No explorer is ready without their gear. Sturdy shoes (preferably metal-capped), a good pair of gloves, and thick clothing are paramount to have. Also consider wearing a construction helmet, having a respirator with you at all times, bringing a couple of flashlights with you, and keeping a fully-charged phone with you at all times. If you can bring some water and a small medkit with you, that’s even more awesome.
Above everything, don't take unnecessary risks. There’s usually always an alternate path leading to where you want to go. So keep a cool head but also remember to listen to your gut. If you feel that something’s wrong, it probably is.
Something else to keep in mind is the time of day when you go off exploring. It’s best done when it’s sunny. First of all, there’s tons of light, so you can see everything way better: you’ll avoid nasty falls and rusty stuck-out nails better than with your flashlight. And secondly, it means that if you do get into trouble, it’s far easier for help to find you than in the dark.
Finally, there’s an unwritten consensus among many urban explorers that it’s best to leave the places you visit the same or better than you found them. That means that you shouldn’t be taking any ‘souvenirs’ home with you. Photos are definitely fine. Items, however, should stay where they are.
Start off by visiting less risky, more accessible sites, rack up some experience, and work your way up to those crumbling haunted castles that you’ll wow the internet with photos of. At the end of the day, the photos you take can help remind you of your awesome adventure just as well as any item you’d bring back.
