One thing that typically comes with fall is warm days and cool nights.

As people take to the trails this season, Mesa County Search and Rescue is warning people to be prepared.

Hiking this time of year opens up a whole new realm of dangers.

Sure, it's not as hot and you might not need as much water, but Search and Rescue teams say temperature variation can turn a daytime hike into a nighttime struggle for survival.

Before you head outdoors, officials say you should tell someone where you’re going, pack smart, and admit when you're lost.

“You can die out there,” Bill Thomas, with Mesa County Search and Rescue, said. “Colorado is an unforgiving place. It happens to folks just like us that step on the wrong rock, break an ankle, you're immobile, you're five miles from the car, and you have no cell phone signal.”

The contents of your pack for a one-day hike can vary from season to season. However, something’s are always recommended:

• Flashlight or headlamp
• Whistle
• Space blanket
• Three large trash bags (can be used as emergency rain gear)
• Sun glasses and sun screen, large brimmed hat
• Matches, lighter or fire starter in waterproof container
• Water enough for more than your hike 1 liter per hour of the hike
• Food enough for more than your hike
• Rain gear in summer adding a fleece in winter
• Map of the area you are hiking (don’t rely on a GPS)
• Compass (even if you use a GPS)
• Toilet paper and plastic bag to pack it out
• First Aid Kit in a zip lock bag including
- Blister care (mole skin or second skin)
- Duct tape
- Band-Aids
- 4 inch dressings
- Tape
- Safety pins
- Personal medication
- Ace bandage