Step onto almost any hiking trail and you're on your own, far from sat nav certainty and the immediacy of medical help. Your safety from here depends on yourself, but prepare well and the risks can be minimal. So much about safety begins before you even set foot on a path. Map and compass skills might seem an antiquated notion in a world of GPS and smartphones, but maps never lose signal or run out of batteries, so take the time to learn these fine arts of outdoor travel.
There's a good range of available mapping apps, such as Maps.me, but they should only be a supplement to the map and compass. Download an offline trail map before you set out, and you'll be able to refer to the map while your phone is in flight mode, reducing the drain on battery life. Consider also carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB), a small electronic device that broadcasts a signal to a satellite when activated in emergency. PLBs can be hired throughout Australia at the likes of Macpac stores.
Carry a water purifier, or be prepared (by carrying extra fuel) to boil up water for safe drinking, and pack a day or two of spare food in case you get delayed along the trail by poor weather, illness or injury. Another packing essential is a first-aid kit (and knowledge of how to use the items in it).
The greatest danger on a hike can be weather.
A final task before hoisting the pack onto your back is to leave a trip plan with a friend or family member who isn't hiking with you. This should detail your proposed route, where you hope to camp or stay each night, and an expected finish date. Should a search be required, the trip plan is akin to a road map to finding you.
Dress suitably, which on a hike typically means multiple layers of clothing that can be taken off and put on as conditions dictate. Avoid cotton clothing, which is slow to dry when wet, and always pack a high-quality rain jacket and enough warm clothing to counter the worst conditions in the environment in which you're hiking.
The greatest danger on a hike can be weather, so check forecasts ahead. In popular hiking areas, forecasts are sometimes tailored towards hikers' needs. In Tasmania, for instance, the Bureau of Meteorology issues Bushwalkers Weather Alerts as needed, while New Zealand's MetService has specific national park forecasts.
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Be vigilant and monitor your body, treating any hotspots on your feet before they become blisters. Stay on the path - good for you, good for the environment - to avoid any risk of getting lost, and keep back from cliff edges, which can be notoriously fragile.
If the weather does turn lumpy, hole up in camp or a hut and sit it out because the surest way to get lost, especially if you don't have good map and compass skills, is to blunder on blindly in a whiteout. It might delay the finish of your hike, but you have those spare meals in your pack, right?
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