What To Take Hillwalking

Overview

Hill weather in Britain can turn from clear skies to rain, mist or snow at any time of year. It also gets colder as you climb: about 1 to 2°C for every 100 metres you gain, and wind makes it feel colder still. So pack for the top of the hill, not the car park. And pack for a day that takes longer than planned: you never know when you’ll be delayed.

Before you set off, mountain rescue teams and national parks ask you to run through three AdventureSmart questions:

• Do I have the right gear?
• Do I know what the weather will be like?
• Am I confident I have the knowledge and skills for the day?

This checklist helps with the first one. Everything here comes from UK mountain safety bodies, listed at the end.

The Essentials, All Year

Pack these on every hill day, whatever the season.

Clothing and footwear

• Boots or shoes with a good grip – a treaded sole that supports your ankles copes with rough, muddy ground.
• Thin layers, not one thick one – trapped air keeps you warm, and layers are easy to add or take off.
• Waterproof jacket and trousers – they keep you dry and, with your warm layers, stop your body temperature dropping.
• A spare warm layer – you cool down very quickly once you stop.
• Hat and gloves, even in summer – it is often much colder on top than at the start.
• No cotton or jeans – they stay wet and get very cold.

Navigation and safety

• Map and compass, and the skill to use them – they keep working when a phone or GPS doesn’t.
• Phone, fully charged – your most likely way to call for help.
• Battery pack – cold and location tracking drain phones fast.
• Head torch and spare batteries – you never know when you’ll be delayed.
• Whistle – to call for help if you can’t phone.
• First aid kit, with any medicines you need – and know how to use it.
• Survival bag or group shelter – emergency shelter if you have to stop and wait.
• Watch – at least one person in the group should have one.

Food, water and pack

• Enough food for the day – snack regularly to keep going.
• Emergency food – a high-energy snack kept in your pack for delays.
• Plenty of water – it’s easy to get dehydrated, even in cool weather.
• Rucksack – big enough for what you need, and no bigger.

Spring

Spring can feel mild in the valleys while the high tops are still hanging onto winter.

• Winter kit, if the forecast shows freezing temperatures – old snow can be hard and icy, which is dangerous without the right kit. That means rigid boots, crampons and an ice axe.
• A plan B route – hard snow patches often sit high up on the shady, north side of a mountain. If you don’t have the kit or the knowledge to deal with hard snow, choose a snow-free route or turn around.
• Your winter warm layers – snow can still fall on the higher tops in spring.

Worth knowing: the Lake District’s Fell Top Assessors usually report on Helvellyn from December to March, and Snowdonia’s winter reports on Snowdon run until around March or April. Check them before a spring walk.

Summer

Long, light days are great for the hills. But the basics still apply.

• 1 to 2 litres of water, or more – carry extra water in summer.
• Sun hat – shades your face and neck.
• Sun cream, SPF 15 or higher – protects your skin from strong sunlight.
• Sunglasses – protect your eyes.
• A light long-sleeved layer – keeps you warm if the weather changes, and covers you up if you burn.
• Waterproofs, hat and gloves – yes, still. Hill weather turns quickly, even in summer.
• Head torch – in case you get stuck or the walk takes longer than you thought.

Also watch for summer thunderstorms. Thunder and lightning are no fun on open ground.

Autumn

When the clocks go back, it gets dark much earlier.

• A fully charged, good head torch – this is vital once the evenings draw in.
• A second head torch or spare batteries – a back-up if the first one fails.
• An extra warm layer – it’s getting colder.
• Thicker, better waterproofs – they make autumn days more comfortable.
• Spare hat and gloves – in case you lose a pair, or someone else needs them.
• Group shelter or bothy bag – somewhere to warm up if you have to stop.

Being able to find your way off the hill matters at any time of year, but more so in the dark.

Winter

In winter, snow and ice make routes hazardous. In Scotland, winter conditions can last for many months of the year.

Ice axe and crampons: you need the kit and the skills

When there is snow and ice on the high fells, mountain rescue teams and national parks are clear:

• Mountain Rescue England and Wales: “In winter in the mountains take an ice axe and crampons, and be sure you know how to use them.”
• Lake District Fell Top Assessors: “In winter conditions take ice axe and crampons – know how to use them.”
• Met Office: frozen snow or ice “can be impassable and dangerous”, and ice axes and crampons, and the skill to use them, are “essential in those conditions”.

Carrying them is not enough on its own. Consider a winter skills course that covers using both. Even well-practised people can find it hard to stop a slide with an ice axe, so don’t count on it to save you.

Microspikes or crampons?

• Microspikes – fine for icy paths that are flat or very gently sloping.
• Crampons – essential on steep, technical or mixed mountain ground.
• The simple rule – if a slip could lead to a fall, you need proper crampons and boots.

Winter checklist

• Ice axe – plus the skill to use it.
• Crampons – plus the skill to use them.
• Stiff winter boots that fit your crampons – soft boots bend, and the crampon can fall off.
• Warm layers and thermals – it gets very cold on top, and colder in the wind.
• Full waterproofs – jacket and trousers.
• Waterproof gloves, and spares – some walkers carry three pairs in case one gets lost or wet.
• Goggles – wind can blow snow and ice straight into your face, so you can’t see without them.
• Sunglasses and sun cream – Mountaineering Scotland calls sunscreen essential in winter too.
• Head torch and spare batteries – plan to finish before dark, but carry one anyway.
• Hot drink in a flask – a welcome boost on a cold day.
• Survival bag and group shelter – mountain rescue says to pack a survival bag in winter.

For winter in Scotland, Scottish Mountain Rescue says you may also need a helmet and avalanche kit. Check the avalanche forecast where there is one.

Navigation

• Map and compass – take both and know how to use them. A paper map doesn’t run out of battery.
• The right map – make sure it covers the area you’re walking in.
• Check your compass – make sure it works each time before you set off.
• Phone or GPS as a back-up, not your only plan – they are excellent navigation aids, but you shouldn’t rely on them alone. In many areas there is no signal, and cold and location tracking drain batteries fast.
• Low cloud – navigation gets hard when you can’t see. Use your map and compass, not just GPS.

Look after your phone

• Start at 100% charge – many accidents happen late in the day, when you and your phone are both low on energy.
• Use flight mode – it makes the battery last much longer.
• Carry a fully charged battery pack – so you can top up on the go.
• Keep it close to your body – it stays warm and dry, and the battery lasts longer.
• Protect it from the elements – so it’s working when you need it.
• Turn on location services – a rescue team can then send you a link to find where you are.
• Register for emergencySMS – you can text 999, but only if you’ve registered first.

First Aid And Emergency

• First aid kit – include any medicines you need, and know how to use it.
• Useful kit contents – tape, dressings, blister plasters, pain relief, tweezers for thorns and stings, antihistamines for bites, and small pods of sterile water for rinsing eyes.
• Whistle – the distress signal is six blasts in quick succession. Wait one minute, then repeat. A torch works too: six flashes.
• Keep signalling – carry on until someone reaches you. Don’t stop just because you hear a reply.
• Survival bag – a tough plastic bag that gives one person shelter in an emergency. It can be a lifesaver.
• Group shelter or bothy bag – keeps the whole group out of the wind while you wait.
• Head torch, even in summer – a mountain rescue team leader carries one all year round. If you’re delayed without one, you’ll be in big trouble.
• Bright waterproof jacket – makes you easier to find in an emergency.
• Personal locator beacon – worth thinking about if you walk alone.

In an emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Food And Water

• Normal food is fine – sandwiches, snacks and fruit work well.
• High-energy snacks – chocolate, nuts and dried fruit keep you going.
• Emergency food – high-energy bars kept in your pack in case you’re out longer.
• Plenty of water – even in cool weather, it’s easy to get dehydrated.
• Extra water in summer – around 1 to 2 litres, more on hot days.
• A hot drink in a flask – a nice extra on cold days.
• Eat and drink well – and keep warm.

Packing Tips

• About 30 litres is enough – for a single day on the moors, a 30-litre rucksack should be fine.
• Pack in drybags – the best way to keep kit dry. Carrier bags work too, or use a rucksack liner.
• Heavy items close to your back – water bottles and flasks carry better there.
• Handy items in easy pockets – things you use often, where you can reach them.
• Waterproof trousers with side zips – you can pull them on and off over your boots.
• Spare socks – they can double as gloves in a pinch.
• Tell someone your plan – where you’re going and when you’ll be back. Tell them when you’re home.

Printable Checklist

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