Safety First!

I think that this meant something slightly different than it did maybe say....six months ago? Now when I plan my hike, I do so to minimize my likely hood of running into other people and bringing my mask, in addition to all the other safety things I usually bring with me. 

And while I know that the likelihood of becoming infected with COVID 19 while recreating in the outdoors is probably pretty low, I would rather be safe than sorry, hence the mask and appropriate social distancing. I try and pick trail in which there are little to no people, pick a time a day in which there are little to no people, or where I can easily move far enough off trail to minimize contact. For the times that I cannot do those things I bring my mask so I can quickly cover my mouth and nose. I am lucky enough to have several cloth masks that I rotate between, I don't feel bad about using mask only for this purpose before washing and disinfecting. 

So in addition to those new pandemic items, I usually overpack my day pack in general. I always bring more water than I think I will need, especially living in Arizona, you just don't know how the sun will impact you, the general sun exposure and temperature (it's been hotter than usual). While we should all be researching, planning and accounting for these things before heading out, it's always good to prepare for the unexpected. I also like to carry water in case people bring their pets out and don't account for their water needs, which unfortunately happens more than we all care to think about.

I also like to bring a small first aid kit which typically includes Band-Aids, Neosporin, tweezers, Tums, Aspirin/Ibuprofin, and sunscreen. I'm clumsy so....enough said.  

I include a mirror for signaling purposes in case I get turned around and a compass. Now that I have a fancy new watch to track my distance, course and GPS coordinate, I feel a little better when hiking a new trail. But more on the fancy watch later. 

Depending on the length of the hike I will include a snack just in case I need a fuel boost. If its anything longer than 10 miles then I will account for a full meal. Peanut butter and jelly is always a good go to, compact and portable. Fruit is always a good option as well.

The last thing I take with me is my large hunting knife. This has been used for cutting rope off trees and things, but is primary purpose is protection. I have been assaulted in the outdoors before and watch ,probably too much, true crime. I find the large knife to be imposing to most, so it acts more like a deterrent than anything else, but I honestly would not hesitate to use it. I will sometimes carry a large walking stick which can be used in a similar way. Even when hiking with someone else or in a group I  bring the knife. Working in the outdoors, there is no limit to the terrible things I've seen or heard about, so I would prefer to err on the side on caution when it comes to other people out there. This is actually one of my main sources of fear when recreating outdoors, in part that death is not the most awful thing that can happen to a woman outdoors, but also because of the pressures of being a "new" only child (mentioned in a previous post ). 

I have only gone on a couple of hikes so far this year...and I'm hoping to change that, but the pandemic brings more awareness to where I'm going. So like everyone else, we will see what happens.

MC