Route Planning
A route is more than a line between where you are and where you want to be. In the outdoors, good route planning helps you manage time, energy, weather, and risk before they become emergencies. In this episode, we’ll build a practical approach you can use on a day hike, a remote journey, or any situation where getting safely from one place to another matters.
Start with the purpose of the journey and the people taking it. Choose a destination that matches the group’s experience, fitness, equipment, and available time. Study a reliable map, check its scale and symbols, and identify your start point, intended destination, and likely route. A straight line may look efficient, but it can cross steep ground, dense vegetation, private land, or dangerous water. The best route is the one you can follow safely—not necessarily the shortest one.
Next, read the terrain and identify decision points. Look for ridgelines, valleys, trails, streams, bridges, and other features that can help you confirm where you are. Mark hazards such as cliffs, avalanche-prone slopes, flood channels, exposed crossings, or areas where visibility may drop. Consider how the route might change in rain, snow, heat, or darkness. A trail that is straightforward in dry daylight can become difficult or unsafe when conditions shift. If a section gives you concern, find an alternative before you set out.
Build a realistic schedule. Estimate travel time using the group’s pace and the ground you’ll cover, then allow extra time for rests, navigation, obstacles, and changing conditions. Check sunrise and sunset, the forecast, and any local advisories. Set a clear turnaround time: if you have not reached a particular point by then, you turn back or use your backup plan. That decision is easier to make calmly before fatigue or excitement takes over. Carry enough water, food, clothing, and essential equipment for delays, not just the ideal journey.
A plan also needs options. Identify bailout routes, safe places to shelter, and points where you can seek help. Tell a trusted person your route, who is with you, and when you expect to return; agree on when they should raise the alarm if you do not check in. Take a map and compass, and know how to use them, even if you also carry a phone or GPS. Batteries fail, signals disappear, and devices can be damaged. Treat technology as a useful aid, not your only source of direction.
Finally, keep checking the plan against reality. At each landmark, confirm your position and compare your progress with the time and conditions. If the weather worsens, someone is injured, or the route no longer feels safe, pause and reassess. Changing course is not failure; it is sound judgement. Effective route planning gives you choices, and good fieldcraft means being willing to use them. Prepare carefully, travel within your limits, and make reaching safety the priority—not reaching a particular destination at any cost.
