Embracing the Outdoors Safely
ExploreSafe is Trail Hiking Australia’s safety framework for land-based outdoor adventure activities. It brings the core principles of safe hiking into a simple, repeatable model that supports planning, decision-making, and responsible behaviour in Australian conditions.
Why outdoor safety matters
Australia’s tracks and reserves cover a wide range of conditions, from well-formed day walks to remote routes where weather, terrain and limited communications increase consequence. As participation grows, so does the need for a consistent approach to preparation, risk management and self-reliance.
Preventable incidents place pressure on emergency services, land managers, volunteer responders and local communities. Good preparation reduces exposure, improves decision-making on the track, and increases the likelihood of a timely response if something goes wrong. Outdoor safety is not about fear. It is about margin, capability and responsibility.
The disconnect: a growing concern
Participation has increased, but many hikers are entering the outdoors without the systems knowledge that used to be learned through clubs, mentoring, and experience. The result is a gap between intent and capability, particularly in variable weather and unfamiliar terrain.
- Overconfidence: Misjudging distance, elevation gain, track condition, or turnaround time.
- Social media distortion: Highlight reels that downplay planning, load, weather and consequence.
- Fragmented information: Advice spread across sources, making it hard to know what matters most.
- Skills gap: Basic hiking skills are not learned early, including navigation, layering, and risk management.
ExploreSafe: making a difference
ExploreSafe exists to reduce preventable incidents by promoting a consistent set of safety principles that apply across most hiking contexts. It supports better choices before departure and better decisions in the field when conditions change.
The aim is practical. Encourage hikers to plan effectively, carry appropriate equipment, communicate intentions, and adapt early when risk increases. The outcome is a more capable community and a safer experience for everyone sharing tracks, parks and rescue resources.
Apply the ExploreSafe principles
ExploreSafe is a practical safety framework for anyone heading into the outdoors. It supports planning, preparedness and responsible decision-making across a wide range of activities and conditions. To learn more about the initiative and access additional resources, visit the ExploreSafe website.
ExploreSafe: The Principles of Outdoor Adventure Safety
The ExploreSafe framework is built around six core principles. Together, they provide a structured approach to preparation, risk management and responsible decision-making in Australian outdoor environments.
1. Choose the Right Adventure
Select an objective that matches your group’s current fitness, experience and risk tolerance.
Confirm distance, elevation gain, track conditions, exits and turnaround points using official sources where possible.
Identify hazards that increase consequence, including exposure, steep terrain, river crossings and limited communications.
If the objective requires skills you do not yet have, adjust the plan or choose a different route.
2. Plan and Prepare
Check conditions before departure, including weather, bushfire and flood information where relevant. Treat warnings as decision inputs, not background noise.
Pack essentials that support navigation, first aid, warmth, lighting, food and water margin.
Carry reliable emergency communication such as a personal locator beacon (PLB) or a satellite device where coverage is limited.
Share your plans and expected return time. Include a contingency plan for delays, weather changes or injury.
3. Respect the Environment
Stay on defined tracks where available. It reduces environmental damage and makes navigation more reliable.
Follow Leave No Trace principles, including waste management, wildlife respect, and low-impact camping.
Manage food and odours responsibly. Secure food to avoid wildlife interactions and reduce long-term impacts.
4. Hike Safely and Responsibly
Make decisions early. Small corrections are easier than late-stage problem solving.
Carry a fit-for-purpose first aid kit and know how to use it, including pressure immobilisation where relevant.
Manage exposure with appropriate layers, shelter and pacing. Prevent hypothermia and heat stress rather than reacting after symptoms appear.
Stay together in complex terrain. If you separate, have clear regroup points and a plan.
Turn back when risk increases. Safety is the objective.
5. Stay Aware and Adapt
Continuously monitor conditions, time, location, weather trends and group capacity.
Protect decision quality by managing fatigue, temperature and hydration.
Take breaks before performance drops. Eat, drink and adjust layers early.
If you become uncertain, stop and stabilise the situation before moving. Use your navigation tools and reassess.
6. Learn from Your Adventure
Review what went well and what did not. Note any points where you relied on luck rather than planning.
Update your systems. Adjust gear, food, water capacity, navigation approach, and turnaround rules based on evidence from the trip.
Build skills deliberately through practice in low-risk settings and progressively harder objectives.
Seek credible sources and mentoring when moving into new environments such as alpine areas or remote routes.
Treat every trip as feedback. Improvement reduces risk over time.
ExploreSafe provides a structured approach to outdoor safety in Australian conditions. Apply these principles before departure and review them whenever risk increases.
For further guidance, visit the Trail Hiking Australia Hiking Safety Systems pages or the ExploreSafe website.
