Guides for heading out alone
Plain, practical guides from the Holler team. How to run, ride and hike alone with a plan, how to use the safety features already on your phone, and what to do if you are the one at home watching.
Running alone
Routes, habits and plans that make a solo run safer, day or night.
START HERERunning alone safely: the complete guide
How to run alone safely: routes, timing, awareness, what to carry, who to tell, and exactly what to do if a solo run goes wrong.
Running safety tips for women: a practical guide
Practical running safety tips for women: harassment realities, route choice, sharing your location, trusting instincts, and what to do if you are followed.
What to tell someone before you go for a run
The five things a safety contact needs before your run: route, return time, what you are wearing, phone battery and when to call. Copy-ready message included.
Trail and backcountry
Hiking, trail running and backpacking alone, including when the signal drops.
START HEREHiking alone: plan the route, return and contact
Prepare a solo day hike with a realistic route, navigation, equipment and a contact who understands the return plan. Know what phone sharing can do.
A birdwatching check-in plan for time in the field
Plan a solo birding outing with a clear entrance, observation stops, private contact note and return time, without broadcasting sensitive bird locations.
Fishing trip plan template for bank and shore outings
Use this fishing trip plan template to share your access point, intended spots, vehicle, return message and instructions if your contact cannot reach you.
A foraging trip check-in plan for an outing with no fixed loop
Leave a foraging contact plan with the area you intend to visit, access points, a collecting stop time and a clear agreement about your return message.
A check-in plan for geocaching alone
Leave a geocaching contact plan that covers search time, multi-cache stages, route changes and your return, with a practical message template.
How to leave a hiking trip plan, with a fill-in template
Leave a usable hiking itinerary with someone at home. Copy the trip-plan template, define your return and agree what happens if you miss the check-in.
A hunting trip plan your contact can actually use
Copy a hunting trip plan with access points, return details and contact instructions. Follow a worked example and separate the written plan from app alerts.
A kayak float plan with a clear return check-in
Leave a useful kayak or canoe float plan: launch, landing, craft details, return time and contact instructions. Understand where an app can help.
An overlanding check-in plan your contact can follow
Leave an overlanding itinerary with vehicle details, daily contact agreements, alternate camps and a clear way to confirm the whole party has returned.
Satellite messenger vs phone safety app: an honest comparison
What a satellite messenger, a beacon, iPhone satellite SOS and a phone safety app each do, where each fails, and which combination fits your trips.
Solo backpacking safety: route, camp and contact planning
Plan a solo backpacking trip with realistic stages, camp preparation, communication choices and clear instructions for the person expecting you back.
A solo camping check-in plan your contact can use
Separate campsite arrival, day trips and the journey home. Build a solo camping contact plan that accounts for weak reception and timer limits.
Trail running safety: falls, navigation, wildlife and water
How to trail run safely, especially alone: handling falls, staying on route, wildlife, water and heat, remote trailheads, and sharing your run.
No cell service while hiking: maps, messages and check-ins
Learn what still works without cell service, how to prepare offline maps and a contact plan, and what a saved Holler return deadline can and cannot do.
Cycling
Solo road, gravel and commuter riding, and what to do after a crash.
START HERECycling alone safely: the complete guide for solo riders
What a solo cyclist needs: visibility, route choice, handling mechanicals, sharing your ride with someone at home, and a plan for after a crash.
Bike commuting at night: how to stay seen and safe
Lights, legal basics, route choice and visibility for bike commuting at night, plus how to share your commute so someone notices if you do not get home.
A bikepacking check-in plan for changing days and camps
Build a bikepacking contact plan with daily route notes, resupply updates, signal-gap expectations and a clear message for each new overnight stop.
Crash detection for cyclists: an honest look at your options
Bike computers, watches, phones, helmet sensors and Holler's beta: what each kind of crash detection for cyclists does, who it alerts, and where it falls short.
What to do after a bike crash: a minute-by-minute plan
A calm, step-by-step plan for the minutes and days after a bike crash: getting safe, checking for head injury, calling 911, documenting, and your helmet.
Phone safety how-tos
Set up the safety features already on your phone and the apps you use.
START HEREPhone safety features for runners and hikers
Every built-in iPhone and Android safety feature worth setting up before a solo run, ride or hike, what each one does, and where each one stops.
Apple Check In alternatives when your safety contact uses Android
Your running partner uses Android? Compare Apple Check In alternatives by phone compatibility, live links and missed check-in alerts.
How to set up Emergency SOS on Android
Set up Emergency SOS, emergency contacts, medical info and Safety Check on Android, using Google's and Samsung's own steps. Menus vary by phone maker.
How to set up Medical ID on iPhone before you head out
Apple's steps to create a Medical ID, show it on the lock screen and share it on emergency calls, plus what runners, riders and hikers should put in it.
How to share Garmin LiveTrack for a run or ride
Set up Garmin LiveTrack and Auto Start from Garmin's own manuals, add emergency contacts, fix common problems, and know what LiveTrack does not cover.
How to share your location on Google Maps for a run
Google's steps for sharing your real-time location in Google Maps on iPhone and Android, how long a link lasts, what people see, and its limits for runners.
How to use AllTrails Live Share with a hiking contact
Set up AllTrails Live Share, test the link with your hiking contact, plan for signal gaps, and agree what happens if you miss your return time.
How to use Apple Check In for a run or walk
Set up an iPhone Check In, choose a timer or arrival, decide what to share, and make sure your contact understands the next step.
How to use Equilab Safety Tracking before a ride
Set up Equilab Safety Tracking, choose app contacts or browser links, and make a riding plan for normal stops, poor signal and your return to the yard.
How to use Strava Beacon for a run or ride
Set up Strava Beacon, send the correct link, help your contact read it, and troubleshoot missing updates without confusing tracking with safety alerts.
iPhone Crash Detection for runners and cyclists
What Apple says iPhone Crash Detection is designed for, why it is not a fall detector for runs and rides, and what to set up instead for solo outings.
Live location sharing vs a safety check-in: which do you need?
Compare a live map, return-time alert, stationary alert and manual SOS, with practical setups for a run, a ride with stops and a longer hike.
Outdoor check-in apps: compare the job you need done
Compare outdoor check-in apps by overdue alerts, location sharing, recipient access and offline limits, then rehearse the arrangement with your contact.
Seasonal safety
Dark evenings, heat, winter and hunting season, planned month by month.
START HEREOutdoor safety by season: a month-by-month calendar
A month-by-month US calendar of outdoor safety risks for runners, riders and hikers: dark evenings, ice, heat, storms and hunting season.
Hunting season safety for hikers and runners
How to hike and trail run safely during hunting season: blaze orange, making noise, dogs, timing, and where to check your state's seasons.
Running in the dark after daylight saving time ends
US clocks fall back on November 1, 2026 and evening runs suddenly end in the dark. How to stay visible, pick routes and share your run.
A snowshoeing check-in plan for a winter day outing
Plan a snowshoeing check-in around winter access, turnaround decisions, the walk back to the car and a contact who knows when to expect your message.
Winter running safety: ice, cold, dark and your phone
How to run safely in winter: footing on ice, layering, hypothermia and frostbite signs, running in the dark, and keeping your phone alive.
For Guardians
For the person at home: how to watch, when to worry and what to do.
START HEREHow to be a safety contact for a runner, rider or hiker
Agree the outing plan, read a live location accurately, understand alerts and know how to coordinate a response when someone needs help.
A fieldwork check-in plan for site visits and outdoor surveys
Build the communication section of a fieldwork plan around approved roles, site references, message receipt, changing assignments and missed check-ins.
How to respond to an SOS alert from someone who is out alone
Step by step for the person who gets the SOS: open the location, call them, call 911 with the right details, and let them know someone saw it.
Outdoor group contact handoffs: keep every return accounted for
Give hiking and camping groups a clear contact handoff: who holds the plan, who is still out, what has been confirmed and when responsibility transfers.
A volunteer trail-work check-in plan that fits the crew procedure
Prepare trail-work check-ins around the crew’s communication plan, worksite changes, early departures and confirmed checkout with the designated contact.
What to do if someone's location stops moving on a run, ride or hike
Their dot has stopped on the map. How to tell a signal gap from a real stop, who to call first, and when to call 911 with the last known location.
When to call 911 if someone is overdue from a hike, run or ride
Late or in trouble? How to tell, why there's no 24-hour waiting period, what to try first, and exactly what to tell 911 about a missing hiker or runner.
Safety gear
Lights, visibility, ID and alarms worth carrying, and what to look for.
START HERERunning safety gear: what actually matters
The running safety gear worth carrying: lights, reflective gear, ID, a phone you can reach and an alarm, with what to look for in each and what to skip.
How to choose a running headlamp
What to look for in a running headlamp: brightness modes, beam shape, fit, battery and a rear light. Plain buyer guidance without the spec-sheet hype.
Reflective running gear: what drivers actually see
Reflective vs lit vs fluorescent running gear, why reflective bands on your ankles and wrists work so well, and what to buy for running in the dark.
Road ID bracelet vs a safety app: which do you need?
An ID bracelet tells a stranger who you are. A safety app tells your people where you are. How they differ, where each falls short, and why to use both.
Looking for a quick answer? Try the safety answers, the safety terms explained, or the free tools.