Check your pack now for essential safety items. Remember to bring an adequate amount of water

Safety in numbers – no guarantee, but that’s part of Westerners hiking.  On the trails, someone in each group probably will have, well … just about anything.  After all, many members are advanced hikers; several are Search and Rescue volunteers.  Buried in their backpacks we’re likely to find, well … just about everything. 

But beyond the Westerners, we also hike with family and friends.  Occasionally, trading safety for solitude, some even hike solo.  What should each hiker carry -- for ourselves … our friends … our children and grandchildren?

“Relax,” some might say.  “I know the trail; we’re only going out for an hour or two.”  Famous lost words … famous last words.  On Sedona’s spaghetti-shaped trails, a wrong turn can turn ...

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