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Before you leave for a hike, give a trusted person who is staying behind your route, schedule, party details and a clear plan for what to do if you miss your return time. Update that person if plans change, then check in when you finish. A written plan gives a contact useful information to pass to authorities; it cannot guarantee safety or rescue.
Why leave your hiking plan with someone who is not going?
A contact who is not on the hike can notice that you have missed your expected return and act on information about where you intended to be. The National Park Service (NPS) calls this a Trip Plan and advises leaving it with a trusted contact. It is information for that person—not a plan filed with or monitored by the park.
Agree in advance what counts as overdue and what the contact should do. The NPS recommends that the contact try to reach you and, if you cannot be reached, contact authorities and provide the plan. Make the timing and steps specific enough that the contact will not have to guess.
What should I include in a hiking emergency plan?
Give your contact enough information to identify the group, understand where you intended to go and know when to act. The NPS template is described as suitable for day or overnight trips; a longer trip or large group may need more detail.
#1 Best Overall
- Explore confidently with the reliable handheld GPS
- 2.2” sunlight-readable color display with 240 x 320 display pixels for improved readability
- Preloaded with Topo Active maps with routable roads and trails for cycling and hiking
- Support for GPS and GLONASS satellite systems allows for tracking in more challenging environments than GPS alone
- 8 GB of internal memory for map downloads plus a micro SD card slot
- Party: Names of everyone hiking and a way to reach the group or a responsible party member.
- Destination and activity: The trail, park or area, and what you plan to do.
- Route and itinerary: Your intended route, planned stops or landmarks, and any alternate or backup route. Useful detail may include where you expect to be at key times.
- Timing: When you expect to start and return, plus the overdue time you and your contact agreed on.
- Vehicle and trailhead, if relevant: Where the vehicle will be parked and other details that could help identify the group’s starting point.
- Contact and response details: How to try to reach you, what to do if you are overdue, and which authorities to contact if you remain unreachable.
These are practical additions to the core trip and contact details, itinerary and expected times in NPS guidance; they are not a claim that every item appears as a required field on an NPS form. For trips beyond a day or overnight, add the extra schedule and logistics needed to describe the plan clearly.
How to share your hiking route—and keep the plan current
- Choose a reliable off-trail contact. Tell someone who is not joining the hike and who can follow through on the agreed response.
- Share the plan before departure. Send the route, itinerary, contact details and expected return time early enough for the person to review them.
- Agree on the overdue response. Decide when the contact should first try reaching you and when they should contact authorities with the plan if they cannot reach you.
- Report changes. If you change the route, timing or backup plan, tell the contact as soon as practical. An outdated route or return time can misdirect someone trying to help.
- Check in after the activity. Let the contact know when the hike is complete so they know the plan has ended.
Prepare for getting lost, injured or out of cell range
Share a plan for how the group will respond if someone is injured or the group loses the route. Review the route and notable landmarks before setting out, and carry navigation tools suitable for the specific trail. NPS identifies maps, a compass and GPS among navigation options; a tool is only useful if it covers your route in sufficient detail and you know how to use it.
Rank #2
- Compact and lightweight GPS handheld navigator boasts an anti-slip design offering a bright 3.2" screen that is sunlight readable, even in bright sunlight, plus, physical buttons provide more versatility in any conditions
- Get multi-GNSS support(GPS+GALILEO+BEIDOU+QZSS) for superior positional accuracy,so you know exactly where you are,location precision within 6 ft
- The handheld GPS navigator uses GPS technology to capture your trip or waypoint so you can guide back to your starting position
- Equip with 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter,follow your bearing on the digital compass, which provides an accurate heading even when stationary
- Hike in any weather with the water-resistant design (rated to IP66) ,Rechargeable battery can provide up to 36 hours of battery life in full charge, recharge easily with a standard USB-C cable
Cell service may be unavailable on a hike. Choose communication backups based on the trip and the kind of contact you may need when there is no reception. NPS mentions a two-way satellite messenger as a possible activity-specific addition, not a universal requirement. A personal locator beacon is another device category to consider for some trips; neither device replaces route preparation or guarantees rescue.
For a two-way satellite messenger for hiking, consider whether its communication function fits the planned route and whether you know how to operate it. The official guidance identifies this category, not particular brands or models.
Rank #3
- Explore confidently with the reliable handheld GPS
- 2.2” sunlight-readable color display with 240 x 320 display pixels for improved readability
- Preloaded with Topo Active maps with routable roads and trails for cycling and hiking
- Support for GPS and GLONASS satellite systems allows for tracking in more challenging environments than GPS alone
- 8 GB of internal memory for map downloads plus a micro SD card slot
Know the limits and check local requirements
The NPS states: “The Trip Plan does not guarantee your safety or rescue.” Remote response can take time, and conditions vary. A plan helps a contact provide useful information, but it cannot ensure that responders can reach a group or do so quickly.
An itinerary is not a substitute for required permits. NPS material applies to U.S. national parks; check the destination’s current trail conditions, closures, permit requirements and local procedures before departure. Follow any park-specific instructions for the hike.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Large 2.6” sunlight-readable color display for easy viewing
- Expanded global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and multi-band technology allow you to get optimal accuracy in challenging locations, including steep country, urban canyons and forests with dense trees
- Includes routable TopoActive mapping and federal public land map (U.S. only)
- Go-anywhere navigation with 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter
- Compatible with the Garmin Explore website and app (compatible smartphone required) to help you manage tracks, routes and waypoints and review statistics from the field
Rank #4
- The 2.2” high-resolution display is easy to read, even in bright sunlight
- Get long battery life of up to 168 hours in standard mode and up to 1,800 hours in expedition mode with 2 field-replaceable AA batteries (not included)
- Pair with the Garmin Explore app on your compatible smartphone for wireless software updates, trip planning, Active Weather, smart notifications and additional mapping
- Get automatic cache updates from Geocaching Live, including descriptions, logs and hints when paired to the Garmin Explore app on your compatible smartphone
- Multi-GNSS support gives access to multiple global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou and QZSS) to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone
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