You should always be prepared when heading out on an adventure in the outdoors, whether you’re going with a group or on your own. Here is a list of the 10 essentials to always bring along with you, and always let someone know where you are going!
There are so many varieties of these 10 essentials with differing options of styles, price, and weights. Be sure to do your research before you go out and buy these things but if not, I’ve linked the items that we love to use!
1. Hydration
For shorter hikes, we bring a reusable water bottle like Nalgene. For longer hikes, we usually bring our Platypus (water storage bag with straw). It definitely helps me to drink more water because a lot of times when we’re on the trail we’re in a groove and have a hard time remembering to stop for necessary breaks.
For longer hikes or overnight trips we also always bring our iodine and taste-neutralizer tablets to provide us with more drinking water. These containers are light and don’t take up much room at all in your pack, so I highly recommend bringing some along (we keep some in our first aid kit)!
Another alternative to treating your water is using a filter like a Sawyer Squeeze system. These screw onto a disposable water bottle and you can drink straight from the bottle! It does take some energy squeezing water out if you’re filtering a lot at a time, but the water always tastes super crisp and refreshing coming straight from a stream! Make sure you replace the filter as needed.
Note: If you’re doing any kind of hiking in the snow where you have to melt snow, it’s easier to bring a Nalgene with a wide brim so you can collect the snow in your bottle.
2. First Aid Kit
First aid kits are simple to bring along with you and you never know what you’ll need inside of one. They’re often sold as a travel kit, but you can also put together your own and store it in a Ziploc freezer bag. We usually have bandages of different sizes, tape, Neosporin, ibuprofen, antiseptic wipes, gloves, blister stickers (Compeed is my savior!), and superglue.
3. Navigation
Always bring some sort of navigation with you! Whether it’s a paper map or a downloaded GPS map on your phone (make sure your phone doesn’t run out of batteries), I think this one is vital to have! There seems to be too many stories where people head out on a short trail and somehow get lost for hours. We’ve headed out on trails where we thought we would be fine because it was such a popular trail and people said it was clear where to go and have ended up getting lost. You can think you’ll be fine but one small turn can lead you down a very wrong path and you can get very lost.
I downloaded the GAIA GPS app on my phone and download the trail map before we set out anywhere. You can also record your activities, and with the premium version use your maps offline.
would be fine because we thought it was a straightforward, “clear” trail, but one small misstep can lead you in the wrong direction
4. Nutrition
We always bring enough snacks on the trail whether its full on sandwiches and pizza, pizza Lunchables, or just some trail mix. For an extra treat at the top of a mountain or the end of a hike, we usually like to bring one candy bar… plus we’ve earned it out there!
We also usually bring energy blocks or chews just for a small kick along the way of a hike. It’s also hard to not buy them when you see them in the checkout line of REI!
5. Layers/Insulation
Depending on where you are going, make sure you always do your research and pack accordingly for the weather. At the least you might always want a lightweight jacket because you never know if you’re going to get stuck out in the cold. When it’s hot outside, I always opt for my sun protection lightweight shade hoodie. Even though it covers the full length of my arms, I still feel cooler than the sun beating down on my bare arms. I usually wear the hoodie with a hat on top. If you have a pony tail, look for one with a hole in the hoodie to stick your pony tail through!
6. Headlamp
Even if you think you’ll be back from your hike way before the sun goes down, it’s always a good idea to pack a headlamp just in case. You never know what’s going to happen out there, you might decide to hang out later and longer than you expected, and you don’t want to be stuck on the trail in the dark without light.
We usually also pack this solar powered lantern by MPowerd. It charges in the sun while you’re hiking and is very lightweight!
7. Fire Starter
A campfire can save you in an emergency situation. It may seem like you would never really need to start a fire on any day hike, but you never know!! We keep a fire starter with our first aid kid stuff.
8. Sun Protection
I love sun protection and hate being sunburned!! I always have sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat with me out on the trail.
9. Emergency Shelter
You don’t need to be bringing a tent with you on every hike, but some sort of lightweight emergency shelter or blanket is safe to have with you. Emergency blankets are lightweight and don’t take up much space in your pack. They can keep you warm in an emergency situation if you get stuck out on the trail at night.
10. Knife
A knife is always a safe tool to have with you. You never know when you’ll need it for cutting wood, string, or even cutting open a snack bag.
Those are the 10 essentials that we always make sure to bring with us!
