What’s the last thing you check before heading into the hills? We asked the experts.
Ultra runner and mindset coach
After years of adventuring, my packing runs like clockwork. Everything has its place and goes in my pack before it even reaches the car. Everything but my phone, that is: that’s always the final check before I head off. My most-used app in the wild (aside from the camera) is the Topo50 app, which works offline via satellite. Without it, I’d be lost, perhaps literally. My phone is also backup for my satellite device and a way to communicate if needed.
Mountain guide and Black Diamond ambassador
I always try to pack the night before. In bed before I fall asleep is where my brain twigs onto forgotten (or beneficial to add) items or tasks. I write these on my ‘in the AM’ list. Whether on my phone or in my guiding notebook, the list is the last thing I check before leaving. It’s often a mishmash of things – electrolytes, screenshot weather, extra ski strap … and the last item is usually ‘emergency kit/comms?’ and sometimes ‘have a great day out there!’
Mountain Journeys owner
Every trip is different, so the last thing to be packed is always different. For that reason, the last thing I check is my laminated checklist. I use a marker pen on that list while packing for every trip, and it stays with my gear pile until every single item is checked off. When I’m leaving my vehicle, I simply make sure I’ve changed into my boots and taken my phone from the car. The checklist specifies a full water bottle – nothing worse than starting across farmland or up a dry ridge without water!
Author, outdoors enthusiast and migraineur
The last thing I check before leaving is … the meds! A first aid kit is one thing, but I never go into the hills without a comprehensive stash of medication. Thanks to a number of medical intricacies, such as migraine, I have to carry various drug solutions with me. I’m basically a walking pharmacy, and it has come in handy more than once – not just for me but for other people in distress too. I have a small, sealable plastic bag with an assortment of generic medication (panadol, ibuprofen, aspirin, antihistamines, etc) and my own prescription meds. I’d be a disaster on toast if I left them behind, so several versions of this mini-kit live in the top pockets of my overnight pack, my ski touring pack and my day pack. Paranoid and overkill? Absolutely. Has it saved my bacon? More than once. I can smell it frying now …
Chief guide and owner at Sidetracks Women
Before I head off I do a quick scan through my pack: is everything there I might need for the group? First aid kit, PLB, ground cover, extra water and muesli bars, pocket knife, torch – and a whistle (because in an emergency it’s far more effective than shouting).
Maybe it’s an age thing, but I’ve also developed that little nuisance of going back at least once to check that I really did lock the front door. Every. Single. Time.
Engineer and adventurer
The final thing I check before any adventure, big or small, is the weather. This might involve looking at river flows and rain gauges before kayaking, reading the morning’s avalanche forecast, or double checking when the next weather front is rolling in. The last-minute weather check is major for safety but can also be the difference between being a bit cold and uncomfortable and having a fun time with my friends.
Photographer, author and FMC Backcountry editor
I check that I’ve got my compact mirrorless camera. When packing, my system is to lay out all gear and then work my way up from feet to head. Then I go over my gadgets – headlamp, PLB, power bank, camping items if required and food. Because my camera is so small – it doesn’t go in my pack, I clip it to my chest strap – it’s easy to leave behind, which would be a nightmare.
LandSAR Tauranga, search dogs operational handler
Even though my kit is usually ready to go, I always take a moment to walk through it, item by item. First I check on Kora’s gear. Her winch harness, food, water, tracking line, K9 first aid kit, goggles and booties – each piece is essential to keep her safe and effective in the field. Next comes my comms setup: InReach GPS, radio, PLB, sometimes portable Starlink and backup power sources. Then I test my torch and headlamp, and pack a spare torch for the lost party. Clothing comes next. I choose gear suited to the mission and pack vacuum-sealed thermals for the lost party, just in case. Two emergency bivvy sacks, a fly shelter, general first aid and a trauma kit follow. Finally, I check my own sustenance: food, electrolyte gels and water – enough for me and anyone we might find. Before we move out, I sync with the team. We cross-check gear, confirm we’re covered individually and collectively, and run a final comms check with base.
34 years of inspiring New Zealanders to explore the outdoors. Don’t miss out — subscribe today.
Questions? Contact us
