All info offered here looks pretty good. It all depends on where you are. Don't count on anyone monitoring simplex frequencies. You will be trying to reach a repeater. For sure pick up a higher gain accessory antenna. They're not expensive and all the ham stores have them on the shelf.
You can be even plan your trips many times to hike/camp in areas where you know in advance that you should have repeater coverage.
Also be aware that no radio is going to likely get out from down in a hole....a valley surrounded by big hills / mountains. You may have to hike to high ground to get a signal out to a repeater. There will always be exceptions but this can be taken as a general rule.
Don't forget visual signaling devices for wilderness spotting. The best thing going I know of is the neat little relatively high power GLP, (green laser pointers.) With GLP's, the whole beam is clearly visible...not just "painting a dot" like a red laser. I have a 200mw model and it has a range of 50 MILES !! Believe it. It's incredibly bright and strong. Once you're declared missing, hopefully they will send a search plane / helicopter to look for you at night with FLIR.....or look for a campfire ect....You hear or see a small plane, just point this laser in the planes general direction....in front of them so they can see it, and they WILL see this beam. The beam will lead them directly to you. NEVER point any laser devise directly onto any plane (felony in the U.S.) or at any vehicle - person's or animal's eyes ect.....just common sense stuff. Used properly, these lasers are incredible nighttime signaling lights. There are also these little personal strobe lights but they only show your ground position. A search plane will have to be much closer to your position to see it.
The law has changed and it is harder, but not impossible to get a higher power GLP. Ebay is silly covered up with low power ones and China- Hong Kong, where most of them are made, can't ship (legally) any unit greater than 5mw to the U.S., but I've seen and asked sellers in England recently if they are still shipping higher power models to the U.S. and was told it was no problem and they do it every day. There's a ton of info on GLP's on the net. Just google them. You can learn a lot by looking at ebay ads for them too. GLP's a big bonus for anywhere hiking - camping as they're small (handheld - cigar size) and lightweight. And batteries last forever. Hundreds of hours per set or charge.
When hiking in the wilderness, I would carry every safety and protection item I could stuff into my pack.
Good luck
