Have you ever gone out on a hike and needed something essential, rummaged around in your day pack and had the dawning realisation that you left it on your bed? Or perhaps not even taken a day pack and crammed as much as possible into your pockets only to see the items fly down the mountain as you try and get them out with cold, wet hands? It just doesn’t have to be that way! So, let’s talk about packing for a hiking day.
The first, and probably most obvious item you will need, is a day pack. A well fitted day pack should be a staple of every outdoor enthusiast’s equipment collection. Your pack should be large enough to carry all your essential equipment and have convenient and easy to access storage compartments. Another important consideration is the fit. With so many options available, I would always advise going and testing the pack prior to handing over your cash. Most outdoor stores will allow you to do this and, if they know you’re a serious hiker, will allow you to put some weight in it to simulate where the pack will sit on your back. I would also advise going for a gender specific fit where applicable, especially if you are on the petite side or on the larger side. I especially like the Osprey Tempest 30 Women’s Backpack. It’s a women’s specific fit, with an ergonomically shaped hip belt, harness, yoke and back panel and is extremely light and durable. The Deuter Guide 34+ is another excellent option if you are after load stability and there are so many cool features such as attachment points, ice axe loops, valuables pocket and many more. It is also pretty light at just over 1.3kg.
You will need to make sure your day pack is comfortable and to do this, maintain your centre of gravity by packing your heaviest and most dense items as close as possible to your back. Food, water and other lighter equipment should be near or between your soldier blades.
So you have your awesome day pack, all the straps have been tucked away to stop any snags, and now you need to put your essential equipment in it. Let’s have a look at the items you will need for a successful day on the mountains and hills.
1) Navigation
A map and compass are the two most important navigation components you will need, trusting you know how to use them (if you don’t, contact us about our navigation packages). You may be questioning the requirement for a map and compass now that we have apps on smart phones and GPS devices. Well, a map and compass will never run out of batteries, don’t lose signal and are totally reliable. I would suggest that, regardless of the type of map you have, carrying your map in a waterproof map case is also essential. I like to use the Kaituna map case from Aquatic which is around £20. It has a lovely surface which allows the compass to sit nicely on without slipping and it folds up well so that it can be stowed away when not in use. Don’t be tempted to skimp on a compass – cheaper ones are cheaper for a reason. In my time in the military, we only ever used Silva and this is what I use now in my life post military. For longer or more arduous hikes, consider the use of a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon). This will be discussed in more depth in a separate post.
2) Hydration
Becoming dehydrated is commonplace amongst the less experienced hiker and is potentially fatal. Having a meansby which to keep yourself hydrated is an absolute must and should not be substituted for anything else. A hydration reservoir or tough water bottle will assist you in carrying water but be mindful of how much you will need. A two hour hike on predominantly flat ground is probably not going to need 5 litres but you should always carry more than what you require. If you can plan your route taking in to account potential water replenishment points then this will greatly help your water carrying needs. My preference is to use a bladder with a straw which i can access easily. The CamelBak Crux 3 Litre reservoir is perfect for hiking as it has a larger bite valve and an on/off lever.
3) Shelter
You may think that having a means by which to shelter is not essential for a day hiking but it is vital to prepare foremergency situations and having some form of shelter will assist in such situations. Carrying a bivvy and tarp will ensure you can protect yourself from the elements and keep warm and dry. If you have capacity, a silk liner will also help keep you warm when the weather is very cold. You do not need to carry both items if you are hiking in a group. Consider sharing out equipment so that one person is not carrying much more than the others. A bivvy can literally be a lifesaver should the unexpected happen. Choose one that is windproof, waterproof, light and easy to pack such as the Rab Ark. And of course, the British Army bivvy bags are great and readily available although I may be slightly biased! You may also want to consider packing a sleeping mat for added insulation and warmth, especially if you are on cold and wet ground.
4) First Aid Kit
Never assume that nothing will happen that warrants a first aid kit when out hiking. When thinking of what type of first aid kit to take, try and balance your needs and the environment in which you will be operating. TheOrdnanceSurvey do a nice little first aid kit but consider bulking it up with other items which can be found in my separate blog (found here). The kit should be compact and waterproofed either by the company you buy it from or by yourself. You should also consider the addition of foot care products such as blister plasters and foot powder. Again, I will cover this in more detail in my separate post.
5) Fire
Being able to keep yourself warm, cook and boil water are some of the most important things when hiking. Having ameans to make a fire, therefore, is essential. Carrying a couple of lighters and some windproof matches is your first goal, making sure that the lighters are full of gas and have a functional flint. Having a fire starting kit is great when you need to light a fire quickly and if the wood is damp. There are many different types of kit ranging from petrol soaked cotton to super expensive all singing and dancing kits. Try to use one suitable to the environment you will be hiking in. I would also advise taking a stove and small gas canister in case you are in an area where there is little or no wood. Having a length of knotted paracord can also be used to get a fire going and it has other practical uses. The bushcraft store (thebushcraftstore.co.uk) has some great kits and useful tips.
6) A Knife or Multi Tool
These are great for a variety of situations including food preparation, first aid and repairs. S impel multi tool knife such as a Swiss Army Knife is ideal for shorter hikes and they are widely available without being asked why you want
it! You want to keep your knife maintained at all times by keeping it sharp and waterproofed. Make sure you know how to use it and what the different elements are. Paired with a fire starting kit, this could also assist you creating a fire with a spark. Having a simple repair kit with your knife is also a good idea – think thick tape such as Duct tape. It’s a great all round asset to have as it can be used to fix rips and tears on your pack, punctures on sleep mats and on your bivvy and tarp as well. I have a Bear Grylls Gerber fixed blade knife with a serrated edge. It’s a great all in one and has an emergency whistle, a pommel fo
r hammering, a sharpening edge and a firestarter all built in.
7) Clothing
Wearing your favourite skinny jeans on a hike in the hills is not a good idea and so you will need to wear, and pack,appropriate clothing to ensure comfort and avoid misery. For your clothing system, avoid cotton products as they will pull heat from your body and they take a long time to dry. Choose wicking material instead which will keep perspiration off your skin and will also dry quickly. In this blog, I am talking about the clothes that you should have in your day pack so you want to be thinking about the additional clothing that you might need to survive longer hours and unexpected scenarios as well as keeping you comfortable. Irrespective of the time of year, I would always advise extra socks and gloves as a very minimum although the addition of a full base layer and a hat or balaclava will give you much more comfort in any situation. Having an extra insulating jacket is also a good option and a decent down jacket will do just the trick. If the weather is changeable then having a set of waterproof trousers and a jacket will ensure that you are not wet to the bone when you finish your hike. Remember, it’s not necessarily just you that you should think about. Carrying additional clothing may be required by a member of your group should something happen to them.
8) Sun Protection
This is something that is often overlooked, especially if you are hiking on a seemingly miserable day, but to do so could have serious implications. I was once posted to the Falkland Islands and it was bitterly cold and not sunny which made working outdoors pretty unpleasant on that particular day. However, what I had not realised is the UV rays had been on my face all day and I was actually mildly sun burned! Having a sun screen with at least SPF 30 is wise. If you hike often and go without, the long term medical problems could be as serious as skin cancer. So my advice would be to always have sunscreen on any exposed areas – and if anything at least you will have moisturised skin! Sunglasses are another worthwhile item worth investing in, especially if the sun is strong or you are out on a bright snowy day. A good pair of sunglasses will stop snow blindness and damage to your corneas which are very susceptible to becoming burned. A tinted pair of glasses will only allow a small amount of UVA and UVB get to your eyes thus minimising the risk of damage.
It’s not just sunscreen and sunglasses that you will want to have, but also sun protective clothes. Nowadays, clothing companies such as Craghoppers have many things built in to their clothing giving it a UPF rating. Ultimately, any long garment will protect you from burning although the extra warmth maybe a nuisance. The addition of a hat to keep the sun off your face and neck is also recommended.
9) Nutrition
When you are hiking, particularly a long and arduous hike, you need to fuel your body in the same way you would fuel your car when going on a journey. You will need enough calories to sustain you for the whole day but caloriesthat don’t just come from a bag of sweets. Having the right type of food is critical and having a balance of carbs and protein will ensure you have energy when your body needs it. On a long hike, food is warmth! Your body will lose heat quicker if you don’t have enough fuel in it. Food should be easily digestible to stop cramp and ideally you won’t need to cook it although if you have it planned in your route that you will have a cook stop then ready to cook meals are readily available from all outdoor stores. These meals can be eaten cold as well so carrying a couple of extra ones will take up hardly any space. For easy to carry and easy to eat foods, I would suggest things like nuts, dried fruit, nutrition bars and granola based flapjacks. Of course, there’s no harm having some sweets but make sure that is not the extent of your nutrition plan! Packing some sandwiches is also great but make sure they have hard meats and cheeses which are a good source of carbs and calories. You may also want to consider hot drinks in your feeding plan such as hot chocolate, tea and coffee which will not only warm you up but will also give you a bit of a morale boost!
10) Light
Taking a reliable head torch on every hike you go on is good practice. Even if you are not planning on being out in the dark, preparing for the worst is better than not planning at all. You may get navigationally confused, you may have an injury to a group member, or your hike might just take longer than expected. Having any of these things happen will only be made worse if you are doing them in the dark so having a means by which to illuminate the situation is critical. Having a good head torch also frees your hands up to do anything from cooking, assisting someone else or just putting them in your pocket! Each party member should have their own. Test the head torch before you depart and make sure you have spare batteries which are in a waterproof bag. Use a head torch that has LED lamps as they will last much longer than the older style lamps and have one that has a red filter slider which will preserve night vision. Having a smaller emergency torch is something that I have always carried to build contingency in to my plan. My head torch of choice is the Petzl Swift RL which stands for Reactive Lighting. The clever torch adjusts the light and beam depending on the light levels are naturally. This saves on battery life and keeps it going for longer.