Safety tip


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By SheepFarmer on 07/11/17 at 5:08pm

With the tips this site gives us about safety I thought I'd add my own that doesn't seem to crop up and that is if you need glasses or contact lenses to read a map then if you're walking alone take a backup pair or in a group make sure at least two people can read the map.

The thought only occurred to me after this year when on one of my Lakes walks I stopped to take a sweatshirt off and to make it easier took my glasses off and put them on the ground and then in the process of pulling it off nearly stepped on them.

Although perhaps I should have thought of it the time I put them on top of the vehicle after a walk while putting a sweatshirt on and then me and my driver went on to a pub and I realised when I couldn't read the menu, we did go back and find them but to late as they'd been driven over.

So now I've exposed a couple of my mistakes, so that you can all take note and think through what you may have done wrong when walking and avoid it again and if you're brave tell us all here.


By TallPaul on 07/11/17 at 8:50pm

You make an excellent point about glasses. I'm in a similar situation: I can now only read a map with glasses.

I remember reading in the RNLI magazine about a bloke who was solo sailing somewhere and lost his only pair of glasses so he couldn't navigate as he couldn't read his charts. In the end he had to call the coastguard for assistance and they sent out the RNLI and put a man aboard to help him navigate to a safe harbour.

My friend who has his own boat keeps pairs of cheap readers (the sort you can pick up for a fiver) all over the boat to avoid this sort of situation.


By SheepFarmer on 31/12/17 at 12:48pm

There is a article in one of today's papers with comments from Richard Warren chairman of Lake District Search & Mountain Rescue Association & team leader at Wasdale about the increase in call outs of people missing through not being responsible & that if they are busy with them, then those in need due to major fall or cardiac arrest are going to have to wait a lot longer.

Plus Chris Higgins of Keswick MRT leader is commenting on people carrying insufficient torches or batteries & that your iPhone is not good enough to navigate rough tracks in the dark.

I know all the regulars on this site & responsible walkers will have read & taken note of previous warnings & information but I'm doing this to help hammer home the message for the casual visitor to this site.



WalkLakes recognises that hill walking, or walking in the mountains, is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death.
Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions.