The hiking gear you shouldn’t leave home without

I love true-survival podcasts. Every time I listen, I’m constantly yelling in my van, “Why don’t you have a Garmin InReach? Why didn’t you download the GPS maps ahead of time?” It got me thinking … why not ask the true experts, AKA real search and rescue teams, to get a hiking gear list for safety? 

 So I did exactly that. Rocky Mountain Rescue Group’s Emmi Laakso and Drew Hildner, as well as Rafael Kolic, search leader for Flathead County Search and Rescue near Glacier National Park, were gracious enough to provide their insights. On average, Rocky Mountain Rescue Group does about 200 rescues a year, while Flathead County undertakes up to 80. Suffice to say, they know their stuff.

It can be easy for people to quickly get in over their heads, they say, even people experienced in the outdoors. Both Laakso and Hildner emphasize not only always carrying what’s known as the 10 essentials, but also knowing how to use them when needed.

 “Gear’s great,” Laakso says, “but it’s a poor substitute for knowledge.” 

The essential hiking gear checklist for trail safety

Navigation

Buy it now on Amazon

Experts often advise hikers to carry a compass and topographic map, but a dwindling number of people know how to actually use them. (This book may be a good resource to help with that.) A GPS-enabled smartphone app like AllTrails or OnX Backcountry can be hugely beneficial, but unless you’ve downloaded the maps ahead of time before heading into areas with little or no signal, they will do you little good. When you do use these apps, they can sap your phone battery. 

When using an app, Hildner says, be sure to pay attention to your surroundings. Too many people, he says, “are just following dots on a map. When they run out of battery, they’re totally and completely lost.” If possible, only use the app at trail crossings and when you fear you may be getting off track. Have a waterproof paper map to refer to when needed.

Sun protection

Buy it now on Amazon

Sun protection is a must during all seasons. At higher altitudes, even during winter, UV rays become more intense. A wide-brim hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen should all be part of your everyday essentials. When picking out sunscreen, look for a product that’s sweat-resistant, lightweight, and with a SPF factor of 50 or more.

Insulation

Buy it now at Patagonia

Kolic swears by the Patagonia AlpLight Down Jacket or another minimalist ultralight down jacket, such as the Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket during colder conditions. 

“Even in temperatures as low as 30 degrees, the Patagonia jacket keeps your core warm,” Kolic says.

In warmer weather, a lightweight shell like the Black Diamond Recon LT or Stormline Stretch Rain Shell, will help keep you warm and dry. Kolic recommends picking one that’s a bright color able to be seen from afar, has a hood compatible with climbing helmets, and vents to allow heat to escape. Heat leads to sweat which leads to your clothes becoming damp, ultimately defeating the purpose of a waterproof jacket.

If you’re in the mountains, even during the summer, having gloves and a beanie can be beneficial. If you’re in shorts, stuff a pair of rain pants into your pack, just in case. Ultralight trekkers and trail runners should always bring extra clothing, weight be damned. 

“There’s a big difference between tolerable temperatures when you’re traveling at a brisk pace versus stopping (and hunkering down),” Hildner says. “When you’re wearing a T-shirt and shorts, even 60 degree temperatures with a light wind can lead to hypothermia in the right conditions.”

Illumination

Buy it now on Amazon

A good headlamp, like the BioLite HeadLamp 800 Pro, is a must. The brighter, the better. 

Kolic brings a headlamp every time he’s on the trail, even if he only expects to be gone for an hour. He keeps a headlamp in each of his packs, just so he’s never without one.

First-aid supplies

Buy it now at REI

Don’t just buy an Adventure Medical Kit from REI, toss it in the bottom of your backpack, and call it a day. If you already have one, know what’s in it and how to use it. Take things out that you don’t need and add things you do. If you don’t have one, it’s often cheaper and more effective to create your own, stored in a Ziploc bag.

 “I typically don’t use 80 percent of what’s in those pre-packaged kits,” Kolic says, before adding, “but I don’t mind suffering a bit. Medical shears? I have my multitool or a knife. Instead of Band-Aids or molekin, I’ll use duct tape. You’d be shocked at how many Band-Aid wrappers I find on the trail.”

It’s always good to have small amounts of ibuprofen, benadryl (for allergic reactions), and any prescribed medications or inhaler, if needed.

Kolic brings an EMT-approved combat action tourniquet with him on every adventure, no matter how short, as well as a so-called Israeli bandage. He sees a lot of severed arteries and lower body trauma in the field, and these items can quickly stop massive blood loss when used correctly. He highly recommends anyone spending a lot of time outdoors to take a wilderness first-aid class.

Fire

Buy it now on Amazon

Kolic carries a magnesium fire starter as well as a small container filled with vaseline-soaked cotton balls. These will allow you to start a fire in nearly any situation, including wind and rain, along with a collection of kindling and firewood scavenged from the surrounding area. A simple Bic lighter can make things easier, but the flame can be extinguished easily in bad weather, so you might want to opt for a magnesium fire starter as well. 

Tools and repair items

Buy it now on Amazon

Duct tape is incredibly useful in a backcountry-survival situation – you can use it to repair clothing, equipment, or even yourself, as a makeshift bandage. Paracord can be used to help create a shelter or to secure things on your pack or person. Kolic also brings several yards of cloth webbing that he can use to repair his pack or in lieu of rope.

Bringing a knife is good, but a multitool like the Leatherman Skeletool is better. The tools – pliers, screwdrivers, etc. – are incredibly useful if you’re, say, backcountry skiing and need to make a trailside repair. You can buy cheaper knockoffs, Kolic says, but he finds the Leatherman quality to be more than worth the extra money. 

Emergency shelter

Buy it now on Amazon

A small, lightweight tarp can be used in a multitude of ways and doesn’t take up a lot of room in your pack. Rather than sit on snow that robs your body of heat, Kolic recommends putting down a tarp as an extra layer of insulation. Depending on the situation, Kolic may not even use the tarp, but reach for this large plastic bag that’s essentially an emergency shelter.

“You just put it on, sit on a rock or stump, and rest,” Kolic says. “You won’t be comfortable, but (in most conditions) it’ll keep your body temperature at 98.6 degrees.”

Water

Buy it now at REI

Water is one of the biggest needs in a survival situation, as dehydration can lead to disorientation and, in three days or less, death. Rather than bring lots of water with him in Glacier country, Kolic brings this Sawyer Mini water-filtration kit that allows him to drink from most mountain streams or rivers.

Beyond the essentials

SOS device

Buy it now at REI

Many experienced outdoor professionals won’t venture anywhere without a personal locator beacon/SOS device like the Garmin InReach Mini. You need to register it, buy a subscription, and know how to properly use it. When Kolic is out on a solo adventure, the InReach Mini pings his location about every half-hour so friends or loved ones can see where he is at any given time.

If you don’t have an PLB, your cell phone could potentially still help save you, says Hildner. If there’s not enough of a cell signal for a phone call, some municipalities have a Text 911 option that allows you to send a text message asking for help.

Portable power source and extra batteries 

Buy it now at Backcountry

Even if you have an SOS device or working cell phone, if they’re out of juice, they’re essentially worthless. Be sure to fully charge every device the night before a big adventure.

Every expert suggested stashing a portable power source like BioLite’s Charge 80 or 40 PD battery in their pack (and the needed cords), along with any spare AA or AAA batteries your various devices might require.

Bear spray 

Buy it now on Amazon

If you’re hiking in grizzly country, bear spray is an absolute must. Kolic says he knows rangers that travel with multiple canisters of bear spray, because you don’t want to use all your spray, only to run into another grizzly in the backcountry. 

“If I’m headed out, I’ll bring bear spray before underwear,” Kolic says. “It’s that important.”

Knowing how to use bear spray, especially in a critical situation, is crucial. (Best advice: Don’t apply it as you would bug spray!) Frontiersman sells training canisters filled with water that are great for practice situations. If he’s walking solo in an area with thick trees or overgrown brush, Kolic will walk with his bear spray in hand, safety latch off, while announcing his presence with a steady stream of “Hey bear!”

Aluminum hiking poles

Buy it now at Black Diamond

Collapsible hiking poles help you keep your footing over uneven terrain and during stream crossings, and can be used to create a makeshift splint, Kolic says. He recommends aluminum over carbon fiber because they’re sturdier and worth the slight weight penalty.

Local knowledge

If you’re missing a piece of gear, instead of ordering it online, go to the local gear shop near where you plan to do your adventure. Use the trip to pick the collective brain of the staff, who likely know the area best. They can likely tell you things, such as a particular road or trail being closed recently, that you might not have learned from a trip report or magazine article from two years ago. They can advise you about local weather patterns or conditions that you might not be aware of if you’re from out of town.

Clear head

Hildner, who has been a SAR volunteer for more than 20 years, recounted a story about a person in the Flatirons who was injured as they tried to retrieve a lost personal item that had fallen. Although this was an experienced outdoors person who had all the right equipment and gear, they “became too focused on their goal, ignored the warning signs, failed to stop and think” and nearly became a worst-case scenario, he says. 

“The decisions we make ultimately are the difference between having a great day and tragedy,” Hildner says.

If you contact SAR, more than likely they’ll tell you to stay put. But panicked people don’t always make rational decisions.

“Being lost in the wilderness can be a terrifying experience,” Laakso says. “It’s a common reaction; people want to keep moving, to look for familiarity. But it’s always best to stop, take some deep breaths and calm yourself down before making any major decisions.”

Hope

Perhaps the most important thing to have with you in a survival situation is hope, Kolic says. You can survive three weeks without food, three days without water, three minutes without air and still live, Kolic says. But three seconds without hope?

“The people who survive are the ones who keep their cool and never give up hope,” Kolic says.