- Enjoying a day in the Green Mountains (Szalay 2009)
I know you’re a pro and don’t need a checklist for a day hike, but most of us know some people at work or in our family that need some basic information on what to pack for a day hike. In fact, I had a series of questions from a colleague at work. I hope they find this information useful for three-season hiking (the warmer months):
First off, less is more, so long as you take what you need and nothing you don’t. Start with the Ten Essentials:
- Compass
- Extra Food (take more than the trip calls for)
- Fire Starter (such as a candle or magnesium block)
- First Aid Kit (with any necessary medication)
- Flashlight (with extra batteries)
- Jacket (keep out wind and precipitation)
- Knife (pocket knife usually does well enough)
- Map
- Matches (store in water tight container)
- Whistle
The Ten Essentials were made by The Mountaineers organization in the Pacific Northwest and has been adopted as the main items that may save lives in the backcountry. The rest are a practical list of options for useful gear:
- Boots/Trail shoes
- Wool or synthetic socks
- Gaitors
- Day pack (around 1,200 cubic inches)
- Water container
- Water filtration/purification system
- Spade and toilet paper
- Plastic bag (to pack out trash)
- Mug
- Bandana
- Fleece sweater
- Bug spray
- Sun protection
- Hat
- Sunglasses
Well, thanks again for visiting. If you enjoyed this and the many other posts, please consider following the Suburban Mountaineer on Facebook or Twitter (@SuburbanMtnr). There you will get more news and information as it is made available to me as well as notices about my latest articles.
The Suburban Mountaineer 