Stay Safe Out There
Safety Guidelines
Read this before your first hike. Knowing the basics keeps everyone safe.
Know Before You Go
Safety Guidelines & Group Conduct
Read this before your first hike. These are not rules for the sake of rules. They are what keeps everyone safe, comfortable, and welcome on the trail.
Participation Agreement
All members participate at their own risk. The Wandering Few is a private group of friends who hike together for enjoyment. It is not a guided service, a business, or a professionally managed organization.
The event host and group admins are volunteers. They are not responsible for injuries, accidents, lost or damaged belongings, incidents involving pets, or any outcome from participation in group activities. By joining and attending events, you accept full responsibility for your own safety and the safety of your guests and animals.
If you have a medical condition, mobility concern, or any factor that may affect your ability to participate safely, please disclose it to the event host when you sign up. This information stays private and helps the host plan appropriately.
Stay Together
Group Movement Policy
- Hike as a group. Do not leave the trailhead early without telling the host.
- Faster hikers wait at trail junctions for the group to catch up.
- No one hikes alone or splits off without letting the host know.
- If you need to turn back early, tell the host and confirm your plan.
- The group does not leave the trail until everyone is accounted for.
If You Get Separated
Stop, Stay, Signal
- Stop immediately. Do not keep walking hoping to catch up.
- Stay where you are and call the event host.
- If you have no cell service, stay on the marked trail and wait.
- Make noise periodically so the group can locate you.
- If 30 minutes pass and no contact, call 911 and give your last known location.
Emergency Plan
Every Hike
- Before leaving the trailhead, confirm the host has everyone's emergency contact.
- Know where the nearest urgent care or hospital is. It is listed on every trail page.
- At least one person in the group should carry a basic first aid kit.
- For any medical emergency on trail: call 911, give your trail name and best location, keep the person calm and still until help arrives.
- The host will collect emergency contacts from the sign-up form. Check your listing before the hike.
Ticks
- Treat clothing with permethrin or DEET before every spring and fall hike.
- Do a full body check immediately after every hike. Include scalp, behind knees, underarms, and waistline.
- Check dogs before putting them in the car.
- If you find an embedded tick, remove it promptly and note the date. See a doctor if a rash or flu symptoms develop within 30 days.
Hydration and Heat
- Bring a minimum of 2 liters of water per person for any hike over 4 miles.
- Drink before you feel thirsty. Thirst is already a sign of dehydration.
- In summer heat, start early and plan to be off exposed trail by midday.
- Know the signs of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, weakness, nausea, dizziness. Sit in shade, hydrate, cool skin with water.
- Dogs overheat faster than people. Bring extra water and watch for heavy panting and stumbling.
Bringing Your Dog
- Dogs must be leashed at all times unless the trail specifically allows off-leash. Confirm before arrival.
- You are fully responsible for your dog's behavior. If your dog snaps, lunges, or frightens other members or hikers, you may be asked to leave the trail.
- Dogs with a history of aggression toward people or other dogs should not attend group hikes.
- Bring enough water and a collapsible bowl. Do not rely on trail water sources for dogs.
- Bring waste bags and use them. Every time. On every trail.
- Note your dog on the event sign-up so the host can plan and other members with dog-reactive dogs can make informed choices.
- Heat affects dogs seriously in summer. Wet their paws and belly at water crossings. Watch for slowing down, excess drooling, or disorientation.
- Some trails do not allow dogs. Confirm the dog policy on the Trail Details page before signing up.
Bringing Children
- Children are welcome on easy and moderate hikes at the parent's discretion.
- Note on the event sign-up how many children and their approximate ages. This helps the host plan pace and rest stops.
- Parents are fully responsible for their children at all times on trail. The host is not a chaperone.
- Challenging hikes with significant elevation, scrambling, or rocky terrain are not appropriate for young children. Check trail details before committing.
- Children must stay with a parent or designated adult at all times. No running ahead unsupervised.
Leave No Trace
- Pack out everything you pack in. Do not leave any waste, food scraps, or gear on trail.
- Stay on marked trails. Cutting switchbacks and walking off trail damages fragile ground cover and contributes to erosion.
- Do not pick wildflowers, move rocks, or disturb any wildlife.
- Respect other hikers. Keep group noise at a reasonable level, especially near water and wildlife areas.
- Follow all posted fire and camping rules for the specific park or forest.
The Wandering Few is a small, invite-only group. The culture of the group is set by everyone in it. These expectations apply to all members on and off trail at group events.
Treat Everyone With Respect
This group includes people of different fitness levels, ages, and experience. No one should feel embarrassed for hiking slower, needing more breaks, or asking questions. Pace-shaming, condescension, or any dismissive behavior toward other members is not acceptable.
Communicate Directly and Early
If you cannot make a hike, cancel through the site or text the host early. Last-minute no-shows without notice affect the host's planning, the carpool board, and the group's trust. Repeated no-shows without communication may result in removal from the group.
Be Honest on Sign-Up Forms
Disclose medical concerns, mobility limitations, and your dog's actual temperament. This is not about excluding anyone. It is about the host being prepared and the group being safe. Withholding relevant information that leads to a safety issue is a serious violation of group trust.
Respect the Invite-Only Nature of the Group
Do not share the site link, the page password, or group information with people who have not been formally invited. If you want to bring someone new, invite them through the proper member application process. Bringing unregistered guests to events without prior admin approval is not permitted.
What Can Result in Removal
Bringing an aggressive dog to a group hike after being told not to. Repeated no-shows without communication. Disrespectful or hostile behavior toward any member, host, or trail user. Sharing private member information including emergency contacts or medical disclosures with anyone outside the group. Sharing site access with uninvited people. Any behavior that creates a safety risk for the group.
Not all who wander are lost. We are just the few who actually go.
Questions about safety on a specific trail? Contact the admins before you go.
📧 Contact Admins