What Hiking Gear Should Be Brought On A Hike?
August 19, 2010 by Hikerama
Filed under hiking techniques
Every experienced hiker knows that the key to a safe and successful hike is the gear that you bring. Sometimes, it can seem like a daunting task to have to decide on which gear to bring with you and which gear to bring at home. It’s important to limit how much gear you bring because if you bring too much gear it will make your backpack too heavy for you to carry. For this reason, you should only bring items that are necessary for your overall safety and success on your hike. Safety should always be the number one concern when deciding on which hiking gear to bring with you on a hike.
The number one most important piece of equipment that you can bring with you is a first aid kit. Hiking is one of the most relaxing activities that you can do, but if you are hiking on a dangerous trail it can also be dangerous. The fact of the matter is that not all first aid kits are created equally. The best first aid kits will have hydrogen peroxide to stop bleeding, band aids, as well as disinfectant. The best first aid kits usually cost more money than your average first aid kit, but it is a price worth paying for your overall safety.
Another important piece of equipment that you need to bring with you is a walkie-talkie or cell phone. This will allow you to stay in touch with the outside world in the case of an emergency. You never know when someone is going to need medical attention in your hiking group. Bringing a cell phone is pretty risky because a lot of secluded hiking trails do not get cell phone service. It’s much better to bring a high powered walkie-talkie so you can communicate with the base camp of the hiking trail or safety officials. So far, this is all of the hiking gear that you should bring with you:
- A top of the line first aid kit
- A cell phone, or even better a high powered walkie-talkie
- Water
- A little bit of food
- Flares
After you have all of this equipment you should be good to go for a safe and successful hike. You may also want to consider bringing a flare with you if you are going on a hiking trail that is really secluded. The last thing that you need to bring with you is some food and water. Powerbars are great because they allow you to get a nutritious snack without weighing you down too much. Just don’t bring too much food because it will weight you down and make your hike more difficult!
