When choosing a long-awaited vacation, it is worth remembering to properly take care of your safety during your vacation. Especially if we plan mountain hikes in our free time, both in the Polish Beskids or other higher mountains.
How to prepare to go on the trail, so that we are not surprised by the dynamically changing conditions in the mountains, advises Merrell brand expert, traveler and climber Jakub Rybicki1 .
Full security
Holidays are a period of rest and relaxation, usually long-awaited and planned in detail. For your vacation to become an unforgettable time, when you go out on the trail, you need to take care of the appropriate equipment that will protect you from changing weather conditions and will support you in the event of possible injuries or injuries.
When packing your backpack, remember to take a basic emergency kit with you, which will come in handy in difficult situations. As a standard, it should include, among others foil nrc, which is a necessary protection against adverse weather conditions on the trail, a flashlight (e.g. a headlamp), a mobile phone with an additional battery or a power bank, a whistle and a personal first aid kit, necessarily in a waterproof package.
- The contents of the set may slightly differ depending on the type and place of the trip you are going on. It will be different for a few-day trekking in Poland, where we can always and quickly use help, different in the tropics, and different in the desert - explains Jakub Rybicki, Merrell brand expert.
- When I go on a long trekking in the Hindu Kush, I always have medicines for all possible ailments with me and a satellite phone for a possible consultation with a doctor. On the other hand, when driving to the Beskidy Mountains, I focus more on the standard equipment of a first aid kit with paracetamol, aspirin, electrolytes, lime, bandage and patches, which are worth having with you during each trip - he adds.
When going to the higher mountain ranges in Europe, it is also worth thinking about drugs against altitude diseases. As emphasized by Jakub Rybicki, acute symptoms of this disease during trekking, e.g. in the Alps, are rare, but some travelers may feel some of the ailments even at an altitude of 2500 m above sea level.
Protection and security
When going on any trip, you should also remember about the appropriate outfit. Regardless of the season, going out to the mountain trail is essentialan element of our equipment should be a jacket and a cap.
The factor influencing our safety, but also the comfort of hiking, will also be appropriate footwear. It should be equipped with shock-absorbing soles and foot stabilization systems, such as the TrailProtect insole or Hyperlock TPU reinforcement around the heel.
- During trips to warmer places I wear very comfortable Merrell Moab 2 Ventilator shoes, without a membrane, but with a breathable M-Select ™ mesh, thanks to which the shoe provides me with adequate ventilation - explains Jakub Rybicki. - This model has been equipped with a Vibram sole, which is quite hard, but at the same time soft enough to be comfortable also for walking, e.g. in the city. Due to the fact that they are light and take up little space, I can pack them into a backpack before going on a trip for several weeks and use them when I need them - he adds.
The mandatory equipment for each trip should also include a water bottle, sunscreen and trekking poles, which significantly increase safety, relieve the joints and make the whole body work during the hike.
- Every traveler and mountaineer should equip himself with one more, extremely important thing. Humility and respect. Both for the mountains, nature and others on the trail - adds Jakub Rybicki.