Leaving a Trip Plan: Route, Times and a Check-In Contact
Most search efforts start with a simple question: where were they going and when should they be back? A trip plan left with a trusted person answers that question quickly, which can shorten a search from days to hours.
What to include
Write down your planned route, trailhead and parking location, vehicle description, the names of everyone in the group, and planned campsites. Add alternative routes you might take if conditions change, along with the gear you carry, such as tent color and communication devices.
Include the phone number of the local land management agency or emergency service your contact should call.
Return and alarm times
Give an expected return time and a separate, later time at which your contact should call for help if they have not heard from you. Discuss what counts as checking in, such as a text from the trailhead.
Make the alarm time realistic, allowing for slow progress, without leaving a long gap before help is called.
A satellite messenger or personal locator beacon can send a check-in or call for help where phones have no signal, but it complements a trip plan rather than replacing it.
Sticking to the plan
Searchers look first where you said you would be, so avoid changing routes without telling anyone. If plans change and you have signal, send an update.
Always contact your check-in person when you return, so they do not raise an alarm for a trip that ended safely.