The great outdoors naturally lures many of us to enjoy the scenic splendor of the countryside. Hiking and backpacking provide exercise and interest people of any age. Just getting out and walking around is a wonderful way to see nature.

Novices who venture out into the wilderness unprepared and on their own are headed for trouble early on. Since unexpected things happen, the best way to help guarantee a good time for all is to plan ahead carefully and follow common sense safety precautions.

Before you take that trek into the woods, follow these tips to keep you on the safe path to hiking or backpacking:

• If you have any medical conditions, discuss your plans with your doctor and get approval before departing.
• Plan the hike, from start to finish by using trail maps, forest service information, topographical maps, etc.
• Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. Include such details as the make, year and license plate if your car, the equipment that you’re bringing and the weather you’ve anticipated.
• Don’t hike alone. It’s safest to hike or backpack with at least one other person. If you’ll be entering a remote area, your group should have a minimum of four people; this way, if one is hurt, another can stay with the victim while two go for help.
• Make sure you have the skills you need for your adventure. You may need to read a compass, erect a temporary shelter or give first aid. Practice your skills in advance.
• Don’t overdo it. If your trip will be strenuous, get in good physical condition before setting out. If you plan to climb or travel to high altitudes, make plans for proper acclimatization to the altitude.
• Travel light and take only what you need. Review the equipment, supplies and skills you’ll need. Consider what emergencies might arise and how you would deal with those situations.
• Pack emergency signaling devices and know ahead of time the location of the nearest telephone or ranger station in case an emergency does occur.
• Take an emergency survival kit with you. Your kit should contain matches/lighter, candles, extra food and clothing, first-aid kit, compass, map, flashlight, tent, pocket knife and a signaling device.

WHAT TO WEAR

• Socks (either poly or wool)
• Boots
• Long pants
• Wool or poly gloves/mittens
• Parka or jacket (wind and water resistant)
• Shirt and/or sweaters
• Hat or sun visor

WHAT TO BRING

• Cell phone
• Clothing
• Compass
• First-aid kit
• Extra food
• Flashlight
• Insect repellent
• Map
• Pocket knife
• Pocket mirror (to use as signaling device)
• Prescription medications
• Radio with batteries
• Space blanket
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Trash bags
• Water
• Water purication tablets
• Whistle

IF YOU BECOME LOST

• Remain calm and avoid panic.
• Don’t proceed in another direction unless you are sure of what you are doing.
• Leave a note or mark the place with stones in groups of three, which indicate “HELP.”
• Show the directions of travel by making trail pointers out of stones, brush or twigs.
• Attract attention with three distress signals. Three blasts of a whistle, three shouts and three ashes of light.
• Make a small fire out of green wood, which will produce a lot of smoke
• Try to keep warm, sheltered and supplied with water.
• Don’t wander around in the dark. Wait until morning to find your way. It’s a good idea to assemble a separate survival pack for each hiker to have at all times.
• In a small waterproof container, place a pocket knife, compass, whistle, space blanket, nylon lament, water purification tablets, matches/lighter and candle. With these items, the chances of being able to survive in the wild are greatly improved.

HIKING AND BACKPACKING ONLINE RESOURCES:

www.hikingandbackpacking.com

www.alltrails.com

www.backpacking.net

LITERATURE AVAILABLE AT OUTDOOR REC:

Best Hikes with Dogs in Colorado

Front Range Hikes

Front Range Trail Runs

14ers in Colorado

RENTAL ITEMS AVAILABLE AT OUTDOOR REC:

• Sleeping Pad
• Cot
• Tent
• Stove
• Backpack
• Sleeping Bag
• Camping Chair
• Lantern
• Heater
• Shovel

Careful planning is a must and it can also be an enjoyable family affair. After deciding where you plan to go and how much time you intend to stay, a list of items to take along should be prepared.

CHOOSING THE CAMPSITE:

A regularly used campsite is the best because of the availability of facilities and assistance, if required. the campsite should be near an available water supply and on high ground, as low areas may ood in rain storms.

FIRE:

Many public campsites are available with replaces or cooking facilities for safe res. Camps may be restricted during fire season, so always check with the national forest office in the area for any fire bans. When building a fire in the open, choose a location that is sheltered from the wind. Build a replace by enclosing the fire with rocks or dig down into the ground several inches. When leaving the campsite, make absolutely sure the fire is extinguished. Thoroughly drench the fire with water, stir the ashes and cover with dirt if necessary.

WATER:

If you are not camping near a public water supply, bring your own drinking water. You can eliminate the taste of boiled water by pouring it back and forth from one container to another. Water purification tablets can also be used.

CAMPERS

Keep cooking and heating equipment away from combustibles. Use electricity or battery powered lights only inside trailers. Check and maintain gas connections and fume vents. Keep a fire extinguisher available at all times.

TENTS

Tents will burn. Keep pitch tents at least 15 feet upwind from camp fires, stoves or grills. Be prepared to cut your way out of your tent if a fire occurs.

MUST-HAVE ITEMS FOR TRAVEL CAMPERS

• First Aid Kit
• Rain Gear
• Repair Kit
• Flashlight
• Maps and Compass
• Extra Clothing
• Stove and Lantern with Fuel
• Emergency Food
• Plastic Trash Bag
• Toilet Paper
• Whistle
• Water

TIPS FOR FINDING A PEACEFUL CAMPGROUND

• Avoid reservoir, beach and lake campgrounds at the height of summer.

• Camp off-season.

• Choose a campground with a host on site.

• Consider primitive camping, which involves camping in undeveloped areas. It’s not allowed everywhere and camp fires may be restricted during fire season, so always check with the national forest offce in the area where you want to camp for acceptable locations and rules.

• Backpacking into the wilderness is a sure way to enjoy quiet in a noisy world.

CAMPING ETIQUETTE

• Leave the boom box or radio at home.

• If you arrive after dark, be quiet. •

Don’t wash your dishes in the communal water spigots.

• Trampling through campsites other than your own is a no-no.

• Dim the lanterns

• Keep camp fires small.

• Sound travels outdoors, lower your voices.

• Secure your food from wild animals.

• Do not cut down trees in campgrounds, bring your own rewood.

• Clean up after yourself.

• Observe posted quiet hours.

HIGH-ALTITUDE ILLNESS

Every year, millions of people go to the mountains for backpacking, skiing, mountain climbing and other activities. If you’re planning a trip to altitudes over 8,000 feet, talk with your doctor about high-altitude illness (also called mountain sickness).

WHAT CAUSES HIGH-ALTITUDE ILLNESS?

The higher you climb above sea level, the less oxygen there is in the air. The oxygen level becomes very low at altitudes above 8,000 feet. People who normally live at lower altitudes have problems at high altitudes because their bodies aren’t used to working on so little oxygen. If you stay at high altitude for a long time, your body can acclimate to the low oxygen level and you don’t get sick from it. There are three main types of high-altitude illness:

1. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) – Common at altitudes of 7,000ft – 15,000ft.

2. High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) which affects the lungs. This type is rare below 17,000ft.

3. High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) which affects the brain. This type is rare below 17,000ft.

These illnesses can be serious, but they can also be prevented.

PREVENTION OF HIGH-ALTITUDE ILLNESS

You can do two important things to prevent high-altitude illness:

1. Take your time traveling to higher altitudes. When you travel to a high altitude, your body will begin adjusting right away to the lower amount of oxygen in the air, but it takes several days for your body to adjust completely. If you’re healthy, you can probably safely go from sea level to 8,000 feet in a few days. When you you reach an altitude above 8,000 feet, don’t go up faster than 1,000 feet per day. The closer you live to sea level, the more time your body will need to get used to a high altitude. Plan your trip so your body has time to acclimate to the high altitude before starting any physical activity.

2. Sleep at an altitude that is lower than the altitude you were at during the day. For example, if you ski at an elevation of 10,000 feet during the day, sleep the night before and the night after at 8,500 feet.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM GETTING HIGH-ALTITUDE ILLNESS?

Some of the first signs of high-altitude illness are headache, lightheadedness, fatigue, trouble sleeping, loss of appetite and nausea. If you have these symptoms, stop going up to higher altitude or go back down to lower altitude until your symptoms go away. More severe symptoms include difficulty breathing, even while resting, coughing, confusion and the inability to walk a straight line. If you get these symptoms, seek medical advice.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET HIGH-ALTITUDE ILLNESS?

The best treatment for any of the three high-altitude illnesses is to go back down to lower altitude right away. If you only have mild symptoms, you may be able to stay at that altitude and let your body adjust. If you do this, don’t exercise at all just keep resting until feeling better. Keep going down until your symptoms go completely away. Don’t ignore signs of high-altitude illness. People can die of high-altitude illnesses if they don’t realize the signs or if they don’t believe their illness is caused by the high altitude.

When you have signs of high-altitude illnesses, don’t go to a higher altitude until you feel better and your symptoms have gone away completely.

LINKS TO HIGH-ALTITUDE ILLNESS INFORMATION

www.cdc.gov

www.ncbi.nih.gov

IS IT SAFE TO GO TO A HIGH ALTITUDE IF I HAVE CHRONIC ILLNESS LIKE HEART DISEASE OR LUNG DISEASE?

It might be safe. The answer depends on the the type of chronic illness you have and how severe it is. Most people with chronic illnesses, such as heart or lung disease can safely spend time at high altitudes if the disease is under good control. People with coronary artery disease, mild emphysema or high blood pressure aren’t at greater risk of high-altitude illness than people without these diseases. They also don’t risk making their disease worse by traveling to a high altitude. Being overweight does not increase the risk of high-altitude illness. Some diseases make going to a high altitude very dangerous. People with sickle cell anemia shouldn’t go to high altitudes. High altitude is also dangerous for people with severe lung disease (COPD) or severe emphysema and for people with severe heart disease. If you have a chronic disease, ask you doctor if it is safe for you to travel to a high altitude.

IS GOING TO A HIGH ALTITUDE DANGEROUS DURING PREGNANCY?

There isn’t much information about the risk of highaltitude illness during pregnancy, so it’s hard to say if going to a high altitude is safe for pregnant women. Some experts recommend that pregnant women not travel to an altitude above 8,000 feet. If you’re pregnant, ask your doctor for advice before you travel to a high altitude.

WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN AND HIGH ALTITUDE?

It’s usually safe for children to go to high altitudes, but they are more likely to get high-altitude illness because their bodies have a hard time adjusting to the low oxygen level. A child may not be able to recognize the symptoms of highaltitude illness, so parents and other adults must carefully watch for any signs of high-altitude illness in children.

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

911

719-333-2002 Security Forces USAFA (non-emergency)

OFFICIAL PROVIDER AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR AVALANCHE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION COURSES

USAFA Outdoor Adventure Programs is the only accredited provider of AIARE Courses in the Air Force, and only the second provider DoD wide outside of the Mountain Warfare School in Vermont. We are proud to have in-house instructors and course leaders who have decades of experience in the avalanche industry as guides, ski patrollers and educators. All of our courses include state-of-the-art backcountry equipment and avalanche safety gear, transportaion to and from our field locaions, and all online or tangible materials needed for your course at no extra charge. As the leading adventure programming ofice in the DoD, we are excited to be able to ofer you these courses at discounted rates, while maintaining the highestlevel educaional product.

OUR BACKCOUNTRY GUIDES

USAFA is proud to have indisputably the most experienced and highest trained staf in all of military MWR. We don’t contract our trips out to other outfitters, instead, we ensure our guides are consistently at the forefront of guide training and avalanche educaion in the industry, oten exceeding the standard for the commercial industry. As a center for excellence, USAFA OAP only hires the highest quality staf and provides na ionally and interna ionally accredited training for our guides and our guests. Guiding in and around avalanche terrain is a complex and dificult job.

Each USAFA backcountry guide has completed, at a minimum, avalanche safety training to AAA Pro Level 1, an AMGA Ski Guide Course, has at least four seasons and 100 days of experience leading groups in avalanche terrain, is cer ified in Wilderness First Responder (WFR) or Wilderness First Aid (WFA), and has been through an extensive training and evaluaion process to vet their guide quality. Our lead guides are cer ified AIARE Level 3/Pro 2 Avalanche Professionals, Professional Members of the AAA, AMGA/ IFMGA Cer ified Mountain Guides or AMGA Cer ified Ski Guides and have on average 15 years of backcountry guiding experience guiding all over the world and across the US. Our guides are excepional educators, are paient, and are excited to share their crat with you. They are lifelong backcountry users and professionals who are committed to delivering an incredible experience while priori izing group safety. By ensuring our guides are thoroughly qualified, we can confidently say your trip will be of the highest quality!

ACCREDITATION AND TRAINING

The American Ins itute for Avalanche Research and Educaion (AIARE) Provider: (AIARE) is on the forefront of avalanche safety training and is the naional standard for educaion in winter backcountry travel. As an AIARE provider, we ofer four levels of avalanche safety training including our free evening Avalanche Awareness Class, 1 day Avalanche Rescue Course, and 3 day Recreaional Level 1 and 2 safety courses. Accredited through the American Avalanche Associaion (AAA), these courses allow backcountry users to develop decision making in and around avalanche terrain, which is pleniful in Colorado. These skills are developed through mentorship, feedback, and hands on experience, and create educated backcountry users who use an informed approach to decision making in avalanche terrain. For more informaion, visit avtraining.org

The American Mountain Guides Associaion (AMGA) is the only internaionally recognized mountain guide training organizaion in the United States. As a member of the Internaional Federaion of Mountain Guides Associaions (IFMGA), the AMGA ofers the most robust training and highest standard of educaion in the industry, requiring candidates to have years of experience, course work, and examinaion to gain credenialing as a mountain professional. Our guides undergo training from the AMGA in many mountain disciplines, and our AMGA cer ified guides constantly ofer in-house coninuing educaion and mentorship. For more informaion on the extensive training our guides pursue, visit amga.com 

CLASSES AND CUSTOM TRIPS

Contact us for specific class dates. We offer fundamentals of avalanche safety and a rescue course. As always, we are happy to ofer custom trips to better fit your schedule and goals. From intro level skills to advanced ski mountaineering techniques, we can build your dream trip! Call 719-333-2940 or email usafaoap@gmail.com tto check availability and pricing for your custom experience.