Keeping healthy on the trail is compulsory, not only because others rely on us but also because we can’t get advanced medical treatments on time. You can see the high stakes at risk. Your failure to remain healthy will be catastrophic.
5 Recommendations For Keeping Healthy On The Trail
While I understand that focusing on your health and surviving under the harsh conditions of the wilderness may be too much to handle, you have to understand that both go hand in hand. You may have mastered various skills, including desert survival, wilderness survival, tracking, hunting, and many more, but not knowing the basic steps to remain healthy will be to your disadvantage.
Think of it, how would you track and hunt games, build shelters, survive and lead others if you are not in good health? Here are five fundamental recommendations for keeping healthy on the trail.
Take Excellent Care Of Your Feet
Perhaps one would expect the eyes to be the most important body part on the trail, or maybe the hands. But your feet are a vital part of your body in the wild. Your body as a whole represents a vessel or movement when SHTF, and it is most important to care for the wheels… in this case, the feet! Remember that the journey is very tough for them.
The first step towards caring for your feet is selecting a good pair of sturdy boots. Ensure that what you choose will serve you perfectly because you can’t get an alternative to boots on the trail. It’s what you leave home with that you’ll have to continue using. Your boots, therefore, have to be sturdy, tough, but also comfortable. Don’t forget that you’ll be covering such a vast distance with them. Your boots include your socks, of course, which should be plenty so you can change them regularly to keep your feet aerated and healthy.
Remember to keep your nails trimmed and pack some foot powder along. Both are sure to have positive effects on your feet.
Maintain Your Oral Hygiene
It is easy to forget your oral health on a hiking trip, much more when dire circumstances forced you to the woods. Anyway, regardless of the situation, your oral health must be handled properly. I don’t mean that you obsess with keeping a sparkling set of teeth or having the freshest scent, as this will take most of your time and waste precious resources.
Therefore, the suggestion is to care for your oral health just enough to avoid teeth complications that may cause excruciating pains in a place like the wild… where there are no medical experts on the scene. A toothache is a no-no, so you just pack toothbrushes when bugging out. And of course, when you’re with Paul, you have to come with Peter — in this case, toothpaste.
However, if you fail to bring any, you can make a brush from the alfalfa plant (and many other plants), while items such as baking soda, salt, and lemon rind will cleanse your teeth just as fine.
Keep Your Body Clean
The dirt is unavoidable when on a camping or hiking trail, especially if you engage in fun activities. What remains avoidable, however, is staying in the dirt. Believe me; your body hygiene is not negotiable in the least when the focus is on SHTF scenarios.
You must know that exposure to the various wild elements will cause a handful of skin diseases; not to mention vegetal matter grinding against your skin or the unrelenting insect bites. You have to clean your body regularly and attend urgently to wounds, no matter how small. Neglecting your wounds may get them infected, which is not what you can afford on the trail.
By keeping your body clean, you’re not only avoiding health issues; you’re as well keeping your morale burning unconsciously. Because sometimes, hope may be scarce but keeping clean and fresh will certainly motivate you on the inside.
As per water management, you can use hand sanitizers and wet wipes for some time, although you’ll have to use water eventually.
Maximize The Uses of Natural Remedies
A first-aid kit is relevant in your emergency stockpile, but you must realize that mother nature is not all about catastrophe. She has your back too when things go awry. So, should your medical supplies get exhausted or do not have the correct medication to treat an illness, there is always a way out. I suggest that you use natural remedies along with your supplies. That’ll help to last longer.
Knowing this, it is necessary to have sufficient knowledge of beneficial herbs, trees, and flowers; else you may, unfortunately, treat yourself with a toxic plant. Before you bug out, you ought to have studied the geography of your region to know what and what crops you’ll come across.
A field guide to plant identification will also be handy, especially if you’re new to foraging.
Make Adequate Preparation Before Heading Out
Coming up with a bug-out strategy involving adventure takes out of the box thinking. Anyone will agree that staying healthy in unfamiliar environments requires meticulous planning and a reliable back-up plan.
Your plan should cover how to keep your body, mind, and soul healthy in case of any obstacle. Also, you have to be thorough with your planning. You should have considered every step from the moment you put on your survival boots for a test-run to the last minute of your adventure. Envision every potential danger and how to sort your way through. And, pertinently, do not think that things will be too easy. Avoid being caught off guard.
Takeaways From Keeping Healthy On The Trail
The benefits of keeping healthy on the trail are glaring for anyone to see. I doubt there’s any prepper willing to subject himself to the several dangers of the wild without preparing ahead. You now know the steps to take if you want to be healthy when it matters; I hope you see the need to.
