Since having my first baby, I have hiked alone with my kids more than I’ve hiked with my husband or friends. Three weeks after we had our first baby, my husband was deployed overseas. I knew I wanted to continue my outdoorsy lifestyle so I decided to take my baby hiking. Here are 5 things I always do to keep myself and my kids safe when I am hiking alone.
1. Tell Someone Where You’re Going and When You Should be back
If something were to happen and we needed help, I want someone to find me as quickly as possible. If they know you should have already been back, and they know what trail you’re on, someone can come looking and hopefully find you.
I always let my husband know where I’ll be since he would be most concerned if he didn’t hear from me. But it could be a parent, best friend, roommate, or neighbor.
It’s important to tell loved ones a back up plan if you have one. Sometimes I’m not sure if a trail I’m planning on doing will be accessible, so I let my husband know of another trail I might plan on.
2. Plan Out Your Trail in Advance
I like to be familiar with the area I’m hiking alone with my kids. If I’m on a new trail, I make sure to look up the map and read reviews on it. I typically do this on the AllTrails App. I like to know what the recent conditions of the trail are, like if it’s icy, muddy, a confusing route, etc.
You should carry a physical or downloaded map with you so when you’re on the trail, you can navigate a safe route. I download my map on my phone and make sure it’s fully charged. Depending on the trail, I sometimes will carry an external battery as well.
3. Know Your Wildlife
One of my most commonly asked questions when I tell people I hike alone with my kids is “aren’t you afraid of wildlife?” My answer is that I am not scared, but I am aware and I’m prepared. I know what wildlife is in my area and what I’m most likely to see. And I know how to best avoid it as well as what to do if I encounter that wildlife.
I carry bear spray with me and know how to use it. I like that it can protect me against a lot of large predators as well as the two-legged kind. There are a lot of different options of safety equipment you can carry, just do what feels best to you.
Familiarizing yourself with wildlife in your area and what to do if you encounter it is important. You can check out this post all about Wildlife Safety on the Trails to help you get familiar with general guidelines.
4. Carry a Satellite Communication Device
One of my favorite pieces of gear for hiking alone is my Garmin InReach Mini 2. It allows me to send text messages even when I don’t have any cell service. I can also check the weather, family members with the capability can track my location, and I can send out an SOS to Search and Rescue.
My family and I have so much peace of mind because of this small piece of gear. I don’t solely rely on it, meaning I still show up prepared and attentive on the trail. But it is comforting to know I have a back up in case something goes wrong.
Another piece of gear I love to have but doesn’t go in my pack, is a car battery jump starter. I am up a lot of canyons that don’t have service.Without my own jump starter, if my car battery were to die, I would need to flag someone down to jump me. Instead, I have the jumper in my car and I can hook up and charge my car battery on my own.
5. Trust Your Instincts
This might sound cliche or silly, but as human beings, we have natural instincts to keep up safe. If I ever get a bad feeling about a trail or a person, I am 100% okay turning around and not finishing my hike. To me, it’s much more important to be safe than to get another trail or peak under my belt.
Solo hiking isn’t for everyone and that’s fine. If you decide to you want to start solo hiking more, make sure to be safe about it. These 5 things I do are important and will make hiking alone safer and less scary.
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