The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 1: Basic Gear
In the next days and weeks, I’ll be sharing checklists that cover a number of hiking and travel essentials, as well as pre-hike precautions and wilderness etiquette. Today I discuss what I consider to be the most essential items for having out there on the trail either on you or with you, and that’s just plain basic gear.
Why “basic”? Well, let’s just say that if you’re out of range from the nearest cell network, as being in the wilderness often causes you to be, and you need what you could have brought with you, the issue you have at hand will suddenly confront you as being a very basic issue.
Veteran hikers and adventure travelers have learned many tough lessons from their travels, and we can learn from them. Perhaps you’ve already learned that it’s essential to have the right gear when you travel with adventure in mind. To aid in your adventure planning, I’ve assembled a list of items that I consider important for everyone to have with or near them when sauntering “a few miles in.” Not regularly having and using these things can easily make you dependent on others, or worse, can make you suffer needlessly through many anxious and unwelcome moments.
Yes, you can leave home without your American Express card, but don’t hit the trail without the following basic gear:
- Convertible hiking pants (denim and cotton are not advised*)
- 1-2 shirts made of lightweight, synthetic fabrics (cotton is not advised*)
- Fleece jacket and/or windbreaker
- Hiking boots that fit well, or trail running shoes
- Socks: inner (thin and synthetic) and outer (thick and comfortable; not cotton*)
- Fanny pack, rucksack, or hydration pack with water bladder (this latter item keeps your hands free on the trail)
- Water bottles – at least one liter each (if not carrying a hydration pack)
- Pocket utility knife (Victorinox or Leatherman are excellent)
- Wide-brimmed hat
- Bandanna
- Lip balm
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Map of the area you’re venturing into
- Compass (know how to use it first)
- Toilet paper, a.k.a. “Mountain Money”
That may seem like a short list to some, a long list to others. It’s a rather basic list, which means, in essence, that you will need all of these items at some point, so you might as well have all of these things with you every time you travel or venture into a wilderness area.
There are basic things we know we need with us, and other things that we don’t need but merely want to have with us in addition to the basics. These optional items can be useful on a general level; often we carry them to enhance our experiences. I’ll discuss this optional gear in my next Trail Tips post. Meanwhile, if you have questions about the above list or believe that it’s missing something crucial, I invite your input.
And while you’re anticipating this next Trail Tip, take a look at my current list of winehiking tours to be guided by yours truly over the trails and through the tasting rooms of the California wine country.
Also see:
- The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 2: Optional Hiking Gear
- The Winehiker’s Trail Tips No. 3: Wilderness Etiquette
*Cotton clothing, such as denim, retains moisture, can chafe your skin over the course of an afternoon on a trail, and often limits the range of movement required for climbing steep slopes or scrambling over rocks and logs. Cotton socks dramatically increase the incidence of blisters due to moisture retention, which induces chafing. In contrast, synthetic fabrics are lighter in weight, are often designed to accommodate active pursuits, and allow body moisture to dissipate so that you stay dry and comfortable. For additional advice about hiking gear, I suggest visiting a very good resource on the topic, and that’s gorp.com.
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December 18th, 2006 16:57
Ya know, I wish more people would be better prepared like this when they go out hiking. You hear about people getting stuck somewhere and suffering because they weren’t prepared. Just out of curiosity, why synthetic clothing only?
Our company just started carrying hydration packs, and Victorinox and Leatherman products too!
December 18th, 2006 17:47
Nice website! Looks like a good place to spend some time.
Your rationale for avoiding cotton may be a bit “incomplete”. May I offer some additional reasons for avoiding the stuff? (BTW – I spent 3 days in October on a search for a lost hunter. He was found dead on day 6 of the search. He died from hypothermia. He was wearing cotton.)
December 19th, 2006 12:45
Great list. Post it on outdoorzy if you don’t mind when you get a chance with a link back
Also, I would only add two thing if I were writing the list, Map and Compass.
Can’t wait to read your other lists.
December 19th, 2006 12:49
CJ, I appreciate your comment. I felt compelled to write this post partly because of the recent news of outdoor tragedies, but also because my 2007 tour season is approaching and I want to raise awareness. What is the name of your company? Perhaps I can profile it on Winehiker Witiculture.
Phoebe, I understand and appreciate the cause-and-effect relationship between wet cotton and hypothermia, but I felt it prudent not to scare my readers who might be fledgling hikers. My intent here was merely to provide a checklist; I’ll be getting into the “whys” behind these checklist items in future posts. Nevertheless, wearing the proper clothing is Rule #1 in my list of The Hiker’s Top 25 Rules for Returning Home Safely. Thank you for writing!
December 19th, 2006 13:15
Wade, thank you for your valued input. I somehow didn’t copy those two items from my original checklist! (Geez — color me sheepish….) Duly corrected!
I’ve also added this post to the Outdoorzy forums. I’ll be adding the remainder of this series. Thank you for the tip!
December 20th, 2006 22:26
One should not wear cotton in the woods. It has everything to do with the fact that when wet, cotton loses all its insulating ability. Wet cotton facilitates the transfer of heat from the body at an incredibly fast rate, leading to hypothermia. I’d rather have a fledgling hiker with a healthy respect for how bad cotton is than a dead fledgling hiker. Dead hikers don’t read blogs.
December 21st, 2006 10:52
Seriously, Phoebe! Do you want a gig as a guest author?
December 22nd, 2006 21:48
I can see it now. “How to choose the right wine for that Search and Rescue Mission”. I never can remember – is it white or red with that squished granola bar.
February 4th, 2008 15:58
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February 12th, 2009 17:55
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February 22nd, 2009 15:48
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