20 Safety Tips for Beginner Solo Hikers (No BS or Fluff)

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In this video, I share 20 important safety tips for solo hikers. When you’re hiking alone, there’s just way more that you need to follow because if something bad happens, you’re out on your own. These tips cover pretty much everything - from navigating to avoiding animals to avoiding dangerous situations. I tried to make this as the ultimate guide for safe hiking, without any BS or fluff.

▼ HIKING GEAR I USE (affiliate links)
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▼ TABLE OF CONTENTS
00:00 - Intro
00:05 - Tip 1
00:48 - Tip 2
01:12 - Tip 3
01:43 - Tip 4
02:03 - Tip 5
02:41 - Ad
04:11 - Tip 6
04:56 - Tip 7
05:40 - Tip 8
06:03 - Tip 9
06:35 - Tip 10
06:59 - Tip 11
07:38 - Tip 12
08:05 - Tip 13
08:26 - Tip 14
08:41 - Tip 15
09:05 - Tip 16
09:37 - Tip 17
10:05 - Tip 18
10:38 - Tip 19
11:36 - Tip 20
12:13 - Outro

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▼ MUSIC ATTRIBUTION
Music (CC BY 4.0): Street Symphony by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Nostalgic Series 004 by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Relaxing Lofi - Tessera by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Lazy Cat Groove by Sascha Ende
Music (CC BY 4.0): Sneaky Snitch by Sascha Ende

[cactusblossom]

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.

[mark-briansonna]

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.

[leopoldbloom]

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.

[pzycoman]

One thing I do with paper maps that I print out myself is every half hour or every hour - when I stop for a quick rest, I will locate myself on it (with help of GPS) and write down the time on the map of where I am, so if my phone dies / breaks etc, I know roughly where I am, the direction I am and the path I was heading on.

[skolsierobertson]

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.

[susan]

#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!

[ithacacomments]

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.

[Randall]

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!

[typpiet]

Nr 14 (stop before looking at your phone navigation) is a life saving advice, I can tell from experience.

[edi]

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...

[Obi-Wan_Pierogi]

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...

[daphne]

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.

[d_andreev]

Great tips! It's also very useful to be prepared for the weather:
- Extra socks
- Raincoat
- Hat, sunscreen, glasses

[robvp]

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.

[rammix]

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.

[ellyw]

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.

[WatchTheTreesGrow]

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.

[granitfog]

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)

[dylanpausic]

I always love the straight forward, no fluff in ur videos. Makes me not feel like I’m wasting my time on YouTube🙌

[chiaratonda]

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. 😅