3)    Animal, Animals, Animals – While hiking, you invade areas where other creatures live, and they’ll be ready to defend their turf from outside invaders. Snakes or mammals like raccoons, rats, woodchucks and other charmers typically avoid human contact, but a hiker may inadvertently encounter their lairs or disturb their sleep, causing a reaction. Although being bitten is traumatic, try to maintain calm and retreat from the area of the encounter. It’s always best to seek professional medical attention for a bite wound, but if that’s not possible, try to bind the wound with an improvised tourniquet, flush it with alcohol or cauterize the wound. It will usually take some time for infection or venom to act, so you will have time to seek proper attention.

4)    Bugs, Bugs, Bugs - Summer is the time when bugs thrive, and they are looking to feed on human hosts who encounter them. Ticks may latch onto skin or clothing while hiking; mosquitos are present everywhere in the twilight or early morning; and fire ant mounds are active and can be disturbed. It’s best to use insect repellent and wear protective clothing if hiking to minimize the insect activity near you. It’s also wise to have someone check for ticks after a hike, and don’t ignore the potential that they’re on clothing rather than skin. Most insect bites are not major issues and typically cause itching as the major affliction. But mosquitos harbor West Nile Virus, which can cause everything from body aches to vomiting, while ticks are bearers of Lyme disease, an insidious and fatiguing illness. It’s best to have a medical professional diagnose the problem, particularly if active hikers are unusually ill or fatigued in the days following a walk in the woods.

5)    Blisters – After spending a winter in bare feet and comfortable shoes, getting back on the trail may present tender feet with a challenge because the ramped-up activity may irritate delicate skin. While not life-threatening, blisters can compromise the ability to walk and are painful. If one develops, sterilize the area around the blisters, then sterilize a knife or other sharp instrument before opening a hole to allow fluid to drain. Then make sure to treat it with a healing ointment and bandage that will protect the sensitive area.