Hiking trail guide on what to pack and how to handle injuries

Delville’s First Germiston Scouts Rovers recently journeyed on a two-day overnight hike on the Northern Drakensberg mountains to the Tugela Falls.

District Commissioner of the Eland District Clayton Warren shared tips on how to handle an injury and what to pack for a Drakensberg hike.

What to pack for a hike

“When hiking in the Drakensberg be prepared for all kinds of weather.

“It can be full sun and 30 plus degrees and within 30 minutes be raining and windy and below 10 degrees,” said Clayton.

• Pack wet weather gear and a warm jacket even if you’re just doing a day hike.

• No matter where you are hiking you should always ensure you have comfortable shoes with good ankle support, a wide brim hat makes for a much more pleasant day too.

• Carry a minimum of 500ml of water per hour that you will be walking and find out if the water in the area is safe to drink in case you run out.

• Sunscreen lotion is another must, with a decent SPF and apply it whenever you stop to drink or rest.

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Hiking tips for injuries

Clayton said the most common injury on hikes is ankle injuries, usually due to wearing the incorrect shoes.

“A sprained ankle 10km from the nearest exit is a painful day,” said Clayton.

• Firstly, never remove the shoe it’s compressing the ankle and will help with the swelling.

• Depending on how far you need to walk, you could stabilise the ankle to prevent further movement and discomfort.

• Thereafter, you want to get to medical assistance as quickly as possible, so you will need to assist the patient by walking alongside them taking weight off the injured leg.

• In the case of severe injuries where the person cannot be moved, especially head, neck or back injuries it is always best to just call the Mountain Club (061 461 8259).

• Keep the patient calm and reassured while waiting for rescue.

• Another very important note on hiking is The Buddy System, no matter how experienced you are, you should never hike alone, no matter how short, how well-known the route, if you trip and are injured and if you have no buddy there to help things can rapidly become quite dangerous.

Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za,  or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za , and Lebogang Sekgwama lebogangs@caxton.co.za.