Plan smart and stay out of trouble: routes, weather, and the essentials.
Most backcountry emergencies start at home, with a plan that was never made or never shared. These guides cover the preparation that heads trouble off: a trip plan someone can act on, and a survival kit small enough that you’ll actually carry it. They also cover what to do if things go wrong anyway, from staying put when you’re lost to signalling so rescuers can find you.
The best light comes when most hikers are back at the car. How nature photographers working alone can plan the walk in and out in the dark, stay on their feet at cliff edges and shorelines, keep warm while standing still, and leave word when the exact spot is not planned.
How to hike alone safely: which trips suit going solo, leaving a plan with an exact time to call for help, carrying a satellite messenger or PLB on your body, tighter turnaround rules, and what to do if you are hurt or lost with nobody there.
Staying alive is only half the job in a backcountry emergency; the other half is being found. How to signal for rescue with everything from a satellite beacon to a polished belt buckle, in wind, fog, forest, and dark.
The best survival kit is the one you have on you. How to build a light, need-based kit — fire, water, first aid, signaling, navigation — that rides in your pack on every trip.
Most backcountry emergencies are decided before anyone leaves the trailhead. The full pre-trip safety plan: leaving word with someone, researching the route, permits and closures, weather and daylight, matching the trip to your party and your skills, the essentials, a communication plan, and the turnaround rules that get you home.
