Hiking Safety
Edit on GitHubThe core hiking safety practices that keep the beacon as a backup rather than a primary plan: pace, hydration, weather, and the decision to turn around.
Hiking Safety
The best rescue beacon is the one that never transmits. This page is the unglamorous core of mountain safety that every beacon owner should practice first.
The three basics
| Practice | Why |
|---|---|
| Pace to the slowest | Fatigue causes the accidents that beacons report |
| Hydrate and eat on schedule | Hypoglycemia and dehydration cause bad decisions |
| Watch the clock and weather | Most incidents start with “we were late” |
The turn-around rule
Set a turn-around time before starting: whatever point you have reached, you start back by that time. Late in the day, cold and fatigue multiply the risk of the simplest mistakes. The beacon can report your position; it cannot report your judgment. Turn around early and the beacon stays silent.
The 10 essentials
Beyond the beacon: map and compass, headlamp, extra food and water, extra layers, rain gear, first aid, knife, fire starter, sun protection, whistle. The beacon does not replace any of them; it is the 11th essential that reports what the other ten could not prevent.
Weather decision
Check the forecast for the altitude you are actually going to, not the valley. Mountain weather changes fast: clouds on the summit ridge, wind picking up, temperature falling: these are decision points, not conditions to endure. The Weather Planning page has the checklist.
When the beacon does transmit
If it does, the plan is already in motion: the Emergency Response Scenarios page walks what happens next, minute by minute.
Related pages
- Trip Planning for the planning side
- Pre Trip Checklist for the packing list
- Winter Operations for the cold season