 Oh, hey, I didn't see y'all there. I'm Drew Glover and I'm the 4-H Foundation Regional Extension Agent in Cleveland County and today we're going to talk to you a little bit about hiking in the woods. So come on, let's go. So today what we want to do is show you a few hiking essentials for when you go out and explore the woods this week. The first thing I want to address is we're not going to use our phone, battery might die, might not have a signal, so that's no help. Let's talk about what we definitely need though when we go hiking. The first thing we have is a good pair of shoes. So don't wear flip-flops or fluency tennis shoes. Wear shoes that are good for protection that will protect you from the elements as well as be comfortable. Another important thing to do is think about how you're dressed. If it's nice and comfortable outside, shorts are fine. If you're wanting to protect yourself from things like bugs or if you want to protect yourself from the weather, longer clothes would be good, but always make sure that you bring things like rain jackets or ponchos, even if you don't expect rain, rain might come upon you. So be prepared in that way. Another important thing is we want to make sure that we have sun protection so you can wear a hat that'll protect your head and face from the sun. You can protect your eyes from your sun with sunglasses and you can also look really cool while doing it. So that's an added bonus and we also have sunscreen here. Sunscreen's good to protect the rest of us from the sun. We don't want to come out of the woods with a nice sunburn. From my experience, it's not very fun. Another thing that's important, we want to have bug sprays. We want to make sure that those bugs stay off us so we don't only come out with a bunch of bites, but even with bug sprays, make sure that when you leave the woods that you check yourself for bites and ticks and things like that. Make sure that you're safe. Another really important thing, first aid kit, that's going to help us if we get bug bites, but it's also going to help us if we get any kind of scratches or minor injuries along the way. So make sure that we bring your first aid kit. Another essential thing is we want to make sure that we have water as well as food. That will sustain us throughout the day and make sure that you pack a little bit of extra of both. You don't want to be out there thirsty and hungry, you don't want to be dehydrated out in the woods. So make sure you bring that plus anything extra that you think you might need. What else have we got here? We've got lights, so a headlamp or a flashlight in case it gets dark before you expect it to get dark. It's always good to have these items so that you can maintain safety throughout the day. We also have a pocket knife or some kind of multi-tool. These sorts of things help us in emergency situations, especially you'll be glad that you have these on hand. Let's see. Oh, very important. We have a whistle here. A whistle is important in emergency situations, so instead of having to yell or make loud noises with our throats and wear ourselves out, we can just blow the whistle. And people will come for help if you have the whistle. A map. Map's very important. Miss Amber's going to talk a little bit more about maps, but we want to make sure that we have those in our bag and that they show us exactly where we are. We want to make sure we have the right map. Then lastly, just a pen and some paper, some kind of notepad or something like that. And that's going to help us to journal, it's going to help us to make observations about things or even if you like to draw. That's a good thing to have on hand when you're hiking through the woods. So these are our basic hiking essentials and now I'm going to hand it over to Miss Amber and she's going to tell us a little bit more about how we can enjoy our time in the woods. Hey guys, my name's Amber Wilson. I'm the 4-H Regional Extension Agent for Randolph County. Today we're going to talk a little bit about the things you need to know before you go hiking. Drew has already mentioned what you need to carry with you in some sort of backpack. So now here are the eight things you need to keep in mind before you take a hike. Number one, never hike alone. Always take a friend that also loves being outdoors. Number two, consider how much time you have to hike. Do you have all day or just a few hours? Number three, search for a trail that is near you. Taking into consideration how long the trail is and how long it will take you to hike that trail. These trails can be found in your local city parks, your state parks or your national forests. Another resource for finding trails near you is by going to alltrails.com. There you can put in your zip code and it will show you trails near you and how easy, moderate or hard those trails are. Number four, acquire any trail maps that are available. Most parks have trail maps available for the public. Number five, wherever you hike, make sure that you have permission. Many parks only allow you to hike trails from sun up to sundown. Number six, pick a trail that fits your skill level. If you're a beginner, stick with a trail that is marked as easy. If you're an experienced hiker, try a moderate to hard trail. Number seven, always tell someone when you're going to hike, when you should be back and what trail you plan to hike. This way, if there is an emergency, they will be expecting you at that particular time and can send help if you are not back at that specified time. Number eight, make sure that you check the weather before you head out. The last thing you want is to be stuck in the middle of a rainstorm or a health storm. Now that you have your gear and you know the ins and outs of hiking, grab your partner and head out. Remember that pen and paper we packed in our bag earlier? We want you to use that to jot down anything that you might see along your journey. That might be animal tracks or droppings or maybe you see a magnificent eagle. Whatever it is that you find along your journey, make sure that you share it with us in the comments. Now get outside and go.