Always be prepared. It’s the Boy Scout motto, and it should be yours if you’re heading into the wilderness for a trek. Forgetting simple things like rain gear, snacks, or a fresh pair of socks can ruin a day’s hike. Even worse, being caught unprepared on a mountaintop can be lethal. Follow these tips and stay safe on the trails.

1. It’s safest to hike with at least two other people.
2. Each hiker should carry a cellphone, map and a compass (and know how to use them!).
3. Study a map and trail guide beforehand so you know where you are going.
4. Choose a hike that works for all the members of your group. You don’t want to have to stop halfway down the trail because one person cannot hack it.
5. Mountain weather is notoriously changeable. Temperatures can drop by as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few hours. Always carry warm layers and rain gear.
6. If there is lightning, do not hike above the tree line.
7. Let someone know where you are going.
8. Pack a minimum of two liters of water per person per day.
9. Do not wear cotton, as it retains moisture. Wear synthetic materials that wick water away from your skin and keep you warm.
10. Pack a headlamp and extra batteries.
11. Always be prepared to have to spend the night out.
12. Pack insect repellent and sunscreen. High altitude and sun are brutal to the skin.

13. Pack a First Aid kit.
14. In case of an accident attend to the victim, and then assess your situation. If outside help is needed, record the time, circumstances of the accident, type of injury, and the weight, age, and sex of the victim. Mark your location on a map. One person should stay with the victim while others go for help.
15. The wilderness is a fragile resource. To protect it, carry out all of your trash and cover up all signs of your passing. Stay out of the woods during spring mud season when the soil is particularly vulnerable. Stay in the center of trails, walking directly through mud if necessary, to reduce erosion. At higher elevations, alpine plants are very fragile so please keep to the trails.
16. Pack a whistle or signal mirror in case you need to summon help.
17. Wear the right shoes. Heavy, stiff hiking boots are harder to trek in than a light, flexible shoe. Minimize shoe weight by selecting a cross-trainer with ankle support, a trail-running shoe, or one of the lighter hiking shoes that are readily available.
18. Wear nylon sock liners under your socks, to keep fibers from irritating your feet.
19. Have an estimated time that you’ll stop and go back to civilization, no matter what.
20. Take plenty of food to help prevent fatigue. Trail Mix is not the best food for a tough hike involving high levels of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Nuts and other oily, fatty foods are harder to digest when your body is using oxygen elsewhere. Also, lots of fruit can cause digestive distress. The best foods on the trail are sport bars like Clif Bar, Promax, Balance Bar, and others, as well as that childhood classic, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
21. Never hike in new shoes. Make sure you break in your shoes with several short hikes before attempting something challenging.

Courtesy Readers Digest

Mountainous, remote, culturally diverse, and immensely beautiful, Canada is an expansive and scenic country to visit and explore. With over 10 provinces, this North American country is a favourite destination for travellers of all ages. Canada has so much to offer that it’s worth fully exploring on its own. Perfect for ski adventures, scenic railway journeys, wildlife, and historical city exploration, it’s diverse in its terrain and culture. Canada is a comfortable and exciting destination to visit.

Accommodations, Things to do, Places to go

Vancouver Island Vacations Tourism Information Guide that has been designed to assist all visitors vacationing on this beautiful island of ours. We would like you to experience an enjoyable vacation.

For the camping enthusiasts there are over twenty provisional campgrounds available and literally dozens of privately owned RV parks on the island. Vancouver Island offers something for every one on vacation. There are many outdoor experiences you will be able to enjoy, fishing, golfing, horse back riding, parks you can trail walk and of course grizzly and black bear tours just to name a few activities.

Accommodations on Vancouver Island

We have hundreds of various types of accommodations listed from Victoria to the top of the island Port Hardy and every city and town in between on both the east and west coasts to suit all budgets, tastes, needs and desires.

For instance there are bed and breakfasts, cabins and cottages, campgrounds, condominiums, chalets, farms, guest houses, hostels, hotels, houseboats, inns, lodges, motels, resorts, rv parks and villas to suit all tourists.

We have made it as easy as we can for you, just select the location you intend to visit and then select the lodgings of your choice from all the listings It is easier to look at the Vancouver Island map we have on the website so that you can plan your trip making your bookings in advance. You may decide to stay at a water front inn or bed and breakfast with the sound of the waves lulling you to sleep, or a vacation rental home that can accommodate families or groups.

Activies on Vancouver Island

There are more than 50 golf courses for the avid golfer to experience. Most of these courses are set in the most beautiful surroundings near the sea, by lakes or surrounded by great mountain ranges in evergreen forests. Vancouver Island also can boast of having some of the best championship courses.

Fishing charter guides who are ready to give you the Vancouver Island Salmon and Halibut fishing charter experience of a lifetime!

Guides who know the waters here well and are ready and committed to serve you individually, ensuring a personalized and rewarding fishing charter. You may be fortunate enough to land a halibut , now that would be a vacation to remember. It is all here at our front door. Unbelievable fishing on Vancouver Island for those seeking the finest saltwater fishing getaway. Grizzly bear watching is always a tourist attraction at Knight Inlet about 80 kilometers north of Campbell River. During a vacation on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, be sure to book a whale watching tour to see whales, eagles, dolphins and other marine mammals.

Outdoor Recreation

Enjoying winter skiing on Vancouver Island

Mt. Washington is only minutes away from the Comox Valley and offers world class skiing, snowboarding and Nordic sports. In the summer season Mount Washington is a hiking and mountain bike haven.

If you're looking for activities beyond alpine, all snowbound tastes are catered for. Mount Washington provides guests with one of the top-rated Nordic experiences in North America.

Outdoor Activities Fly Fishing

Get inspired by the province’s natural beauty and make plans for your next outdoor adventure, by taking advantage of the many recreation opportunities available across the diverse landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes and coastlines. You will experience excitement and adventure on either a fishing, whale watching, bear watching or hunting trip. Vancouver Islands rugged wilderness, fresh lakes and rivers offering excellent opportunities for gaming and fishing enthusiasts. Kayaking is a very popular sport as the island has many bays and inlets with calm waters. Here is The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Kayaking

Vancouver Island offers a host of exceptional recreation opportunities. While some of the island’s most spectacular recreation features are located in parks, many more recreation resources are found in the rugged backcountry.

Outdoor Activities Sailing the coast of Vancouver Island

Alternatively, if you are planning a more relaxed type sailing holiday and intend to explore the shores, bays and the hundreds of inlets surrounding Vancouver island, then you can also look forward to sun tanning, beach combing, waterfalls, beautiful anchorages, great scenery, swimming, hiking, photography and the many species of wildlife.

There are over 18 marine parks in our area.

Desolation sound is extraordinarily beautiful sailing area with many safe anchorages and beautiful locations… mountain waterfall and forest lakes only minutes walk from snug anchorages. The waters are calm, sheltered and warm. Desolation Sound is a world famous sailing destination or longer trips to the many other marine parks like Princess Louisa, Toba Inlet, Bute Inlet or the Broughton Archipelago.