It is important to stay health whilst out hiking. Here are some tips to follow:

Hand Hygiene

Wash your hands or use anti bacterial gel to clean your hands before eating food and after going to the toilet.

Managing Periods and Toileting in the Outdoors

The British Mountaineering Council has produced some guidance on managing periods and toileting while outdoors. You can find it here (periods) and here (toileting). Both are really well produced with good practical advice and short videos by professional outdoor instructors. Proper toilets are either very rare or totally non-existent in most of the places that we go, so everyone will need to get used to managing things outdoors. The advice on those links is really helpful, and scouts can always come to leaders or more experienced members of their team for more advice if they need it. Once we get to the weekend training hikes we will have supplies of sanitary products available at the campsites should anyone need them, but we always recommend bringing you own preferred products with you.

Ticks

Ticks are common on Dartmoor and a tick bite is generally harmless, however some can carry Lyme disease or other diseases. Simply being bitten by a tick does not mean you’ll contract it – swift and proper removal is key to minimising risk of infection.

To reduce the risk of tick bites:

  • Keep your arms and legs covered (we do not allow shorts to be worn). Light coloured fabrics are useful since the ticks stand out.
  • Check clothes and skin frequently. Ideally do a buddy check every 3-4 hours. They’re large enough to be easily spotted in summer, but you need to look carefully in spring: they’ll be as small as the dot on this ‘i’.
  • Check that ticks are not brought home on clothes, pets and equipment.

More information is available of the BMC website.

If you feel ill

If you feel ill during a hike, speak to a leader. If there is not a leader with your group, use the team phone to call Control and tell them. A leader will then offer advice depending on the severity of your illness. If you cannot continue hiking, then you will need to be picked up a coinvent location.