The following article will tell you the minimum precautions you will likely need to consider and take whilst adventuring, hiking or camping out in mountains and other wild, remote terrain. They will also maximise your enjoyment of camping and improve your survivability rate (making sure you are back in the office after the weekend!)
Plan, plan and plan again BEFORE you set out on your wild camping or hiking adventure.
If you are in a group of people then ensure that the capabilities and experience of each individual is upto the required level. Enthusiasm is great but you'll need to check that it's tempered by an understanding of what is involved.
Assess your camping equipment and of those around you. Is it old and tatty or is it brand new and unused (and more importantly untested).
Do you have escape routes of high level mountains in the event of an emergency? Do you know what to do in an emergency. Are your first aid skills up to the task if someone (including yourself) goes down whilst out in the mountains?
Are you aware of the weather conditions in the area you intend to travel in? Are there any local hazards you should know about? (Hint! Look at a map!)
Don't forget that days during Winter, in the Northern Hemisphere, are shorter... have you allocated enough time to come off the mountains at the right time... don't forget it gets darker earlier in Winter!
You may need to consider starting your walk earlier in the day to ensure that when you come down you are not on difficult, steep and undulating terrain in darkness.
If you review many mountain accidents you will note that a lot of accidents happen in the later parts of the day when your energy levels are lower, which can affect your thinking and reasoning.
Is your GPS charged up fully and are you carrying up back up batteries for this and for your cell phone?
Do you have torch to hand, ready to use if you have to climb back down a mountain in the dark?
Do all members of your group know how to read (and use) a map and compass?
Adequate Footwear and Walking Clothing
Your hiking boots should have decent support to offer a high level of protection from potential twisted or broken ankles on rough ground. Additionally boots should have a treaded sole for help with grip in slippery or wet conditions.
Is your clothing and camping equipment colourful? If not you might find that dark clothing makes you harder to spot if Mountain Rescue teams have to be deployed to find you in an incident.
Will all members be carrying waterproof and windproof clothing to protect them from fierce mountain weather? Remember that a light drizzle down in a sheltered valley can be a torrential and scary downpour on the top of a mountain so be prepared to expect the worst and turn around if the elements are beyond your skills or capability. Sounds cliched but better to be safe than sorry!
Do you have enough warm clothing and survival gear (i.e storm shelters or survival bags) that in the event you get stuck on top you can stick it out in some comfort. Once you stop moving you will lose a lot of body heat which can quickly bring on exposure, so make sure you have plenty of protection to cope with extreme cold and wind high up on a mountain.
Use of Equipment
We can't say enough you should know how to use all of your camping and walking gear - its no point having if you have no idea how to use it... gadgets are there to help you, not make you look cool.
Make sure you have a watch, do not rely on your electronic equipment (like phones or GPS) to tell you!
Supervision
Your party leaders should be experienced (and should be passing that experience on!) and encourage the slowest member of the group to walk at the front. In misty or foggy conditions make sure EVERYONE stays together. Carry out a regular headcount if there are quite a few of you to make sure no-one has gone missing.
If walking alone have you left a route map and an expected time to return with someone so that person knows where you are and can contact Emergency Services if you do not show up?
Dealing with Emergencies
A sudden emergency can be a frightening experience. The trick is to stay as calm as possible and think rationally. If someone is injured or exhausted then (if possible) find somewhere out of the wind and keep them warm as possible. Contact the emergency services (UK: 999 or US: 911) and advise of the situation and your location via Grid Reference and description of surrounding terrain (if possible, it might be dark). If your mobile has given up the ghost or cannot provide a signal then you will need to use 6 blasts on your whistle or 6 flashes of your torch repeated at 1 minute intervals.
Mobile phones are great but signals in mountain areas (even up on top) can be atrocious so it is best not to rely entirely on them. If your signalling is also not working and your casualty is facing potentially fatal consequences then you may need to consider sending someone else on to bring the emergency services to you.
Choose someone in your group who is fit enough and knows how to proceed. If possible try to send 2 of your group ahead and make sure they are equipped if they happen to have an injury themselves. If conditions are just too dangerous it is best not to risk other members (including yourself). Sit tight, keep signalling and checking your phone.
If you make contact with the outside world with your phone do NOT turn it off. You may find Mountain Rescue will want to speak with you so they can reach you far faster.
Finally remember it may take some time to find and reach your location so be prepared to tough it out - it may require a night on the mountain itself.
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