Emergency shelters and bivvy bags are easy to ignore because you hope never to use them. But in UK hill walking, especially in remote or exposed areas, they can be very important.

An emergency bivvy bag is a lightweight bag designed to help retain warmth and protect you from wind and rain. It is usually small, cheap and easy to carry. For solo hikers, it is a sensible backup item.

A group shelter is different. It is a small fabric shelter that people sit inside together. It traps warmth, blocks wind and creates a protected space for food, navigation checks or waiting out bad weather.

For solo day hiking, a bivvy bag is compact and simple. It can help if you are injured, delayed or forced to stop in poor weather. It is not comfortable, but it can reduce heat loss.

For groups, a group shelter is often better. It allows several people to sit together, share warmth and manage a situation without lying down individually. It is also useful for lunch stops in horrible weather.

Some hikers carry both on serious routes. That may sound excessive, but in winter or remote mountains, emergency kit is not about convenience. It is about options.

Weight is not a huge issue. Many emergency bivvy bags weigh very little. Group shelters are heavier, but the weight can be shared among the group.

Do not bury emergency kit at the bottom of your pack. If someone is cold, injured or frightened, you need it quickly.

For ordinary lowland walks, you may not need much more than a small emergency blanket. For hill routes, long winter days or remote Scottish terrain, a bivvy bag or group shelter is sensible.

It is the kind of gear you carry hoping it stays unused. That does not make it unnecessary.