SAR Veterans Share Simple Backcountry Survival Tips for Hikers, Climbers, Skiers

“They haven’t thought through what happens if they have an accident or make a mistake out there,” Drew Hildner said, cutting past the romance of big routes to a blunt reality. Hildner is a 23-year SAR veteran and field leader with the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, and his warning captures what search-and-rescue veterans from mountain rescue groups nationwide told Outside: straightforward preparation and decision-making can be lifesaving on hikes, climbs, and ski outings.

Search-and-rescue work in practice looks less like dramatic cliff hoists and more like patient, methodical hiking into the woods. During most rescues, SAR teams hike into the backcountry to help tired, cold, and underprepared people who planned to be back home by dinnertime. That common scene explains why veterans emphasize predictable fixes over exotic gear: late starts, a minor injury, or a forgotten jacket are the small mistakes that become callouts.

Pack for the imperfect day, not the perfect one. Hildner’s blunt verdict—“They’re only prepared to have the perfect day”—is a reminder that marginal weather, slower group pace, and small injuries change outcomes fast. Carrying an extra layer and a lightweight emergency shelter can blunt the slide toward hypothermia when temperatures drop or wind increases. A forgotten jacket shows up repeatedly in SAR reports because once cold sets in, mobility and decision-making suffer; dehydration and hypothermia can begin in a short span of time and then escalate into life-or-death struggles.

Know what most teams actually do: hike in. Helicopters and technical rope rescues are dramatic, but they are the exception. Expect that the first response will often be ground teams moving on foot to find you, stabilize you, and get you out. That reality matters for planning how far you can travel before your turnaround time, how much water and food to carry, and how many extra hours of daylight you need to finish or call for help.

Texting 911 is a modern tool worth understanding. In many places, you can text 911 instead of placing a call. Texting saves battery, and Wilson noted operational benefits: “It has a better chance of getting out than a phone call,” she said. “And we can get exactly what we need written down instead of hearing a garbled voice.” Those are practical advantages in patchy reception or when someone can type but not speak. Learn whether your county or state supports text-to-911 before you go, and if you must use it, send concise, clear location information and the nature of the emergency.

Expect the predictable causes of most rescues and adjust your plan accordingly. SAR veterans said the typical rescues are not epic failures but small cascades: a late start that turns a 6-hour route into a dusk evacuation, a twisted ankle on a rocky descent, or the simple oversight of leaving a warm layer in the car. These are the vulnerabilities you can reduce with checklist thinking: a departure time that leaves generous buffer for delays, a route chosen to match daylight and group ability, and a pocket-sized spare layer that weighs almost nothing but can keep someone mobile.

Practical, simple habits make teams’ jobs easier and increase the odds of a good outcome. Tell your contact a turn-around time that becomes the trigger for a missing-person report if you are not back. Mark vehicle locations and trailheads in photos so they can be described accurately. If you carry a personal locator beacon or a satellite messenger, train with it so you can activate under pressure. These steps are the same common-sense fixes SAR veterans described when interviewed nationwide: they do not require extraordinary skill, only the discipline to plan for the unexpected.

Photograph and credit matter for the community that shows up to help. These tips and tricks could help save your life in the backcountry, reads the photo caption accompanying the Outside piece, with the image credited as Photo: Jen Christianson/El Paso County SAR. The image and its credit underline that much of this work is local, volunteer, and hands-on; mountain rescue groups and county SAR teams are the ones who spend nights hiking to bring people home.

Decision-making in the field is a muscle you can train at home. Practice conservative turn-around rules, rehearse how you will respond to an injury in your group, and make contingency plans for water and shelter. If something goes wrong, remember that most rescues involve people who were close to finishing: fatigue and a small injury make travel slow and complicated. Early, calm communication with your group and an honest assessment of the remaining daylight and fitness levels go a long way toward preventing a call for help.

The bottom line is stark and straightforward: small, predictable choices prevent most rescues. SAR veterans across the country told Outside that preparation and decision-making are the highest-yield behaviors for hikers, climbers, and skiers heading into the mountains or remote Southwest trails and adventures. Take a few minutes before you leave to tell someone your plan, tuck an extra jacket into your pack, and know whether you can text 911 if you need to. Those modest habits save time for rescuers and can save lives.

These pieces of advice are not technical secrets; they are cultural practices SAR veterans wish every backcountry user would adopt. Follow them and you reduce the odds that you become the person a team has to hike in to help.