I like to take people hiking; it’s a lot of fun, it’s good exercise, and it lets them get in some wilderness recreation. There are some general hiking tips and techniques that I keep repeating when gearing up for a trek, and I figured that having them in writing would save everyone some time.

First, safety. Every year in Arizona, we have hikers get injured (or lose belongings or a pet) because they do stupid things. Here are the basics:

Dress appropriately. Everyone knows to wear light clothes and reflective gear in the summer, when it hits the 90s or 100s. Wearing cotton t-shirts is advised as well when hiking in the heat of the summer.

Not everyone remembers to pack a space blanket just in case they get stranded overnight; the desert can get very cold at night and at times of the year when you wouldn’t expect it. This also means wearing boots that fit appropriately, having gloves on hand, and having a hat that shades your face and neck. Sunblock is essential.

Bring water. The general rule of thumb is that you want a quart of water for every hour in daylight for hiking in the desert. It’s better to have a camelback or other water pack than water bottles because they keep your hands free. Having a bottle for water is a good idea – it makes it easier to share with a friend.

Bring an emergency kit. This should have a signaling mirror, antibiotics, blister cream and bandages. It should also have more sunblock. It should have tinder and a lighter in case you need to make a fire.

Tell someone where you’re going. This includes your friends and family. Tell them when you expect to leave, when you expect to come back and what your expected route is. Do the same for the park rangers as well. With a tour group, this will probably be handled by your tour leader, but, trust me – having led a bunch of tours, it’s never a bad idea to double check. It may be worth it to leave a note in the seat of your car detailing this information, just in case.

Next comes courtesy. There are some ‘rules of the trail’ that should be followed when doing nature hikes.

Be respectful of nature and the animals living in the area. This is their home, not yours. Don’t go chasing or harassing wildlife. Don’t feed the wildlife. All you’re doing is making it likelier that they’ll bother someone else. Similarly, don’t stick your hand or foot into something you can’t see. Arizona has enough venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions that this should be obvious, but the number of times I’ve had to pull someone away from an interesting hole in the ground is beyond count.

Follow the rules of the trail – in general, bikers yield to hikers and horseback riders, hikers yield to horses, and downhill yields to uphill. Also, stay on the marked trails. Our preserves look as nice as they do because the trails are marked, and we keep people from heading cross country, or otherwise disturbing nature.

Please avoid playing music, or video games, or movies from electronic devices. Not only does it keep you from hearing possible threats (like a rattlesnake’s rattle), but it’s going to break the mood for other hikers if they can hear it. In a similar light, always pick up your own garbage; the Boy Scout motto applies here: Leave the place cleaner than you found it. If you find someone else’s litter, please pick it up and put it into your waste bag.

With these tips in mind, I look forward to seeing you on the trail!