Whether you only want to indulge yourself for a few hours or participate in an outdoor activity that will take up your entire day, your safety should be one of the most important factors that you take into consideration before venturing out. There are plenty of fun things to do, but each comes with its own specific dangers, and precautions to take. Kayaking and cycling are two of the most common activities that people tend to enjoy throughout the year, but both come with high risks. Here are several examples of how to stay safe when participating in either of them.
Staying safe when kayaking
Whether you are planning to kayak in the sea, a river, down rapids, or in a lake, you should be cautious and ensure that you are safe when doing so, especially if you plan on going alone. If you are going to a remote area, then one safety precaution to take is to ensure that someone knows where you are going, and roughly how long you plan on being so that if they do not hear from you after a specified amount of time, they might be able to come and look for you, as you are likely in trouble. You should make sure that you look at the local information for tides, weather, or location-specific dangers before you enter the water as there could be various hazards that may put you in severe danger. You should also be confident in your ability to swim, and pull yourself out of the water and back into your kayak, should you become dislodged. There are many ways in which you can protect your phone from water damage now, so one safety tip would be to take your phone with you and research the contact information that you need in case of an emergency.
Staying safe when cycling
When it comes to cycling there are several differences in the safety precautions that you will need to take into account and consider with gravel bikes vs road bikes. For example, when it comes to cycling off-road, often the terrain that you will be navigating will be fairly harsh, and the tracks on which you will be riding will be a lot more treacherous than a standard asphalt road. Because of this, you should consider wearing harder wearing clothes in the event that you come off your bike, so as to protect your skin. You should also consider applying extra body protection such as knee pads, and gloves, not just a helmet, as these items greatly protect you in the event of an accident. If off-road cycling isn’t your thing, then one of your main focuses to stay safe on the road is keeping your awareness levels high as you will have to deal with very busy environments, and take into consideration the many fast-moving vehicles that you are sharing the road with, not to mention all the other cyclists. Making sure that you have no distractions, and knowing your route is important, as well as of course wearing a helmet to protect your head in the event you come off your bike.
Whatever outdoor activity you plan on doing, make sure that you know the risks, and plan accordingly so that you can stay as safe as possible.
