What emergency gear to bring on a hike?

Novembre 2023 

As a paramedic, bushcraft instructor, and hiker for many years, Yves shares his advice on the emergency gear to bring on a hike, whether it’s to anticipate an injury, deal with sudden weather changes, or simply in case you get lost.

Warm clothing, a waterproof jacket, a mobile phone, or a first aid kit are the first items people think of to face the risks mentioned above. In this article, Yves approaches the subject from a different angle than what you usually read. He suggests small, often lightweight and compact items that could save your life in case of trouble.

Here are his tips:

"I know from experience that hikers don’t always like to carry emergency gear on their trips to avoid overloading their backpacks. However, as a paramedic and someone who enjoys reading stories about outdoor adventures gone wrong, I always approach things from the perspective of survival or emergency management. This is actually the foundation of my interest in survival techniques and bushcraft. If, as an adult, you prefer to go without such gear, that’s your choice. However, if you’re hiking with family, especially with children, you should consider carrying at least a basic emergency kit without overloading yourself.

Among the potential risks in the wild, the most important is exposure to the elements, such as wind, cold, rain, or heat, which, by affecting your body temperature, put you in danger. Various individual or collective solutions allow you to isolate yourself from the elements while waiting for rescue.

Survival Shelter: Essential for Protection from the Elements

First on the list is the survival shelter. This is a dome made of polyester coated with polyurethane, with sealed seams, and equipped with insulating black panels that you sit on. Some versions have a porthole that lets you see outside. These survival shelters also feature ventilation, a storage bag, and a drawstring. They are orange in color and have reflective bands for easy spotting by rescuers.

If needed, you deploy the shelter, place it over your head, sit on the black panels, and tighten the drawstring. You will quickly notice that the shelter traps your body heat and creates a microclimate that’s comfortable, while protecting you from wind and rain. You can also use a candle to add extra heat (but be careful not to touch the walls with the flame).

In another use, the shelter can also serve as an extra insulating layer, such as a blanket or between the floor of your tent and your mattress, for example.

Survival Blankets and Bivvy Bags

While I’m not a fan of the basic survival blankets (the ones with a gold side and a silver side) because they’re noisy and fragile, there are alternatives. Several manufacturers like SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer) or Arcturus produce durable, reusable blankets, bags, or bivvies that ensure insulation from the elements and retain body heat. These solutions are a real asset for managing hypothermia, especially in serious medical situations where every lost degree reduces your chances of survival by 10%.

All-season blankets have some rigidity and eyelets that allow them to be used as an emergency shelter or as a tarp, but they are bulkier. I often use this type of model at the bottom of my hammock in cold weather to add an insulating layer beneath my mattress and sleeping bag, helping to prevent the typical cold butt issue (hammock enthusiasts know what I mean).

Our Recommendation:

• Arcturus Survival Blanket

If you find these models too bulky, SOL offers lighter survival blankets. They are much quieter, more durable, and much more reliable than the basic models you find everywhere, with a reasonably affordable price.

Our Recommendations:

• SOL Survival Blanket
• SOL XL Survival Blanket

There are also versions called “bivvy bags” or “survival bags” that are sleeping bags or sleeping liners, which are more airtight than blankets, especially when moving, and come in various models (with or without zippers, with or without drawstrings...). They are generally all tear-resistant. Their price is higher than the blankets but will quickly pay off. Personally, I use the SOL Escape Bivvy Bag, which has often served as a sleeping bag liner or sleeping bag cover. It helped me go from an uncomfortable cold to a cozy sleep. I take it with me whenever I go.

Our Recommendations:

• SOL Escape Lite Bivvy Bag
• SOL Escape Bivvy
• SOL Emergency Bivvy (minimalist version)

Hand Warmers: Useful or Not?

Hand warmers can help you regain manual dexterity in case of hypothermia and warm up an immobilized injury by applying them in the groin or under the armpits. They should be used on a layer of clothing, not directly on the skin. They come in single-use, reusable, electronic, or charcoal forms.

Personally, I use reusable hand warmers. They require boiling water to activate their properties. It’s simple, quick, and very effective.

Our Recommendations:

• BCB Hand Warmer
• BCB Body Warmer
• CAO Outdoor Hand Warmer

The Whistle: For Signaling to Rescuers

The essential accessory that everyone should have weighs nothing, doesn’t cost much, and takes up no space. There’s no good reason not to carry one. I’m talking about the whistle!

Some backpack manufacturers include them on their shoulder straps, which is a real plus in my opinion. Otherwise, many brands offer ball-free whistles that can be heard from a great distance. If you're taking children, don’t hesitate to give them a whistle and practice the scenario of being lost. It’s fun and a good way to train them. SOL (again) offers plastic, ball-free whistles that weigh only 6 grams and emit 100 dB. Cover your ears when using them. There are also aluminum models available.

Whistling the SOS Morse code (three short whistles, three long whistles, three short whistles) is internationally recognized as a distress signal and will allow you to call for help over a much greater distance than yelling, and without fatigue or risk of becoming hoarse.

Our Recommendations:

• CAO Outdoor Dural Whistle (9 g)
• CAO Outdoor Whistle with Cap (20 g): the waterproof compartment can store an emergency identification sheet, for example
• Vargo Titanium Whistle (only 3 g!)

Signaling Mirror: An Underestimated Accessory?

Aside from the whistle, there’s the signaling mirror. Reflecting the sun with a mirror is another way to signal distress that requires no effort and can reach a great distance, especially for air or ground rescuers. To use the mirror precisely, point it at the sun, place two fingers in a V shape in front of it, and direct the V towards the target. Move the mirror slightly to alternate between reflecting and not reflecting the sun. Also, practice the SOS Morse code. Lastly, you can use your compass’s mirror if it has one.

The BCB signaling mirror is worth mentioning. It consists of a mirror and a Fresnel lens that are flexible and unbreakable. I’ll discuss the benefits of the Fresnel lens in the next section. The quality of its reflectivity is such that it can signal over distances exceeding 15 km. For a weight of 10g in a plastic pouch (which you can choose to carry or not), I believe it’s an essential.

Our Recommendations:

• BCB Signaling Mirror with Fresnel Lens

Fire Kit: A Multifunctional Element

Fire allows you to warm up, purify water by boiling it, and signal by using smoke. You can create a tripod with green conifer wood covered in needles, and light a fire underneath. This requires at least a lighter, storm matches, or a firesteel. A firestarter that burns for at least a minute in all weather conditions can save your life in case of emergency.

A good old Bic lighter will do the job. Otherwise, invest in a plasma or storm lighter if you prefer. Storm matches withstand wind and rain (even immersion in water), and a firesteel produces sparks at 3000°C capable of igniting natural or chemical fire starters. Additionally, you’ll easily find fire starters in the form of fuel-soaked wicks.

The Fresnel lens from the Adventure Kit Solar Brother I mentioned earlier allows you to light a fire by focusing the sun’s rays almost instantly. Although it only works with the sun, it’s an effective and interesting backup to bring along.

Our Recommendations:

• Storm Matches
• SOL Plasma Lighter
• SOL Firestarter Wicks

For nighttime signaling, you’ll likely use a flashlight or headlamp, which should already be part of your basic gear. I’ll add one tip and one item to this discussion. If you want to be spotted using your lamp, instead of searching for help by shining the beam horizontally, look for a tall tree and shine the beam at its top. You’ll be visible from much further away. A lamp with an SOS mode is even better. Finally, bringing a Cyalume (around 25g) is a good idea. These light sticks, activated by a chemical reaction, are hung on a string. Spin it as fast as you can, and you’ll create a bright circle that’s visible from a long distance.

I won’t go into the obvious recommendation of bringing a water filter or cooking kit (pot and stove) as they’re most likely already part of your gear. My final recommendation is to bring a first aid kit focused on basic injuries, and a more specialized one if you’re trained in first aid. There’s no need to carry equipment you don’t know how to use. And as we say: stay safe!"

Yves Jean