Trail walking technique
- Tell someone your route and return time — or register with STANAGEGO.
- Start early. Weather on UK hills changes quickly; morning conditions are often clearest.
- Stay on marked paths where they exist, especially on nesting moorland (March–July).
- Walk at a pace that allows conversation. The slowest person sets the group pace.
- On descents, take shorter steps and avoid locking your knees.
- Cross streams at the widest, shallowest point. Unbuckle hip belts before deep crossings.
- Give livestock and dogs on leads a wide berth. Close gates behind you.
Map and compass
- Carry the correct Ordnance Survey map for your area — 1:25,000 Explorer for detail, 1:50,000 Landranger for longer routes.
- Contour lines: at 1:25,000, contours are typically 5 m apart. Tight spacing means steep ground.
- Orient the map to the ground before you rely on it — turn the sheet until features line up.
- Take a bearing: line the compass edge between start and destination, rotate the bezel until north aligns, then follow the needle.
- Tick off features (walls, streams, summits) to confirm position as you walk.
- Grid references read eastings first, then northings: "along the corridor, up the stairs."
- In poor visibility, pace counting and timing between features help — practise in good weather first.
- Phone GPS is useful backup, but batteries fail and screens are hard to read in rain. Paper map and compass do not.
Essential kit (day walk)
Always carry
- OS map (waterproofed) and compass
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Warm mid-layer, hat, and gloves
- Water (minimum 1 litre; more in summer)
- Food and emergency snack
- Fully charged phone and power bank
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Small first aid kit and whistle
- Emergency shelter or survival bag
Also consider
- Trekking poles on steep or long descents
- Sun cream and sunglasses
- Insect repellent in summer
- Cash for parking or cafés in remote areas
Weather and emergencies
- Check MWIS or the Met Office mountain forecast before upland walks. Turn back if conditions worsen.
- If someone is injured and cannot walk, call 999 and ask for mountain rescue. Keep the casualty warm.
- Distress signal: six whistle blasts or torch flashes per minute, pause, repeat.
- In lightning, leave summits, ridges, and isolated trees. Spread out if in a group.
- In fog, shorten legs between checkpoints, use the compass, and reduce speed.
- UK mobile signal is patchy on hills. Download offline maps before you go.
- Register your hike so someone off the hill knows your plans and expected return.