Be prepared and be safe. That’s the general advice from Hudson Bay RCMP Cpl A. P. Von Niessen for snowmobilers this winter. That means wearing an approved helmet, riding with a partner, and letting someone know where you are going and when you will be back. He also suggests a small survival kit and a GPS device that can send a distress signal. Von Niessen says relying on a cell phone isn’t a good idea because the battery can go dead in the cold and you may not be in an area with cell phone service. You should also know the rules. The province’s Snowmobile Act states that if you are driving on public property, you need to have a valid driver’s licence. Anyone born after January 1st, 1989, is required to complete an approved safety course. For property owners that don’t want snowmobilers on their land, as it stands now, signs must be erected at the corners of your property and at intervals no further apart than 800 metres that say no snowmobiling or no trespassing or something to that effect.