What to take when hiking in the mountains

Read on a discover some handy hints and tricks to keep up your sleeve when packing for a hiking excursion! This is a list of essential items that are lightweight and extremely handy in a multitude of situations.


Articles - Jo-Ann Halstead - 26/01/120 Comments

When setting out for a hiking,  mountaineering or even a climbing excursion in the mountains, moors or hills, much care and caution must be taken when it comes to packing and planning. Like with most adventure sports, you are far from home, shops and civilization you resources are solely what you and your fellow hikers have on your back. Here´s a check list of what you must not forget to bring to make your adventure a brilliant one!

The Essentials:

  • First and foremost, a good backpack is always the hiker´s first priority. It must be comfortable, practical and easy to wear without straining the back (look for one with a strap for the waist to take weight off of the back).

An excellent back pack


  • When it comes to hygiene, while most are prepared to rough it a bit, loo roll is one commodity that will be hard to go without. It´s also unquestionably useful for many things, from tissues to lighting fire. However, when out in the bush, one must remember that depending on where you it, used toilet paper may attract wildlife and we should try to leave as little trace as possible so it may be necessary to clean up after yourself.
  • First aid kit with gauze, plasters and other essentials. Deoderant is a good idea for applying to feet for avoiding blisters as well as special socks.

A first class first aid kit


  • Swiss Army knife: These knives are a classic for a reason. I´m sure if you have one, you´ll never be caught without it. With various different models for the basic penknife to one with everything from a can opener to screwdriver, they can be used to practically every quandary and their small size and light weight are great for hiking and keeping your weight to a minimum.
  • Food. You may include some sweets and trail mix. It´s always necessary to keep your energy levels up. For more information on what to take foodwise, read further about hiking nutrition.
  • A Water bottle (or multiple bottles): The best on the market these days are tin bottles because they are light weight and better for you than plastic. Water must always be drunk when doing exercise so make sure
    you always stock.

Hikers enjoying the terrain



Interesting things to take:
  • A little kit of lace or string and safety pins. This basic items are brilliant for fixing an infinite number of problems that you never know may come along the way.

A helpful little kit


  • Plastic bags: First of all, when out in the wilderness we should always have an upmost respectfor the environment. Picking up  after yourself and leaving nothing other than footprints behind should always be your motto. Little garbage bags are great for  picking up non-biodegradable waste but they can also be handy in many other situations, especially as they are waterproof (great for situations like using for an improvised rucksack cover!)
  • A decent torch. Even if there is a full moon, a bit of extra light at night is handy. There are newones that don´t even need batteries so there´s no chance you´ll ever get left out in the dark, unless of course you lose the light.
  • Lots of layers. There are oodles of expensive brands of outdoor clothing but one of the best pieces of advice is to dress in layers. That way you can easily adjust to changing temperatures of that of the weather and your body. Also layers are very effective in keeping warm in that the air between the layers heats up which in turn keeps you warmer.
  • A rain jacket or plastic ponch because we all know what British weather can be like and no one enjoys being damp.
  • Hiking poles. These poles, although they may look a bit ridiculous at times, are brilliant for working 90% of your body´s muscle, for endurance and for absorbing shock when walking downhill.
Next time you´re packing  for an adventure, keep some of these tips and pointers in mind and enjoy a hopefully hassle-free excursion!

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