Think you will never get injured on a hike...think again! I can happen to you!

Injuries happened when hiking – Be prepared always.

This article is about how quickly an injury can happen when hiking. I recently read a story of a women a part of an online hiking group I am with that sustained a very serious injury while on a local hike. She was 10min from a lake on a local trail that was only 40min from the parking lot. She was lucky to have had cell coverage, as the injury to her ankle was severe. It took the local SAR crew 3 hours to extract her with a total of 20 personnel. The weather was in her favor. Had this injury happened in a more remote area, without cell coverage things could have gotten much worst, including the possibility that her injury could have sustained nerve and circulation loss that could have been permanent.

In her post incident story she describes although an active hiker, was not fully prepared for the effects of this type of injury. She now knows that being prepared on even shorter local hikes is essential.

The thing to remember is accidents, and injuries, do happen. If to date, you have been lucky enough to have not had anything happen, keep in mind your next hike could be the one. If you are prepared on every hike, when it does happen you will be more likely to be rescued and make it out to tell the story. If this incident had happened on a local trail that had no cell coverage, the outcome could have been very different. Alternative means of communication by means of an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) or Spot is essential.

Remember pack smart, bring the 10 essentials, and leave a trip notification plan with a responsible person on every hike.

This ankle fracture had to be repaired with a plate and 8 screws.

Permission to use this image obtained by Rachel L