Education

If you are heading outdoors you need to Trip Plan, Train, and Take the Essentials. These three habits prevent the majority of search and rescue call-outs.

Trip Plan

• Tell a reliable person where you are going, your route, and who is in your group.
• Give them your start time, turnaround time, and when you expect to be back.
• Agree on what they should do, and when, if you do not return on time.

Train

• Choose trips that match your current fitness level and experience.
• Practice with the gear you plan to use, including your pack and footwear.
• Learn basic navigation and first aid so you can handle common problems.

Take the Essentials

• Carry the 10 Essentials on every trip, in every season, even for short outings.
• Check that items work and are restocked before you leave.
• Be prepared to spend an unplanned night outside if you have to.

Even good weather can change quickly, and clear trails can become confusing. It is worth carrying a bit extra, just in case. This list is a starting point — add items based on the season, conditions, and your route. Remember these are not "get out of jail free" cards: electronics fail, batteries die, and signals get lost.

1. 1.Light — Headlamp or flashlight per person plus spare batteries. Lack of light is the number one cause of overdue-hiker call-outs.
2. 2.Signalling device — A loud, pealess whistle (three blasts = distress). Consider bear bangers or a pencil flare.
3. 3.Fire starter — Waterproof matches or a lighter, plus a commercial firestarter and/or candle.
4. 4.Warm clothes — Toque, gloves, an insulating layer, and a waterproof-breathable shell. Dress in layers that wick moisture.
5. 5.Pocket knife or multi-tool — For gear repairs, first aid, and building shelter or fire.
6. 6.Shelter — A large orange plastic bag and a thermal (space) blanket keep you warm, dry, and visible from the air.
7. 7.Water and food — Carry 1–2 L of water, electrolytes, and high-energy food. Take regular drink breaks.
8. 8.First-aid kit — Pocket mask, Sam Splint, dressings, gloves, bandages, scissors, and blister care.
9. 9.Navigation — Map and compass you know how to use; treat GPS as a backup, not a replacement.
10. 10.Communication — A fully charged cell phone (off, in a ziplock) and, for tough terrain, a satellite device.

This list assumes you are already wearing proper footwear and non-cotton hiking layers. Break in new boots before your trip, carry moleskin for hot spots, and remember that gear only helps if you have practiced using it.

• Stay on your planned route and stick to marked trails.
• Set a firm turnaround time and honour it, even if you have not reached your goal.
• Do not hike alone — group members can help each other in an emergency.
• Watch the weather and daylight; conditions on the North Shore change fast.
• Pace yourself, eat, and drink regularly to avoid exhaustion and hypothermia.
• Check your location often so you always know roughly where you are.

1. 1.Stay calm — panic makes safe decision-making much harder.
2. 2.Stay put — wandering usually takes you farther from your last known point.
3. 3.Avoid going downhill — North Shore ravines are steep, unstable, and hard to escape.
4. 4.Signal for help — three whistle blasts, a mirror, flashlight, or fire to attract attention.
5. 5.Build or find shelter — reduce your exposure to wind, rain, and cold while you wait.
6. 6.Call for help early — dial 9-1-1 as soon as you know you are lost or injured.

There is no cost for rescue in British Columbia. Calling early gives our team the best chance of finding you before conditions worsen or darkness falls.

When you call for help, the single most useful thing you can give us is your precise location. Many 9-1-1 calls succeed at first but fail when the phone dies before sharing a location. Keep your phone off and in a ziplock bag until you need it to preserve battery.

iPhone

• Open the Compass app — your latitude and longitude appear at the bottom of the screen.
• Or open Maps, tap the blue location dot, and swipe up to read the coordinates.
• When texting 9-1-1 (where available) or a contact, drop a pin or share your location.

Android

• Open Google Maps, tap and hold your blue location dot to drop a pin.
• The coordinates appear in the search bar — read or share them directly.
• Turn on high-accuracy location (GPS) in settings before you lose signal.

Even without cell signal your phone can often still calculate a GPS position. Read the numbers to the 9-1-1 operator slowly, and stay on the line so they can guide you.

In terrain with no cell coverage — canyons, deep valleys, and the alpine — a satellite device can summon help when a phone cannot. There are two main types.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs)

• Transmit a 406 MHz distress signal to the global Cospas-Sarsat satellite network.
• In Canada the alert is routed to a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), which tasks the appropriate response — including 442 Squadron out of CFB Comox for air search and rescue.
• PLBs are one-way: they send your position and identity but cannot receive messages.
• Register your beacon (free) with the Canadian Beacon Registry so responders know who and what they are looking for.

Two-Way Satellite Messengers

• Devices such as Garmin inReach, SPOT, or a satellite-capable phone can send an SOS and exchange text messages with responders.
• Two-way messaging lets rescuers confirm your situation, condition, and location, and lets you receive instructions.
• Keep the device charged, subscription active, and carry it on your body — not buried in your pack.

Whichever device you carry, practice using the SOS function before you need it, and always still leave a trip plan with someone at home.

Hypothermia happens when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. It can set in even in mild temperatures once someone is wet, tired, and exposed to wind.

Warning Signs

• Uncontrolled shivering (which may stop as it worsens).
• Fumbling hands, stumbling, and loss of coordination.
• Slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness, or poor judgment.
• Cold, pale skin and low energy.

The Hypothermia Wrap ("Burrito")

1. 1.Move the person out of the wind and rain and call 9-1-1 or activate your SOS.
2. 2.Gently remove wet clothing and replace it with dry layers if possible — handle the person carefully.
3. 3.Insulate them from the ground first with packs, foam, or branches; cold lost to the ground is significant.
4. 4.Wrap the person in insulating layers, then a vapour barrier (tarp, orange bag), leaving the face clear.
5. 5.Add warmth to the core — chest, neck, and groin — using warm water bottles or heat packs wrapped so they do not burn skin.
6. 6.Give warm, sweet drinks only if the person is fully alert and able to swallow.

Do not rub the limbs, give alcohol, or warm the extremities aggressively — this can push cold blood to the core. Handle a severely hypothermic person gently and keep them horizontal while you wait for help.