Essential Outdoor Safety Guide for Beginners
The core of outdoor safety lies in how to avoid danger and minimize harm. That is: how to prevent and avoid risks before they occur, and how to respond correctly when in danger to reduce harm—especially physical injury.
For those new to outdoor sports, preparation should come from three areas: mindset and psychological readiness, personal adaptability, and basic outdoor safety knowledge.
I. Mindset Adjustment and Psychological Readiness
As the saying goes, “Attitude determines everything.” While this may be somewhat absolute, there’s no doubt that one’s mindset and psychological state influence decisions and actions, leading to a series of consequences.
Before packing your bags and hitting the road, ask yourself: do I have the right mindset?
In the outdoors, the following four common—and often fatal—mindsets are frequently behind accidents and casualties:
1. Complacency
If there’s one major difference between life in modern society versus ancient times, it’s likely first “convenience,” and second “safety.” These are also signs of human technological and social progress. As a result, city dwellers can sometimes develop an attitude of “it doesn’t matter” or “nothing will happen.”
This sense of “complacency” shows up in many ways, such as: “It’s just a day trip…”; “So many people have gone and nothing happened…”; “Is it really necessary to bring all this stuff?”; “The guide is so naggy—I’m not a kid…” etc. But what they don’t know is that in the outdoors, you can freeze to death in summer, encounter snowstorms in autumn, face flash floods even without rain, get lost or go missing in well-developed scenic areas.
In short, complacency means neglecting safety basics, not taking pre-trip preparations seriously, and being careless during the activity. Generally speaking, if you’re complacent, nature will find a way to punish you—though often the consequences aren’t severe or widely known.
The correct mindset should be: maintain reverence for nature, prepare thoroughly and meticulously before the trip, and stay cautious throughout the activity.
22. Overconfidence (or Gambler’s Mentality)
This is probably the number one killer in outdoor activities.80%Many of the aforementioned outdoor accidents are related to this mindset.
This mentality typically arises when risks seem less obvious or unlikely—when people act without adequate preparation or protection, or choose not to abandon their original plans because they believe they can finish before danger strikes. .
33. Dependence
Living in the city, people are used to relying on professionals and specialized equipment—“call the police when in trouble, go to the hospital when sick.” But when these “professionals” aren’t reliable, it can leave you helpless; and if external rescue isn’t available in time, lacking the mindset of self-reliance can cost you the precious window for saving yourself.
This dependence is especially dangerous for women, those who are physically weaker, or inexperienced individuals.
Therefore, beginners participating in outdoor activities should followthree principles of “self-reliance”:First, before joining, have self-awareness. Assess the difficulty of the activity versus your own abilities, and don’t take on challenges beyond your capabilities. At the very least, if you end up with an unreliable leader, you should be able to ensure your own safety as a minimum.
Second, from the beginning, observe whether your companions are reliable. “Self-reliance” in the outdoors doesn’t mean just taking care of yourself—it more often means mutual support among teammates and the collective self-reliance of the group. Choosing the right companions and integrating into the team quickly is an important safeguard. If you find most people in your activity group are only looking out for themselves, or you’re somehow isolated from the group, your best option is to quit the activity immediately and return to safety. There have been multiple cases where people were “abandoned” or left helpless in dangerous situations, leaving their fate to chance.
Third, when facing danger, rely on self-help and self-rescue—this is the most timely and effective approach. In outdoor history, truly successful rescue cases are rare. Most of the time, by the time rescue teams arrive, either the most dangerous moment has passed and they are only there to escort survivors and the injured, or they can only retrieve bodies. When are rescue teams most effective? When the danger is not immediate, or when the initial injuries caused by the danger have already been controlled, allowing rescuers to prevent further harm. This isn’t to say rescue teams are useless or shouldn’t be called upon—but it’s a matter of timing. Therefore, expecting “timely and effective rescue” is unrealistic and sometimes even counterproductive.
Additionally, professional gear isn’t a cure-all, and the functionality of gear is not the same as human capability. So, dependence on gear is also something to avoid. Equipment has primary functions, secondary features, and limitations—you must understand its strengths and especially its weaknesses. Only then can you use gear properly, letting it supplement and extend your abilities rather than making you dependent on it. The belief that buying a full set of high-end outdoor gear makes you a qualified outdoor enthusiast is also a harmful mindset.
4. Blind Obedience
4,Blindly Following One's Heart
In the internet era, sharing information is incredibly convenient. Before heading outdoors, beginners can access a wealth of "guides" and even downloadGPStracks. Combining the two might seem enough to go on an "adventure"—at the very least, imitating others' steps like "learning to walk in Handan" or "following in their footsteps" should keep you out of trouble, right?
However, any conclusion comes with prerequisites, and scientific laws have their applicable scopes and limitations, which are not static either. Are the "successful strategies" from "that time and place" still fully applicable to "this time and place"?
Being misled by others' successful experiences and blindly following their "proven paths" is one of the main reasons leading to failure or even accidents.
Therefore, when studying others' guides, it's crucial to pay special attention to the specific environmental factors and conditions at that time, then compare them with the environmental elements of your own planned trip—especially those differences and potential changes. The most important among these are meteorological and geographical factors. Beginners must ask themselves: What was the temperature at the mountaintop this time last year?10-20°CWhat about this year? The guide says the trek takes four days, with one day of rain—what if it rains every single day? Can you still finish the trek in four days?GPSWhat if the track path is blocked by flash floods or landslides?
II. Improve Your Body’s Adaptability to Outdoor Environments
Most outdoor activities take place in natural settings, which means it's extremely difficult to get external help—you must rely more on your own abilities to handle various situations.
The human body is a treasure trove; its adaptability and resilience are your most reliable assets in the wild.
Many outdoor injuries and illnesses stem from poor adaptability and slow recovery. In the same dangerous situation, those with better adaptability have higher survival rates, and those with stronger recovery abilities have better chances of escaping danger. Recovery ability (including physical recovery and the body’s self-healing capacity) is essentially a form of adaptability—how well your body adjusts to fatigue and injury.
Human adaptability can be improved through training and adjusted during outdoor activities. Below, the editor of Tansilu will introduce some key points and methods:
11. Temperature Adaptability
Hypothermia, heatstroke, and dehydration are three common dangers in outdoor activities. Their root cause is an imbalance in the body’s thermal regulation and fluid regulation—or rather, an insufficient ability to self-regulate and recover under conditions like cold, heat, intense sun, heavy physical exertion, extreme fatigue, hunger, or thirst.
Here are ways to improve:
(1) Develop the habit of drinking plenty of water, preferably tea. Try to avoid drinks with various additives. This is like giving your liver, kidneys, and other systems as well as cells regular rest, so they can handle greater loads during outdoor activities. Drinking tea regularly in daily life actually allows you to control water intake and reduce water demand during outdoor activities, while also decreasing sweat production.
(2) Avoid using air conditioning or minimize dependence on it. Also, don’t adjust your clothing too promptly or frequently based on daily temperature changes. Humans aren’t that delicate—8°Ctemperature changes within
can be regulated by the body itself without needing to add or remove clothing.3(3) Before heading outdoors, do targeted adaptation training. For example, a month before winter mountain climbing, sleep with the window open at night. Before going to the desert, take a one-hour walk in the midday sun daily. Before a long summer trek, avoid using air conditioning for at least a week and reduce showering frequency to once every
2days. In a way, showering every day isn’t a good habit for outdoor enthusiasts.
2. Daily Rhythm AdaptabilityDevelop the habit of eating small, frequent meals. Half a month before a long trip, intentionally disrupt your regular eating schedule—for example, eat half an hour earlier one day, an hour later the next, and so on.
3Apply the same approach to your sleeping habits.
3. Immunity and Self-Healing Ability1(
) Take fewer medications, especially antibiotics.2) After minor wound cleaning, try not to bandage it.
(3) In daily life, if you sprain your ankle or twist a joint, try not to use topical medications, especially painkillers. Avoid complete rest—moderate movement promotes recovery. As the saying goes: "Exercise injuries are best treated with exercise therapy." This is backed by numerous examples. In the wild, getting injured isn’t the worst part—the real danger is losing mobility after an injury. Therefore, improving your tolerance to injuries can be life-saving in critical moments.
4, Sleep Efficiency
Consciously practice sleeping in noisy environments. Sleep is crucial for restoring physical condition.
5, Gradual Progression
Gradually increase the difficulty and intensity of activities. For example, before attempting a desert trek, you should at least do2-3long hikes in high temperatures. Before climbing a snowy mountain, first get used to winter camping and walking on snow. If you plan to traverse a subtropical rainforest, get accustomed to constantly wading through rivers and hiking in heavy rain without rain gear for2-3hours. Especially when engaging in high-altitude activities, gradually increase elevation. For instance, flying directly into Lhasa when going to Tibet isn’t ideal—the best approach is to take a train or bus, and it’s even better if you can stop and explore en route (like in Golmud) for1-2days.
6, Key Points for Enhancing Physical Adaptability and Recovery During Outdoor Activities
(1) When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Observe the eating habits of locals and consciously adjust yours accordingly. For example, when venturing far from home, start with a few meals of local farmhouse food. Each region’s dietary habits are shaped by its environment and are often the most environmentally adaptive.
(2) Sleep Quality
During activities, ensure you get at least10hours of sleep per day. When extremely fatigued,2-3minutes of deep sleep can be more effective than20minutes of regular rest. Therefore, practicing your ability to fall asleep quickly is very useful. For those with lower stamina, taking short naps with your eyes closed during breaks—even if you don’t fully sleep—is beneficial.
(3) Control the Rhythm of Exercise Intensity
Generally, it takes about1-2days for the body to adapt to high levels of exertion. So, it’s best to plan moderate-distance, low-elevation gains for the first day. Descending steep slopes while fatigued can easily lead to injury, so keep the final two days of exiting the mountains relatively short and not too steep. Time-saving measures should generally be avoided unless it’s an emergency.
(4) Take a Vitamin Complex at Regular Intervals
(5) Choose starchy, low-fat, and low-protein foods for main meals during the hike. For dinner after setting up camp, eat more meat. Try to avoid grilled foods.
(6) Huoxiang Zhengqi Water
This is a truly magical potion and a treasure for outdoor enthusiasts. Beyond treating basic symptoms like heatstroke, cold exposure, and diarrhea, it effectively alleviates various discomforts caused by changes in water and food. Especially after prolonged exposure to rain, wading, or snow, drinking a bottle can help ward off the cold. It can also stimulate appetite when you lose interest in food in the wild, and drinking one before bed helps relieve fatigue and promotes relaxation. However, use it with caution at high altitudes, especially if you’re experiencing altitude sickness.
(7) Soup and tea.
After setting up camp each day, have a bowl of hot soup before eating. Especially when arriving at camp under harsh weather conditions, giving a weak person a bowl of hot soup can prevent many subsequent discomforts. It is recommended to use compressed and dried vegetable and egg drop soup. After the meal, there should be at least half an hour of tea drinking time—black tea, Pu’er, green tea, or oolong are all fine. In summer, green tea is preferable, while in winter, Dian Hong (Yunnan black tea) is best.
III. General Outdoor Safety Principles
Outdoor conditions are ever-changing, but they follow certain patterns. Summarizing lessons from past safety incidents, we find that truly unpredictable and uncontrollable accidents are extremely rare. Most accidents occur because those involved violated common sense or failed to follow basic guidelines—and they could have been completely avoided.
These not-so-complicated principles have been proven time and again by blood and lives. We hope no one has to prove them again.
General Outdoor Safety Principles —““Three Understandings””:
11. Understand Yourself:
Can your physical condition handle it? Do you have any disqualifying illnesses? For example, those with stomach problems should not participate in outdoor activities lasting more than
2Do not team up with strangers for long-duration, high-difficulty, or high-intensity outdoor activities. In other words, if you’re sure you’ll be traveling together, get to know each other beforehand—for example, go on a two-day outdoor trip together first.
Also, understand the experience of the team leader. Through conversation, assess whether they are familiar with the area, decisive and responsible in character, and honest in their dealings.
3. Understand the Environment
3This includes both the natural and cultural environments.
Novices often focus on the activity route, scenery, and itinerary before departure, yet overlook weather trends (weather conditions from one week prior to the activity until its end), road conditions, cultural customs, and common hazards—all of which are crucial for safety.
It’s important to develop a key habit: upon arriving anywhere, talk more with local residents, gather various types of information through conversation, and befriend at least one local family near your destination. Locals know the area best and are most likely to provide timely help in case of emergencies.
General Outdoor Safety Principles — “
Three Don’ts”:1. Don’t Panic
1When planning and preparing for time, itinerary, and supplies for outdoor activities, always build in ample leeway—don’t cut it too close. For example, for an activity normally planned for
In reality, not completing the plan is normal in the outdoors—not an “accident.” Therefore, being overly “rigid” in planning and preparation may lead to “panic” in action.32. Don’t Scatter
Always maintain group movement. When opinions differ, reach consensus before acting. If consensus can’t be reached, it’s better to postpone the action. Often, making mistakes together is better than each person being “right” alone. In emergencies, staying put due to disagreements is better than splitting up. This is especially true for novices.
2There will always be differences in pace among companions, so you must look out for each other. As a principle, the distance between the head and tail of the group should not exceed
Always stay together as a group. When there are disagreements, reach a consensus before taking action. If no consensus can be reached, it’s better to delay action. Often, making mistakes together is better than each person being “right” on their own. In case of emergencies, staying put due to disagreements is better than splitting up. This is especially true for beginners.
There will always be differences in walking speed among companions, so you must look out for each other. In principle, the distance between the front and the back of the group should not exceed20minutes of travel time, and individuals should stay within visual range of each other. It’s important to emphasize here that having a two-way radio does not mean you can spread out more. In mountainous areas, radio communication is greatly affected by terrain and vegetation—you might have a clear signal one minute, then lose contact after just turning a corner. Therefore, never use the “communication range” of a radio as the basis for group spacing.
In short, once you join a team, you must have the mindset of "sticking together through thick and thin."
3No complaining
Complaining is the biggest poison in a team and a major interference with people’s judgment. During any activity, no matter how dissatisfied you are with anything or anyone, you should try to resolve it yourself or suppress it until after the activity. If you have opinions, communicate them in a positive way, but never through "complaining." Because complaining turns disagreements into personal grudges, places unnecessary psychological burdens on both yourself and your teammates, and thus impairs your ability to correctly assess the situation. In the city, this might just mean messing up a task or losing a friend, but in the wilderness, it could endanger everyone’s safety.
Common outdoor safety principle —"Three Let-Gos"”:
1Let go of stubbornness, gain safety
One of the biggest forms of stubbornness in the outdoors is "the goal." Every activity naturally has a goal, whether it’s climbing a mountain or crossing a jungle. But it’s important to understand that our "purpose" in going outdoors is not the same as our "goal." Our purpose is to gain a spiritual experience, unique memories, and to return safely. Being overly fixated on the goal can sometimes go against our original intent. Especially when circumstances change or danger arises, you must know when to let go.
Another form of stubbornness is "caring too much about gear." It’s only natural to cherish a newly bought branded backpack, a stylish waterproof jacket, or quick-dry pants—you want to keep them clean and undamaged. But don’t take it too far. Remember, these outdoor "objects" are ultimately there to serve "people." When the terrain is rough, sometimes you have to sit and slide; when you fall, you might need to let your pack hit the ground first, etc. For safety’s sake, you can’t be too precious about your gear.
2Let go of material concerns, gain goodwill
As long as it’s within your means, don’t be overly stingy with expenses during outdoor activities. For example, when renting a vehicle, a cheaper car might be in poor condition, and if you push the driver too hard on price, they may become very unhappy and take shortcuts, rush the schedule (save on meals and lodging, return earlier to do another trip, etc.), all of which pose safety risks. Similarly, if you hire a local villager as a guide or porter, cutting costs by giving them different food treatment might not lead to complaints, but their motivation will definitely suffer. At critical moments, if they put in a little less effort or say a little less, it could make a big difference. There’s also the issue of "ticket evasion," which is a classic way of deliberately souring relations with locals. If something unexpected happens, how will you get help? So my view is: you can bargain, but don’t evade tickets.
Remember, those who follow the right path gain support, while those who don’t lose it. In unfamiliar surroundings, goodwill is crucial.
3Let go of face, gain practical benefits
The "practical benefits" here don’t mean "being cheap," but rather knowing what truly matters. For example, if your friends all know you’re going to trek across the "Aotai" route, and you didn’t succeed—had to turn back halfway—would you feel you’ve lost face? Or, if you’re not feeling well, find your backpack too heavy to carry, and ask your teammates for help, would that be losing face? Crossing a single-log bridge, everyone else walks across, but you’re scared and want to crawl—might that feel a bit embarrassing? And so on, in situations like these, if you insist on saving face at all costs, what might you lose? And if you let go of pride, what might you gain? These are questions every outdoor enthusiast should think through.
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