For day hikers: “must haves” vs. “nice to haves” when hiking

It’s better to have what you need on the trail than need what you don’t have.

I discovered an online article the other day that lists a few items which its author considers to be basic gear for day hikers, listed in the following order:

• Whistle
• Map
• Water
• Handheld GPS
• Compass
• Mountain money
• Book
• Waterproof matches/lighter
• Knife
• Binoculars
• Windbreaker/waterproof shell
• Bivvy bag
• Flashlight/headlamp
• First aid kit
• Cellphone
• Snack

Instantly, I found myself wondering about the outdoors experience of the author, especially when considering the need vs. want aspects of the items in this list, and any priority one might place on them. Many of the above items I consider optional; you either haul a pack large enough to contain it all and you don’t mind sacrificing the extra weight and bulk, or you realize you just plain won’t use many of these things or get by just fine without them.

That being said, I’ll admit that most hikers won’t carry all the stuff that I carry on a typical day hike. But I have a handy excuse: I tend to lead a lot of group hikes, at least one every two weeks, year-round. With that kind of frequency, somebody on the trail is bound to need extra water, moleskin, or an aspirin every now and then - even spare socks and underwear. Yes, I carry spare undies in my pack, all the time, because they’ve nearly been life-savers for me and others. Why do I haul this stuff around all the time? Because there’s nothing more unnecessary than suffering on the trail when there’s miles to go.*

When you’ve been hiking as long as I have, you develop a sense of what you and your hiking buddies really need out there, and what’s merely extra weight. After all, how many times have you carried a set of binoculars or 330-page bird-finding guidebooks on the trail and not used them? Do you really need a GPS device, or do you just want to let people know that you have one? When you’re visiting the wilderness with a group of hikers - or by yourself - do you need your iPod, or do you really need to hear the tranquil sounds of Nature?

I chose to reorder the above list in terms of must haves and nice to haves, as well as how often a regular day hiker will typically use them. I’ve even added some things I consider important; these items are in parentheses.

Basic must have items for day hikers

Things you’ll use nearly every time you hike (at least you should, so you might as well have them with you at all times):

Things you’ll use often when hiking (not everybody can be MacGyver, so do carry the following items):

Things you know you’ll need sooner or later (your friends will admire your resourcefulness):

Optional nice to have items for day hikers

You may not need the following items, but you may want them from time to time. In fact some, like a whistle or a bivvy bag, can be must have items if you are pursuing extreme or high-elevation activities. If you have a predilection for getting lost, carry a GPS if you must, but first rely on a good topo map and advance planning. It’s important to understand that a GPS device is a tool, not a toy; if you carry it, know how to use it, as well as when.

Consider the following to be luxury items. If you think you might actually need them, consider examining your motives for venturing onto the trail, whether you want to carry them, and if you think you’ll put them to good use. First of all, however, make sure you pack your must have items, then see what room you’ve got left in your pack.

Some may quibble with me about my characterization of the above items. But experienced hikers, prior to hitting the trail, know to examine the contents of their packs. They’ll ask themselves a simple question:

Do I need it, or do I merely want it?

Your goals for the day should dictate what you carry with you, so remove what you won’t need and add what you will need. Next, consider what you may need, then what you want. Prepare your pack based on need rather than want, and do it every time.

Now, lift your pack. Ask that simple question again, and be honest with yourself about what you want from that great day of hiking that you have planned.

~winehiker

*You might think it embarrassing to ask a fellow hiker for a spare pair of underwear. But considering the alternative - chafing and discomfort of tender areas - it might just be more embarrassing not to ask. If that’s a pain point for you, well, now you know to pack a pair of undies.

**Mountain money = toilet paper. You can search every tree, rock, and crevice, but you won’t find an ATM that dispenses this stuff. Don’t let yourself go broke out there!

This entry was posted on Monday, May 7th, 2007 at 12:55 pm and is filed under grape squeezins, winehiker's trails. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.