Staying safe
Your wit & common sense are the basis of everything. The map and compass are the backbones of orientation in the wild. The rest is just a sequel in case something goes wrong, or when something needs to be fixed (duct tape), or if you get a little late (headlamp) or little lost (GPS).
I often think how a rabbit, or a fox, or any animal for that matter, is perfectly integrated and adapted into life on planet Earth. Unlike humans.
People can’t get out of home without carrying a bunch of gadgets and complicated stuff. Clothes for this occasion, clothes for that occasion, shoes for running, jacket for the rain, and rarely anytime anything really works. You get wet, shoes got wet, batteries drain, can’t see in the dark, the sun’s too bright.. we are a complicated variety of life on Earth.
Nonetheless, without basic necessities we cannot get out and hike. An average hiker takes about one hour to hike two miles, and that’s assuming a few stops and a moderate trail. The so-called “ten essentials” are essential for a reason. These are the preventative measures we have in our packs on a back-country hike. The more experience, the better you know what you are doing and thus you’ll need fewer things to carry around.
- Navigation: map and compass, smartphone and portable charger plus GPS device
- Headlamp: plus extra batteries
- Sun protection: sunglasses, sun-protective clothes, and the sunscreen
- First aid: including foot care and tick repellent (as needed)
- A gear repair kit: gaff tape and a knife
- Fire: matches, lighter and the fire cubes
- Shelter: carried at all times (can be a light emergency bivy)
- Extra food: Beyond the minimum expectation
- Extra water: Beyond the minimum expectation
- Footwear and extra clothes: Beyond the minimum expectation
1. Navigation
Map and compass
Sometimes the only things that can keep you on track are a map and a compass. It is good to know how to use them. Have a topographic map of the area you’ll be hiking in. Study the map ahead of time to know your route & be sure to understand the map. Learn how to use it. You can navigate the mountains with basic knowledge of using only the compass and the map.
If you’re planning to hit the unmarked trail, jot down useful notes you can find on the Internet which gives you the clearest step-by-step of the trail. The more detail the better! Be sure the notes and the maps you use are the most recent. Learn to identify prominent elements of the area represented on the map to get you from A to B.
If the map is outdated there’s a good chance that some details are no longer applicable against real-life situations. Keep a small notebook with the data in a plastic bag, the one for food with a zipper, if it rains, so that the ink does not spill. For the maps, there are dedicated waterproof map cases.
Best topographic maps for Croatian back-country are SMAND and Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) trekking maps.
Smartphone and portable charger
Smartphones are not designed to serve as GPS devices. The phone should be held in reserve to call for help and to communicate with SAR if needed. GPS app can steal your battery, as can photographing the gorgeous scenery. Your phone battery may be down to 10% and the other members of your party have dead phones. A portable charger comes in handy and adds comfort knowing that you can charge up your phone. Make sure the charger is full before you pack it for the trail. Also, make sure you have SAR numbers memorized in your phone.
GPS
GPS device allows you to find the way even in cloudy weather or when the area has no distinct features. In comparison to smartphones, GPS is more durable and has much longer battery life. Most models come with replaceable AA batteries if recharging is not an option. I am using the GPSMAP 64 model from Garmin with the latest Adria Topo v4 PRO map.
By using GPS you do not have to use your mobile app and thus save the phone battery. Ideally, you’ve had your GPS on from the start and you can backtrack your steps to the trailhead, in case you roam off the beaten track.
2. Headlamp
If the night catches you in the woods, you won’t see anything without the light. A headlight is a must-have tool. It helps you see the trail, follow the path by illuminating the signs, and it makes you visible to animals. Animals are more active after sunset. You need light if you have to make a bivy and overnight under the night sky. Always carry a pack of extra batteries.
3. Sun protection
Higher the altitude, the higher the UV radiation level. With every 1000 meters increase in altitude, UV levels increase by 10% to 12%. At higher altitudes, a thinner atmosphere filters less UV radiation. Open sections between patches of woods can be exposed to the hot sun and open skin can suffer damage.
In Croatia, sun protection is recommended during March, April, May, June, July and August.
4. First aid
You can buy a wilderness first aid kit, there are ready-made ones. You can also optimize it by throwing away unnecessary things for you and maybe throwing in the things you need. But the most important thing is that you know how to use it because otherwise, it just adds extra weight to your backpack.
It’s good to be already well-versed with the basics. If you or anyone gets hurt you won’t have much time to read the instructions. Always let the guide know if you have a medical condition that may endanger your life. Always have your prescribed medicine with you.
Basic stuff that is simple to use and that may come in handy is a pack of blister plaster/moleskine (Scholl is good), pack of assorted plasters, small plaster fabric strip, low adherent dressing, paracetamol, antiseptic ointment, insect repellent. I stick the needle (to take eventual splinters out), into a small piece of cloth and keep in the matchbox-sized plastic box. A sharp knife, small scissors. Ibuprofen and anti-allergic ointment to treat the stings (Diprogenta is good).
Some other items from your backpack may be adapted for first aid use as well.
In case of emergency call 112 to get Croatian Mountain Rescue Service.
5. A gear repair kit
Gaff tape. “It can fix anything but the crack of dawn, the break of day, or a broken heart.” A-1 item in your gear repair kit. Gaff tape or duct tape is strong adhesive tape used for industrial rigging.
If your shoe sole falls off, you can tape it back with the gaff tape. You can make a provisory repair of a ripped sleeve or of a hole in the tent with it. If you get soaring blisters on your heel, put adherent wound pad over it and tape it.
Wrap two meters of tape around the walking poles, one meter under each handle. With added knife and backpacking saw (Swiss army knife with all those little gadgets is good), I complete my repair kit.
6. Fire
In case you need to sleep outside, a campfire is the best source of warmth and safety. Standard silver Zippo lighter is good. It runs on fuel, it can withstand rain and the wind. Matches are a must-have too, keep them dry in a nylon bag or some water-proof bag like the first-aid kit.
Forget about tinder and stuff, you can learn about it, it’s a piece of good knowledge, but if properly maintained and with flint in it, zippo is the best fire-ignition device for the outdoors. A pack of fire cubes will help you get the fire going in a damp, wet weather.
Be cautious though, never make campfire under low treetops, you may burn down the forest and cause tragedy. Carry extra flint with the Zippo lighter and make sure it’s filled with fuel.
7. Shelter
A light hammock combined with a winter sleeping bag is a great combination. During the night in the mountains, a summer sleeping bag won’t do the job. Even in summer, your sleeping bag must be warm. The feather sleeping bag is better because it takes up less space in the backpack but is more expensive than the synthetic one. Hammocks are thin and the wind breezes through the fabric, that’s why is good to insert Therm-a-rest mat in the hammock first and then lie on it in the sleeping bag.
Avoid spending the night in karst sinkholes (ponikva in Croatian), round depressions similar to those on the surface of the moon, just smaller and shallower. They are funnel-shaped or oblong recesses between 5 and 20 meters deep, up to 30 meters wide, and obvious. People who get lost in the forest sometimes instinctively see it as a shelter. The catch is that the temperature in the karst sinkholes gets lower compared to the surface ground above it. Therefore don’t do any bivouacs in the karst sinkholes.
Look for a place in the bushes, around the rocks, any place where you can make a little shelter made of branches, leaves and other objects you see around you. To keep the body temperature, the shelter has to be small, and you have to build the shelter slowly and as long as possible to stay warm, to maintain the body temperature by being active.
Once you settle in the shelter, it has to be small enough to preserve your body warmth. In large shelter, your body heat dissipates. That’s why it’s good to have a sleeping bag with you and extra clothes so you can spend the night as comfortable as possible and survive. More people die from hypothermia during the summer each year than during the winter. During the summer, it’s hot at the base of a mountain, while at an elevation of 1500 meters is a completely different situation.
8. Extra food
Don’t overdo it, but have some extra snacks like small sandwiches, sliced cheese and bacon, something you can chew on if you need to stay out longer than planned due to unforeseen circumstances. You may also encounter someone who needs extra food.
Go for packable foods with lots of calories and nutrients. You know better than anyone how much you’ll eat in a day so plan out each meal carefully. Always minimize the bulk. Ultralight hiking equipment leaves a bit more space for water and food in your backpack.
Heavy backpack takes a toll on your energy and the excess food you brought will be a bigger problem than the solution. I usually pack the “just in case” food in the squared shallow Tupperware box at the base of the backpack. This way the box also serves as a solid backpack ground support. Pack some extra chocolate bars too.
9. Extra water
First, always locate water sources of the area you’ll be hiking in. Study the maps. Velebit, for example, is scarce on water. There are only a few wells, some away from the trails. Many times with dirty water so you’ll need water purification tablets. You can’t buy them in Croatia, so bring some with you.
If you don’t have tablets or drops to purify the water, you can boil the water, provided you have something to cook it in. The classic hiker choice is Primus cooking equipment. I use Primus OmniFuel with one pot for food/tea/coffee. The cooker is over 10 years old and shabby, but still serves the purpose.
Take 1.5 – 2 liters of water per day in the winter. In the summertime, during really hot days, I have 5 or even 6 liters of water with me during the full-day walks. Especially if there are no huts or wells in between.
10. Footwear and extra clothes
Prevention is better than First Aid! Most injuries are lower leg sprains and fractures; appropriate footwear is important. A high ankle quality footwear is strongly recommended for any mountain trek/hike.
Conditions can abruptly turn wet, windy or chilly in the back-country or getting lost can result in an unplanned night out, so it’s necessary to carry extra clothes beyond those required for your trip.
When deciding what to bring, think about what you would need to survive a long, inactive period out in the elements. Common options include a layer of underwear, merino wool is the best option, it’s anti-bacterial, and it dries quickly (tops and bottoms), an insulating hat or balaclava, extra socks, extra gloves, and a synthetic jacket or vest. For winter outings, bring insulation for your upper body and legs. For help getting started, check the Internet for hiking layering basics.
Avoid bulky jackets, you only need a few layers (1. merino base layer, 2. quality fleece and 3. rain/windproof jacket) even in the cold, windy days. Bulky jackets are only needed in polar conditions.
Additional useful tips
Trailblazing
If you are on the marked trail and can’t find the next mark, go back to the previous one. From there, slowly check for the next mark again and again until you find it. Trail markers are sometimes positioned at odd places above the eye level, or on the ground covered by dirt, moss, or a fallen branch. Croatian and Slovenian trials are marked by paint, white dot in red circle.
Mountain homes
Always sign up in a visitor book at the mountain huts, with the date of your arrival and date of departure. Ask for and take the advice of janitors and experienced hikers at mountain huts regarding weather, routes, etc. Call in advance to book a bed/room. Have all relevant telephone numbers written in.
Gloves and a hat
Weather conditions can suddenly change. Sudden clouds, wind and even snow. The temperature plummets and your hands start to feel cold. Weather applications like YR.no cannot predict micro-local weather changes. If we are unprepared for the weather, things can go wrong.
With gloves and a hat packed, you can stay warm, think better, remain calm. Make a good decision. Sometimes, safety is just 5 minutes away. You may decide to get back via the same route and call it a day. If it’s cold to your head and hands, you might be unable to think straight.
Umbrella
Yes, it comes in really handy during rainy days (without lightning storms). I use an umbrella on a rainy hike just like I would use it in the town. Umbrella keeps you dry better than the raincoat, and raincoat can make you sweat more while you walk as it is one additional layer on you.
Nuts and peanuts
Unsalted only. Salt increases the thirst, more thirsty you become more water you spend.