Hiking and Backpacking Safety Tips

2:00 good clip with the Phone!!
2;43 Poor showing☹️ on the fanny packs..we can only see your reaction, but not so much the items you got…
7:24 would be better if you put in some B roll images, of what your talking about…weather examples, clothing layers, Planning routes etc,

odd question here, what are the shoes/boots in the river jumping shot at 00:32??

thanks

I think you nailed it!!!
My top 5 minimum even for day hikes…
#1 let someone know your plans (this has got to be Number One! I send extended family a gps pinpoint from cell phone before we head out)
#2 bring a map (Too many times people get lost on a short unplanned day hike!!!)
#3 check the weather (Amen! My hubby needs to listen to me on this one. LOL)
#4 bring way to collect/purify water (top priority for safety. Got to hydrate without illness)
#5 rain jacket or poncho (it rains unexpectedly on mountains, lakes and around Texas)

Beyond that…
#6 whistle!! (especially for my kids!)
#7 pocket knife & flashlight (always on me anyway)
#8 duct tape (make badages or provide compression)
#9 hand sanitizer (hygiene before eating and after potty breaks prevents illness)
#10 fire starter & fuel (i need to do this even on day hikes cause you really never know)

I was trying to figure out is backpack.tf is safe but this will work

Great video! I also always tell someone approximately when I should return and I research the area. For fire starters I save up dryer lint, toilet paper rolls and thick cardboard. When I’m really bored, I shred up the cardboard and let wax dry on it then cram as much of that and some lint as I can get into a tp roll and cut them in slices. Your videos are always so good. Congrats on the fanny packs, They look really well made!

For a fire starter I made mine with a cardboard egg crate. I stuffed dryer lint into each hole and then filled the whole thing with candle wax. I had leftover candle gear so I even added a wick to each. I cut it into 12 starters and keep one or two in my pack in case I ever need to build an emergency fire. Each may weigh an ounce or two and they burn for a long time which is great for starting stubborn wood. A lot less messy than petroleum jelly but a little heavier.
I just took my son on his first backpacking trip to Albert Mountain in NC this weekend to hike a few miles on the AT. The weather turned out to be exactly opposite of the forecast. We got Poured on except around noon when the forecast said it would rain. I may have to look into getting a watch like yours that can tell me when the pressure is changing in case the forecast I have is not accurate or changing due to the mountains I’m climbing. Both my son and I had tarp failures that left our hammocks and bags wet. I would be interested in seeing your thoughts on what to look for in a good tarp and how best to hang it. This may have been my 10th time using that tarp (and almost half of those times had rain) but the first time to really fail when I needed it to stay dry.

That slip and fall was pretty good acting right there. I could believe it was from a blooper reel:)

Number One: Personal Locator Beacon. Period. I’ve carried an ACR for 10+ years, even on local day hikes, but there are Spots, InReach, etc, as well. It’s on my belt so I’ve got it on my body even when I take off my pack. Folks need to wake up to the fact that phones don’t always have service, and batteries die.

Holy fanny packs! First Aid training is one of the best investments I think anyone can make when spending a lot of time in the backcountry.

Thanks for another entertaining and informative video Dan.

For fire starters: I take a tin soup can, put it over the stove and melt candle wax in it (any cheap non-scented candle just shaved down). Then I drop the Vaseline soaked cotton balls in it. I talk them out with chopsticks and let them cool on aluminum foil.

When you are ready to start a fire you just chop or cut a corner off and twist it to make a candle stick effect. The whole thing will burn off in about five minutes. I have a little baggie with a few of them in my fire kit.

So much commitment, 1:27 Wow, well done,, I always enjoy your videos, thanks for all the great info

I always draw my trip in my gps and export the gpx file then upload it to Google maps and then share this information to my wife by e-mail with the details of the trip.
The map looks like this:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1MTRaiJuU1S8AXaTm4ET_rCwKSgqfvMt4&ll=44.139055104404335%2C-73.81269399999996&z=14

Cheers

Esbit cubes smell great also! You can freshen up your pack as you hike. I like to put one in my sleeping bag and one in my clothes bag. Pro-tip! ��

I always leave a route card and map along with a few handy apps and I have registred with the the 999 text message service as you are more likley to get a text through in a low sevice area. Also the Emergency service runs on a weaker signal if your phone is saying emergency only chances are you can still call 999.

As for a fire kit I carry cottonwool and a small bit of tinder and I carry the light my fire knife which has a rod on the handle

I saw a scary lady on the AT at Spivey Gap Saturday morning.

I bring a bit more in my med kit, such as two surgical gloves, an Ace bandage, two feminine panty pads I “borrowed” from my wife for hardcore lacerations, a small variety of adhesive bandages, a few aspirin for a heart attack or stroke, Krazy glue for bad cuts, and antibiotic ointment. (I do not use Tylenol nor Ibuprofen because they promote strokes.)

For fires, I carry a Light My Fire knife/ferro rod combo, a pencil sharpener to make stick shavings to start fires (that I idea from Alfie Aesthetics), a Trail Designs gassifying Ti-Tri Caldera wood/Isbit/alcohol stove that doubles as a campfire, a Bic lighter paired with a Hemplights hemp wick dispenser, and a combination bear whistle/thermometer/plastic magnifying glass that can light fires. (You can also use a clean, clear sandwich bag filled with water as a magnifier to start fires.) All of that stuff is light-weight. It is nice not carrying fuel canisters. I will carry either Isbit or alcohol, but not both. But I prefer the wood.

For navigation I carry a compass, a paper map, Alltrails and Guthook’s apps/and altimeter/compass apps. I also have a nickle-size watchband compass that is very light and convenient.

Trekking poles = safety.

Wool bed cloths in cold camping = safety.

Two extra days’ food. I hike in the White Mountains a lot. Leg injuries are common.

Bear spray. (This one because my mom bought it for me, insisting I always carry it. It is really for her peace of mind that I carry it. Yeah, she’s a worry-wart)

Bear canister, which though heavy, is just so much easier and more secure than any bear bags. I use it as a seat in camp.

Sunglasses with amber lenses that give shaded trails more definition.

Sun block.

Roasted garlic I eat to keep away the ticks.

Non-toxic bug spray.

KT tape.

Lastly, a gallon of dark gray enamel paint, so I can paint a tunnel wall on any nearby rock face in case I am being pursued by an overly-aggressive coyote.

It sounds like a lot of extra weight to carry. Frankly, it is. It sure knocks me out of the ultralight hiking class. But aside from the gallon of paint, a lot of that stuff gets used and serves double-duty.

Apart from environmental issues the biggest threat is other people. Therefore get tooled up with appropriate weapon.

Great tips Dan. I love Jason channel. Best Backpacker is a really cool channel. I bring Wet Wood fire starters. #1 rule is never ever wear a fanny pack ������.

Is a lightening storm what happens when I heft my pack and start pitching stuff because it’s too heavy? 😉 Great video.

Newbie from Massachusetts but moved to SoCal a few years ago. Just now finding out about backpacking and so excited to take advantage of my close proximity to national parks and forests over here. I’ve been scouring YouTube for videos (against your better wishes 😉 but of all the people I have found, I enjoy your energy, perspective and humor the most of anyone I’ve found. Really appreciate you dude! Glad to see 400 views in just 2 hours — you deserve that type of upload response and more! Bless

HeyDan
,,,,,swamp gal here,,,
I’m mixed blood native american,,& we wear jingles to dance,
,I am a solo thru hiker so I wear my jingles in the back woods,,,,I don’t like walking up on hogs or bears,,,
On the E C T will B the 1st time with ‘”in reach “
& u guys get over it fanny packs r a must for your camera s & phone,ECT,,

Here in SoCal, last week, there was a couple lost for 5 days. The news said at Mt Baldy. By looking at the news, where they parked and what they were attempting I think they were hiking on Ice House Canyon to Cucamonga peak. They were rescued by SAR. My wife and I did that same hike in late Feb. We turned back when we knew it was too sketchy. Others did as well. I think the most important thing is knowledge acquired with some class like scouting or other classes and experience. If you have things but don’t know how to use them or don’t use proper judgement. Things go wrong. No one goes out expecting to get lost or run out of nutrition. Knowledge is key. Emergency transponder for when you depleted all other options. Go to a nearby hike that you are familiar with. Use the gear (ten essentials) they don’t have to be big until you are sick of doing the same old hike. Then get tired of another hike little by little. Take bigger hikes with experienced people. Be safe and hike on.

Another great video. I never even would of thought about elevation sickness. Good to know

I always carry toilet paper and chapstick when in the back country… Together they make great kindling to start a fire.

My go to fire starter is one that I make. You dip 2″, 100% cotton rounds into wax and then let dry. They are waterproof, compact, and cheap (I think I spent $1 for 80 and a few cents for the amount of wax used). When you want to start a fire, just tear them into two or more pieces to expose the cotton fibers and they should burn for at least a few minutes.

Another tip for the lightning cover position is the touch your heels together so if ever you get a shock from a near hit (few feet away), the current won’t go through your heart. If there is a contact low to the ground it will take the easiest route.

Edit: typo

If you make your own, get a big first aid kit for home use and take bits of it with you. Keep the rest at home, that stuff comes in handy. Anyways I keep mine in a small stuff sack. Most first aid kits come with a small Red Cross booklet with instructions. I bring it and the following: small pocket sewing kit, Imodium/anti diarrhea (only the kind where each pill is wrapped individually, no bottles), medical tape(core removed), mole skin, a couple anti septic wipes, a few triple antibiotic pouches, some gauze, a wound compress/arm slings, bandages of various sizes, some asprin/tylonal(individually packaged pills), an antihistamine (bee stings etc), couple anti itch pouches, and sterile rubber gloves. Seems like alot but im always hikking with others, usually 1-3 others+me. It only weighs 6.5oz and could come in handy in a dangerous situation.

The Russian doll technique….LOL Very cool little packs… I have made a video on this subject as well and posted it a few weeks ago… Well maybe a month. My favorite fire starter is cotton pads with natural color shoe polish (also made a video on that one…lol). Great tips my friend 100%.

I just wait for Dan Becker to show up and build a fire for me. No fire starter needed. ��

When I first started hiking, I carried a trauma kit with a tourniquet, roll gauze, and a bunch of cravats etc. Health care providers are the worst one’s to put kits together �� My current medical kit has almost the same set up with a more trail practical setup. Safety is so important, but I also think experience is definitely necessary to know what you need on trail.

I took a quick look at Jason’s channel and decided to sub.  I generally don’t start a fire but I do carry impregnated cotton balls and a couple of Esbit Cubes. Thanks for the video.

Fanny packs are awesome. For safety: trekking poles have saved me during some nasty falls! I would not hike without them. Bear spray is on my safety list too. I recently got a Garmin inReach. I solo hike in places without cell service. It gives me good piece of mind.

Great video, Dan! Awesome info! Here are some things I do to stay safe.

When kayaking…
Submit a float plan with the ranger station and with family
Float plan also includes possible alternative routes/points of interest

For maps…
Pick up a paper map at the ranger station
Download offline topo maps with the Avenza Maps app
Download georeferenced aerial maps (.tif files) from EarthExplorer (earthexplorer.usgs.gov) that can be imported into the Avenza Maps app

Bring a medical kit that I know how to use

I would like to pick up a Garmin InReach at some point.

For fire starters I use Coghlan’s Fire Sticks. Those Esbit cubes looks pretty cool though so I may give those a whirl.

I forgot to add…for weather, I use https://www.weather.gov. I particularly like the hourly forecast at the bottom (Additional Resources > Hourly Forecast). It’s all data and no frills.

Great video dan not enough people talking about safety, I personally carry a gps spot gen 2 I have a bad knee but love to solo hike and do overnighters and I and especially my wife always feel better knowing I have it shoot out from little Rhode Island

Personally I just feather wood. And use the trust bic to get it going. Even when it’s wet it typically works but can take a little longer.

What are some ways you stay safe on the trail? Let us all know your sweet tips!!

I have asthma, so I am at high risk of altitude sickness. So say I am at 2,000 feet, and I want to go up to 8,000 feet. But if I get asthma at 4,500 feet, I have to stop and try to go up very gradually to say, 4,525 feet. If I get more severe asthma after 4,525 feet, this is the danger zone for me, and I realize I could get deadly edema in the lungs and the only way to prevent death is to descend because if I go up even further, it will be something that I will regret doing all the way to my own grave.

Hello Dave, thank you for sharing the great pointers regarding lighting and high elevation hiking. Take care and be safe out there.

I love the idea of hiking during a storm! Am I the only one? Should I really have to worry about getting struck by lightning?

I would say #4 should be first! Good call on pointing out that people shouldn’t bring medical gear they don’t know how to use! A full suture kit may be helpful in some limited circumstances, but don’t expect the person who stumbles on you to be a doctor who knows how to properly use it!!!

I have to say, you are a far better actor than 90% of the reenactment actors on TV. I particularly liked your ‘spinal damage’ finger twitching from the first aid vid and I was totally sold by your elevation fatigue:)

Really appreciate these videos. After being off the trails for way too many years but planning to get back out there this summer, they are a GREAT brush up! Thanks!

What about tornados and your out in the middle of nowhere? I never could understand the logic of jumping in a ditch when the ditches majorly flood during a severe storm, not to mention lightning and hail!�� Curious though, where do the wild animals all go during storms? Great video Dave!

Instead of soaking the cotton balls in petroleum jelly, why not soak them in triple antibiotic + pain killer. That way if you get a cut you just take some and put on your wounds. And you still have the fire starter

Excellent tips Dan. I think to be safe you need to first identify the real dangers. A great backpacker saying is, “you pack your fears”. The key is to figure out which fears are justified and which ones are imagined.

E
Dan we don’t say Fanny Pack Down Under but bum bag. Fanny is the front bum. Cracks us up. I stopped wearing synthetic under layers because of the stink. Merino works well for me.

would the attitude masks help train your body for a hiking trip?

Like watching the videos! And all the good tips! Keep on keepin on!