Leaving a Trip Plan: The Most Overlooked Survival Step

Jason
Sep 22
2 min read

Most hikers pack their gear and hit the trail, but forget the simplest safety tool: leaving a trip plan. A trip plan tells loved ones where you’re going, when you’ll be back, and what to do if you don’t return. It’s the most overlooked step in backpacking safety—yet it can save your life. In this guide, you’ll learn why trip plans matter, what to include, and how to share them the right way—plus download a free printable trip plan sheet you can use before your next adventure.

Why Trip Plans Save Lives

Every rescue story has two sides: the one where help knew where to look, and the one where they didn’t. The difference between a fast recovery and days lost in the wild often comes down to this simple act—did someone know where you went, when you planned to be back, and what route you intended to take?

A trip plan is your first signal flare. It speaks when you can’t. It’s the bridge between your world at home and the wilderness you’re entering. Without it, you’re a ghost—no direction, no timeline, no starting point for search and rescue.

What to Include in Your Trip Plan

Your plan doesn’t have to be fancy. It has to be clear. Here’s what matters:

Route details – trail name(s), direction of travel, and side trips if planned.
Estimated timeline – departure and return dates, with wiggle room for weather or delays.
Camp locations & bailouts – where you expect to sleep and what exits exist if things go sideways.
Water sources & resupply points – key logistical notes that give rescuers clues.
Emergency contacts – who to call if you miss check-in, plus your own ID info stashed in your pack.

This isn’t just for multi-day treks. Even a one-night loop in familiar woods deserves a plan.

How to Do It Right

A hiker in trail gear handing a filled-out trip plan sheet or a folded map to a family member at the doorway

Pick a reliable contact – Someone who will notice if you don’t check in and won’t brush it off.
Be specific but realistic – “Hickory Creek Wilderness, counterclockwise loop, starting Friday AM, expect out Sunday PM.” Not just “going hiking.”
Give instructions – Tell your contact who to call (local rangers, county sheriff, SAR) if you’re overdue by more than X hours.
Leave redundancy – A written copy in your car at the trailhead, and one at home. A texted screenshot works, but a printed map with notes works better.

The Mental Game

Some resist leaving trip plans because it feels like admitting vulnerability. But the truth is, this isn’t weakness—it’s strategy. You’re not planning to fail. You’re ensuring you can prevail even if things unravel.

I’ve been out in conditions where gear failed, where storms rewrote the landscape, where a simple injury could have pinned me down. In those moments, knowing someone had my plan wasn’t paranoia—it was peace of mind.

Plan. Prepare. Prevail.

Your communication system doesn’t start with a satellite beacon or a whistle. It starts at home, with a trip plan. Do it right, and you’re never truly alone in the wild.

Below is a PDF file you can download, print and use.

Or you can downloaded the image below.