Hundreds of tourists and visitors who just love the outdoors flock to Subic Bay. Count in extreme outdoorsmen who get a charge out of hiking, trekking, mountain biking, rock climbing, rafting, camping, and even road trips.

But of course, doing these activities safely is imperative, especially if you have kids with you, so wait...

Before leaving your doorstep for the wilderness, hear out the things you must do beforehand and make sure to keep them in mind.

Keeping one's head above water should be your essential concern before heading outdoors. And having a blast only comes next. Just to emphasize, unfortunate but true stories can happen to anyone who starts out seeking an exciting adventure but ends having just the opposite.

Sad to say that people's hunger for adventure but their being unprepared for possible misadventure along the way remains the culprit.

Being vigilant and prepared, therefore, are the vital keys to safety. Read on and try to keep in mind these important reminders.

• Inform someone of your whereabouts.

  Send word to a loved one, friend or neighbor about your planned outdoor activity. Leave with them the place, time span of your trip, and a contact number. If you plan to be away for days, keeping in touch with them on a daily basis is significantly important. Aside from putting them at ease about your safety, the idea of a day without a call would give them a signal that there might be something wrong.




• Keep an eye on the weather updates.

  Send word to a loved one, friend or neighbor about your planned outdoor activity. Leave with them the place, time span of your trip, and a contact number. If you plan to be away for days, keeping in touch with them on a daily basis is significantly important. Aside from putting them at ease about your safety, the idea of a day without a call would give them a signal that there might be something wrong.




• Make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged.

  Have you ever been in a situation of needing a phone badly? Hope not. However, if you have already experienced it, just think of the circumstances at stake if you are in one with nature. A charging station is out of the picture, of course. So an important tip is to fully charge your hand phone. It is also best of you are alone to turn off your hand phone for the first half of your day's activity. It is wise to just turn it on afterwards to secure the battery life.

  Another pointer is to ask your companion, if you have any, to turn off his or her hand phone. Since you are together, you can make his hand phone or yours a reserve. So just in case the other hand phone is out of battery, you still have a spare one to use.




• Better have those extras (extra provisions).

  
  

  And what are these? Extra bottles of water and food are a necessity. Pack them in your backpack but not in excess to avoid the risk of ending up with a backache. Recommended light snacks are granola bars, crackers, soft tacos, and sandwiches.




• Take time to read the park's warnings and/or rules and regulations

  Normally, before you enter parks there are signs informing visitors of what's what. Don't just pass through them. Take the time to read these basic important facts. Pay attention to warnings regarding the presence of wild animals, closed trails, hunting days, or steep sides. Hold a copy of the park's map as well. You'll never know when you'll need it so just put it in your pocket.

Now that you are all geared up with all these important safety reminders, go and get your car keys! It is time to paint the "outdoors" red.