7. Safety & Staying Healthy

Will I fall?

It is rare for any hiker to complete the Nootka without falling. Many hikers slip several times a day:

Wet boulders and logs can be astonishingly slippery.

Your footwear should provide very good traction. Consider wearing gloves to protect your hands.

Often the best strategy when falling is to turn so that you land on your pack. This will cushion the impact -- but you may suffer the indignity of being turtled (trapped on your back). Try to get back on your feet before anyone has time to take a photo.

There’s a chance you’ll be hurt by trying to PREVENT a fall. If you think you might fall, go with it. Fall as safely as possible.

Scrapes & bruises are almost unavoidable.
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Blisters?

Wear comfortable, broken-in footwear. If you feel a hot spot, stop & take off your boots. Put your feet into cold water if you can.

Wicking inner socks may help prevent blisters.

Bring Leukoplast or Elastoplast bandages, duct tape & any other blister first aid products you like, just in case.

If you do get a blister, using a sterile needle, prick the blister a few times. Drain without touching the fluid or holes. Seal with liquid Betadine and, when dry, place some tape over it. We usually use duct tape — it's inexpensive and seems to stay as well as anything else.
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Insect Bites & Stings?

We’ve never had much trouble with mosquitoes on the coast. You may have wasps, though, at your campsite, especially late in the season.

You might see the orange centipede which bites. Don’t worry about the black & yellow millipede which doesn’t.

No worries about the many huge banana slugs, by the way. They will slime your food bag, however, if you leave it out. It’s a good challenge to try to hike the Nootka without accidentally stepping on one.
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What about the deadly Beach Hopper?

You'll be tempted to sleep under the stars on First Beach if the sky is clear. Don't unless you want dozens of strange sand creatures jumping up on your face during the night. These are called beach hoppers — they are harmless. You may see them jumping about your feet when you walk through the sand.

Bruising?

Expect some colourful bruises on this hike. It is almost impossible to completely avoid bumping and scraping. If you bruise easily consider wearing protective long pants rather than shorts. You’ll get the worst bruises scrambling boulders & fallen logs.

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