Hello there, fellow traveler!
There’s something absolutely captivating about hiking – but in our opinion, it will not be fully enjoyable without the right equipment!
For many, hiking offers the perfect opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, challenge their physical limits, and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But before you lace up your boots and hit the trails, you should go through this list, so that you don’t end up in an annoying situation.
To make it as easy as possible, we have focused on the 10 most essential, which you may not have thought about. So, we’ll not mention the most obvious like underwear, socks, etc…. Let’s take a look at the list!
The 10 Most Essential Items For Hiking
1. A Great Pair Of Hiking Boots
Hiking will not be enjoyable if your feet is killing you…. Therefore, we highly advice you to invest in a great pair of hiking boots. Our personal favourite is the Merell Moab 3, which is an overall great hiking boot. It’s waterproof and has a great rating, as you can see on amazon.
2. Hydration – Electrolytes
Even though hiking is primarily walking, you have to keep in mind, that it’s tough on your body and you’ll undoubtedly sweat A LOT. Therefore, we highly recommend a good amount of electrolyte packets. We personally don’t have a high preference of brand, but the one we have linked is very nice, in our opinion. Make sure to use the electrolytes BEFORE you feel bad. It’s good to take them as a daily thing on your hike, to make sure, that you don’t run into a dehydration problem.
3. Aid Kit For Minor Injuries
While hiking, challenging terrain is a certainty! We always bring our own aid kit, so that we can continue our hike through minor injuries. This is just a nice thing to bring along, as it will be enough for a whole group.
4. A Great Multitool
Even though you might not think it, a great multitool is always in our bag, and we use it on nearly every hike. It’s just very nice to have a multitool and it fits right in your pocket. This likelihood of use also varies according to the terrain and type of hiking, but we love our multitool!
5. A Light Weight Backpack
No hike will be complete without your hiking backpack! This is where you’ll keep all your essentials and it’s an important part of your hike. We recommend Maelstrom backpack, which is specifically made for hiking and therefore hopefully matches your needs!
6. A Lifestraw
If you are on a serious hike, you’ll likely be far away from anything. This will also mean, that water supplies are far away. Therefore, we have invested in a lifestraw, which can easily be used to clean dirty water and give you hydration in the moment of need!
7. Emergency Tent
If you are on a longer hike and bad weather strikes, the emergency tent got your back. This little emergency tent can sometimes be beneficial to bring, if you are planning a longer hike, or if the weather is really questionable. It’s definitely not on the top of essential hiking equipment, but it can be very nice to have!
8. A GoPro
If you haven’t caught in on tape, did it even happen?! We always bring our GoPro, and it never let’s us down. It’s compact, waterproof, cool and it’s famous for a reason! Overall, the GoPro is a great option for high-adrenaline adventures, where there’s a risk of a scratch.
9. Hiking Sticks
Personally, we don’t use walking sticks, but a lot of hikers that do. This is good for some people, especially if the hike is more difficult and challenging or you are a bit older or weaker than the rest of your group. Try it out and see if it’s something for you!
10. A Great Watch
Get yourself a watch that can show you information about your steps, heart rate, altitude, etc… It’s also a great way to have a compass, which can be beneficial to have. We have a Garmin watch each, and have been very pleased with it so far! This is, in our opinion, one of the best pieces of hiking equipment.
Final Thoughts
Last but no least, we would like to wish you a great adventure and a wonderful hike! We hope these 10 items have sparked som inspiration and helped your hike in one way or another.
If you’re planning a skiing trip, don’t hesitate to check our skiing equipment guide.
Thank you for reading this article – Have a great day!
