What to Pack if You're Off Hiking for the Day

What to Pack if You’re off Hiking for the Day

Going hiking for the day isn't just exciting, relaxing, and exhausting at the same time — but also, really, quite doable even for beginners. As long as you are prepared with the proper attitude and the right gear, that is. What do you need to pack if you're going for a day-long hike?

The Right Hiking Clothes

Make sure you know what kind of weather you can expect before you set off. Depending on that, you'll want to opt for long pants or shorts, a t-shirt, and ideally, pack a waterproof jacket regardless of whether you think it will rain or not. Bring extra layers that you can easily add and remove as needed. Because your socks can get sweaty, you're always best off packing at least a couple of comfy pairs.

Your hiking shoes are, of course, an essential partner in ensuring a successful hike. If you're brand new to hiking, mind you, you're going to want to make sure to break hiking shoes in before you go on the journey for the day — or painful blisters will quickly punish you.

Essential Outdoor Gear

To ensure that you don't get stranded without any gear to get you out of trouble, you'll want to pack:

• A good-quality multi-tool

• A compass

• Paracord(either in bracelet form or on its own)

• A reliable flashlight

• A fire-making kit

• Emergency shelter, which can be a large sheet of plastic(also useful when you need a place to sit down as you take small breaks)

• Trekking poles

• A charged cell phone in case you need to call for help(and bringing an extra power bank could prove to be extremely useful as well)

• A fairly well-stocked first-aid kit

Sun Protection

Regardless of the climate you're going to be hiking in— you'll want to arm yourself with some great sunscreen, as well as excellent polarized sunglasses that also offer a high degree of UV protection. As an aside, if your sunscreen doesn't already come with a built-in insect repellent, you'll greatly benefit from a separate one that contains DEET to keep bugs away.

Food and Water

Day hikers will want to pack high-density, high-protein snacks that offer a lot of energy to keep them going without taking up too much space. This is why energy bars are an excellent choice. You will also need a reliable, reusable water bottle. Some hikers will bring a full day's water with them, but others will opt for camping water bottles with filters, which will allow them to travel more lightly.

All of that stuff has got to go somewhere, which is why you'll also need a supremely comfortable daypack — a medium-sized backpack just big enough to fit all your gear. A pack with lots of different sections and pockets will help you stay organized, give you easy access to your water, and offer a place to put any wet clothes.

Proper preparation might not be quite half the job when it comes to hiking, but it will undoubtedly put you on the right path!

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