The Grand Canyon is a beautiful place but also wild and dangerous if you decide to go hiking and you are not prepared!
According to Ray Hendricks of JustRoughinIt when he spoke on NationalTravelRadionetwork (see audio below), there are over 300 to 400 deaths in Grand Canyon area every year.
Grand Canyon Backpacking Planning (National Park Service) NPS video goes over some of the things you should prepare for when planning to hike the Grand Canyon.
Prepare Your Itinerary for your Hiking before your trip
Before even preparing yourself or your equipment for your hiking, you have to decide what Hiking Trails in Grand Canyon you want to take. You can get a Trip Planning newspaper here from National Parks Service anytime on the internet and start deciding what hikes your fitness level and length of visit to Grand Canyon will be allowed.
If you want to do a longer hike
If you want to do some long hikes or take the raft trips available, you might want to contact hiking tour companies like beforehand to find out the requirements for the longer trips. They will have the equipment, medical training, top-notch gear and meals so all you have to do is enjoy hiking rather than hiking alone.
Get yourself fit
WildlandTrekking.com has advice on training to do to get yourself fit before hiking the Grand Canyon here. There is recommendation to have aerobic exercise as well as strengthening. Going down into the Grand Canyon may take an hour but coming back up can take two hours due to the steep trails and exertion at the last leg of the hike.
Get your gear ready
There is an extensive list of equipment, clothing, food and water to carry with backpacks way before you even get to the Grand Canyon. For the more practical list of items needed look at the National Parks Service video above and for the Ninja Lightweight Backpack check out Whiskeyfox who has 346430 views of his lightweight backpacking gear for Grand Canyon .
Make sure you have plenty of food and water
At Roughinit.com there are hiking guidelines that you have to eat and drink before, during and after your hike due to the extreme stress on your body.
Make sure you have clothing for any weather
Hit The Trail remarks:
“The South Rim of the Grand Canyon sits at about 7000′ (2135 meters); the North Rim rises up to nearly 9000′ (2745 meters)…..I cannot tell you how often we see visitors driving up from Phoenix to the South Rim in November wearing only shorts and t-shirts!”
There is possibility of snow in June and the difference in altitude between the Canyon floor being 20 degrees F higher than the North or South Rim, there is need to have cold weather gear. Alway check with the National Parks Service about weather when you are there.
Make sure you have good fitting hiking boots
Hit The Trail‘s article on boots has advice on boots from experience hiking in Grand Canyon that
“Having been a backcountry ranger at Grand Canyon, I could tell you horror stories of how people have suffered with improper footwear.”
“One of the most common problems I have seen in working with the hiking public is that they wear boots that are too small—” and he has other great advice on how to prepare your feet and make your boots comfortable for the up and down hiking in Grand Canyon.
Make sure you have medical supplies
Even though there is 300 to 400 rescues in the Grand Canyon every year, the Grand Canyon is a remote and wild place where you need to be prepared for any possible accidents or blisters or ankle twists so you can get out to place where you can get help if needed. So, make sure you have a complete medical first aid kit .
Make sure you have water purification
At the informative site HittheTrail.com , Water purification is needed whereever you may hike since
“Giardiasis is the most common and widespread disease and is caused by microscopic parasitic cysts called giardia. This intestinal disease is spread through oral-fecal transmission and is carried by humans and animals. If you’ve seen the water filter ads in some of the outdoor magazines, you will see that animals are not often concerned with where they urinate or defecate. And much of our public lands are used for grazing livestock, and they aren’t very particular either.”
Use the Free National Park Service resource
National Park Service Grand Canyon Hike Smart has great advice on preparing before you go to be healthy and save so you won’t suffer illness or exhaustion so read their advice before you go when you are deciding what hike or hikes you might want to go on in the Grand Canyon. They have News advisories on the site for any potential hazard or bad weather coming up and Trail closures.
Even before you go, you can be well-prepared for the unique and beautiful Grand Canyon so start planning now for your trip. Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour can save you the commute time from Las Vegas while you enjoy the vistas on the way to your Grand Canyon adventure!