How To Deal With Backpacking Emergencies – Accidents happen. You can get lost or injured while recreating outdoors. Search and rescue can take hours or days depending on factors such as weather conditions, capacity and resources if you are lost or injured. Being prepared for an emergency improves your ability to respond quickly to a situation. It’s important to practice your plan before you leave so you and anyone joining your adventure know what to do in case of an emergency. Remember, each trip and activity may have unique requirements so you may need to modify your outdoor emergency plan to fit your trip.
Continue reading to learn how you can get the most out of your park visit. On this page, you can also:
How To Deal With Backpacking Emergencies
Use the trip planning guide to plan a great adventure and avoid some common mistakes that can lead to getting lost or injured.
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Print one from the park website or plan to pick one up at the Visitor Center. Consider a trail or topographic map if your activity requires a more detailed layout of the area.
Review the map and your planned route and note landmarks you can use as reference points.
Choose an activity that suits everyone’s skills, experience and physical fitness. This way no one is left behind for being slow or unable to finish.
Set a pace that works for everyone so no one is left behind. Check in with your group often to make sure everyone is moving at a comfortable pace.
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Always send one or more people with them if one person in the group wants to explore a different location or move around.
Pay attention to trail junctions, informational signs and landmarks. Check that you are still on your planned path.
Retrace your steps as a group to the last known location of the lost person. Wait there for the person until it is safe. Don’t look for a lost person.
If you are unable to call 911, turn the group away and go to the nearest ranger station or visitor center for help. Do not try to find a missing person as other members of the group may be missing.
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What happens if you get lost? It’s ok. Your family and friends are not mad at you. They are worried and looking for you. Here’s what you can do to help them find you:
Find a tree, hug it, and be there. If you don’t see a tree around you, your “tree” might be a park bench or a large rock. The important thing is to stay in one place.
You may hear voices calling your name. Or a helicopter flies overhead. These people are looking for you. Help them find you by making yourself bigger. Have ten essentials, know how to use them, and always tell someone you trust where you’re going and when you’ll be back. But life is unpredictable and despite your best preparation, you can run into trouble. If you do, having a device that can call for rescue can save your life or the life of someone else.
At , we send our trail maintenance staff out with emergency beacons, even though we don’t think we’ll ever need to use them. An emergency beacon is just one piece of the puzzle for staying safe when adventuring outdoors. We send all of our crew leaders first aid training as well as what they need to stay safe in a variety of situations.
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With this in mind, you might want to consider adding a beacon to your gear. But what kind should you get? There are two main types of devices that allow you to call for help when a cell phone is out of range. What you decide depends on your needs.
A carabiner can be used to attach your emergency beacon to the outside of the backpack for easy access. Photo courtesy SPOT.
Whatever device you have, register it. This gives potential rescuers information about you, such as essential medical conditions, as well as your emergency contact information.
Before you leave, prepare your emergency contacts with essential information. Ideally, an emergency contact on your device will also have relevant information about your trip: where you’re going, who you’re with, etc.
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Remember that saving takes time. If you know you need rescue, don’t wait to call for help. For example, if you’re lost, don’t wait until you run out of food and water to send a signal. While beacons are for emergency use only, they only work if you use them. Calling quickly gives rescuers more time to reach you and get you the help you need.
If you need to use your device, try to get a clear view of the sky. Getting a signal can be difficult if your view of the sky is blocked by cliffs or heavy foliage. If possible, move to a more open area.
If you use the device for someone who is not in your party, stay with that person. If you move with your device, you can confuse the defenders.
If you have a satellite messenger, consider your existing messages. If you need to use your device to call for help, you can use those messages to easily relay some information home to your contacts. Possible messages:
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This article originally appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of Washington Trails Magazine. Support Trials by becoming a member to get your one-year subscription to e Magazine. I know how intimidating and overwhelming it can feel to get started with backpacking. There are many questions that need to be answered. What gear do I need? How do I stay safe? How do I know where to go?
When I first started backpacking, I embarked on the longest hike of my life; Oregon Section of the PCT. I backpacked for 30 days using ill-fitting, heavy gear, paper maps, and many extras I didn’t need. My feet hurt the entire trek, red, sore, and covered in blisters. But I did and all that agony was worth it!
I have learned a lot in the 6 years since that hike. I was able to swap out some of my gear for more practical items and successfully spent countless nights under the stars in the mountains, desert and on the coast. My goal with this post is to share some of the lessons I’ve learned from my adventures. Hopefully, this will give you the confidence to branch out beyond car camping.
Before I begin, I want to make it clear that this is what I found for myself. Everyone feels different when venturing into the backcountry, so be sure to do your own research and plenty of trial and error to figure out what you’re most comfortable with.
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So if this sounds exciting to you, but you don’t know how to get started, I’m here to help! Here are some ways to work up to backpacking:
• Start with long hikes! Tackle a long trail and bring a heavy backpack with plenty of gear, including extra food and water (we call it training weight). Do all the research you need in advance to complete the hike safely. You get a sense of accomplishment when you train your body to carry a heavy load. This will help familiarize you with the experience of spending several hours in nature before attempting it at night.
• If you have no backpacking experience, I recommend going with knowledgeable friends the first few times. There is only so much you can glean from the internet. Learning directly from someone with experience is very helpful when questions arise. And they’ll be there to back you up if you forget to pack crucial gear. Don’t have friends who want to backpack with you? Try a local club, MeetUp.com, or connect with like-minded people on social media.
• Before you invest in your own backpacking gear, try borrowing from a friend or renting from an outdoor store. This will help you narrow down what type of gear you like best and ensure you have the knowledge and experience to finally purchase the items you need. There are plenty of used gear stores out there for those on a tight budget. REI has an entire used gear section on their website. Keeping used gear out of our landfills is a great way to start.
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The most important step you can take to prepare for your first backpacking experience is to do a lot of research. Knowledge is powerful, and the more you have, the more comfortable you’ll be in the backcountry.
Taking an online or in-person class on backpacking is a creative option. For example, REI teaches many outdoor skills classes, including topics such as navigation, survival basics, women’s wilderness skills, and first aid. They also have local backpacking
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