It was late afternoon in the Catskills. The light had gone flat, and the cold was settling fast. Near the trailhead, a group of hikers clustered around a woman sitting on a log. She looked pale, her movements sluggish, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Someone nearby mentioned that her clothes were cotton. I was not one of the people helping her. I was just there, close enough to see how quickly comfort had turned into danger. She survived, but the image of her sitting there on level ground stayed with me ever since.

Some gear needs to be replaced every season; the Victorinox Fieldmaster does not. I have carried mine through years of countless hikes, winter treks, and low-altitude winter mountaineering, and not once has it failed me. It has never cracked, never dulled, never quit. The blade still opens with that clean, satisfying click that makes you want to flick it open again just to hear it.

Trekking poles are lightweight hiking poles that help hikers maintain balance, stability, pacing, and endurance on uneven trails. In the Catskills, they become especially useful during steep descents, wet rock sections, muddy trails, stream crossings, and long elevation-gain hikes.

Now that winter and spring are over, hikers are turning toward summer in the Catskills. Summer hiking carries a certain image: green mountains, dry trails, long daylight, and lighter gear. After months of snow, mud, ice, and short days, hikers move faster, carry less, and approach the trail with a different, more relaxed mindset.

Every year in the Catskills, during shoulder season and winter, a predictable chain of events unfolds. A mild parking lot. A reasonable forecast. A short route. Ordinary clothing. Two hours later, someone is shivering above 3,000 feet with wet legs, numb feet, and diminishing control. The trail did not change suddenly. The weather did not shift dramatically. The mountains behaved exactly as mountains behave. The clothing failed.

A portable battery pack has become one of the most important pieces of gear a hiker can carry. Years ago, running out of battery on the trail was a huge pain and inconvenience. Today, running out of battery often means you are losing access to the information that helps you make good decisions on the trail. Many hikers rely on their phones for GPS navigation, digital trail maps, weather forecasts, emergency communication, photography, and even their flashlight—this is not the best idea, but that’s a different article for a different day. Fortunately, choosing a power bank isn't complicated once you understand a few basic terms.

Hypothermia is one of the most important cold-weather problems for hikers to recognize. It develops as the body loses heat faster than it can replace it. Cold temperatures, wind, rain, wet clothing, exhaustion, inadequate food, and long periods of inactivity can all contribute. Early signs may include persistent shivering, loss of coordination, slower movement, confusion, unusual behavior, or difficulty completing simple tasks. The earlier these changes are noticed, the more options a hiking group has. The person may need shelter from wind and precipitation, dry insulation, additional layers, food and warm fluids when they can swallow normally, and a plan for ending the hike.

Over the years, I've helped quite a few hikers on the trail and have been involved in a number of rescues and assists. One thing I've noticed is that people don’t get themselves into trouble because they suddenly forget how to hike the day winter arrives. What usually happens is much more gradual. Throughout the summer, they develop habits that work perfectly well when the weather is warm, the days are long, and the consequences of a mistake are relatively small. Then winter shows up, and they don’t adjust those habits. During the summer, people carry less gear. They pay less attention to the forecast because a rainy summer hike usually isn't a big deal. Navigation is a little more casual. They leave the trailhead later because there's daylight until well into the evening.