Guide · Bushwalking safety ·
Summer bushwalking safety: heat, water and start times
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Summer bushwalking safety comes down to four habits: start early, carry more water than you think you need, check the fire and heat warnings, and tell someone where you are going. A short plan made at home does most of the work.
This is a planning guide, not a substitute for local advice. Park rangers and the official warning services know your route best.
Sources for this section: Better Health Channel, Walking: safety and environmental issues; Country Fire Authority, Total Fire Bans and ratings.
Start early, and plan to be done before the heat peaks
Pick the cool part of the day. The Victorian Better Health Channel says sun exposure is a heat risk on hot days, especially between 11am and 3pm. It advises that if you can, you should keep activity to the cooler parts of the day.
That gives you a simple rule for summer. Set off soon after sunrise, and plan to finish or reach shade and a long rest by late morning. If your walk takes more than a few hours, pick a route with shade for the middle of the day, such as a creek, a forest or a swimming spot where swimming is allowed.
- Work out the walking time first. The Better Health Channel says about six hours, including rest breaks, is more than enough for the average person.
- Go at the pace of the slowest walker. Heat slows everyone down, so give yourselves extra time.
Sources for this section: Better Health Channel, Heat stress and heat-related illness; Better Health Channel, Walking: safety and environmental issues.
How much water to carry
Plan on half a litre an hour in mild weather, and more when it is hot. A bushwalking columnist in Sydney's Monthly Chronicle wrote that in spring conditions you lose up to 0.5 litres of water for every hour of walking. In hot and humid summer weather, the need can rise to 0.75 litres or even 1 litre an hour.
Here are our sums from those figures.
| Walk length | Mild day (0.5 L an hour) | Hot, humid day (0.75 to 1 L an hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | 1 L | 1.5 to 2 L |
| 4 hours | 2 L | 3 to 4 L |
| 6 hours | 3 L | 4.5 to 6 L |
The same columnist offers other tips. Start the walk well hydrated, and drink a little extra the day before. Take a drink whenever you stop. Carry a few small bottles instead of one big one, so you can see how much you have used and have a backup if one breaks. If you drink creek water, treat it first with a filter, chemicals or another method.
If you find you need more than 0.75 litres an hour, that is a sign you may be pushing too hard. Rest in the shade and cool down. The Better Health Channel also says to drink more in hot weather even if you do not feel thirsty, and to avoid alcohol.
Sources for this section: MonthlyChron, Water needs on a bushwalk, how much is enough (December 2016); Better Health Channel, Heat stress and heat-related illness.
Check the forecast, heat and fire warnings
Look at the forecast the night before and again in the morning. The Bureau of Meteorology runs a Heatwave Service for Australia that shows where heatwave conditions are expected over three-day periods, with low, severe and extreme levels.
Fire is the other summer risk. In Victoria, the Country Fire Authority says Fire Danger Ratings are forecast four days ahead and are updated twice a day, at 5.30am and 4pm. A Total Fire Ban is declared on days when fires are likely to spread quickly and could be difficult to control. The CFA says bans are normally declared by 5pm the day before, but they can be declared or revoked at any time.
The Monthly Chronicle columnist says he does not walk in bushfire-prone areas on days of Total Fire Ban, and that a particularly hot forecast is a good reason to delay a walk.
Also check the park itself. Parks Victoria says conditions can change in parks for many reasons, and asks visitors to check for changes affecting the park they plan to visit. It also says to follow directions from rangers and park signs, because entering a closed area could put you and your companions at risk. The Better Health Channel adds that no fires may be lit on days of Total Fire Ban.
Sources for this section: Bureau of Meteorology, Heatwave Service for Australia; Country Fire Authority, Total Fire Bans and ratings; MonthlyChron, Water needs on a bushwalk; Parks Victoria, Safety; Better Health Channel, Walking: safety and environmental issues.
Set a turn-back time
Decide before you leave when you will turn around. That turnaround point is our own habit and no agency sets it: turn back when half of your water is gone, or at a clock time you set at home, whichever comes first. On an out-and-back walk, that keeps enough water for the trip home.
Also turn back if anyone in the group feels unwell. The Better Health Channel lists the warning signs of heat exhaustion as paleness and sweating, a fast heart rate, muscle cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness or fainting. It says to seek medical help if you or someone with you shows these signs. It calls heatstroke a medical emergency and says to call triple zero (000).
Sources for this section: Better Health Channel, Heat stress and heat-related illness; MonthlyChron, Water needs on a bushwalk.
Tell someone your route
Leave your route and your expected return time with a friend or family member. The Better Health Channel says to always tell someone your estimated time of return, so they can raise the alarm if you do not turn up. Give them the name of the track, where you will park and the time you will call them when you finish.
The same page offers more tips for any bushwalk:
- Walk with companions if you can. It says it is best to have at least three.
- Carry maps of the area, and note the signs along the way.
- Stay on the path.
- Check the weather forecast, then pack the right clothes and enough food and drink.
It also suggests sunglasses, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat. The Monthly Chronicle columnist adds that loose fitting clothing helps you save water.
Sources for this section: Better Health Channel, Walking: safety and environmental issues; MonthlyChron, Water needs on a bushwalk.
Sources
- Better Health Channel, Walking: safety and environmental issues: betterhealth.vic.gov.au
- Better Health Channel, Heat stress and heat-related illness: betterhealth.vic.gov.au
- MonthlyChron, Water needs on a bushwalk, how much is enough: monthlychronicle.com.au
- Country Fire Authority, Total Fire Bans and ratings: cfa.vic.gov.au
- Bureau of Meteorology, Heatwave Service for Australia: bom.gov.au
- Parks Victoria, Safety: parkweb.vic.gov.au