What to Bring on a Hike When Water Is Not Enough
When setting out on a hike, it is essential bring adequate water. However, sometimes this can be difficult or impossible. So what should you do if you are hiking and find that there isn’t enough water? Here are essentials for hiking without enough water: food, shelter, matches, or other fire starters, a first-aid kit, and an emergency blanket.
Food
Food is not just important to keep you alive, but it will also provide much-needed energy during your hike. However, chewing on a few dry crackers may be difficult with no water in your mouth. The trick is to chew on the food before you really need anything. This will stretch your saliva and moisten it so that when you start getting thirsty, there will be some water in your mouth. Always look for some healthy snacks to buy or make before your hike so that you can replenish the salts and minerals that you lose when you sweat.
Shelter
You might be hiking around and find that the sun is starting to set, it’s getting dark, and you’re nowhere near where you want to be. It would help if you made a shelter out of whatever materials that are accessible. If some trees are nearby, use branches from them or anything else useful to cover yourself with leaves or other ground material for insulation. If not, you can make a makeshift shelter by using your clothes or other items to cover yourself.
Matches or Other Fire Starters
It is very important to have a way of making a fire because you need heat and light. To start the fire, make sure you are in an area with plenty of dry wood for kindling. You can also create your own tinder by creating small balls out of whatever materials are available (such as dry leaves, grasses, dried bark, and cattails).
First-Aid Kit
You may find yourself in a situation where the scrapes and bumps from your hike become infected. It is important to have an emergency first aid kit with bandages, disinfectants, antibacterial ointment, or other items to help prevent infection. Also, keep in mind that it is important to stay hydrated, so you should have some means of purifying water.
Emergency Blanket
Emergencies can happen all the time, and you must stay warm to prevent hypothermia. If you have an emergency blanket, then use it as a ground cover or wrap yourself in it for added warmth. In addition, if you are hiking in cold weather, the blanket must be rated for temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
Extra Clothes
You may find that your clothes are not enough to keep warm and dry in wet or cold conditions. In these situations, it is important to have extra clothing available for any emergencies where your clothes get wet or dirty. Also, make sure you have a dry pair of socks to change into after wet or muddy conditions.
Map
It is important to have a map of the area you are hiking in. If your smartphone has GPS, this will suffice to find out where you are going and how much time it takes to get there.
Compass
If your phone does not have a GPS, you may want to invest in a compass. The compass must have declination adjustment for use with North America (or any other region).
The list of hiking essentials is far from complete, but these are some of the most important items to bring with you in case something goes wrong. When packing for a hike, the goal should be to have things that can keep you alive, provide energy, and keep you warm or protect your belongings if needed.
