Hiking Gear

Hiking gear consists of a backpack, clothes, water and food, boots, tents, cooking equipment and a few other items. Hiking gear helps with the task of enjoying yourself out in the bush, on trails or in general when you are walking. Some hiking gear is not needed if you’re only going on a day trip; some cooking gear and a tent is not needed unless the weather turns bad.

When choosing what hiking gear you want to buy, it’s important to ensure that you know what you need. Each person is slightly different, so sizing and shapes of backpacks and boots are highly important. Hiking gear doesn’t have to be very expensive, but of course if you want to spend big dollars there is more than enough room to do so. If you only go hiking every so often then your hiking gear doesn’t have to be top quality.

The most important part of your hiking gear is the backpack. This is what carries everything that you need, and it can be a horrible disaster if your backpack doesn’t fit you as it should. Hiking gear comes in many different shapes and forms (prices too) and it’s important to buy something which fits you comfortably. Your backpack should have a hip strap, as well as two normal backpack straps. The hip strap is what carries majority of the weight, so ensure this is comfortable. Most hiking gear is designed to be comfortable; backpacks have spines that run up the centre of the bag, to ensure they stay in shape. Some of these are aluminum, and can be bent into the shape of your bag. Hiking gear also comes in many different sizes, so ensure you choose something which is appropriate for yourself.

It is recommended that your backpack only carries a maximum of ¼ of your body weight. Bear this in mind when choosing your hiking gear, as well as the length of your hiking trips. If you are hiking for many days, ensure your bag is big enough to carry what you will need. Another thing of importance when choosing hiking gear is the accessories that come with it. A backpack often has straps and clips on the outside of the bag. These are often used to strap light weight bulky items to the outside of the bag (sleeping mattress for example). Another very important factor when choosing your hiking gear is what it is resistant too. If you are going hiking where it is highly likely to rain then it’s a good idea to have a way to waterproof your backpack. My hiking gear is all waterproofed; the backpack has a ‘raincoat’ which pulls out of the top, and keeps the bag from getting soaked. This is very important; you don’t want your dry clothes and food getting wet. Your hiking gear needs to be kept in good condition; you don’t want it to break.

Another very important piece of hiking gear is the boots. If you are only doing this as a hobby a few times a year, then you may not even need boots; a pair of good running shoes will do the job fine. However, if it is likely to rain where you are going, and you plan on walking a long distance, hiking boots are highly recommended. Boots are built to be tough, light weight, supportive of the feet, and waterproof. At the end of the day, without your feet feeling comfortable, your hiking gear is meaningless. When buying hiking gear, be sure that you listen to the people selling the hiking gear. They know what is best, and can often point out individual pieces of information that are applicable to you. If you have narrow feet, make sure you don’t buy wide boots. I can’t stress enough that your hiking gear needs to be individual, to be comfortable. Ensure the boots fit comfortably, when wearing the correct socks. Steel cap boots are not part of hiking gear; whilst they may look the same, they are very different. Out of all of the hiking gear you purchase, the backpack and the boots are the most important, so make sure you take your time and buy something that will keep you dry, comfortable and supported.

Food and water is highly important in regards to hiking gear. Everyone needs to eat, and having a lack of water or food puts unnecessary stress on the people hiking. It’s important to pack food which is nutritious, tastes good and isn’t too hard to cook. Hiking gear needs to be easy to use, and food is no exception. You don’t want food in your hiking gear that takes 3 hours to cook.  There is no point taking light weight hiking gear if you don’t enjoy using it. Food is best taken dried, meaning that it contains no water. You can buy ‘freeze dried’ meals, which are fairly expensive, but taste brilliant and just require heat and water. Bringing tins is not a good idea, because the rubbish builds up in your hiking gear, and they are heavy. Water needed depends on the weather largely; is it likely to rain so you can refill? How hot is it; this is the main determining factor of the amount of water you need to bring in your hiking gear. Pasta is a great food to take in your hiking gear, because it weighs very little. Bringing real fruit is not a good idea, because it is very heavy. Instead, dried fruit and nuts are recommended. It’s important to keep high energy, so sweets and chocolate are also very important in your hiking gear.

Tents can make or break your camping experience, so make sure they fulfill all of your requirements when you purchase them. As mentioned before, hiking gear needs to be light weight, and small, so when buying a tent, consider this. Many tents are made for the sole purpose of hiking, and are designed to take up little space, and weigh little too. What is the weather going to be like where you are hiking? Is it going to rain? If so, ensure your hiking gear such as a tent is waterproof; there is nothing worse than waking up in a pool of water in the middle of the night! How many people are going to be using your hiking gear, and how often? Don’t buy hiking gear for 5 if you’re the only person going to use it, because it will be heavier and bulkier than what you want.

Sleeping equipment is also a very important part of hiking gear. Everyone needs to get a good, warm sleep each night, or the trip is not so enjoyable. A lot of hiking gear can be inflatable, or light weight compressible foam, such as a mattress. Hiking gear such as sleeping bags should suit the conditions; if you are hiking in the mountains where its freezing, make sure your sleeping back is warm, and if you are hiking in warm countries, then it won’t need to be so warm. It’s important to ensure your hiking gear is small, and your sleeping bag is something that will take up a lot of space. Pillows should be inflatable, so they are small and lightweight, like the rest of your hiking gear.

Something very important to remember when choosing your hiking gear is the weather. When choosing your clothes, they should represent all possible weather conditions that you are likely to encounter on your trip. If you are camping in the snow, your clothes and hiking gear need to represent this. Many layers of thin clothing tend to work better than one thick layer, which is why thermals work so well. Hiking gear works well when combined correctly. Cotton is ideal for keeping yourself warm, but be aware that a rain jacket and pants may also need to be a part of your hiking gear.

It’s a good idea to take some form of lighting as part of your hiking gear. A torch, or a lantern are good ideas, but again, be aware of the weight and size. I find a small, powerful LED torch works best, because they are light, small, bright, often waterproof, and shock resistant and they rarely need replacement batteries. Without quality light in your hiking gear, it’s hard to cook at night, sort through your tent in the dark and just makes your trip more difficult than it needs to be.

Another important category of hiking gear is your navigation equipment. As a minimum, you should have a map, compass and a good understanding of places you can go to in an emergency. It’s important to carry other bits of safety equipment in your hiking gear, so you are prepared for the worst. This includes a lighter, magnifying glass, satellite mobile phone, mirror, extra water and plastic bags. Ensure you leave plans with someone at home, so they know where you are going, when you will be back, and what to do if you’re not.

Hiking gear ranges from very cheap, basic equipment right through to very expensive and professional equipment. It’s important to know what will fulfill your needs, so take the time to consider what you want before you buy any hiking gear.