cut us. (It HURTS, like a paper-cut in the office.) And yes, we grab grass and bushes to help us, because the other option is sliding or rolling down into the thorn-bushes or cacti. We get many minor bumps and scratches that warn us away from real dangers. We climb trees, learning to feel how each branch reacts to our weight, and how to predict when it will break. (By the way, a large, leafy branch acts somewhat like a parachute.) Those who have never conducted these hundreds or thousands of unscientific and highly-subjective experiments, especially in childhood, are very much at risk in the woods during their golden years. Civilization has deprived too many of us of the wisdom of the Neanderthals. We may be more helpless than sheep. I would never recommend that sheep hike solo. Shepherds do.
@@IdahoSewing You don't need to be part of civilization if you don't feel like it. But treating grass and bushes as if it was via ferrata is downright stupid regardless whether you are a tribesmen grown up in the nature or an office worker going for a weekend hike.
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Just completed my first multi-day hike solo. First time use trekking poles. A god send. I experimented walking without them and was so much slower and with terrible posture. Also helped in river crossings, preventing falls, tent setup, pretend sword etc.
Yeah, trekking poles are the best! Also, they add some upper-body exercise as well :)
Yeah, recently got poles as well and even on manicured, flat trails, I find they just force me to have good posture and that makes carrying my pack feel so much easier. And they're absolute lifesavers in boggy terrain!
Thought I'd hate them, but now I don't hike without trekking poles!
If you value your knees and you’re over 30, you’re crazy to not use them. If you’re under 30 you can show everyone your untimely wisdom by using them.
@@phillipp1399This. I am 48 with knee arthritis. I used just one pole for the very first time this weekend on an overnight, and I couldn’t believe the difference - especially downhill!
My pole was an old ski pole that I found in my basement and stripped and sawed, but it worked. Maybe I will splurge on a pair before next weekend :)
At regular intervals I stop and look back at the trail if it isn't well marked or defined and make a mental note of it especially if it's an in and out hike. If something happens to your map or phone and you need to head on back the trail can look quite different. By familiarizing yourself of how it looked in the opposite direction it can help prevent you from getting lost.
Came here to say this and glad I'm not the only one thinking this. Did a 15 mile out and back run with someone once. They were new to the area. We got separated, which I thought was fine because we'd obviously already been there. They got within about 100m of the parking lot before deciding it looked unfamiliar, so they turned around and went back in the *opposite* direction. Took a couple hours to track them down. I frequently turn around and even snap a quick photo looking back at intersections.
I also like to take pictures of the characteristic landmarks or the places where I left the marked trail.
The important habit of reviewing the last 100-200 meters of path traveled cannot be understated
just hijacking this comment to say, if you are planning on using ur phone or gps to navigate, keep you map in a waterproof/ ziplock bag. so if something happens to your phone/gps you can just pull your map out knowing it will be fine.
Solid advice!🙏
Something I do as well is that look at the scenery and memorize it, I have rather good photogenic memory so that helps!😅
1. As for animals, don’t underestimate cows. Every year people get killed in the Alps when crossing a cow herd.
7. If you absolutely have to look over steep edges, crawl to them. It’s virtually impossible to lose balance that way, though still the edge could break of.
Carrying a loud whistle is no big deal, but it can be very helpful if you need to call for help or shy away animals.
So interesting regarding cows because I would have never believed that cows can be aggressive until I encountered an aggressive cow mama in Oklahoma. Long story but don't underestimate the peaceful docel demeanor of a cow. ( Additional information: I was not trying to approach the cows.) Just a random encounter that neither myself or the cows planned.
The guidelines for hikers in Austria include always keeping a distance from cows and walking dogs on a short lead but unleashing them in case of attack.
@@Paisley194 That‘s interesting, I never knew there were guidelines.
ad 1. especially if there calves in the herd ... and yes, from experience, mother cows tend to get aggressive fast if you've got a dog with you. No Problem when hiking with open eyes to be honest. Oh, and don't mess with boars ....
As I Canadian, I wish the only animals we had to be aware of when hiking were cows 😂
#11 Lyme’s Disease, if caught early and properly treated with a successful round of antibiotics, it can certainly be overcome. However, tests for it are famous for false negatives. A friend and I contracted the disease while doing a meadow restoration. My doctor convinced me to go straight to the antibiotics rather than wasting time on a potentially false test. my friend’s doctors were much more difficult to convince and he spent many years debilitated. Eventually, he recovered enough to lead a normal life, only to die of a rare and fast growing brain tumor. Lyme’s Disease can break down the protective blood brain barrier. One of my close relatives has been disabled for decades from Lyme’s Disease. Anyone who thinks they may have contracted it should err on the side of caution. Please!
This. If Lyme disease OR associated co-infections don’t show symptoms and then get treated, you can get long-term lymes disease. I know many people whose lives have been severely impacted because I worked in the field of environmental management. Prevention is key!
You're right - Lyme can be treated successfully IF it's caught early, and no 2 people have the same symptoms. My husband went to the ER with a headache, body aches and a 105°F fever, and the nurse found a 6" bullseye rash on his arm - yet his Lyme test came back negative. He was given doxycycline, and within 24 hrs. was back to normal. I was diagnosed with Lyme but had no symptoms other than an atypical rash that wasn't at the bite site. It's nothing to brush off or wait to have treated.
YES agree totally. One side effect can be an Auto Immune reaction and cause a permanent condition where Steroids have to be taken for many years afterwards...Not nice.. Your own immune system attacks you. Tests are usually negative as there are many different types of ticks in different countries. Respect Ticks!!!
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
@@OscarHikes thank you so much, Oscar! It’s probably a much more sensitive topic for people who live year-round in high-risk areas, rather than just passing through. I enjoy your content!
Trusting your gut instinct is the best advice. I’ve been in many situations where this has saved me. Most recent was feeling I was being watched while hiking alone in a remote area, and I decided to turn back. Found out afterwards that wild dogs were very active in the area and attacks had occurred on other walkers several days prior.
Not really in the wild but in the city, I was on school trip in area that I didn't know. My instinct told "go that way", there was no logic just a feeling. Either way I waited and went with someone who knew where to go. We went the way my instinct told me and after like 5 minutes of walking I was in part of city I recognized
Managed to avoid being shot at by an angry vineyard owner in Crete whilst my friends ignored my warnings
Emphasizing TEUST YOUR INSTINCTS
Excellent tips. I've solo hiked and hunted for many years in the US and elsewhere. I'm in Turkey now, where shepherd dogs and wild boars are a major concern. I've been bitten by Kangals on two separate occasions. They can be very safe if they are socialized properly, but most of them in rural areas are not. I've also been accosted by packs or teams of Kangals. All you can do is stay calm, speak in a low and nonthreatening voice, and avoid eye contact until they decide you're not a threat. They can really take the fun out of hiking.
I've found myself in the middle of herds of wild boars, and fortunately haven't been attacked. It pays to be aware of your surroundings.
I was solo hiking on the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan Province, China at 14-15,000 feet. I got caught in a thunderstorm and my down bag was sopping wet, so there I was in the wet season at high altitude with no sleeping bag. I had to bail out of my trek and changed my route. I did have a bivy bag and tarp that I rolled up in. It took me 2 days to get to a road and after that it took me 5 days to get to the airport. That was because landslides had shut down bus traffic. A Tibetan family took me in for a couple days while I was waiiting for a ride and then I had 3 days of bus and minivan rides on treacherous high mountain roads. Quite a memorable trip!
What a relief we dont have big beasts to fear in Britain.
Interesting comment and good points regarding dogs etc, glad you shared. Thx.
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There are areas in States with a lot of feral dogs. They are more dangerous than coyotes, wolves and bears because they are not afraid of humans. Bear spray works on dogs better than bears. The problem with bear spray if you are alone and it fails it is probably to late for the lethal option. If you are not firearms adverse and live where they are legal don't give into peer pressure, carry a gun.
You been places, for real
My girlfriend and I have a Kangal named Penelope. She absolutely loves people and children and is so protective of our animals I've totally forgotten how dangerous her breed is meant to be.
Great video! You definitely know more than me on this topic, but I still have three additions:
1) Addressing your last point: I had it in the mountains that it got _too quiet._ If that happens, this is usually a big clue that even insects are smarter than you foolish humans! In my case, I stopped and listened and tried to find evidence of wildlife. Instead, I heard a faint sound, similar to a wooden sailship catching up wind and the hull creaking, but deeper and barely audible. I was confused and then I heard sand rustling and thought that I hadn't seen any sand. Then I heard pebbles bouncing, and then it became clear to me... Over a mile of the path, big rocks rolled down the mountainside. Not a fun experience...
2) The other thing that nearly killed me was the sudden fog. I can't say that it came out of nowhere, but I've never seen fog like this. I could literally barely see my feet and that in an area with cliffs and generally a treacherous path...
3) I know that water is heavy and even heavier when you need to carry it long time, but it's quite an embarrassment if your entire group runs out of water and some nearly suffer a heatstroke about a mile from civilization and where you have your cars parked with the water...
I heard a similar story about fog from a friend. He wasn't hiking, but he drove up a mountain with his car. At first everything was fine, but when he was up there, suddenly it got really foggy and he had to wait quite a while until he could see enough to drive down again.
The 0.017 a year in 100,000 is a massive underestimation.
1. How many of 327 million park visitors are hiking solo? Majority are camping in the vicinity of their vehicles or hiking in groups.
2. Car death chance is for a year worth of driving. An average solo hike is much shorter. The risk to be adjusted by the exposure.
Citation needed.
I spend roughly as much time on the road as I do hiking and I am very, very positive that I've been in way more dangerous events on the road (due to external causes) than I have been on my hikes.. definitely! My last trip is a great example. I climbed a mountain, crossed a glacier, went up a 1000m+ via Ferrata and did not have any dangerous moment. Then I drove back, crosssed the border to The Netherlands and some dude nearly ran me off the highway because he didn't check his mirrors coming from a parking space and overtaking a slower car also coming from that same parking space.. my first thought was.. isn't that nice.. I just climbed a mountain and almost died of a traffic accident going home 😅
@@robvp71😂
I love hiking, and it is relatively safe; however, it is definitely more dangerous to hike in some places than driving. I was in the Gulf during my military days and heard someone use the same flawed statistic method to imply that I was safer there than back in the states because of crime in America.
Most people in National Parks don’t put themselves in harms way-falls/bear attacks etc. It’s misleading to use the total amount of people going to the parks divided by hiking fatalities. Use the approximate number of people hiking at parks divided by hiking fatalities to get the real risk. Even then, you probably shouldn’t group all parks together. Some are far more dangerous to hike in than other.
I don’t believe people should be afraid to hike in places like Yellowstone, but they should get accurate data when assessing their risks. They shouldn’t go into it believing they have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than having an encounter with a grizzly bear because someone fed them misleading statistics.👍🏽
Also stats dont ever express how much danger you are personally in at any moment. If you "hike" into a spinning blade, the state wont save you.
My husband and I went hiking in a state forest one February in New York state.
Beautiful winter day.
No snow on the ground.
We were hiking the forest perimeter following the blaze markers on the trees.
About 4 pm...nearly dusk...heavy snow squal started to fall.
Large flakes stuck to the wind side of trees and covered the blazes. We were lost.
We only had a creek to follow back to our car which would take hours.
I stopped and viewed the terrain.
I saw vegetation that usually covers a farm field when no longer farmed.
We marked our location with a pile of stones and then trekked into the field.
I was correct!
It was an old farm field with a road on one side.
Once on the road we discovered that we were a half a mile from our car.
So glad that day that my father had taught me to be an observer while in the woods.
Nr 14 (stop before looking at your phone navigation) is a life saving advice, I can tell from experience.
I live in Poland. Last year I was camping and I could hear elk or deer all around me. They weren't close, but they were active. I looked later and confirmed it was mating season.
I listened to music, I strobed my light, I used my emergency whistle a couple of times, but they kept getting closer over the next few hours.
Despite me being ready for sleep and it was pouring, I just felt uneasy, so I packed up and walked out of there.
No one understood me, but I had to go with my gut. I'd rather not be there when a buck is ready to mate or fight...
I'm glad you got out fine mate! I've seen Elk only a few times out in the wild and man are they huge!
@@OscarHikes Of course I probably wasn't in too much danger, but I didn't want to stick around and find out.
I almost had a deer run into me. They were more interested in chasing a mate than me
👍 .. wise decision.
One can always return another day.
Often I'm biking through forest at night, even tho form time to time I saw deer I don't want any confrontation with them. They stand more or less as tall as me on bike, they're wider, heavier and faster and more agile than me. Fortunately so far i just wanted to go my way and they wanted to go their way when we met
7:20 In a tick territory you shouldn't wear shorts or smth like that. You need your legs covered. The most important reason is - efficient anti-tick sprays must not be used on bare skin because 1) they're toxic and 2) they last much longer on cloth.
Another point: good anti-tick sprays are only focused against them. General sprays against everything (tick+moskitos+smth+smth, etc) are significantly weaker.
Also, you're saying to just remove the tick and you'll be fine. That's not always true. Yes, most ticks are "healthy" but some carry pretty dangerous (even life-threatening) deseases. Tick bites need to be avoided.
If you're afraid of bugs, you need to stay inside and keep playing call to duty.
@@SoloHiker1 Are you a troll or just stupid? Google diseases like Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia - all carried by ticks, this list might not even be complete, depending on region.
And if you're so not afraid of bugs then go hiking through African jungles, without any protective measures, just a week in a jungle, and have some friendly bites by local moskitoes and other buggies. And tell us your story of success. If you ever come back, that is.
"If you're afraid of bugs". lol
You should be -afraid- wary of bugs if you're not an idiot.
@@SoloHiker1 My comment seems to be deleted (censorship?), so I'm restoring it in a slightly milder form.
Are you a troll or just so ignorant? Search for diseases like Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Tularemia - all carried by ticks, this list might not even be complete, depending on region.
And if you're so NOT afraid of bugs then go hiking through African jungles, without any protective measures, just a week in a jungle, and have some friendly bites by local moskitoes and other buggies. And tell us your story of success. If you ever come back, that is. (Spoiler: chances are high that you won't: lots of explorers of older and modern times lost their lives to African bugs. Almost everywhere except Antarctica - there are also many deaths related to 'bugs', including ticks, annually. In modern times.)
"If you're afraid of bugs". lol
@@SoloHiker1 toxic
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
Another one.. don't panic! It's the worst thing you can do in tricky situations. I have had some scary moments like thunderstorms, lost my map and my phone turned blue due to excessive rain, ran into unfriendly dogs, got stuck on a steep ridge etc. this happens and the best thing you can do is take a deep breath, avoid panicking and deal with the situation as calmly as you can.
Many steep cliffs (example fjords) are steep because they are unstable and will regularly crumble, keeping their edges steep amd sharp. It is better to not go near steep drop offs at all! Even if they look stable to you, the cliff may have a crack much lower where you cannot see it.
Please learn to properly use a paper map!
In addition of been a backup for the phone/GPS, learning to read it will help you to better understand the GPS/phone maps at a glance and will setup your route-planning mindset.
Having that skills always make your life easier!
That's a really good tip! I used to do a lot of orienteering as a kid, so I always look at the terrain elements as well on my phone's app. It does indeed allow you to look at the phone less ofen and be more confidant that you're in the right place.
Great tips! It's also very useful to be prepared for the weather:
- Extra socks
- Raincoat
- Hat, sunscreen, glasses
Lots of great tips in video and comments!
1. If backpacking, never get separated from your pack, unless you are wearing a daypack containing everything you would need to survive overnight without your pack.
2. If there's a rattlesnake on or very close to the trail, do not leave the trail to go around the snake *unless* the ground is quite bare and you can be sure of seeing any other snakes. Where there's one rattler, there are probably more very close by. If rattler on trail has not rattled at you, do something to be sure it knows you are there. Then back up 10-12 feet and stand quietly. Eventually it will move off once you are not seen as an immediate threat; be patient; maybe take 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully for other rattlers on or near trail as you proceed.
3. Keep your distance from all large herd animals (cattle, horses, bison, elk, etc.) and all animals with horns or antlers or tusks (goats, bighorn sheep, moose, boar, warthogs, etc.).
4. Don't set up your camp/tent on an ant hill, an ant trail, or a yellow jacket nest in the ground. Look closely for these things and for prints showing "animal traffic."
5. Carry a roll of 2 inch wide self-adhesive sport wrap - useful for bracing strained or mildly sprained joints, splinting, bandaging large wounds, holding equipment together...all sorts of things.
6. To cope with heat: Add electrolytes to your water; use NormaLyte or LMNT brands, or use WHO's oral rehydration recipe. Cover your head with a WET 100% cotton light-colored bandana or fisherman's hat (aka "boonie" hat). Re-wet as needed. Keeping your head cool this way helps tremendously. On hot days I put my boonie on dripping wet and carry extra water to re-wet it.
I thought most snakes would be scared by stomping the ground? The only snake in my country can be avoided by simply stomping really hard while walking. I did a hike where I encountered probably 10+ snakes but I just kept walking and stomping my feet and they all scattered.
0:49 my american mind jumped to a much different conclusion lmao
🔫
i have to admit, i hate the false safety some stupid safety gadgets give people.
I carry a gun and wont go solo camping without it. Animal attacks are immediatly 10 times less dangerous, and im not scared of humans either.
@@crezzyt north american mentality......
Do not use tweezers to remove tick! Crashing it's back may cause intoxication. Use proper tool that costs 3$ and can be bought in any pharmacy. It's plastic, lightweight and allows to remove them without compression of it's back.
You can use tweezer if you use light pressure, as light as possible and grip close to the skin. Try several times and build up pressure as you do to try out how much pressure you need. This way insures that the whole tick is removed and does not crush it.
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
I always love the straight forward, no fluff in ur videos. Makes me not feel like I’m wasting my time on RUclips🙌
Also had a question about the free Gaia GPS: to preface, I have the premium and can download offline maps. How to you get the downloaded data from the free version???
So if you have the free version, you don't "download" offline maps as in clicking a button to download it. You simply zoom in to any area while connected to the internet. The app will then download this area in your phone's cache, so that next time you zoom in to the same area (even if not connected to the interned), you will be able to see everything. I've heard some people saying that relying on this is dangerous, but I literally hiked the whole length of GR11 this way, and never did the "cached" areas automatically delete by themselves. The app size just keeps getting larger and larger until you manually delete the cache in your phone's app settings.
@@OscarHikes thanks for the help Oscar!
except Nord VPN 😂
Great video!!! 💪😉
I also have some modest tips: 1 pay attention to the return of a trekking. Descents can be really dangerous. 2 Bring a poncho useful for rain and for spreading it on wet grass. 3 Carry a lemon in your backpack during hot trekkings. If you run out of water you feel less thirsty. Natural vitamin c. 4. Don't compete with others. Physical endurance is subjective. 5. Be careful of high altitude. 6. Observe and listen nature (clouds, sudden silence of animals). 7. Sing if you are scared. I know it sounds stupid but it works. 😅
On my hikes, I sing the whole time.❤
Great list and video! I have a habit of treating my hiking socks and trousers with permethrin. Many people do it to deal with mosquitoes, but I find it more effective against ticks and chiggers, which don't fly but crawl up your legs. When they get exposed to the permethrin they fall off dead. I find that better than doing a tick inspection, especially if I'm alone.
I'll use that from now on bro, Ticks are the bane of my existence. On all my small hiking trips I've seen them all over the place, specially on summer and opposums aren't as numerous as they used to over here, and to them that's a chance to reproduce, so far I only got bitten once and I didn't got any issues, lucky me, but in the cattle grassing areas near my home THEY'RE HUGE and EVERYWHERE.
Excellent educational video Oscar, not only for beginners but seasoned solo hikers and group hikers as well.Many times a group member will wander off and become lost and alone. I'm a solo female backpacker now in my 6th year and prefer to hike alone. You're absolutely correct with all of your tips, my favorite is "trusting your gut" it's happened to me a few times where I've bailed on multi-day hikes because something just didn't feel right. Thank you for all you do!
A young woman died at the Grand Canyon years ago, she went over the protective rail to get a close up view of the canyon at sunset and sat down when she decided to stand up she went vertigo lost her balance and fell to her demise, a very tragic situation.
You got lucky if you think lume wasn't bad,!!!!! I have chronic lyme. It's absolutely terrible I was destroyed for 4 years borderline bed ridden!!!! Be careful with lume and get it treated immediately!!!!
That was the only advice I was like, WTF? Just because he didn’t suffer doesn’t mean many others haven’t suffered long term.
But the rest of his advice was spot on.
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
@@OscarHikesyou can remove sections of videos after they're uploaded? 😦
@OscarHikes 1- Advising hikers to take a moment every 200 m or so to look back over the trail they just crossed is something you may consider mentioning. It’s a curious thing to observe how trails through the forest appear very different when I turn around and look to see where I’ve just come from. I believe that contributes to people getting lost. With that said, this is something that is emphasized on terrain that has short or poor visibility. If you’re hiking along barren foothills along a coastline, it seems evident to me that you would not necessarily need to do that. But it is certainly a habit I use when I hike through California’s Sierra forests and the Coast Range near Santa Cruz.
2 - I have come to experience that learning how to use a compass and paper map is essential. I don’t agree that you need to print up a new map every time you go hiking. Most trails don’t actually get changed very much. Like my books, I take care of my maps. I use a map pouch With a clear plastic sleeve, and I never write on them. With digital technology and networks being hacked, pirated, or otherwise unavailable more frequently, it simply cannot be ignored that relying too much on battery powered digital technology could be your downfall. Learn how to navigate for yourself, and use tools that use no power or digital software. Remember, there have been millions of beautiful and successful hikes in human history long before the advent of digital technology.
I don't hike much, but I agree with the paper maps thing. One of my biggest worries is always that I somehow have my stuff be soaked with water and then anything battery powered could be ruined. Or the battery runs out and you don't have more, probably exactly because of the first thing I mentioned. It's unlikely that that much goes wrong, but it's not impossible. Some bookshops also sell some really detailed hiking maps which are very helpful, even if you do only a short day hike. And almost always you'll also find a few books describing some established routes in detail, so that could maybe help as well if you have pictures and descriptions.
Good video sir, and a great list.
The last point is something I can atest to as well. You just get a feeling...listen to it and go else where. It's usually you have seen something, or many somethings, and they haven't registored with your logical brain yet but you have seen signs and they are real. With experience you get much better at listening and also rationalising the feelings.
A point, Primus makes a "Winter" Gas and I can say that it works as advertised (minus 22 I think), I have had it down to minus 24 and it still worked. For me it was a game changer during colder camping trips.
Excellent video, great tips. In Australia I know of some deaths from tree branch falls and lightning strike on top of a mountain, so I am very cautious where I camp. However the most concerned I've been in the wild was when a group of 20 pigs approached where I was camping. Ultimately they didn't do anything but I didn't get much sleep. Trekking pole tip is good - I bang it on the ground when walking through grass to (hopefully) encourage snakes to leave.
Good tips! I've also had a similar pig experience. And I also do the rest of the tips that you mentioned - I guess we all learn this stuff over time! :D
1 wild pig is pretty dangerous but 20 pigs! Man you are lucky they didn’t attack you.
This is one of the best videos of seen on this topic, well done. Really sensible tips and well explained. And so happy you included "trust your instincts"! This is always overlooked.
Thank you, Oscar! For me, number 14 (don't walk and use phone at the same time) is a good reminder. Especially after a long days hike when tired and hungry, then try to reduce risk and don't multitask while walking.
Immediately subscribed for the sheer fact you immediately jumped into this video giving us exactly what we want. It’s rare to see that nowadays on RUclips. I know it’s probably a little thing but thank you immensely for this video!
Excellent video.
I was doing an adventurous hike in my standards that had a traverse from one summit to the other. My gut was telling me I didn’t feel well and should just take the one summit to turn back. I trusted my gut and was very happy I didn’t get myself hurt.
İ really like your videos… and thanks for the important tips. My first solo hike was this year april. Actually i thought that i planned my hike but it turned out that i didint plan it throughly. First i didint learned about the water situation so in my first day i ended up asking other hikers for water. They were russian guys and they were very nice and shared their water with me. Second i packed to much food. And it made my pack heavy. İ packed the clothes that i planned to wear at the airport and city not to bother people with my dırty clotes and it made my pack heavy… as a result at the first say the route was hard and dangerous , lots of climbing, ups and downs and in some point i got so exhausted that i couldnt move in a rock passing and there was no room to rest. İ am glad that i was alive after that dangerous passing. Next day i left the trail went to a town and sent all the not important stuff to my friends house and lightened my pack from 15 kg to 10 kg. So i became free to pack the amount of water i needed. İt was the best decision that i made… i think without water a pack should be max 10 kg for a regular female person. İf you cant pack a pack under 10 kg dont go solo… sorry i learned it the hard way by risking my life. İ have a garmin watch and i couldn’t lower my heart rate under 180 for about an hour. İ tried breathing exercises, tried to stop and sit but because of the narrow edges of the rocks and cliff and the pounding sound of the waves hitting the cliff under my feet made me nervous. İf i had a light pack i could have passed that dangerous section in a short time and wouldn’t get so nervous that effected my heart rate so badly… because there were hikers passing me by and they had tiny backpacks and easily hopped through the rocks…
10 kg?? Lol mine's like 30 kg
Nice video. In the USA we talk of the 4 W's of picking a campsite. Wood (access to firewood), Water (access to water source and considering flood risk), Wind (consider location and position of tent), Widowmakers (consideration of dead treas or branches above that could kil or injure)
Okay I'll add my beginner two cents:
If you have trouble getting UP a terrain, either because it is too steep, or too slippery, or both, then you will have even more trouble getting it DOWN. Let alone if it starts raining before going down. Then even a relatively solid dirt becomes trouble on a steep slope.
On steep slopes going down usually takes longer than going up. Keep that in mind when pursuing a summit that is "just 300m more" elevation ahead while you see the storm approaching.
I saw this, because people dont have propper footwear and sticks, gloves. These things are expensive but ultra helpful.
Yes. Your last tip is the most important. I always say, half of hiking is simply using good judgement. There have been a handful of times where I have been like "Nope, not worth it" and turned around. If you know where your limits are, you're ready for a lot.
The biggest danger of solo hiking is that you won't do it. Most of us are social animals, and prefer going with other people. But there are great benefits to hiking alone!
I'm neither social nor animal. Other people bother me and bore me to death.
@@sheridansherr8974 you haven't found the right people yet don't be lazy keep searching
I'm a safety freak, especially since the military, so I have at least one more person with survival skills and medical and navigating skills, I have 2 paper maps wich show different pictures of the same area plus a plb plus a GPS tracking device, I prefer not to use technology there just to safe battery even tho I carry a solar Powerbank, it's not like I pre pepper spray people just go be sure but that is what I do, probably too much but I rather have it and not use it instead of needing at and not having it
This was one of the best videos of this kind that I've seen in the past year since I took up hiking again. No bs, straight to the point, and 99% advice that I would have given, if I were to make this video, especially after my last trip which was solo. Big thumbs up!
Thank you for showing the comparison between the dangers of hiking and driving a car. That was really eye-opening.
When hiking solo on high altitude mountains, make sure you atleast carry something with you that is visible from a big distance. Like a peace of clothing that stands out from the environment.
If something happens..you spray your ankle for example and you're not able to continue, atleast people that are able to help will see you sooner.
compass do not need battery. It is good backup. At least you keep direction.
Every one hour look back to remember where have you been walking. It helps to return if it is necessary.
Deadfall is one that deserves more attention. You need to know if there are any dead trees around you. This is especially important if you hammock camp, a storm is incoming, or it winter and the leaves are not on the trees.
It is stressful laying awake in your tent as the storm is howling and remember you did not check for any dead trees or branches.
Great tips. I strongly recommend for people to learn basic navigation skills; they can save your life. You also don't need major landmarks to navigate by. Just small features can provide a wealth of info.
It's not a good idea to use the swiss army knife tweezers to remove a tick, you'll squeeze the tick injeting yourself with tick juice!! use some thing designed for tick removal - like a "tick card" or tick removal tool..
It's true that it can happen if you're not careful, but if you pick it right, then it won't "vomit" back into your blood system. But yes, I totally agree, the risk of this happening with tweezers is much higher compared to a tick cord.
Thanks for your input! I removed the section where I talked about Lyme disease. I still stand by my words, but I should have added a better disclaimer and I think I downplayed it a bit too much. The reality is that the vast majority of people who get Lyme will be fine, and getting Lyme in the first place is also pretty unlikely, even when hiking through tick territory. I mentioned this because I have friends who are scared to go through the woods because they might get lyme. It's good to be cautious, obviously, especially with Lyme, but a lot of people are over-cautious with this IMO.
I use only my SAK to remove ticks.
Thank you, great safety tips. I never really considered encounters with domesticated dogs in relation to guarding/herding animals.
I don't avoid watching videos with doom and gloom backcountry subject matter. Many of them contain valuable information that could literally save lives. "Kyle Hates Hiking" is an example of an accomplished thru-hiker who presents such content with respect to those involved.
There are both kinds of videos on the web. Some are designed to scare you away from hiking, while others are designed to educate. Studying mishaps is good education. Learn from the mistakes of others. And from their victories.
This has to be some of the absolutely best advice I've heard when it comes to hiking!😄🙏
I must also commend you on telling people to trust your instincts, that is truly underrated advice!😊
hiking in Amazon...never ever sleep on the ground...theres another universe under the leaves...always have a hammok sleep always up on the trees
The two things that I liked the most in this video are 1) your pleasant European physiognomy; and 2) the beautiful European landscape. Your hiking tips were also good and helpful. Greetings from Israel.
Relying on your phone too much is my tip nr.1 and bring a second shirt if you are prone too sweating. Regarding the phone: if you go on a hike that is 7 hour plus and through mountains you might drain the battery or loose signal. Gps devices or maps can be had cheap used, use free maps and have battery life for days. Same applies for a led head lamp, take one as especially in winter you might get a delay and be surprised by early dark. As for the dry shirt: I sweat a lot under my pack and straps and once you are up a mountain on the way down you tend to cool a lot faster and switching to a dry shirt is just a giant comfort and reward and an extra merino shirt doesn’t way much
Great video! THX! When hiking I always carry a compass with me. So at least I know the direction. I have been in a wood once and GPS didn't work because there was no line of sight to the satellites.
You are correct, a forest canopy can block the satellite signals.
Yeah Tip 14 - Always do one thing at the time. No multitasking out there plz. Applies to camp too.
1:54 As a funny point, if they don't receive any messages from you then they need to first try to contact YOU and only then the authorities. 😄 Some people can be too jumpy (like "He said to contact the authorities if he doesn't send a message some day. It's already 6 PM and no message from him, I need to call ALL the local and federal emergency numbers ASAP!!11"). 😄
Great advice about food. So many people are relying on dehydrated packaged food with no backp.
The freeze dried backpacking meals can be hydrated with cold water,it just takes longer ! ✌🏼
You can nibble on dehy food, your saliva softens it.
Navigation backup:
My best backup so far is extremely good preparation! As a geocacher, the usual routes are of little use to me and I have to find my own personal route for each tour. This way, however, this route is very well etched in my memory. I have already had the situation where I forgot to download the map and of course there was no internet at this exact spot. I managed pretty well for half a day, with very little deviation from my route.
So: Plan the route in detail and go through it several times in your head and learn it by heart!
As a somehow experienced hiker I always watch advice videos like these in order to potentially learn new things. And I think this video is a good one 👍
in the US watch out for the 3 T's Trash bandits, Ticks, and Tweakers
What a great video, truly useful among all the other stuff in youtube. Definititely one of my favorites hiking youtubers.Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Other ideas: consider purchasing a locator beacon/inReach, and opt for one which supports messaging. Also, exercise extra caution when not going out and back, since an obstacle/obstruction may require you to go back the way you came, nearly doubling the length.
That's one of the last tips in the vid, mate.
I liked the comment on how safe hiking actually is and not to worry about dangerous people so much or dangerous animals. Some noise is usually sufficient.
Tip 20: I was hiking a fairly popular trail near a highway & in the metro area of a big American city. As I was sitting at the top watching the sunset I got an uneasy feeling & realized I was the only person at the top. I immediately pulled both my earbuds out & began heading at a fast pace for my car. I then called someone & stayed on the line with them. When I got to the parking lot a single truck was standing their with out of state plates who turned on their highbeams to blind me & the rear window of my car had been unlocked. They left after a second (I think I looked pretty intimidating being a big guy, wearing a balaclava, & holding a knife) but yeah. I 100% learned to trust my gut after that
This is a great checklist for everybody. #13 stood out to me. Fatigue has played a big part in most of my bad decisions on trail.
Yeah for me as well! That's why I included this in this video.
Yup. My worst incident that landed me very stuck in a hole with no help around was due to me losing focus because I was tired and should have taken a break. Obviously I got out, but it took everything I had and hurt like hell.
If you want good paper maps, most European countries have an official hiking map set for them, they are in 1:50 scale, updated fairly often and pretty reliable. One goes for about 10e, and they are often sold in a boxed set that has all of them for a country or a region. I like to use them, but then and again, I'm an old person who remembers hiking before cellphones were a thing.
If you are wearing boots it's a good idea to bring some light shoes/sandals just to use around your camp. It's annoying to take the boots on just to go up and have a leak at night.
Loosen the laces, tuck them inside the boots, and you have slippers. Then you can jump up and play tag with the boogeymonsters all night.
Straight to the point! Tks!
For me trekking poles are an absolute must have 98% of the time I go hiking. I'm super clumsy and I got big feet, and I can't tell you how many times my poles have saved me from taking a nasty fall. The one time I went without them I ended up falling knee first on a rock, and I was sore for a good 2-3 weeks afterwards.
This is why I carry bear spray on hikes. I've never had to use it for a bear, but I've sprayed 4 dogs with it when they tried to bite me
Backpacking in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, it's grizzly country. I keep ALL smellables in a bear canister and take serious precautions like stopping to eat about mile away from any place I'm planning on setting up camp.
I heard that bears can smell food from up to 19 miles! And once you've cooked, jump in the lake and wash to get the smell of food off you, and put clean clothes on. They can hunt you down from miles away!!
Just started solo hiking and documenting waterfalls I visit. Definitely need to work on it but I hope one day to be able to hike around the world without worrying about funds or anything, to be able to just go when and where I want, for as long as I'd want.
great video...I always listen to my gut feeling it is important to always do that. I have turned back a few times on the trail listening to my good old gut and have left some campsites a time or two also.
great vid. learned a lesson, on trekking poles, when crossing a fast moving stream without them !
Thank you!
When I was hiking in the Scottish Highlands I came across a group of sheep and some of them looked very aggressive. I trusted my instincts and backed off. It was a close one.
Great vid, I've been solo hiking for a long time but still learned stuff!
Thanks for sharing knowledge brother. Safe travels.🙏🙏🙏
I don't do anything other than day hikes now but there are times I still carry a life straw filter and clorine tablets. It cuts down on amount of water you have to carry. Check for life around a water source. A dead pool or stream is a sign of toxicity.
I always carry a lensmatic compass as the ultimate backup. If you are a serious back country hiker developing dead reckoning navigational skils is a must. It was a requirement to qualify as a watch ofticer in the maritime world for a good reason.
If you hike with a dog don't depend on it to alert you to dangerous wildlife especially in the States. It is very breed dependent. A bird dog probably won't alert you to a dangerous predator like a bear or cat. Hounds and herding dogs are your best canine companions in the outdoors.
5. In the North American West, you should always place any food or smelly stuff in a BEAR CANISTER. Always, always, always. Even if it is in your car. Bears can and will break into your car!
Good tips, thank you! My tip is to carry a whistle - we've 3d-printed a small, but loud one at home, but they are sold literally everywhere))) Helped me with the most of the dogs on my last through-hike (not herding dogs, but still)
And other one is you can download a chunk of Google map to use offline, not sure whether it would be useful for mountains. But might give you a paper-map level idea of where you are?
Have you ever startled a wild animal on accident before?
I've scared off boars and deer a lot, especially when trail running, but they've luckily always ran away. And once, over 10 boars tried to break into my tent (before I started hanging my food).
Hmm, I've never actually carried a whistle. I might actually look into that, thanks!
A great whistle to choose is one used to train dogs (not a “silent dog whistle”). These are small, loud, and with any luck, the dog may recognize it!
@@OscarHikes I actually consider whistles to be excellent for group-camp security. They have been used for years on the battlefield, because they can be heard through the din of battle (and the roar of vehicles).
In the US, we're taught to always carry a whistle as one of the Essential 10. I even have one in my day pack that I use in the city.
would you mind to make a video of how to choose a camping spot, how to set a tent, what to bring inside and what to hang on tree near by
Thank u for the video, i feel a sense of fear at the thought of hiking alone, even though i have hiked alone , after then finding others to hike with the thought of going alone feels slightly scary. Except i love outdoors.
When I am a lone hiking I pick common trailers so that if anything goes wrong, people will find me or come and discover me and save me. This is true in camping also away from parks but where people come.
Oscar -- Your advice was first class. I liked your navigational back-ups, even though I'm a map and compass person. I liked your advice about food which should not be stored in the tent in the wilderness. I immediately thought about bears and rats, but not wild boar!
One part which would still leave me feeling uneasy, was your lack of attention to night time. I've heard no ends of stories of bad people, creatures and spirits walking around close to the camp site in the Appellation Mountains, US. On your own, you are easy to overcome. Even if you are armed with a pistol, you still need to sleep. To guarantee safety at night, you must have armed staggered night sentries. These will be in silent communication with one person in each tent by string tied to their wrist. Sentries will also have a whistle which signals immediate danger. The camp fire should be maintained all night (lots of dry firewood required). But there needs to be an illumination plan set back from the fire, eg, a lantern tied behind a tree trunk so you can see into the periphery of the forest. Infra-red/ white light alarms can be set on obvious approaches. Latrines will be within the lantern ring, and armed users will be guarded by sentries.
As soon as a sentry raises the alarm, all campers are to put their boots on, arm themselves, and be ready to fight.
You can buy 3 second set-up / take-down tents from "Reactive Outdoors." All kit not being used should be packed away ready for an emergency withdrawal, which will be reconnoitered beforehand. A head count will always precede a withdrawal, and all kit will be taken.
Oscar, thanks all excellent advise and no fluff. Been backpacking, self taught adult since the '70's (yes that is 50+ yrs) Would love to see a bit on backwoods etiquette as well as skills...leave a no trace campsite, how to make a personal single use latrine, aluminum foil/glass, benefits of fire-less camping. - finally a comment you made in your treking poles video about age - while "backpacking into 60's or 70's may sound old in your 20's & 30's you all should expect to be able to do so into your 80's and 90's. Maybe your generation should look to the 100's - it wouldn't happen unless you believe!
My great-grandfather could out-walk young men when he was in his 80's. He lost his short-term memory, and would forget where he was, so he had to stop. Then his health decayed.
been hiking 14 years now, on & off.
this is Gold.
tips 3 and 16 are 100% critical for pros and beginners alike. very commonly overlooked
Living in Switzerland, hiking is kind of national sport .
I totally agree wirh you, I always plan my tours in advance and let a map for my wife at home.
And the other thing, I like my gear in signal colours, I don't go for hunting....
Good tips, I agree with all of them but I also arrivi the comments about not understanding ticks...
They have become much more widespread lately due to climate change so everyone should have a high level of alert concerning them.
Another side note about navigation: using map and compass, although less immediate than GPS, can be very effective, and it carries several other advantages.
You are more aware of your location, of the terrain and of the environment in general, therefore it becomes very very unlikely that you can get really lost.
It can also make any track more interesting in general and you're going to remember it better.
I always carry a GPS anyway but using it as a backup, saving its battery and thus making sure it will be available if and when needed.
We have always had ticks, but Lyme Disease is a military bioweapon. It is intended to solve the climate change problem by pushing the people into 15 minute cities where they cannot solo hike.
In Australia it is a recommendation to freeze ticks using a freeze tick product or wart off. They should then drop off.
Good advices, 2 weeks ago I went solo camping with a hammock I placed it high. It was nice experience I have spend afternoon sleept and in morning went with my bicycle to my car!! Only thing by the night I have heard except sea sound, was some animal walk near. By sound it could be some fox because boar will make noises, maybe was jackal but then they will be in group I assume I made noise two times like PCH!! And clapping, animal run away far away. It was in west Croatia here we dont have bears and wolfs, only predators can be boars
Regarding gut instinct, about three years ago I was solo hiking in the mountains near my house (I had been solo hiking for half a year at this point) where there is a lot of bear and mountain lion activity reported. It was not my first time in predator country, nor in those specific mountains, but while on the hike I had gone about a Km and then suddenly I was overcome with an inexplicable feeling of dread and paranoia. I can’t explain the feeling accurately, only that I was essentially certain that if I took another step I wouldn’t make it out of the forest. Looking around there was nothing in sight, and no sounds of activity. I decided to listen to my gut - I say this when really I seemed physically unable to take another step forward - and turned around. I’d never felt that way before nor since and I hike alone 99% of the time. I’ve heard big cats can produce infrasound which sounds like what I may have experienced, or it very possibly could have been just a panic attack. Either way, I truly feel I’m only okay today because I left the trail that day. I’ve since been back in those mountains and that same trail with no issues. Trust your instincts. You can always come back another day.
Great video. I have just completed my first solo multi-day trekking. It was an excellent experience. I fully agree with your points.
Thanks for the comprehensive safety tips for solo hikers, Oscar! The guidelines you’ve shared are essential for anyone hitting the trails alone, and it’s great to see a no-nonsense approach to hiking safety. Very nice video!🙏
I really appreciated the prehike ankle stretches information. Cheers ❤
Excellent presentation, well said. Last comment suggestion is spot on!
Excellent video! One recommendation would be to wear long pants if you’re trekking through a place that is known for a lot of ticks.
Yes, and proper footwear (leather shoes/boots or chaps) in areas with known poisonous snakes (e.g., rattlers, copperheads, cottonmouths etc.)
#15 is very relatable, probably the only reason for me to solo hiking is because im too slow. i tried hiking in group before and they left me behind.
An early backpacking trip with a group, I was the oldest and slowest. They would stop somewhere and wait for me. When I arrived, they immediately picked up and started out again - giving me no chance to sit and recover. After that, I solo backpacked w/dogs until a car accident made it impossible for me to carry a pack. Now I do day hikes or car camping, but still follow all I learned through my brief experience with backpacking. Great video. Thanks.
Great information and energy my brother!
Keep up the good work!
11:05 more like intuition, than instincts, both of which are pretty real. Intuition is when your subconscious mind presents you with a solution or way of action
I'd add one thing about GPS navigation. Be sure that your navigation app doesn't reset cash for no apparent reason, like google maps sometimes do. Yes I do the same as shown in the video: zoom in desirable area and have it cashed in. The problem is, sometimes application decides to reset it. So I always try to have actual paper maps with me and always have GPS-tracker. Mobile phone is a delicate thing (unless you have special durable model), so it is always good to have alternative ways of navigation.
EDIT: Oh well, it was just later in the video :D
Good tips; accurate info.
About water crossings, it’s important to know what to do if your intended crossing point cannot be forded. Refer to your map and look for other possible places to cross.
With the tip regarding aggressive dogs around livestock. Cows can also attack people occasionally. Some fatalities in the UK due to cows.
One more: Practice extreme caution on snow-covered terrains. Most European forests are artificial and planted to maximize forestry value, not to withstand heavy layers of snow and ice. Even in a seemingly wonderful winter landscape you can find yourself walking through a patch of forest where all trees are young and have weak branches that could crack from the slightest touch. Not to mention the dangers Alpine ravines pose when they are frozen over. Most hiker deaths happen during the winter season, even short 5-10 km hikes can quickly turn dangerous.
Oh - and it's a really beginner tip, but never try to grip on to terrain elements such as rocks or bushes during ascent or descent, however convenient it may seem. Even old guardrails and bridges can be a risk, but putting your weight on something that may or may not be rooted deep enough in the ground to hold you is a bad idea. I've seen people try to cling on to grass, because they have a natural instinct to grab things that might help with balancing.
@@profemeritus534 Professor Emeritus, with all due respect, have you been off the pavement?
We are accustomed to dashing through downfall and untrimmed brush, which we must keep from poking our eyes out. We walk through grass that can cut us. (It HURTS, like a paper-cut in the office.) And yes, we grab grass and bushes to help us, because the other option is sliding or rolling down into the thorn-bushes or cacti. We get many minor bumps and scratches that warn us away from real dangers. We climb trees, learning to feel how each branch reacts to our weight, and how to predict when it will break. (By the way, a large, leafy branch acts somewhat like a parachute.)
Those who have never conducted these hundreds or thousands of unscientific and highly-subjective experiments, especially in childhood, are very much at risk in the woods during their golden years.
Civilization has deprived too many of us of the wisdom of the Neanderthals. We may be more helpless than sheep.
I would never recommend that sheep hike solo. Shepherds do.
@@IdahoSewing You don't need to be part of civilization if you don't feel like it. But treating grass and bushes as if it was via ferrata is downright stupid regardless whether you are a tribesmen grown up in the nature or an office worker going for a weekend hike.