Taking Care on the Hiking Trail — Safety Essentials

The Australian bush is beautiful, restorative, character-building. It also has snakes, ticks, leeches, blistering sun, frigid nights, and the occasional swarm of mozzies that will follow you for kilometres. Most hiking incidents are predictable and preventable with simple preparation.

Here's the practical guide to staying safe on the trail — first aid, insects, water, fires, feet, sun, and the warm-up most hikers skip but really shouldn't.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Always carry one. Size it to the trip:

• Day hike (basic): bandaids, blister patches (Compeed), Panadol/ibuprofen, antiseptic wipes, small wound dressings, antihistamine, personal meds
• Overnight (intermediate): add — gauze, surgical tape, crepe bandage, burn cream, tweezers, scissors, electrolyte tabs, more pain relief
• Multi-day remote: add — multiple crepe bandages, splint material, antibiotic cream, snake bite kit, eye wash, instant ice pack, comprehensive trauma items

Snake bite specifically: Australia has 9 of the world's top 10 most venomous snakes. Carry at least one heavy crepe bandage in remote areas — pressure-immobilisation is the proven first aid. Apply firm wrap from the bite outward toward the heart, splint the limb, KEEP STILL, call for help (PLB activation if remote).

If you regularly hike remote, do a wilderness first aid course (St John, Wilderness Medical Associates). 2-day course; transformative skill set.

• Mozzies + sand flies: DEET-based repellent (40-80% concentration for adults; picaridin for kids). Long sleeves and pants in dawn/dusk windows. Headnet for severe areas (Kakadu, Cape York wet season)
• Ticks (paralysis ticks east coast): wear long pants tucked into socks in tick country. Check yourself thoroughly each day. Remove with tweezers — grasp at skin level, pull straight up steadily, don't twist. Clean with soap and water. Watch for allergic reaction or paralysis symptoms (facial weakness)
• Leeches: wet rainforest, after rain. Don't burn or salt them (causes regurgitation). Slide a thumbnail under the sucker end (the smaller end), pull off. Bites bleed for ages but are generally harmless
• Bull ants + jack jumpers: watch where you sit and put your hands. Stings hurt; some people have severe allergic reactions (especially jack jumpers in Tas)
• Bees + wasps: standard antihistamines for stings. Carry an Epipen if you're known-allergic
• Spiders: rarely a hiking issue; check shoes left outside overnight before putting on

Photo: Karl Hedin / Unsplash

Dehydration is the #1 hiking enemy. Plan water religiously:

• Carry MINIMUM 2L per person for any half-day hike (3L+ in heat)
• Multi-day: 4L per person per day if you're carrying everything; less if reliable streams en route
• Verify creek availability with the park ranger before relying on it. Drought changes everything
• Treat ALL bush water — even pristine alpine streams. Options:
  • Boil 1 minute (kills everything; uses fuel)
  • Iodine/chlorine tablets (fast, light, leave a slight taste)
  • Squeeze filter (Sawyer Mini, Katadyn) — tap-water clean in seconds, filters out giardia + cryptosporidium
  • UV light pen (SteriPen) — works fast, needs batteries, doesn't filter sediment
• Recognise dehydration: dark urine, headache, fatigue, dizziness, irritability. Drink before you're thirsty

Open fires + the Australian bush is a fraught combination. The rules:

• Total fire bans are ALWAYS in force — heavy fines, prison time for ignored bans
• Use provided fireplaces only in National Parks, OR a properly dug pit if permitted
• Keep size small — under 1 sq metre. Big fires aren't safer; they're dangerous
• Clear 5m radius of leaf litter and twigs before lighting
• Never leave a fire unattended — even briefly. Wind shifts
• Extinguish with water + earth until cold to touch. Refill the pit on departure
• Sometimes: just don't light one. Hot, dry, windy days, even when not officially "ban" — read the conditions, use the gas stove instead

Photo: Chewool Kim / Unsplash

Blisters end more hikes than rain. Prevention:

• Wear in your boots for at least 50km BEFORE the hike. Brand-new boots on a multi-day = guaranteed blisters
• Lace properly — heel snug (no slip), toes free to wiggle, ankle supported. Heel slip = blister
• Two pairs of socks for long hikes — wool/wool blend liner under thicker hiking sock
• At the FIRST hot spot or rub: stop. Take boots off. Apply Compeed or surgical tape. Don't push through
• Carry foot powder for sweaty feet
• Strengthen ankles at home: stand on one foot while brushing teeth (close eyes if too easy)
• Trim toenails short before any hike. Long nails on downhill descents = bruising and lost nails

The Aussie sun is brutal. Re-apply, re-wear, recheck:

• Slip on a long-sleeved shirt — UPF50 hiking shirts breathe well and last all day
• Slop on sunscreen 50+ — every 2 hours, especially on the back of the neck and tops of ears
• Slap on a wide-brimmed hat — cap-only doesn't protect ears or neck
• Slide on sunglasses — UV protection. Polarised reduces glare on water
• Lip balm with SPF — burnt lips at altitude is a particular hell
• Snow + water + sand reflect UV — you can sunburn in shade near these surfaces

Cold muscles + heavy pack + rough terrain = injury. A 5-minute warm-up cuts injury risk dramatically. Look daggy, do it anyway:

• Walking lunges (10 each leg) — wakes up glutes, quads, hip flexors
• Ankle rolls — lifts ankle joint mobility (huge for uneven terrain)
• Calf raises (15 reps)
• Arm circles + shoulder shrugs — eases pack-strap tension
• Leg swings (front-back + side-side, 10 each leg)
• Knee circles — gentle warming

Free phone apps walk you through dynamic stretching routines — try "Down Dog" or "Sworkit". 5 minutes once, then you're set for the day.

Most trail injuries and emergencies are predictable and preventable. Carry the right first aid kit, manage water religiously, prevent blisters before they start, respect the sun, warm up first.

None of these take much time, none cost much money, all of them turn a tough day into a manageable one. The hikers who keep coming back are the ones who took care of the small stuff before it became a problem.