Notifying a relative: the action that matters most
According to Ma Sécurité (Ministry of the Interior) and the FFRandonnée, the most useful measure is neither technical nor costly: informing someone of your plan, your precise route and your likely return time. This information, and this alone, lets a relative know when to worry and where to tell rescuers to look.
Preparing the outing
- Check the weather and route conditions before leaving.
- Choose a route suited to your level and the group's.
- Bring a map or guidebook, even with a GPS.
- Plan at least 1.5 litres of water per person, per FFRandonnée, to adjust based on duration and heat.
- A first-aid kit, personal or shared.
- Clothing suited to weather that can change fast: rain, wind, cold, sun.
- A safety time margin: if a storm is forecast in the afternoon, leave early and plan to be back down before 1-2pm.
Handling a no-network area
Bring a means to signal: a charged phone, a whistle to signal your presence. Mobile network isn't guaranteed in the mountains: 112 can go through via any carrier receiving locally, but not if there's no network at all in the area. See our guide on phone battery to make it last the whole outing.
If things go wrong
- Don't ignore signs of fatigue: take breaks.
- If you're alone and must continue, tell a relative your route even more precisely.
- If injured or lost, stay if possible in a visible spot and signal yourself (whistle, bright clothing).
- Call 112 as soon as network is available, giving your most precise location possible.
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving without telling anyone, even for a "short and easy" outing.
- Relying solely on the phone for the route, with no backup paper map.
- Ignoring forecast bad weather instead of adjusting the departure time.
- Underestimating water needs, especially in heat.
Distress signals, even without network
LASTLINE can help you carry signalling tools that depend on no network:
- a whistle, a light and morse code, built into the app;
- your practical first-aid guides, viewable offline.
LASTLINE isn't an emergency geolocation device like a satellite beacon: in isolated mountains, it complements your preparation, it doesn't replace it.
Carry my distress signalsFrequently asked questions
What should you tell a relative before going hiking?
Your precise route, your departure time and your expected return time. This is the information that lets a relative alert emergency services and tell them where to look if you don't check back in.
Does the 112 emergency number work in the mountains without your own carrier's network?
112 can go through via any carrier's network receiving locally, even if it's not your own. It doesn't work if no mobile network is available in the area, which remains common in the mountains.
How much water should you carry while hiking?
The French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée) recommends at least 1.5 litres of water per person, to adjust based on duration, heat and effort.
Sources
- Ma Sécurité (Ministry of the Interior), How to prepare well before going to the mountains.
- French Hiking Federation, Recommendations for summer mountain hiking.