What to Bring on a Hike
New to hiking, or just haven’t hit the trail in a while?
At its core, hiking is a pretty simple and straightforward activity – it’s just walking, right? What could you possibly need to bring on a hike?
There are a number of items you should bring on your hike that will enable you to have a more comfortable and safe experience when you’re out on the trail for hours at a time.
You may have heard of the Ten Essentials; while this serves as an excellent packing list as these essentials will keep you prepared for emergencies, I typically pack a slightly more pared down list of these items.
Below is a list of items I bring on every single hike, plus a few additional items you may want to consider packing.
What I bring on every hike
(Multiple) Water bottles
I bring at least two water bottles on every single hike. Two might sound like overkill at first, but you’ll definitely appreciate the minimal extra weight in your backpack if you start getting parched out on the trail.
Even on a cool day, your body is working hard and losing hydration. Trust me, I learned this the hard way after getting super thirsty on one such cool day.
Lunch and/or snacks (+ trash bag)
You’re going to work up an appetite trekking uphill. Plus, lunch just tastes way better at a beautiful overlook that you used your body to get to.
Bring a mix of sweet and salty foods to replenish your energy and electrolytes (trail mix is perhaps an obvious choice that combines both).
My go-to hiking snacks are apples, chips, Snickers, and Clif bars. (Yes, I typically bring most if not all of these. Hiking is way more fun when you’re not hangry.)
Just remember to bring a trash bag or other container so you have somewhere to store the wrappers, apple cores, produce stickers, and other waste leftover from your lunch.
Layers of extra clothing
Why bring extra layers when you’re likely going hiking to enjoy a nice spring or summer day?
The weather can be very different at the top of a hike from at the trailhead, especially if you’ve gained a lot of elevation. The weather may also change suddenly or throughout the day while you still have miles to go on the trail.
Even a flannel shirt or rain jacket at the very least can provide some extra warmth or sun protection.
Sun protection: hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
Going for a hike is signing up to be outside for several hours. I always carry a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen with me so I can choose whichever form of sun protection I need throughout the hike depending on tree coverage, how many hours I’m outside, etc.
Headlamp
A headlamp is a great item to bring on a hike in case you misjudge how long a hike will take to finish or get lost along the way. A flashlight will certainly do in a pinch, but a headlamp allows for hands-free lighting if you’re using trekking poles.
First aid
This is an item that you (hopefully) won’t use on every hike, but when you do need it, you’ll be really glad you brought it.
You don’t necessarily have to lug around a full first aid kit, but I recommend bringing at least a few essentials.
I have a little bag of single-use items that includes sunscreen, insect bite relief wipes, hand wipes, Biofreeze pain relief gel, Blistex lip ointment and band aids. The band aids came to the rescue on a recent hike when my friend’s new boots gave her blisters!
Cell phone
You may lose cell service while out on a hike, but I bring my phone along anyway to take pictures. Pics or it didn’t happen, amiright?
Just remember to charge it the night before if you’re heading out first thing in the morning so you have a full battery ready to last the whole day.
Other items you may want on a hike
Trekking poles
I bring trekking poles on some hikes, but not all. I didn’t even own trekking poles for a long time but I broke down and bought a pair after struggling up a steep 10-mile hike.
Your decision to use trekking poles may depend on your own level of comfort, the difficulty of a particular trail, and any prior injuries.
I typically bring my poles along on longer or particularly steep hikes (which I know by looking up the trail ahead of time on AllTrails or Washington Trails Association). My partner, on the other hand, brings his on most hikes because he has injured IT bands.
Bug spray
I don’t encounter too many annoying bugs where I am in the Pacific Northwest, so I don’t typically think to pack my bug spray. However, if you live in an area where mosquitoes may be out in full force, you might want to bring your bug spray along to reapply and keep bugs at bay throughout your hike.
Navigation: map, compass, and/or GPS system
While many popular trails are well marked and easy to follow, you may find yourself on a hike that doesn’t have great signage or connects to a network of other trails. I have found myself checking a map on many trails that I assumed would be straightforward to follow.
I don’t pack a separate item to provide navigation, but at a bare minimum I will take a picture at the trailhead if there is a sign with a trail map.
I also take screenshots of websites describing the trail and directions before setting out for the hike. That way I can still access those screenshots saved to my phone in case I lose cell service on the trail.
Knife or multi-tool
True story: when my siblings and I were little kids, my brother went through a pocket knife phase. He was super into them and carried one with him at all times.
During this phase, my family went on a hike in the desert and my mom accidentally kicked a small cactus into her ankle. (Ouch!!)
Luckily, my brother had brought one of his little multi-tools that came with a pair of tweezers. My mom was able to use this to pluck out all of the cactus needles out of her ankle.
It may sound like a very specific situation, but you never know what might happen out on the trail!
As always, enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Leave no trace on all of your adventures.
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