Being Prepared For A Hiking Trip – Essential Packing Gear

Written on September 24, 2007 by Tezza

Monday’s weekly guide to Travel and Recreation from 4EvaYoung.com

A hiking adventure more than any other recreational activity rewards those who are prepared and punishes those who are ill equipped. The decisions you make with respect to equipment can mean quite literally the difference between an enjoyable hike and a real nightmare. The whole hiking in the wilderness caper might look easy but when things go wrong there isn’t a seven eleven around the corner and help can be hours away from getting to you. To help you appreciate the beauty and magnificence of the earth we inhabit on your next trip here are some packing tips that have served me well.

If your starting to feel the walls of city life starting to push against you and you feel its time to set your spirit free then let it thrive in the great outdoors. Before you go throwing caution to the winds and setting off on your hiking adventure it’s wise to be prepared lest you want your friends and family watching you getting choppered out on a search and rescue helicopter. So if you want to avoid that scenario then here are some essential packing gear to take with you on your next hike:

1. Map and Compass - Sheer words cant do justice to how majestic nature is when you wake up to the morning dew or watch entranced as the sun sets over the mountain top. But you’ll be using a whole different set of words, most likely with expletives if you get yourself hopelessly lost in the middle of no where. Some less popular trails you’ll be lucky to come across another human every few hours so if your thinking about hiking without a map and compass then you do so at your own peril.

Also if when you hold your map and it looks the same no matter which way you look at it then the back country is probably not the best time to be road testing your dubious navigational skills. Make sure you know how to use the map and compass before you set out or read up on it before you go. Your hiking buddies are not going to find it funny when you start describing your surroundings with terms like “we are near that big green thingy.”

2. Water Purification - Our bodies are made up of 60-70% water and nutritionists suggest we drink around 2 litres a day to stay hydrated. Each day we probably don’t give it a second thought about how the water gets to our taps, we just expect it when we turn it on. That luxury is just a mere pipe dream out in the wilderness where you will be carrying your water supply with you on your back. It will probably be the first time in your life you get a sense of how precious water is and how other cultures must feel who don’t have running water or access to clean drinking water.

I usually carry two litres of water with me on my hiking trips, which would probably be laughable to the women in african villages that walk miles carrying over 40 litres of water on their heads every day. Luckily for me i have the option to resupply on route by finding a river or other water source. This is where water purification tables or water filters are a life saver (quite literally). It’s not prudent to just drink water straight from the river source even if it looks clean since bacteria and viruses like giardia and cryptosporidium might still be contaminating the water. You can off course just boil the water but this takes time and energy. I personally prefer tablets as it’s lighter to carry, less fuss than filters and does as good a job as the filter. With the ones i’ve got you just pop a tablet to each litre of water and it is safe to drink after about 30 minutes.

3. First Aid Kit - First aid kits like most insurance policies may cause you to whinge and moan about it until the day comes when disaster strikes and you thank the lord for your foresight. While no major medical incidents have occured on any of my hikes to date, and here is hoping that this trend continues I wouldn’t dream about leaving my first aid kit behind under any circumstances. I’ve tried my best to keep the kit as light as i can without being too minimalistic.

Here are a list of items currently in my kit, you can off course just buy a ready packaged first aid kit from most outdoor stores but i think alot of the time they include things that you dont really need. It is also vital to familiarize yourself with survival skills and to take a first aid course in order to be able to provide the best medical care under the circumstances should they occur.

*Medication - It’s always important to carry prescription medication with you on trips and if possible include a copy of your prescriptions with you. Non prescription medicine that you could carry which I don’t at the moment include aspirins and vitamins. What I do carry is creams like Savlon to treat insect bites and stings. Healaid to treat blisters, sunburn and cuts.

*Bandages and wound dressings of different sizes, pads, guaze rolls, ace bandages - This will help you deal with anything from trauma injuries to minor inconveniences like cuts, abrasions and sprains. I carry some safety pins and tape to tie up the bandages if necessary. I also have a few packs of Sodium Chloride Irrigation Solution to wash and clean wounds.

*Gu - Suffering from dehydration is not a pleasant experience, trust me. Gu are energy gels that are available in small satchels. While the taste is nothing to write home about, when your suffering cramps and dehydration you’ll be thankful that the little Gu satchel is available.

*Deet Spray to keep the insects at bay.

*Emergency Blanket - This is a lightweight blanket that will help you avoid hypothermia. It is a must for any functional first aid kit.

*Disposable resuscitation shield - Okay, so you have to perform CPR. If you don’t want to get too close and personal the resuscitation shield is a wonderful solution.

*Disposable Gloves

*Ice Pack - To reduce swelling caused by sprains or bumps

*Imodium - An effective way to treat diarrhea

*Whistle - Using a whistle is more effective than using your voice to call out for help.

4. Pocket Knife - We aren’t talking about carrying some massive cleaver around the bush but the humble pocket knife is probably going to be one of the most useful tools to have while hiking and camping. It’s one of those tools which can serve a multitude of purposes. At a minimum, knives are useful for first aid, food preparation, cutting moleskin strips, cutting rope and making repairs. You don’t need a fancy pocket knife, so just find one that will suit your purposes. I prefer the Leathermans myself and having a few different knife and tool options is always handy.

5. Torch or Headlamp - Even on a simple hiking trip it is still wise to carry a torch with you as you never know what circumstances can occur resulting in an unscheduled overnight stay in the woods. While you can always bring matches to get a fire going, the torch will enable you to have much greater freedom of movement away from your camp site but in the event that you can’t get a fire started due to the location or wet weather than the torch may well prove to be your only source of light.

I keep a small hand held torch and a headlamp with me in my pack. It’s important to look for torches designed for a bit of wear and tear, water proof and sturdy. You are inevitably going to drop it and bang it on something. I’ve also dropped mine in the river while walking at night and I was able to fish it out of the water because it was still on.

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Posted in Travel and Recreation, Travelling Tips