11 common-sense principles for staying safe while trail running

We all know the great outdoors can be a dangerous place. Whether it’s the weather, wriggle sticks or wandering off-trail, we consciously (or unconsciously) accept the risks when adventuring in the wild. 

Our appetite for risk varies greatly within us, and as someone who has ended up in the hospital one too many times after an adventure, I have learnt that the hard way.

Over the years, I’ve become a sponge for information – squirrelling away ideas and experiences from other people to become a safer, more prepared lover of the outdoors. That love comes with respect for the elements, the terrain, and maybe most importantly, my fellow trail users. 

Many of these elements are captured within the seven principles of ‘Leave No Trace’, a US-based organisation that has been providing innovative education, skills, research and science to help people care for the outdoors for more than 30 years. These often common-sense principles create a framework of minimum-impact practices that anyone visiting the outdoors can easily understand.  

Principle 1: Plan ahead and Prepare. 

This extends from checking the weather forecast to knowing any restrictions or regulations in the area to preserve cultural heritage, repacking your food to minimise waste and making sure you’ve got the navigation dialled. A little advance effort can go a long way and avoid potential damage to yourself and the landscape.

Principle 2: Utilise durable surfaces. 

This means travelling with as little impact on the earth as possible by sticking to already established tracks, pitching your tent on harder ground and away from lakes and rivers, and finding a good campsite, not making one.  

Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly

Due to having such vast outdoors and a smaller population, packing out our poo is not as common in Australia as it might be in the US but this doesn’t mean we could be doing better and properly burying waste or packing it out altogether. This also goes for rubbish and food scraps.

Principle 4: Leave What You Find. 

Within national parks, it’s already law that you can’t remove any natural objects, but often this can be forgotten or ignored. Whether collecting firewood or making a cairn, these small interventions can disrupt the ecosystem for various critters. By leaving things as we found them, we allow others to enjoy them, as we have.

Principle 5: Minimise Campfire Impacts. 

This principle is drilled into us as kids growing up in a dry, fire-ravaged continent. And yet, people still leave fires burning, with sometimes catastrophic consequences. Collecting firewood can also impact the ecosystem, as insects, reptiles and fungi utilise fallen debris, and if too many people help themselves there might be nothing left for them to call home.

Principle 6: Respect Wildlife.

Remember, it’s their natural habitat, and we are just brief visitors passing through their backyard. Whether it be an adorable marsupial or a lethal reptile, all creatures are just trying to get by. Attempting to follow, approach, or feed them is bad practice.  

Principle 7: Be Considerate Of Others. 

This principle should be part of our every-day life, but sadly, is too often forgotten. We often head out into the outdoors to escape society and immerse ourselves in a slower, more peaceful world. So keep your music to a tolerable level, be kind, courteous, and never be afraid to say hey.

Over the years, I’ve added a few of my personal principles, ensuring that everyone comes home feeling happy, satisfied and excited for the next adventure, whether it’s a solo mission or a day out with friends.  

Upskill.

From first aid to navigation, avalanche training or swift water rescue, learn how to do it safely. Do you know how you can use your hydration bladder and poles as a split in a sticky situation? 

Geotags. 

These days, it’s not uncommon to be inspired by a social media post for your next adventure but if you’ve stumbled across an untouched, pristine vista, maybe think twice before adding a geotag?  

Go/No-Go.

Even though there might be a long run on the schedule, is it really safe to head out when it’s blowing a gale? With increasing extreme and erratic weather, we will have to adjust to sometimes opting for an afternoon in to avoid the risk to ourselves.

Pack. That. Snake. Bandage.

Best case scenario, you’ll never need it, but whether it’s yourself or someone you come across on the trail, you’ll never regret having it on you..