You do not need expensive gear to start hiking, but you do need a small kit that turns an unexpected problem into an inconvenience rather than an emergency. Experienced hikers call this list the Ten Essentials, and it has saved countless people.

The list

  1. Navigation — a map of the trail, and a charged phone with the route downloaded for offline use.
  2. Water — more than you think you need. Running out is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
  3. Food — a little more than the hike requires: snacks with salt and sugar restore energy fast.
  4. Rain and wind layer — weather in the hills changes faster than in town.
  5. Extra warm layer — a fleece or light jacket, even on a warm day.
  6. First-aid basics — plasters for blisters, painkillers, any personal medication.
  7. Headlamp or torch — in case you are out later than planned. Phone torches drain the battery you need for navigation.
  8. Sun protection — sunscreen, hat, sunglasses.
  9. Knife or multi-tool — small, but endlessly useful.
  10. Emergency shelter — even a cheap foil blanket can prevent dangerous heat loss if you are stuck.

Scale it to the hike

A flat one-hour walk on a popular trail does not need the full kit. A longer or remoter hike, or one in changeable weather, does. The skill is matching the kit to the realistic worst case, not the expected one.

Pack the night before

Laying everything out the evening before stops the rushed morning where you leave the water bottle on the kitchen counter — which, of all the items, is the one you least want to forget.