THINK Before You Hike
A pre-departure safety framework for Australian conditions
Many hiking incidents are shaped by decisions made before leaving home: the route you choose, the gear you pack, how you interpret the weather, what you assume about your fitness and whether someone knows your plans. Those decisions influence the options available when conditions change, and the margin you build through preparation can make a significant difference to what happens next.
THINK Before You Hike is Trail Hiking Australia’s five-part approach to pre-departure preparation. It encourages hikers to consider the trail, their equipment, their itinerary, what they need and the knowledge required for the conditions ahead. Rather than treating preparation as a checklist to complete, THINK encourages you to question assumptions and make deliberate decisions before setting out.
T – Trail
Is the walk suitable for your fitness and experience? Have you checked official sources for its distance, duration and difficulty?
The trail you choose determines your exposure to terrain, weather, remoteness and potential consequences. Steep gradients, loose surfaces, river crossings and alpine conditions influence the level of risk before you even start walking. Be realistic about your fitness, recent experience and familiarity with the terrain, because a Grade 3 coastal walk is not equivalent to a Grade 3 alpine route in winter. Environmental context matters, and trail selection is one of the first opportunities to manage risk. Choosing a trail that exceeds your capability or preparation can leave you with fewer options when conditions change, making subsequent decisions more difficult.
H – Hiking gear
Do you have appropriate footwear, clothing, a backpack, map and first aid kit?
Gear isn’t just about comfort or appearance. It influences what you can safely manage: footwear affects stability and injury risk, clothing helps you manage temperature and weather exposure, and navigation equipment supports your ability to stay oriented when visibility deteriorates. Don’t rely on a single navigation device, assume your phone battery will last or count on the forecast holding. Your gear should help you remain mobile, dry, oriented and capable if conditions deteriorate. If it isn’t suitable for the planned route and conditions, reassess the objective.
I – Itinerary
Have you researched your route, checked official information, considered alternatives and told someone your plans?
An itinerary is part of your rescue system. It gives searchers a starting point if you fail to return. Research your route, including its distance, elevation gain, terrain features and known hazards, and check official sources for closures and alerts. Use that information to establish a realistic expected return time and, where appropriate, a turnaround time. Most importantly, share your itinerary with someone you trust, including your intended route, expected return time and any alternative plans. Make sure they know when to expect contact from you and what action to take if you’re overdue. A clear plan and an agreed response can help authorities begin a more focused search if something goes wrong, which is why communication is part of responsible hiking rather than an optional extra.
N – Need
Do you have the food, water, navigation tools, torch and emergency communication equipment you need?
This is about building in a buffer for when things take longer or go wrong than planned. Carry enough food and water to cover a delay, insulation for the coldest credible conditions rather than just the forecast high, and lighting even if you expect to finish well before dark. In remote or alpine areas, carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). A PLB can help raise the alarm and communicate your location when conventional communications are unavailable. It won’t prevent an incident or guarantee an immediate rescue, but it provides an important emergency communication option. NEED is about building in redundancy and maintaining a margin of safety when plans unravel.
K – Knowledge
Do you understand the weather, terrain, challenges and risks you might encounter?
Knowledge helps you recognise and manage hazards before they become problems. That includes understanding how quickly weather can change, particularly in alpine and coastal environments, recognising hazards such as rockfall, river crossings, snow cover and heat stress, and being realistic about your own limitations under load and fatigue. Incidents can develop through several interacting factors and mistaken assumptions. Knowledge helps you question those assumptions, recognise when circumstances are changing and adapt your plans before your options become limited.
THINK as a system
THINK is most useful when its five parts are considered together, rather than treated as boxes to tick at the trailhead. Think about what the trail exposes you to, whether your gear is suitable, how your itinerary could help searchers if you don’t return, what margin you have for delay or injury, and how well you understand the terrain and conditions ahead.
Working through these questions before departure won’t remove every risk, but it can reveal gaps in your preparation and give you more options when circumstances change. The aim isn’t to predict every problem. It’s to question assumptions, recognise your limitations and make deliberate choices while you still have time to adjust your plans.
Putting THINK into practice
Good preparation starts with asking the right questions, but it also requires putting the answers into practice.
THINK: Hike Planner is a practical planning tool being developed by Trail Hiking Australia. It will help hikers create trip plans, record essential details, set expected return times and share their intentions with someone they trust.
The app won’t assess every aspect of THINK or replace your own judgement, navigation skills or emergency equipment. It’s designed to support preparation and communication, making it easier to leave useful information with someone who can act if you don’t return as expected.
Beyond preparation
THINK focuses on decisions made before a hike, but safety doesn’t end when you leave the trailhead.
ExploreSafe complements THINK through seven principles covering preparation, capability, changing conditions, early decisions and responding effectively when things go wrong.
For a deeper understanding of how navigation, environmental protection, equipment, communication and other safety systems interact, explore the Hiking Safety Systems Framework.
Together, these resources encourage a consistent approach: prepare deliberately, pay attention to changing circumstances and make informed decisions while you still have options.
