How to Leave Useful Details of Your Route With Someone

Before heading out for a walk, hike or other outdoor trip, it is worth making sure someone knows where you are going. It doesn’t need to be a complicated itinerary. A few clear details can make a big difference if your plans change, you are delayed or someone needs to work out where you might be.

Tell Them Where You’re Going

Start with the basic information: where you are going and roughly where you expect to be travelling.

If you are following a named route, give them the route name and the area. If you have planned your own walk, explain the main places you expect to pass through rather than simply giving them the name of the nearest town.

For example, saying that you’re walking from one village to another via a particular hill, woodland or landmark gives someone a much better idea of your intended route.

Give Them Your Route

If you have a planned route, share the actual route rather than just the starting point and destination.

A map screenshot, printed map with the route marked or digital route file can all be useful. You can also write down the main points along the way if that is easier.

The more straightforward the route is to understand, the more useful the information will be to someone who hasn’t been on the walk with you.

Include Your Start Point

Be specific about where you are starting.

A large car park, railway station, visitor centre or named access point is much more useful than saying you are starting “somewhere near the woods”. If the starting point is difficult to find, include any useful details such as the road you are using or a nearby landmark.

If you are leaving a vehicle somewhere, give them the location and, where appropriate, the vehicle details they might need to identify it.

Say When You Expect to Be Back

Give the person a realistic expected return time.

It is better to give yourself some margin than to say you will definitely be home at a particular minute. Walking speed can change because of terrain, weather, navigation mistakes, breaks or simply stopping to enjoy the route.

If you expect to be back at around 4 pm, for example, there is a big difference between saying “I’ll be back at 4” and explaining that you expect to return between 3:30 and 4:30.

Explain What to Do If You’re Late

This is one of the most useful parts of the plan.

Don’t just tell someone when you expect to return. Agree what should happen if you haven’t contacted them by a certain time.

The right arrangement will depend on the trip. For a short local walk, a small delay might not mean anything. For a longer or more remote trip, you may want someone to take a delay more seriously.

The important thing is that the person knows when they should start being concerned and what you would like them to do.

Give Them Your Contact Details

Make sure the person has a way of contacting you while you are out.

They may already have your phone number, but don’t assume that they know everything they might need. If you are travelling with other people, it can also be useful to give them the name and contact details of the main person responsible for the group.

Remember that mobile coverage can be unreliable in some outdoor areas, so don’t make your entire safety plan depend on being able to answer your phone.

Tell Them Who Is With You

If you’re going out with other people, say who is in the group.

You don’t need to provide unnecessary personal information. A simple list of names, or enough information to identify the group, can be useful if someone needs to check who is accounted for.

For organised groups, it may also be useful to include the number of people rather than relying only on names.

Mention Any Important Equipment

Think about anything that could help someone understand your situation if they needed to find you.

For example, you might mention that you are carrying tents, wearing particular clothing or travelling by bicycle rather than walking. You don’t need to provide an inventory of your entire rucksack.

Focus on details that could genuinely help someone identify you or understand the type of trip you are undertaking.

Include Your Transport Plans

If you’re driving, tell the person where you have parked.

If you’re using public transport, let them know which station or stop you are using and, if relevant, your planned departure or return service.

This can be particularly useful if your route has several possible access points. Knowing where you left a vehicle or which train you intended to catch can help narrow down where you might be.

Give Them the Route, Not Just Your Destination

This is an easy mistake to make.

If you tell someone that you are going to a particular hill or beauty spot, they know where you intend to end up but not necessarily how you are getting there.

There may be several routes into the area, and you could be many miles from the destination if something goes wrong along the way. The intended route gives much more useful information.

Say What Might Change the Plan

If there are parts of the route where you might make a different decision, mention them.

You might have a shorter alternative if the weather deteriorates, for example, or you may decide to turn around at a particular point if the conditions aren’t suitable.

This doesn’t mean writing down every possible decision. Just mention any obvious alternatives that could make a significant difference to where you end up.

Update Them If Your Plans Change

Leaving route information with someone only works if they have reasonably accurate information.

If you decide to change the route, extend the walk or finish somewhere completely different, let them know when you can.

A quick message saying “We’ve changed the route and will now finish at the other car park” could be very useful if someone later starts trying to work out where you are.

Use a Simple Route Message

You can make this much easier by using the same basic message every time. It doesn’t need to be formal; the important thing is that the information is clear.

Here is a ready-to-use template you can copy and fill in before you leave:

Don’t Rely on One Method

It’s sensible to leave information somewhere the person can actually access it.

You might send your route digitally, leave a written copy or share a map. For longer or more remote trips, having the important details available in more than one form can be useful.

The exact method isn’t as important as making sure the information is clear and the person knows where to find it.

Choose Someone Who Will Take It Seriously

The person you leave your plans with should understand that they are your point of contact.

That doesn’t mean they need to worry about every small delay. It means they should know what you are doing, when you expect to return and what you have agreed they should do if you don’t.

If they know you are out for a six-hour walk and you have explained that you may have no phone signal, they are much better placed to judge a delay than someone who simply knows that you’ve “gone walking”.

Keep It Simple

A useful route plan doesn’t need to be a ten-page document.

For most trips, someone should be able to understand the important details quickly:

• Where you’re starting
• Where you’re going
• The route you intend to take
• Who is going
• When you expect to return
• Where you are parked or how you are travelling
• How to contact you
• What to do if you don’t return when expected

For more complicated trips, you may want to provide additional information, but these basics give someone a useful starting point.

Make It Part of Your Routine

Leaving your route with someone is one of those habits that takes very little time but can be extremely useful when something doesn’t go according to plan.

You don’t need to make it complicated. Before you leave, make sure someone knows where you are going, roughly how long you expect to be out and what they should do if they don’t hear from you.

Then, if your plans change, keep them updated. A simple habit like this can give you and the person waiting at home much more information if your day doesn’t go exactly as expected.