Hiking: a voyage through the hills seeking serenity.
Accompanying the act of hiking comes genuine joy and adrenaline fuelled adventure, but life threatening dangers are always just around the corner. It’s crucial to be prepared for your trek into the mountains, no matter how long or how many of you there are.
One of my largest pet peeves whilst hiking is seeing others underprepared or underdressed. If you’re hiking up a mountain without a backpack, equipped with only a 500ml bottle of squash in your hand, dressed in jeans or without any extra layers to hand then you’re the people I’m talking about.
After climbing 30+ mountains myself one piece of advice I can give anyone considering mountain climbing is: expect the unexpected.
Now, speaking from experience here, imagine you’ve encountered that intense weather change, you either continue on your mission or you decide to retreat, either way, you’ve found yourself trying to manoeuvre through winds strong enough that you’re struggling to stay upright or to even move through it. What happens when an extra gust of wind surprises you and causes you to fall and injure yourself on a rock? Even if you’re with other hikers, if none of you are correctly equipped or clothed, this could be fatal.
Not to be all doom and gloom, hiking is one of the most enlightening experiences I believe we as humans have access to. The accomplishment you feel when reaching that summit (and especially when you make it to bed at the end of the hike) is really next to nothing. But to ensure you’re making it safely back down to the pub for that after hike pint you so deserve, I’ve collated a list of necessities I always make sure to have with me on a hike (solo or with other hikers) and that you should always have with you too. Remember, it’s always worth packing more and being prepared for what the day may throw at you, rather than not being ready to tackle the obstacles that you may face.
You can get pretty much all of the items listed below for a good price on Amazon, but Decathlon, Go Outdoors and Mountain Warehouse are my recommended sources of supplies. All of my own items are products from a mixture of all these places.
- A waterproof hiking bag, size wise I’d say at least 40L, but using a 60L bag is more ideal in order to ensure you can pack everything you need. 60L is the size I use.
- A well equipped first aid kit. I’m talking plasters, bandages, cream, safety pins, painkillers, the lot!
- Crampons. These may be more essential for those heading up the taller mountains and especially in places such as the Scottish highlands where snow may appear at any minute, and trust me, these bad boys are insanely helpful at keeping your grip. You can grab yourself a decent pair for a pretty low price.
- A head torch with spare, fully charged batteries. Of course, necessary for those longer hikes when the daylight isn’t hanging around for you to start or finish your trek, but for those moment where you find yourself in low visibility.
- Waterproofs. A very simple and probably pretty obvious companion to have with you, but I’ve seen it on too many occasions where these do not exist within someone’s hiking equipment. You’ll be so grateful for your waterproofs when the time comes!
- An emergency space blanket. I’m not referring to your blankie you’ve grown up sleeping with every night. I mean a thermal aluminium blanket that is going to retain 80%-90% of your body heat. Preferably a bright coloured one, this is going to enable you’re easier to spot if someone is trying to rescue you.
- More food than you think you’re going to need, and a range of food too. You need to get a variety of food that’s going to keep your energy levels and bodily functions performing at a high level. I tend to motivate myself on harder hikes with snacks as I go, but more food is necessary in the instance you get stranded due to weather conditions, an injury etc. Don’t leave yourself hungry.
- Water, and a lot of it. Again for the same reasons as above, water is one of the last things you want to be left without on a hike. I also always tend to have a sugary drink in my bag (Lucozade Original is my go to)
- Extra layers. Boy, can it get cold up a mountain! Even if the weather conditions look the complete opposite when you start out, it’s so much better to be prepared for those inevitable colder conditions as you go. Hats and gloves are amongst the smallest items of clothing and yet they will keep you so much warmer than if you don’t have them. Seeing as you lose most of your body heat through your head, these are both worth having ready to go at all times.
- An extra pair of socks. Especially for when you finish the hike, just trust me on this one, you’re going to thank me.
- Blister plasters. Oh my god, being introduced to these were a game changer for me. Even getting into the habit of applying normal but thick plasters on areas of your feet you’re prone to producing blisters before you set off for your hike is a game changer. The likelihood is that they will fall off or lose their stickiness during the hike, pack more and change them if and when you can!
- Suncream. Apply this before you start your hike and top up to exposed areas of your skin throughout. I’ve gotten sunburnt hiking on a cloudy day in December in 9 degree heat. Despite the belief of my best friends mum thinking you’re more likely to get burnt on a mountain because you’re closer to the sun, this is actually not the reason behind it, but you’ll want to make sure you’ve got it on.
- A mountain whistle. Super cheap to buy, but can literally save your life. You’ll want this to be able to alert other hikers that you’re in need of assistance, or be able to respond to someone else who’s sending out help signals.
- Have your hiking route downloaded onto your mobile device. AllTrails is my go to, for £30 a year you get access to an amazing amount of trails, with the ability to download and use the maps offline.
- Decent waterproof hiking boots. It’s so worth investing into a good, reliable pair of footwear for hiking that are going to last you and really, take you to some beautiful places!
- A portable charger for your phone. Knowing you’ve got backup battery is worth the lack of stress, especially if you’re alone.
- Last, but by definitely no means least, you need to have the ability to identify when it’s time to turn back. This feeling is heartbreaking, when you’ve set out on a hike you’re so excited for, but the mountain has decided enough is enough. You must respect the mountain. Being able to reschedule the hike is much better than not making it off the mountain.
Of course, by being equipped with all of these does not mean you’re going to avoid having any problems along the way, but it does mean you’ll be prepared to handle them better. Your own packing list will personalise as you hike more, but these are basic necessities that are always worth having with you.
As an extra tip, make sure you inform someone you can trust with your route plan, finishing arrival time and location and maybe even a live location from your mobile device. This way, if you don’t make it down in the expected time and you’ve lost signal, someone knows roughly where you are in order to alert Mountain Rescue.
Hiking is not only good for your physical body, but incredibly good for your mind. You’ll walk away from the trip already planning your next. Enjoy your adventures and newfound state of serenity!
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