Safe Backcountry Hiking

Retired National Park Rangers Offer 5 Tips to Reduce Injuries

Every year, hundreds of Americans get lost, injured and even die while hiking through remote sections of national parks and other wild spots in the United States. The members of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR) are sharing their 5 survival tips for safer hiking. And these outdoors experts know what they are talking about. The group's nearly 400 members – most of whom spent their entire careers working outdoors – account for a total of more than 11,000 years' worth of National Park Service (NPS) experience.

"A summer or fall hiking adventure does not have to result in injury, death or a search-and-recovery mission," says Coalition Spokesperson Roger Rudolph, the former chief ranger of Yosemite National Park. "While the members of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees are thankful that [a] Utah Boy Scout was found alive ... after being lost for several days, we know most incidents like this are preventable and often with just a little planning."

Here are 5 tips to assist with planning your summer or fall hiking adventures from the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees:

1. Have a plan and share it.
Whether hiking solo or in a group, you need to become familiar with the area you will be hiking, the hazards and the expected weather. The process of getting ready will include obtaining maps to review the area you will hike, briefing all members of the group on route selection, having a turn-around time and developing alternate route selections. Let someone know where you are going, when, your departure point, your planned route and expected time of return. A tip for when you are under way: It is always a good idea to pay attention to landmarks from all angles, as these "markers" sometimes will change dramatically in appearance depending on light, elevation and your angle of observation.

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