Safety
Walkers' Safety
- Ideally, never undertake a walk in isolated countryside areas alone.
- Familiarise yourself with basic first aid and the symptoms of exposure.
- Bring suitable clothing, food, basic first aid kit, survival bag, waterproof torch & whistle.
- Learn how to read a map and use a compass, and make use of both to keep updated on your location and rate of progress.
- Know the weather forecast and be alert to changing conditions en route.
- Plan your route and plan to walk only what you know you are capable of.
- Leave a note of your plan and expected arrival time.
- Report on arrival.
- Carry a mobile telephone but only use it to summon Mountain Rescue in a real emergency and remember coverage is limited so don't rely on it.
If an emergency arises, stay calm and think before you act. If summoning help, first identify your location (grid reference), then contact Emergency Services (999 or 112) and ask for Mountain Rescue.
The NWWAC (National Waymarked Way Advisory Committee) have recently published a Walkers Safety Leaflet. It has most of the information contained within this section of our site in a printer friendly format. It is advisable that you print it off and take it with you on your travels.