Adventure Ready

Six guides to planning a safer outdoor trip

Each guide covers one part of getting ready for a day or a few nights outdoors, in plain language, built on what US agencies such as the National Park Service, the National Weather Service, the US Coast Guard and the CDC publish. Read them in order the first time.

  1. Trip planning and the ten essentials

    How to plan an outdoor trip before you leave home, what the ten essentials are and why each one matters, and how to leave a trip plan with someone you trust.

  2. Hiking safely: route, pace and turning back

    Choosing a trail that suits the whole group, staying on it, crossing streams, avoiding the dark, and deciding in advance when to turn around.

  3. Paddling a kayak or canoe safely

    Life jackets, cold water, float plans and ways to call for help: what the US Coast Guard, the National Weather Service and park staff say to paddlers.

  4. Weather, lightning and flash floods

    Reading the forecast before you go, what the National Weather Service says about lightning outdoors, rising water, and cold, wet and windy conditions.

  5. Drinking water, heat and sun

    How to treat water from lakes and streams, how to recognise heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and how to protect skin and eyes from the sun outdoors.

  6. Public lands: passes, permits and Leave No Trace

    How entrance passes, reservations and backcountry permits work on US public lands, and the seven Leave No Trace principles for keeping places as you found them.