Beginner Backpacker Safety

Backpacking Insurance

2009-02-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

Backpacking Insurance

Having the right backpacking gear and supplies, good maps, and a safety procedure organized before you start your backpacking adventure is only one aspect of backpacker safety. Did you know you can purchase special backpackers travel insurance?

As with any kind of insurance, there are limitations and exclusions. So let's get right down to the nitty-gritty. Exactly what IS covered by backpacking insurance?

1. Lost backpack or other luggage
Of course it is a good idea to keep your backpack or other luggage locked in a secure cabinet when you are at base camp before or after your backpacking trek. And you should keep your backpack in the tent with you each night to reduce the risk of loss.

2. Stolen valuables
Even though a backpacker travels light, there are still valuable things that can be stolen when you are off your guard in a foreign country - such as your traveler's checks, jewelry, and special backpacking equipment.

3. Missed flight
If you miss a flight due to no fault of your own, a good backpacking insurance policy will absorb the loss for you. First try to get the airlines to handle it, but if that fails contact your backpacking insurance agent for assistance.

4. Personal injury due to no fault of your own
As with all travel insurance, your injuries will be covered as long as you do not engage in careless behavior. Because backpacking insurance is designed for adventurous travelers, it is good to take advantage of the special policies written explicitly for this segment of the traveling public.

Backpacking Insurance is designed to cover you for unexpected emergencies that occur in the course of any normal adventurous holiday. Backpacking insurance generally doesn't cover you for certain things:

1.Medical conditions that existed before your travel begins
Cost incurred due to these conditions are not covered

2. Deliberately putting your life in danger
Backpacking Insurance will not cover you if you put yourself in extreme situations where survival is unlikely or injury is highly likely.

3. Claims involving alcohol or drugs
Backpacking Insurance companies use this as often as possible in order to not pay a claim, from their point of view - when drunk you take extra risks, you're not in control - keep to legal levels of alcohol and use common sense.

4. Illegal Activities
If you're involved in any activity that is illegal, the backpacking insurance company will not cover you.

Now let me share an adventure in which we all wished we did have some backpacking insurance. It was in the Rocky Mountains and I was a part of a volunteer work crew, doing trail repair. We all backpacked up into Rocky Mountain National Park and set up tents beside a ski shelter. From our basecamp we did trail repair, and replaced fire rings and grates at the campsites, and also put a new roof on the shelter. Now any one of those things could have been dangerous in itself but that is not where the danger actually lay.

The scenery was fantastic, and on our day off our team leader offered to take us to go rappelling. We jumped at the chance! Well wouldn't you know it, one of our team dislocated a shoulder while rappelling. Now mind you, we were all using ropes and locking caribeeners and we had enough people there to be safe and we were safe! Our team leader was an experienced rappeller, and he was as surprised as the rest of us when Jim cried out in pain. It took eight of us to get him down that mountain on a stretcher. We were so high up and so far in, that each person carrying the stretcher needed to have a relief person. That was a mighty painful ride on the stretcher for Jim, and I am sure betting he wished he had backpacking insurance that day! Back in town it was an ambulance ride to the hospital and x-rays and who knows what else. Even when you think you are being safe, accidents have a way of happening.

So those are the do's and don'ts of backpackers travel insurance. Of course I hope nobody ever has to use their backpacking insurance, but it is prudent to purchase some before your next backpacking adventure.

Always read the small print - it's all there!

Beginner Backpacker Safety - Emergency Survival Kit

2008-11-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Emergency Survival Kits for Beginner Backpackers

Beginner backpacker safety knowledge must include an emergency survival kit. Of course nobody wants to think about having to use it, but you better have it just in case.

Almost everyone agrees that some way to start a fire, some medical supplies and some kind of blade are necessary.

Other items such as saws or signal whistles can be very useful, but are they worth the extra weight? You will have to decide that for yourself.

Your survival kit is not your first aid kit. Your first aid kit is for minor medical surprises. The survival kit is all about surviving in harsh conditions or in spite of an accident of some kind. What if you can't walk out on your own power? You need to keep warm and dry and fed until help arrives.

And besides your physical comfort there is your mental comfort. If your buddy is hightailing it down to the trailhead to get help, you have no idea when he is going to return, right? All kinds of scary scenarios are going to be racing through your stressed mind.

So in your emergency survival kit you need to have some things ready. One is notes on survival techniques. Write them down before the trip, put them inside the little book that comes with the first aid kit, and read them as you wait.

Who is waiting for you when you get back home? Pack a photo of you with them in front of your house. It's not all about you, after all. Others depend on you and your safe return. Focus on them and you will find the strength you need to survive. Chase away worries with memories of time spent with them.

Before the trip read some books or magazine articles about extreme survival stories. Jot down the titles in your first aid booklet. What you could possibly face is probably going to be less severe than those stories. Remind yourself how those survivors managed, and in every story there is a common thread - don't give up mentally.

Use caution and prudence on the trip and you probably will not have to break out your backpacker safety emergency survival kit.

Beginner Backpacker Safety - Equipment

2008-11-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

Beginner Backpacker Equipment Safety Basics

Beginner backpacker safety begins with obtaining the best backpacking equipment and supplies you can. It is imperative for every novice to know how to choose the best equipment while planning for that first exciting backpacker trip. What are the ten essential beginner backpacker equipment items every backpacker should carry to assure a safe trip?

1. A pair of substantial all-leather hiking boots, water-proofed before the trip, and worn on a few local hikes before your trip. These are an absolute necessity for comfort and safety. If you develop an infected blister you might not be able to walk out on your own. It is essential that the boots have been worn enough by you to have conformed to the shape of your foot. Waterproof the boots with neatsfoot oil and waterproof them once again right before the trip. Keeping your feet dry is of utmost importance for your backpacker safety. Your safety depends on your feet!

2. Waterproof tent - note: practice setting up your tent many times before the trip. There are so many suitable backpacking tents on the market that you need not concern yourself with which one you choose. Learning how to quickly set up your tent before your trip is very important. Practice until you feel you could set up your tent in the wind and rain in just a few minutes.

3. Sturdy frame pack with padded shoulder and belt. If the pack is not waterproof buy a waterproof backpack cover. Your whole trip will be ruined if your supplies get soaked. Your sleeping bag must remain dry regardless of how much rain you might have to walk in.

4. Silk or polyproplylene inner layer for a cold, rainy climate. These are good for conserving body heat.

5. Backpacking stove of any type or brand. All that matters is that you know how to use it. If the stove is new be sure it works properly and that you know how to light it easily. Ask yourself how you will light this stove in the wind. If the stove is old clean it thoroughly and be sure all parts are working. Backpacking stoves often get clogged on the trail, so start off with a clean one!

6. More stove fuel than you think you will need. If someone in your group becomes injured, you will most likely be spending an extra day on the trail. You must have a working stove for that unplanned day.

7. Ample dehydrated food for entire trip, plus extra just in case you have an additional day because of illness or injury or maybe even getting lost. If you encounter another backpacker group needing assistance you could offer some of your extra food.

8. Sleeping bag rated for the climate conditions you will encounter. You don't want to be too hot or too cold inside it. Do some research and learn what the temperature will be for the elevations where you expect to be setting up camp each night.

9. More socks than you think you will need. Your whole trip depends on your feet staying warm, dry, and comfortable. You will be glad you packed an extra pair of socks or two. You will be amazed at how easy it is to end up with wet socks, despite all your preparations. You will be glad to have that extra pair of dry socks, and your safety might depend on it.

10. First aid kit large enough for the size of group you are backpacking with. Choose carefully and be generous. You can split up the first aid supplies among all members of the group or else take turns carrying the complete kit, switching off as needed.

Following these basic rules for backpacker equipment can provide beginner backpacker safety, and that means an enjoyable, safe trip for every backpacker on your trip.

Backpacker Safety - Basics for Beginners

2008-11-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

10 Backpacker Safety Basics for Beginners

Beginner backpacker safety is each backpacker's responsibility. Every year we read tragic tales of hikers who never make it back to the trail head alive. Sadly, in the majority of cases their demise could have been prevented by following some very basic backpacker safety guidelines. There are ten simple principles to follow:

1. Always backpack with at least one other person. If one person is injured, another person from the group can assist and possibly save a life. Three or four is an ideal backpacker trip size. This is large enough to have a person or two available to get assistance if need be, and that is small enough to not cause detrimental environmental impact.

2. Pick a trail that is not above your current physical capabilities. This is not a time to test your physical limits. You should not be attempting a trail that is too steep or otherwise challenging for you.

3. Carefully inspect all your equipment and repair or replace broken items. It is not good to arrive at the trail head with totally new equipment that you have not even tried out yet. Even something as small as blisters on your feet because of brand new boots can have serious negative results for you and your buddies. If you know how to light your backpacker stove, then you will probably stay healthy on the trip. All equipment should be tested and tried well in advance of the start of your adventure.

4. Pack the backpack clothing and supplies you will need to stay comfortable in the weather conditions you will encounter. For higher altitudes in the northern hemisphere you will need a wool layer. Packing wool is worth the extra weight these items add. Wool is superior at keeping your body temperature in safe limits even if you get wet and cold. A common mistake many novice backpackers make is to lighten their load by leaving the wool at home.

5. Get all the required backpacking permits and also register with the area agency at the start of your trip. Give a realistic itinerary of your trip with an accurate estimated time of return. This is essential for your safety. The agency governing the land needs to know who is out on a trip and when they will likely return so search and rescue can begin at the earliest opportunity. If you skip this registration step, you might be putting your life in danger.

6. Assign a trip monitor back home, someone who knows when you plan to return and who would call authorities for help if you did not return as planned. As soon as you get back to the trail head call your home base monitor. They need to know you have completed the trip.

7. Get a topo map of the trail before your trip. Does the trail have a terrain difficulty rating? Become familiar with the scale and determine where your current physical condition is on that scale. Pick a trail at least one difficulty level below it. Remember you will be a slower hiker with a pack on your back. And place your map in a waterproof pouch and keep it handy on the trail.

8. Carry a solid flashlight and new spare batteries, plus a small mirror. These items will help signal your location if you need to be found by a rescue plane or helicopter.

9. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and use sunscreen. Snowfields can contribute to sunburn at high altitudes.

10. be realistic about your own limits. Your pack is going to feel heavier than you imagined and you might not get as far as you want to on that first day. Be flexible with your plans. Avoid hiking in the dark to make your pre-chosen destination. Stop hiking at least two hours before nightfall. After setting up your tent and cooking dinner, hike around the vicinity. Make yourself aware of where you are, take note of any geographical landmarks and formations.

Follow these ten basic rules of beginner backpacker safety on your trail adventure. Heeding backpacker safety can mean an enjoyable, safe trip for every beginner backpacker in unfamiliar territory.

Beginner Backpacker Safety

2008-11-24T22:45:00.001-08:00

Beginner Backpacker Safety

Welcome to Beginner Backpacker Safety. This site provides tips and techniques for beginning backpackers in order to backpack safely. I will cover such topics as backpacking safety gear, safe backpacking procedures, and even backpackers travel insurance. If you have questions not covered in Beginner Backpacker Safety please feel free to send your question to steve.grimess89@gmail.com