The Clothing Color That Could Save Your Life When Hiking Or Camping During Winter

For many, winter can be the preferred time for hiking or camping, since you can avoid the summer crowds. It's a great time to commune with nature and get into that "Wild" vibe, but there's a potential danger that comes with winter hiking or camping (and no, it isn't bears). Rather, it's those out hunting deer, elk, and other big game, who have their guns trained on the slightest movement. If you don't want to get accidentally caught in the crosshairs of a hunter, make sure to put on some blaze orange items for your next winter hiking or camping trip, particularly if you're heading to Llano, the "Deer Capital of Texas."

Also known as hunting orange, safety orange, and OSHA orange (for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration), this fluorescent color is mandatory for hunters to wear in most states during certain hunting seasons. Some states even require that those accompanying hunters wear it as well to prevent accidents. While it's not required for non-hunters to don this highly visible orange, it's highly recommended that folks wear it when heading out into the woods or other wilderness areas during the fall and winter hunting seasons. 

This universally recognized safety color first entered the mainstream in a 1960 Field & Stream article called "Hunter Orange–Your Shield of Safety." The U.S. Army and several other organizations had conducted an extensive experiment to find the most visible and therefore, safest color for hunters. It's a color that's easily visible in different environments and doesn't appear in nature. Hunters are trained to look out for blaze orange (and more recently, blaze pink), so wearing this color could save your life. And if you're venturing out into the wilderness alone, be sure to read up on other safety tips to know before a solo hike – which are even more important during winter treks.

Wearing blaze orange while hiking or camping can not only prevent any accidental run-ins with hunters; it's also a way to be more visible for a search-and-rescue operation. The key is to get the right attire to make sure you're properly visible. A vest is a must (and not a construction orange vest, since its stripes can mimic those of animals), as well as a full cover or panel for your backpack. A safety orange hat is also useful, and don't forget to get something for your four-legged companion too, like a safety orange vest, harness, or bandana (although the more coverage, the better). 

In recent years, some states have adopted blaze pink as an additional alternative to the orange as a way to appeal to women. The problem is that it's not a standardized color the way blaze orange is; orange appears on the visible light spectrum, while pink is a diluted red, so it's harder to regulate when it comes to hunting safety.

During the 1959 experiment to figure out the best safety color for hunting that led to the adoption of blaze orange as the standard, researchers discovered that yellow in certain conditions can appear off-white — like the color of a deer's tail. So, avoid wearing yellow, as well as green, brown, or muted colors that would make it difficult for a hunter to see you. When figuring out what you need for a solo camping trip, be sure to pack an LED light along with the blaze orange items since visibility at dawn and dusk is low, and it offers an extra safety measure during hunting season.