Lightning Safety

When to use this

When you hear thunder — not when you see lightning. Thunder means you're already in range.

• Any camp or hike where afternoon thunderstorms are possible (most of them)
• High-elevation hikes above treeline
• Open-field campsites with no tree cover

What you need

Nothing — bring yourself.

Step by step

1. 1.30/30 Rule: if the time between a lightning flash and the thunder is 30 seconds or less (6 miles or closer), get to shelter immediately. Stay inside for 30 minutes after the last thunder.
2. 2.Best shelter: a solid building or a hard-topped vehicle. Not a picnic shelter, not a tent, not under a tree.
3. 3.If caught in the open: get off ridges, summits, and open fields. Move to lower ground — not a valley bottom (flash flood risk) but a hillside.
4. 4.Stay away from tall isolated trees, metal objects, water, and wet ropes.
5. 5.Lightning position (only if shelter is impossible): crouch on the balls of your feet, feet together, hands over ears, head down. Minimize your footprint; don't lie flat (ground current). Do not hold metal trekking poles.
6. 6.Spread out a group: keep everyone at least 100 feet apart so a single strike doesn't hit multiple people. Designate a meeting point for afterward.
7. 7.In a tent: lie flat on your sleeping pad (insulation) away from the tent poles. Don't touch metal tent parts.

Pro tips

• Build mountain hike plans around 1 PM turnarounds. Afternoon convective storms peak between 2–4 PM on most mountain ranges. Don't summit after noon on storm-risk days.
• Count seconds between flash and thunder: 5 seconds = 1 mile. 10 seconds = 2 miles. Update your count every minute — the storm's direction tells you everything.

Common mistakes

• Waiting to see lightning before acting. By the time you see it, you're already close enough to be at risk.
• Sheltering under an isolated tall tree. Trees are lightning rods; the ground current from a tree strike can travel outward 30+ feet.

Analog companion

Prefer the full landing page first? See the weather signs field card.

Continue learning

• Safety & First Aid

  Reading Weather at Camp

  The sky tells you what's coming — if you know the language.

• Safety & First Aid

  Building a Camp First-Aid Kit

  What actually goes in the bag — and what doesn’t.