This page should be mostly common sense and thus unnecessary in my opinion, but it remains an important topic worth briefly addressing. There are just a few main points that need to be hit:
I. Always text someone you trust the coordinates of where you will be hiking before you leave.
This insures that someone will know where to search if you don't text them by an appointed day and hour. Do not post on social media where you are going prior to leaving - too many creeps out there might take advantage of this knowledge.
II. Be sure you are prepared to be out in the woods longer than expected.
It is much easier to enjoy your hike when you know that if something goes wrong, you will be able to handle yourself. The better prepared you are, the more at home you will be. I will cover this in more detail below.
III. Take care of your body during and after a hike.
Remember, your body will get you in and it has to get you out. There is no 'easy' button and no quick fixes to a broken bone. Have fun - but be safe. Especially if you are out alone. A night without food and freezing your butt off is not worth that jump. After a long hike, examine yourself for any injuries you might not have noticed in the moment. If you catch an injury early, it will heal that much faster.
A lot of your safety precautions will take place before and after you hike. Knowledge, Awareness, and Preparation are the key to staying safe.
Knowledge of basic first aid and the woods around you will aid you in being able to take care of yourself until help arrives if something goes wrong (such as a broken/badly sprained ankle, sickness, bad weather, etc).
Awareness of your surroundings will aid you in avoiding potentially dangerous situations, as well as an awareness of your limitations. I'm not saying don't try to climb that cliff in front of you - but if you get a couple feet up and realize that your muscles are already giving out, it would be best to get down and try it again after you've had some time to build up your body. An awareness of the tale tell signs of inclement weather coming will help you avoid storms that could trap you on a trail without the proper gear to protect you.
Preparation will give you peace of mind as you hike knowing that you are ready for anything that might come up. Some hike with a small day pack, and if that works for you, go for it! Personally, I don't like having to worry about a pack bouncing around on my back, so I just take the essentials - water purifier, lighter, wrap, a pocket knife, and my phone (for pictures!). The water purifier I loop around my belt and it makes it so I don't have to worry about carrying water with me. The lighter is for a fire if something happens to prevent me from getting back to my car. The wrap I tape to the lighter and put in my pocket. I use this for blisters and the like. My pocket knife doubles as quasi protection and could be used to help me build a shelter if I needed one.
Basically - just use your head so you can continue to have one.
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