A day hike with friends

Choose the route before inviting the group

Share the trail name, trailhead, round-trip distance, elevation gain, terrain, expected conditions and intended stops. Ask each friend about their experience and what they can comfortably walk. Pick for the least experienced member; choose an easier route if the group cannot agree. This format excludes scrambling, snow travel and unbridged water crossings requiring special skills.

Use the land manager's current route information. Check closures, weather, daylight, group-size limits, parking, permits and any wildlife or food-storage requirements. Arrange transport to and from the same trailhead; confirm who has keys and each person's ride home. Identify an easier alternative or cancel if conditions are unsuitable.

Mark the outward route and return trail on a physical map. Choose a destination, a turnaround clock time and an expected return time with room for the walk back, breaks and delays before dark. Tell an outside trusted contact the route, people, vehicles, return time and when to seek help if you fail to check in. Agree on the local emergency contact and how to reach help where mobile service is absent.

Pack for the return as well as the view

Each person needs a daypack, trail-appropriate footwear, enough drinking water for the route and conditions, ready-to-eat food plus extra, and personal medications. Determine water quantities from local guidance before departure; do not count an untreated stream as drinking water. Carry treatment equipment if your water plan uses natural sources. Trekking poles are optional.

Check the ten essential systems: navigation with a physical map and compass you know how to use; sun protection; extra weather layers and rain shell; headlamp with spare power; first-aid supplies; matches or lighter and fire starter subject to local restrictions; basic repair tools; extra food; water and any required treatment; and emergency shelter such as a bivy or emergency blanket. Pack a whistle, a rubbish bag and any locally required toilet supplies. Fire equipment does not authorize lighting a fire.

For this format, carry a charged phone for emergency contact where service exists and spare power. A phone map does not replace the paper backup. Arrange an appropriate emergency communication method for a route without service; know how to use it before leaving. Every participant should have essentials with them; assigning a navigator does not make everyone else dependent on one person's pack.

Meet, walk, turn back and check out

Handle pace disagreements and trail surprises

If a faster friend wants to continue alone, remind them of the shared format and shorten the route if needed. Choose a different outing next time for a different pace. A majority vote does not overrule someone's need to return. If the sign and map disagree, stop and confirm your location; do not choose a shortcut or an unverified side trail.

Stay on established trails. Make room for other parties on durable ground without trampling plants; let faster hikers pass and yield to uphill hikers when descending. Follow posted priorities around bikes or horses. Keep speakers off, take rubbish and food scraps out, leave natural objects where they are, and observe wildlife from the locally required distance.

If someone becomes separated, stop and gather the group. When safe, return together to the person's last known location; do not scatter into an off-trail search. Contact emergency services or the ranger station for help. If you are lost and cannot safely confirm a way back, seek help and stay put unless your location presents immediate danger. For a serious injury, call for help with your location and the problem, follow dispatcher guidance and use only first-aid skills you know. Emergency planning and route-specific advice are essential; this guide is not first-aid or wilderness training.

Already know the game?

Ideas & Twists

Choose a variation together before you start.