Discover the best hiking essentials list for your next trip, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced hiker. The List includes ten items necessary to make your hike safe and enjoyable. Regardless of the level of hiking, it is essential to prepare meticulously for your next hiking adventure. There are a few essentials that you can’t go without when you’re hiking. Here are the fifteen top hiking essentials that every hiker should acquire. Regardless of your fitness level, make sure you have these items on your next hike for a safe and enjoyable experience.
Comfortable Footwear
Happy feet make for a great hiking experience. The proper footwear can help you avoid slipping and sliding on the surface of trails while providing adequate support throughout your hike as well! Similarly, good hiking socks go well with great hiking boots. Explore a range of outdoor footwear products before your next hiking adventure.
Map and Compass/GPS
Most Hiking trips in Kenya are on well-defined trails. However, Maps and compasses are essential tools for backcountry travelers. Ensure you know how to use them if your phone or GPS unit doesn’t work as expected! Study the map of the destination you will be visiting before your next trekking trip.
Drinking water
Water should always remain one of your top priorities when hiking. In brief, lack of water can lead to dehydration on long hikes. Lack of water can make one feel weak or even worse. In addition, feeling weak due to the lack of water makes us more susceptible to sunstroke/hypothermia. Besides drinking water, ensure to take safe drinking water. Significantly, Water purification tablets can help you avoid backpackers’ diseases. Learn how to treat water before your next trekking adventure. Hydration packs or a camelback will make it easier to carry water during the hike.
Snacks & Food
Hiking is a physically demanding outdoor activity that requires muscle strength and endurance. It’s important to eat quality foods and sufficient quantities during the hike so you don’t have Overeating or Over-drinking problems. The three macronutrients that make up good hiking food are carbs, proteins, and fats. Firstly, carbs provide energy for our bodies to use right away or store as glycogen in muscles if needed. Secondly, Proteins also serve various other essential functions, including building blocks and performing specific metabolic processes.
Hiking Daypack | Hiking Essentials
When you are preparing for your next trekking trip, it is essential that the gear fits well and feels comfortable. One of these pieces should be an ergonomically designed Hiking daypack to help keep track during hikes. The daypack provides the perfect balance between weight, storage capacity, and comfort. Read more on the Qualities of an ideal Hiking daypack.
Poncho & Light Rain Gears
The weather forecast is not always correct. It’s wise to have a proactive plan for when the weather changes. A good poncho should be foldable and very light to carry. Notably, a rain poncho works best if you have rain trousers. Similarly, rain trousers should be lightweight and not bulky. A pair of Leg gaiters complete the rain gear needs. It’s an essential piece of critical hiking gear.
Hiking pants
Hiking pants are purposely to keep you dry and warm when on an outdoor walk. Depending on the conditions that day may bring, they can be worn as either short or long pants with several features built into them, making this type of clothing perfect for various types of hikes. For example, cargo pants are ideal for warm treks like Ol donyo Orok, Mount Longonot, or Kalembwani Hills trek. On the other hand, Fleece pants are suitable for windy and colder hiking destinations like Aberdare range trails.
Safety Kit | 10 Hiking Essentials
Many hikers don’t think about the safety kit they should bring on a hike, but it’s essential! It will help if you have the means to start an emergency call. For instance, many hiking destinations like the Aberdare trails have poor or no networks. In such trekking trails, if something happens, it is essential to have the means to signal you are in trouble. Basic safety kits include a whistle, a lighter, a Torch, or a headlamp.
Trekking Poles | Hiking Essentials
Trekking poles are a great way to hike without having your arms and shoulders take all the strain. They allow you to use more muscle while still controlling how quickly or steeply to go downhill. Hence, they provide excellent support for any terrain! Check out the features of an ideal trekking pole before purchasing a pair.
First Aid Emergency Kit
No one can tell when an injury or illness could happen, so it’s important to have supplies. Knowledge is key to effectively treating an illness or injury. The more you know about how to use the supplies, the better equipped your first-aid kit will be for helping out in case of emergency!
Multipurpose Knife| Hiking Essentials
The multipurpose knife is small hiking equipment worth having. A knife is a versatile tool that one can use for many things, for instance, from first aid and self-defense to kitchen prep.
Sun Protection Kit
Sunscreen is a must-have for every person going outdoors—no matter what season it may be. Importantly, Sunscreen protects from harmful UV rays that can cause skin damage. Besides applying sunscreen, wear proper clothing like long sleeves, bucket hats, or wide-brim hats. In addition, they will provide extra coverage on top of protecting your face and exposed skin parts.
Extra Change of Clothes
An extra change of clothes is a must for any outdoor enthusiast. You may encounter weather changes, and with extra layers, you can change after your hike in order to remain comfortable throughout the day or at least until it’s time to go home!
Trash Bag | Hiking Essentials
Trail maintenance is an essential part of enjoying the outdoors. As an eco-friendly tour company, we encourage keeping our trails clean. Pick up after yourself so that future generations can enjoy pristine trails! Wild Springs Adventures Leave No Trace Code applies on all our treks. Always carry a trash bag to put your litter in and help collect any waste that may be left on the way. You can also join our plogging activities, which are absolutely free of charge.
Very informative .. I guess I have a few items to go.🤦😜
Excellent job exceptional experience with wild springs Adventure highly recommended
Thank you for this very informative piece.
This is really helpful and when adhered to helps minimise risks. Keep up the brilliant work!
Excellent information package particularly for beginners. Thank you.
This is very helpful. Wild Springs all the way to the peak. Do you have hiking pants in stock?
Wild Springs all the way to the peak. Do you have hiking pants in stock?
Perfect, I will always use this to confirm whether I have everything I need whenever I have an hiking activity. Thank you
Simple and clear. It’s really helpful and informative. At times you’re not sure if you carried enough or inexcessive. Good job wildsprings 👍
Great read. Wild-springs.com, do you offer hiking trips? Let me know which you have
This is very helpful. Wild Springs all the way to the peak. Thank you.
Absolutely informative, nothing beats being prepared for a hike, the weather gets unpredictable anytime. Thanks for the info.
Very informative..
Your one stop shop ..
knowledgeable on most if not all things hiking ,Mt kenya fitness program, Treks and best trails in kenya. From beginner transition to pro in hiking .
Super professional and friendly staff ready to serve ,guide and custom make packages to meet clients needs .
Kudos to Tim and the team ..
A very great article with rich information. I keep forgetting the whistle every time am on trails hope you have unique ones I need a piece. Otherwise, it has been a great journey since I met this team in 2017, exploring and hiking most parts of the country to Mt. Kenya point Lenana which was a great experience and worth for. Thank you team Wildsprings Adventures, you simply the best!!!