How to Get Through Severe Weather When Hiking

One of the most harrowing experiences of my life was during a day hike in the mountains in Yosemite. I was hiking with a friend and we were wearing light summer clothes and carrying a little food and water. It was a beautiful warm day when we started out but halfway through the hike it began to storm with lightning, thunder, and hail. It grew windy and the temperature dropped. Unbeknownst to us, this was not an uncommon change in the mountains and with our stupidity we were lucky to get out alive.

Luckily we made it out with no injuries. We did many things wrongs and a few things right but most importantly, we learned from our mistakes. I will share some of those hard lessons here.

Instructions

    • 1

      First, prepare for inclement weather even if its not in the forecast. In warm weather, carry a day pack and include a light jacket and rain gear. A cheap rain poncho will cost a couple bucks and be about the size of a deck of cards. It's worth the money and small weight for this. During my bad hike, I met someone on the trail with an extra poncho and gave her all the money I had on me for that poncho. Pack a hat as well. It will help keep the sun out of your eyes in good weather and can help slow down hypothermia in bad weather.

    • 2

      Carry plenty of food and water. Three quarts of water a day per person is a general rule but adjust for the length of the hike. It's better to take too much than too little. Pack extra snacks in addition to what you plan for meals. Eat protein bars to keep hunger at bay.

    • 3

      When the weather turns bad, put on your jacket, hat and rain gear. Hypothermia can be a killer and the extra clothes will help conserve your body heat.

    • 4

      If you packed a lot of water and its raining hard, consider dumping some so you can hike faster. Experts may not recommend this but if you're hiking in a major rainstorm, water is not going to be your biggest problem.

    • 5

      Stay with your hiking partner. One of you may be tempted to hurry ahead but resist the temptation. You will need the moral support and may need more if one of you slips on a wet trail. If you lose the trail because of the rain, look for other hikers to join. You may find others who know the trail better and can guide you.

    • 6

      If there is lightning, go to the lowest ground possible. Stay away from tall trees and electric lines. If it's hailing, be very careful when hiking on rock as it may be slippery.

    • 7

      If you have your cell phone with you and are lucky enough to have a signal, call someone and let them know where you are. Once you get in out of the weather, remember to call back and let them know you're okay.

    • 8

      Toss a credit card in your day pack as well. You never know when it will come in handy. After getting out of the forest in Yosemite, my friend and I called the Ahwahnee Hotel (our campsite and stuff were drenched) and were lucky enough to get a room because of a cancellation. But they required a credit card to hold the room until we could get there. Now that was lucky!