Autumn Hiking Essentials: 4 Small Things That Keep You Safe and Dry

Autumn is the best time of year to walk: cooler air, fewer people, the colours on the hills. It is also the season when short walks go wrong most often. The days end earlier than you expect, paths turn to mud after the first rains, and the fog that rolls in at four o'clock looks nothing like the forecast. None of that calls for expensive gear. It calls for four small things that live in your pack and weigh, all together, less than a bottle of water.

1. A way to call for help: an emergency whistle

If you twist an ankle or lose your group in the fog, your voice gives out in minutes. A whistle doesn't. Its high-pitched sound carries much further than a shout and needs almost no effort, which matters when you are cold, tired or hurt. Wear it on a cord around your neck or clip it to a shoulder strap. Inside the pack it's useless, because you won't reach it when you need it.

It helps to know the signals. In North America, three short blasts is the widely recognised call for help. In the European mountains it's the alpine distress signal: six blasts in one minute, a minute's pause, then repeat. Whoever hears you answers with three blasts. Agree on one simple signal with your group before you set off, for example one blast for "where are you?" and two for "come here".

Ours combines the whistle with a small compass and a dial thermometer in a 20 g body, so one item covers three jobs. It comes in packs of 3, 5, 10 and 20 with the discount applied automatically in the cart. If you hike with friends or family, everyone should carry their own: the person who gets separated is the one who needs it.

2. A backup for when the phone gives up: a pocket compass

Phones are excellent for navigation right up to the moment the battery drops in the cold, the screen won't respond to wet fingers or the signal disappears in a valley. A small compass weighs a few grams, needs no battery and doesn't care about the weather. You don't need to be an orienteering expert to get value from it. Knowing which way is north is often enough to tell whether you're heading back towards the car park or away from it.

Before you leave, look at the map and note one simple direction: "the road is to the south", "the valley runs east". If the fog comes down, that single fact plus a compass will keep you from walking in circles. Keep the compass in a hip-belt pocket or your first-aid pouch, away from magnets and phones, which can make the needle drift.

3. Dry feet on muddy paths: waterproof shoe covers

Wet feet are the fastest way to turn a good walk into a miserable one, and in autumn they also mean cold feet and blisters. If you walk in trail runners or everyday trainers rather than waterproof boots, a pair of reusable shoe covers is the simplest fix. They stretch over your shoes in a few seconds, keep rain, puddles and mud off them, and fold into a jacket pocket when the path dries out.

They are made for wet ground, puddles and rainy city days, not for wading across streams. Rinse the mud off at home, let them dry and they're ready for the next walk. They're also worth packing for travel days, when you arrive somewhere wet and your only shoes are the ones you're wearing.

4. Something to carry it all: a foldable daypack

Many autumn walks start somewhere else: a city break with a hike in the hills, a road trip with a stop at a viewpoint, a weekend where the weather finally clears. A foldable backpack lives in your suitcase at the size of a paperback and opens into a proper daypack when the walk begins. With under 20 litres of space it holds water, a rain layer, snacks and the small things on this list, without the bulk of a hiking pack you only use twice a year.

Pack it the simple way: water and food close to your back, the rain layer on top where you can grab it, and the whistle and compass on you rather than inside.

Five habits that matter more than any gear

• Check the sunset time and plan to be back an hour before it. In October and November the light goes fast once the sun drops behind a ridge. A small headlamp in the top pocket covers the day you get it wrong.
• Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back, especially if you walk alone.
• Carry a layer you don't think you'll need. Temperatures drop quickly at altitude and when you stop moving. The thermometer on the whistle is a good reminder to put it on before you feel cold.
• Keep a light emergency blanket in the first-aid kit. It weighs almost nothing and makes a long wait for help survivable. See thermal blankets and liners.
• Turn back early. Fog, rain and fading light are good reasons to finish the walk another day.

The short checklist

• Emergency whistle on a cord, worn outside the pack
• Pocket compass and a downloaded map
• Waterproof shoe covers or waterproof footwear
• Daypack with water, snacks and a rain layer (rain gear)
• Headlamp, emergency blanket and a small first-aid kit

Everything on this list, and the rest of our hiking gear, is in the Trail collection. For colder days and the first snow, take a look at Frost and Weather & Protection.