Colorado Hikers Need to be Bringing These 10 Things

One of the great things about living in Colorado is the amount of activities that we can do outdoors, including great hikes. More and more, however, people are needing to be rescued.

All you want is to get outdoors, see the beauty, get some exercise, and enjoy the day. Having people worried about you and a team of rescuers coming to save you is never a part of the plan.

They say, "an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure;" this does apply to preparing for a hike in the Colorado mountains.

An Increasing Amount of People Are Needing to Be Rescued in Colorado Mountains

According to FOX31, a record amount of people needed to be rescued in 2024 by the Mountain Rescue Aspen rescue team; at least 100 people needed their assistance. That is a crazy amount, especially when you consider many times it can be avoided.

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Mountain Rescue Aspen is just one team of volunteers who go out and help hikers when things go "sideways." Imagine all the other teams that are in Colorado doing the same, if on a smaller scale.

RELATED: Woman Rescued After 3 Days of Being Lost in Colorado Mountains

I have a friend who went for a hike of Pikes Peak, very unprepared; wrong clothes, wrong shoes, no provisions. It was bad all around; he made it down O.K., but he learned a hard lesson: Don't go unprepared.

MORE: Travel Site Says This is Colorado's Best Hike

Take a little extra time, to make sure you are "ready" for what Colorado may throw at you on your hike, especially a backcountry hike.

You never know for sure how the day is going to go; if you set yourself up correctly, you won't be needing a team to come rescue you.