Hiking travel insurance

As any seasoned hiker will know, when you're out on the trail, you need to be prepared for all eventualities. Getting yourself a robust, reliable travel insurance policy is the first step to covering all your bases.

Holiday Extras provides comprehensive cover for hiking holidays, so you can strike out into the unknown with the assurance that we've got your back.

Booking Holiday Extras Travel Insurance with Hiking cover

Booking travel insurance with Holiday Extras is easy:

1) Enter the details of your trip into the quote form at the top of the page.

2) Choose from, bronze, silver or gold levels of cover.

3) Select any upgrades to add to your policy.

4) You're ready to go!

Hiking Safety

Don't hike alone - Avoid hiking alone and use the buddy system during any type of activity. If travelling with a group, never stray from the group. If you need to detach from the group, tell someone where you are going and when you will return.

Submit a trip plan - Certain natural parks and reserves require hikers to submit a trip plan, for use in case the hikers go missing. Make sure your trip plan is as accurate as possible, the more detailed, the better the chances are of you being found should you lose your way. Even if you aren't required to submit a trip plan, it is a good idea to leave a detailed trip itinerary with a trusted and responsible contact. Be sure to notify the contact once you have passed reached the check-in points of your journey.

Take appropriate clothing - Always carry water-proof clothing and gear in case the weather turns bad. If you become wet or excessively cold, making warming up a priority, as hypothermia can quickly set in. Dressing in a series of light weight layers that can be easily donned and shed helps to conserve heat.

Carry a whistle - This can be heard over a greater distance and requires less energy than yelling. Three short blasts is the signal for distress.

Take enough water - Carry plenty of water and try to avoid drinking stream water. Each person should have access to 3-4 litres of clean drinking water each.

Keep referring to the map and compass - Don't rely on mobile phones or GPS as these can run out of battery, become lost, damaged or - in the case of mobile phone - can lose signal.

Carry a first aid kit - This should include medicines like: Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Loperamid (Antidiarrheal), Dipphenhydramines (Anti-histamine), Bandages, Skin closures, Blood clotting agent, cloth tape, Scissors, Precision tweezers, hand sanitizers, roll gauze.

Use common sense - While having a good time is important, failing to exercise caution and common sense could invalidate your cover should you need to make a claim. Following the advice of tour guides and using good judgement will serve you well and ensure you have a safe and satisfying trip.

Hiking travel insurance with pre-existing medical conditions

If you have pre-existing medical conditions, be sure to declare any conditions you may have and we could provide a policy tailored to your specific requirements.

Trekking travel insurance with helicopter rescue

Considering how the average cost of running a search and rescue helicopter is around $1600 per hour, it's a given that you'll want a trekking travel insurance policy to cover the eventuality of a helicopter rescue operation.

For trekking expeditions that will take you to altitudes above 2000 meters, it's wise to seek a trekking travel insurance policy which covers emergency helicopter rescue, as the likelihood of search and rescue teams having to use a helicopter is increased when trekking at higher altitudes.

Be sure to check the maximum altitude you can travel to under any potential policy before buying. The costs of a helicopter search and rescue mission can stack up very quickly and if you are trekking at an altitude not covered by your policy and end up needing to be rescued by helicopter, you could end up having to foot the bill all by yourself.

For more challenging and hazardous trekking expeditions, such as hikes to Mt. Everest's intermediate and advanced base camps, a specialised mountaineering policy is highly recommended, one that covers helicopter search and rescue. The BMC (British mountaineering council) offers some good policy options, however, you will need to be a member of the organisation to take out an insurance policy.