Dayhike Essential Gear
When you head out on the hiking trail for an afternoon or all day hike, you will need to pack some essential gear. The gear that you choose to carry will change depending on the climate, season, and location of your hike.
In the 1930’s, The Mountaineers, a hiking club based out of Seattle, created a gear list that is still referred to as the Ten Essentials. Here is their list:
- Topographic Map
- Compass
- Flashlight
- Extra food
- Extra clothes
- Sunglasses
- First Aid Kit
- Knife (multi-tool)
- Waterproof matches
- Fire starter material
There are a few extra things that I would add to The Mountaineers list like water and a way to purify it, sunscreen, rain gear, and a space blanket.
The basic idea of carrying this much stuff on a day hike is to be prepared to stay out all night in the worst weather the season can throw at you and survive it.
In the winter, you should carry gear to survive a night of snow and freezing temperatures. The temperature lows vary from location to location, and when you pack for a mountain hike, don’t forget to take altitude into consideration.
Summertime, your greatest threat is likely a cold thunderstorm. Actually, the chance of hypothermia is probably worse in the summer than in the winter because the average summer hiker is not prepared for it.
I’ve said it before, the most important thing to carry with you is knowledge, common sense, your brain. Unless you know how to read a map and use a compass, just carrying the items in your pack won’t do you any good.
I’m as bad as anyone–worse even–for wanting to just put on my shoes and head out to the trail, but a little pre-planning could save your life.
Next time, I’ll write about putting together a Bug-Out-Bag (BOB) with essential gear so that going on a day hike will involve putting on your boots and grabbing your BOB.
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Tags: Day Hike Gear