Hiking Tips

Be Prepared

Prepare appropriately for your hike...physically, mentally and with the right equipment. If this is your first hike of the year, start off with short hikes around your home working up to longer trail hikes.

Mental Health
Mental preparation is also very important. Remember if you are hiking trails anywhere in our county you will find yourself in a wilderness environment. Make sure you mentally condition yourself to deal with these conditions such as long steep climbs, temperature fluctuations, wildlife, darkness, and unexpected emergencies such as an injury or becoming lost. Studies have shown those that have a positive mental preparation will have a greater chance of dealing with difficult situations.

Equipment
Taking the right equipment is also important...this means enough water, food, clothing and other equipment to deal with unforeseen situations. Equipment to include are: a flash light (with extra batteries), first aid kit, toilet paper, emergency blanket, small knife, matches or lighter. You would be amazed at the number of hikers on an afternoon hike get caught by dark - especially those on sunset hikes.

Clothing
Layering is the key. Stay away from cotton clothing, including socks, as it will absorb your sweat and stay wet longer. Synthetic materials that have "wicking" characteristics are a good choice for your base layer. After that use light pile clothing for an insulating layer followed by a rain/wind nylon/Gortex shell. Remove or add clothing as need depending on weather conditions and your body core temperature. Bright clothing is also recommended to provide greater visibility if you become lost or in need of assistance.

Communication
And don't forget two of the most used items that help rescuers to locate you...a whistle and a cell phone. Whistles are heard over greater distances than shouting and do not wear out your voice. SBCSAR has located many people just by hearing their whistle.

Over 75% of the search & rescue calls SBCSAR personnel respond to involved someone using a cell phone. While they can be extremely useful in the front country they have little or no coverage in the backcountry so understand they are not the perfect communication tool that will bring rescue personnel immediately to your aid. If you are venturing into the backcountry consider looking into a Personal Location Beacon (PLB) or a SPOT device that can be activated in an emergency that will give SBCSAR your location coordinates. A satellite phone is another option.

Cell phones can also be used as a signaling device during the night. Should you find yourself lost and without a flashlight, use your lighted cell phone screen by turning it towards any ground search & rescue or helicopters you hear. With their night vision equipment you will be easier to locate.

Hike with a buddy

Hiking alone, while peaceful and solitary, can cause difficulties should you become lost or injured. Hiking companions can help determine where you are and aid if you get hurt, either by applying first aid or going for help.

Lost?

Natural hazards

Dog Care

Dogs are more sensitive to heat than we are. Because of this, dogs are more susceptible to Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke that can lead to an Emergency Situation and Possible Death.

Precautions

• Water and rest your dog frequently

• Take advantage of shade and pools of water for cooling

• Cool dogs pads when possible

Signs & Symptomes

• Vigorous panting

• Some dogs have a dry tongue

• Flushed and red tongue and gums

• Flushed and red skin on inside of ears

• Weakness

• Staggering

• Loss of consciousness

What to do

• Move dog into shade

• Cool body by wetting trunk and legs with cool (not cold) water

• Fan if possible

• Give cool water but restrict amount

• Seek Veterinary attention immediately

• Continue to cool dog to normal temperature

Dogs that are especially at risk:

• Dogs with double coated hair

• Older dogs

• Dark colored dogs

• Overweight dogs

• Dogs with 'pug' like noses

• Dogs with heart or lung disease

Be aware that the air temperature can dramatically increase (up to 20 degrees or more) as you hike up the trail due to the lack of shade or water. Dogs cool themselves by panting. If the air is hot, your dog is hot. Many dogs will go until they drop.

Poison Oak

If you've spent time in the Santa Barbara backcountry, there's an excellent chance you've had a Poison Oak experience. If not, well, it's probably a matter of time. Nearly every Search and Rescue member is quite familiar with poison oak and has a favorite story to tell. Below are some of the remedies we have found that work well, as well as some links to other pages to help out those afflicted.

A Brief Summary

Poison oak is a woody shrub that is related to poison ivy and poison sumac. It is plentiful below 4,000' and is generally identified by its oily leaves in groups of three. The leaves can be green, yellow, or red and fall off each year. The leaves and stems contain an oil (Urushiol) that causes an itchy rash in 85% of the population. It's powerful stuff - 1/4 ounce would give a rash to every person on earth and the oil can remain active for up to five years.

Search and Rescue Remedies

Since the oil is the allergen part of the plant, most of the remedies include some surfactant to break up the oil and wash it away. Everyone reacts differently, so try as many remedies as you need to until you find one that works. The important thing is that you wash your gear and clothes so you don't expose yourself again the next time you use them. The treatments described below are all over-the-counter, but for extreme cases, consider consulting a physician.

Adventure Race Team Remedies - C. Hare
"My adventure race team has a variety of remedies. I've found green soap works well for me. My teammates use a variety of remedies. One uses Oil of Oregano, found in health food stores. Just rub it on, it will sting/itch for less than an hour and then that's it. Applied 2-3 times and the itching is done. Another has had luck with 1% hydrocortisone creams, just be sure to follow the precautions.

Lots of Personal Experience - M. Winter
"Unfortunately, I have had several opportunties to try treatments and have found the following the most effective for me. I remove my contaminated clothes as soon as I can since the oil works through fabric (especially behind your knees and inside your elbows). Then I take a cool shower with regular soap to remove any oil. Everything (clothes and gear) that might have oil on it is washed twice in a five-gallon bucket with regular laundry detergent. The itching starts 2-3 days after exposure, with blisters three days later. When the itching is bad, I use ice cubes or ice packs for a few hours of relief. Before sleeping, I run the affected areas under very hot water. It itches like mad for a few minutes, but goes away for several hours. A layer of 1% hydrocortisone cream (not ointment) generally gets me through the night itch free. If I do wake up, I use the ice treatment. If I follow this routine, the itching lasts a few days. I always crack after the blisters form and scratch them (but it feels SO GOOD!!), so I use ice to stop the itching and a hair dryer to stop the weeping.

Excellent Links

• Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Information Center

• "The Best Poison Oak Site on the Web"

• Poison Oak: More Than Just Scratching The Surface

"10 Essentials"

This term is used frequently by those enjoying the outdoors. However, get ten hikers together in one room and you probably will get ten different "10 Essentials" lists. What you should take will depend on the trail and weather conditions you are hiking in. What you wear and carry will be different during a summer hiking trip in the desert verses a spring hike on the Cold Springs Trail in the front country of Santa Barbara. Here's SBCSAR's "Essential" list of recommendations (note it is more than 10 items)