Hiking provides millions of people with a great deal of pleasure and a sense of adventure every year and 99% of the time it is anything but dangerous. But, people do get lost and have accidents every now and a again and it can then become a very hazardous activity very fast if you are not prepared.

Here are just 4 basic hiking safety tips to make sure that your hiking trips don't land you in trouble.

Safety Tip No1 - Consider taking a partner of friend along.

There's really no need to worry about heading out alone if you are going for a short hike in a local area on easy terrain, but, if you are heading out into heavily wooded wilderness areas with winding trails and steep canyons then the likelihood of becoming lost or sustaining injury becomes very real and you should think carefully about whether or not it is to head out alone.

Taking a friend or partner along can have a lot of advantages, especially if that individual is a seasoned hiker. Obviously, 'two heads are always better than one' and if you do get lost or run into difficulty you're far less likely to panic if you have someone with you to help solve the problem.

Safety Tip No 2 - Let someone know where you are going.

If you are new to hiking then you should certainly stick to well marked and well traveled paths and ought not to stray from these trails to explore until you have some experience and have mastered map reading skills and know how to read a compass. But, it will not take you too long before you're ready to try some more adventurous trails and the possibility of getting lost or injured will arise.

For this reason, you should always let somebody know where you're going and when you plan to return so that a search party can be sent out if you don't return when expected.

Safety Tip No 3 - Take along some basic equipment.

In addition to as a good pair of hiking boots and sensible clothing it is essential to have a basic survival kit with you and your local hiking club will give you excellent advice on the sort of items which this should include, as well as giving you advice on basic emergency first aid steps. What we are looking at here are such things as matches and a lighter, a good knife, a first aid kit and a flashlight with fresh batteries.

In addition, it is a good idea to take a map and compass with you and a fully charged cell phone.

Safety Tip No 4 - Take some basic provisions with you.

Water or other fluids like sports drinks are essential as you can lose a lot of fluid even over a short period of time on a hot day. You should note though that water weighs about 8 lbs per gallon, so take along sufficient but not too much. Don't forget though that you must not drink from local streams as natural water sources might look inviting but they are often high in bacteria and can make you sick very quickly.

Also do not forget to take enough food to last you. There's no pleasure in being hungry while you are out hiking but remember that you can last a good deal longer without food than without water.