Plan before you drive
Judge a hike by its elevation gain as much as its distance. A fit walker covers about two miles an hour on a trail, plus roughly half an hour for every thousand feet of climbing. Read the forecast for the elevation you are going to, not for the town below. Summer thunderstorms in the mountains build in the afternoon, so plan to be off summits and exposed ridges by midday. Leave a trip plan with a reliable person: the trailhead, the route, your car and plate, who is with you, your return time, and the hour at which they should call the park or the county sheriff. Set a turnaround time and obey it, however close the top looks.
The ten essentials
- Navigation means a paper map and a compass, plus an offline map downloaded to your phone.
- Sun protection means sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat.
- Insulation means one more layer than the forecast suggests, plus a rain shell.
- Illumination means a headlamp with fresh batteries.
- First-aid supplies should include blister care.
- Fire means a lighter or waterproof matches.
- A repair kit means a knife or multi-tool and some tape.
- Nutrition means more food than you expect to eat.
- Hydration means water and a way to treat more.
- Emergency shelter can be as small as a space blanket.
Water, heat and cold
Plan on about half a liter of water an hour in moderate weather and up to a liter an hour in heat. Eat salty snacks as you go. Hypothermia is not just a winter problem, because it happens at 50 degrees when you are wet and the wind is up. Cotton holds water against the skin, so wear wool or synthetics. Shivering, clumsiness and slurred speech mean it is time to stop, get dry and get sheltered.
If it goes wrong
If you are lost, stop walking. Study the map, and backtrack only if you are sure of the way. Otherwise stay put, which makes you far easier to find, and add layers before you get cold. Three blasts on a whistle is the distress signal. In lightning, get down from ridges, avoid lone trees and open ground, and spread the group out. The National Park Service asks you to stay 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from bears and wolves.
Tip Break in your boots on short walks before the trip, and stop to tape a hot spot the moment you feel one. Blisters end more hikes than bears do.
