Leave an itinerary with someone you trust and STICK TO IT. I don't care if you have people telling you "random is fun" and making it up on the fly is something they do ALL the time. Eventually this comes back to bite them. Suicide by wilderness is a popular method. Along with the itinerary, it helps to leave an accurate description of yourself and your gear, and have the person you leave it with be trustworthy enough to call the appropriate jurisdiction when you designate they should. And to do it with an ACCURATE description of your car, where you left it, and any alternate routes you might have done in the event the one you planned wasn't feasible due to weather.

Don't be a drunken idiot in the backcountry.

Stay hydrated, warm and know how to navigate yourself around with a map.

Brought to you by the Search and Rescue Volunteers of California.