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How to Handle Adverse Weather on a Hike
On an unstable day, the weather can turn from good to bad before you know it. If you’re out hiking and you start noticing the skies turning dark, or the first few drops of rain, it can be very intimidating. In order to weather the storm and remain calm, it will help to know how to handle adverse weather even when you’re outdoors on a hike. Here’s how you can do it.
Prevention. Understand the nature of prevention: you don’t want to be the person who’s stuck in a blizzard telling himself “I wish I’d listened to the weather reports.” Prevention means fixing a situation before it happens is not the sexiest way to avoid an emergency, but it is the most effective. The words “safety first” always apply here – adventure can come when the weather ain’t so bad.
Does that mean bad weather is totally avoidable? Of course not. But having an understanding of the weather, including the weather reports and the signs from nature itself, will help you better stay out of a potentially troubling situation.
Understand the clouds. Reading the clouds is perhaps the strongest indicator of weather if you don’t have any sophisticated instruments like a barometer with you. A cloudless day can indicate high pressure – usually meaning that you’re in the clear for the immediate future. If the sky turns cloudy in a hurry, that can signify the drop in pressure that comes with an approaching storm. Be sure to keep an eye on the clouds in order to better understand what’s headed your way.Checking the clouds for their speed and direction will also tell you where they’re being “pushed,” which should give you an idea of where the weather will be coming from. The winds can vary from day to day, so don’t necessarily expect a storm to come from “where they always do.”
If you don’t have any weather reports, ask anyone you see for them. You can read the clouds all day, but a weather report will help you understand the immediate threat of weather. Ask anyone near you for the weather report; if everyone is headed for home, that might be a good indication that you probably should, too.
Handling the weather means being able to read it as best you can, and being prepared to high-tail it out of there once you realize what might be headed your way. Remember: safety first.
Photo Credits: ingo.ronner
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How to Stay Safe During Your Camping Trip
Camping can be a dangerous undertaking because it requires you to spend an extended time in the great outdoors. If you’re planning to take your children camping with you, then you need to spend extra time examining certain precautions that you need to take. What should you worry about when you’re about ready to go, though? This article will give you a few common concerns and what you should do to prepare for them.
Watch the Weather
Being outdoors, it’s very important that you pay very close attention to the forecast when you’re going camping. If you’re going in the winter months it can be extremely dangerous if you camp in the midst of a snowstorm because you could easily run out of food and have no way of getting back to civilization. Be sure to watch the weather reports and if you’re already at your campsite you can always ask any rangers or other campers you see what the forecast looks like.
Bring the Right Supplies
Brining supplies with you can help you feel much safer during your trip as it offers you a backup and can be used anytime an unexpected problem occurs. Common supplies include: bug spray, extra food, and medications. It’s extremely important that you bring any medication that a family or friend needs in case they have any issue during the trip. You should also bring a first aid kit as it’s very easy to be injured by falling or possibly by an animal in an extended visit.
Plan Ahead
Perhaps the best thing you can do before going on your camping trip is planning ahead. Plan things like where you’re going to camp and for how long you’re going to stay. This planning should include both of the previous items, watching the weather and considering the essential supplies. It’s important that you think of any possible problem that can occur while you’re camping and be ready to address it accordingly.
Use Common Sense
Not using common sense is probably the cause of most problems that occur in the woods. Don’t attempt to do anything that could be potentially fatal, and make sure you follow basic camping guidelines such as leaving food out near or inside of the tents. With a little common sense it should be easy for you to avoid any problems that you could experience.
If you follow the above advice it should be easy for you to plan a fun and safe camping trip for you and your family.
Photo Credits: Omer Simkha
