Avoidable tragedies may occur if campers and leaders lack the skills and knowledge to deal with the problems encountered. Leaders must alert youth members to the dangers of unusual environment with proper instructions on fire safety, orienteering, and safe travel. Accidents can occur when hikers kick and roll boulders down steep hills. Wilderness trails have no caution signs for loose rocks, nor do they have guardrails on cliffs. It is strongly recommended that at least one person in the group be currently certified in first aid through the American Red Cross or any recognized agency.
Trail safety is a matter of common sense.
The response of individual members of a group in doing the right thing is important. When they understand the reason for rules of safety, they obey them more willingly. The Boy Scouts of America has an abundance of literature related to proper procedures and guidelines for a group on a trail. The summits of mountains, crests of ridges, slopes above timberline, and large meadows are extremely hazardous places to be during lightning storms. If you are caught in such an exposed place, quickly descend to a lower elevation, away from the direction of the approaching storm, and squat down, keeping your head low.