Hello, Hikers! Are you planning a day hike and don’t want to leave anything to chance? Great, because good preparation is the key to success. In this article, I’ll introduce you to a list of essential equipment that you absolutely must have with you. From the right footwear to snacks and safety gear – I’ll make sure you’re prepared for everything. Let’s get packing!
What to look for when choosing your hiking shoes
Take your time when selecting shoes. Your hiking shoes need to fit comfortably in any terrain (including downhill and uphill) without rubbing or causing your toes to bump against the front when going downhill.
Don’t be swayed by glowing reviews, as everyone has different feet and most manufacturers use different lasts (the models around which the shoes are shaped). Brands like Meindl, Hanwag, and Lowa are all reputable hiking shoe manufacturers, but it’s rare to find someone for whom both Hanwag and Meindl fit perfectly.
You can trust the quality of these brands (and others), but you need to find out what fits your feet. Once you find a brand that fits well, you can often stick with it across various models for many years.
In addition to fit, good hiking shoes need a grippy sole that provides stability on various terrains. Traditional hiking boots and shoes are generally the best choice, but many hikers have also switched to lighter trail running shoes, which work well if you have strong ankles and a light backpack.
Do hiking shoes need to be waterproof?
Whether shoes need to be waterproof is a matter of debate. Shoes with a waterproof membrane often have soles that are especially safe on wet surfaces, which is not to be underestimated. On the other hand, membrane shoes can make your feet stew in their own juices at higher temperatures.
Leather shoes without a membrane can often be waterproofed externally and usually offer a better climate for your feet, but they are heavy and even harder to dry if they get soaked.
A third option is shoes without a membrane, and you accept wet feet during occasional showers or wear special waterproof socks during longer periods of rain, which keep your feet warm. Shoes without a membrane dry faster than those with, so you can often walk them dry or get them dry overnight in a hostel.
What to look for in hiking socks
Good hiking socks are as important as the shoes. Even the best shoe is useless if the sock wrinkles and causes a host of blisters. There are many manufacturers of hiking socks. One of the best-known in the German-speaking area is Falke, with its TK socks known for excellent quality.
You usually have a choice between pure synthetic socks with silver ion treatment to prevent odors, or wool-synthetic blends. Pure wool socks are rare, as they often aren’t robust enough for the rigors of long hikes.
If you don’t have a favorite brand yet, feel free to test a few pairs until you find what suits your feet best. Socks are consumable items in the life of a hiker, so you will need to replace them frequently, allowing you to experiment.
Hiking Apparel
Once shoes and socks are sorted, it’s time to choose the rest of your clothing. Base your choices on the current season and the weather forecast for your planned route. Durable, quick-drying clothing that leaves room for movements is always a good choice. And remember, what your clothes cover, usually can’t be sunburned.
Always have some rain gear (even if it’s just a small festival poncho because the forecast is mainly sunny) and an extra fleece in your backpack.
You never really know when and where it might suddenly turn chilly: wind chill at a viewpoint or the spot where you take a break, an overly cold air-conditioned bus or train, a hike through a deep gorge that hasn’t seen the sun for a while, or a sudden drop in temperature after sunset… There are plenty of reasons you might urgently need to snuggle into a fleece, even on an otherwise warm day.
Finally, add seasonally appropriate accessories: a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen in the summer. A scarf, hat, and gloves during the transitional seasons and in winter. Sunglasses are useful year-round, sometimes even more necessary in snowy landscapes than in summer.
If you need more details on choosing your hiking apparel, continue reading the article on how to dress for hiking.
The Hiking Backpack
Your backpack is your means of transport for everything you want to carry that won’t fit in your pockets. Since you’ll be carrying it day in and day out for many hours, it’s essential to take your time choosing one.
Your backpack must fit both in length and the distance of the shoulder straps to your back. Don’t hesitate to switch from a women’s model to a men’s model or vice versa. Everyone’s back is different, and the backpack needs to fit yours and nobody else’s.
Back pain can ruin your hiking day almost as much as blisters on your feet, so take all the time you need to choose and, if possible, test the backpack with weight and filling material. Most backpacks feel very different when full compared to when they are empty.
If you need to order online because there’s no specialist store available, you can fill the backpack with clean clothes that you stuff between several clean bottles filled with clear water. This way, you can make it heavy and full quickly without dirtying it, in case you need to return it.
For a day trip backpack, 15-25 litres are usually sufficient. If you need more space, consider shortening your packing list. For a day trip, you are probably carrying a bit too much.
If you are still able to choose between several models, you can also consider the following:
- Weight: the lighter, the better, as long as it remains durable enough for you.
- Loops and other possibilities to attach items outside.
- Side pockets that can at least hold a small water bottle.
- Compression straps to ensure you can tighten the backpack when you’re carrying less, so the contents don’t swing back and forth on the move (which gets seriously annoying after a few kilometres)
Every backpack should come with a rain cover. In most hiking backpacks, it’s stored in a lid or bottom compartment and comes with the backpack. As long as you don’t encounter constant heavy rain, this cover usually provides sufficient protection.
The Provisions
On every hike, you’ll need some provisions. These could consist of a handful of dried fruits, nuts, or a few cereal bars if you plan to stop for a meal along the way. Or, you might have a full picnic in your backpack to energize you for the second half of your hike.
Even if you’re only planning a short hike or have a specific place to eat in mind, you should always carry at least one energy-rich snack. You never know when a climb might be tougher than expected, or you have to take a detour. Or, in the worst case, the place you planned to eat at might be closed. A snack will help you replenish your energy reserves before your hike becomes a struggle.
Good snacks include:
- Dried fruits (especially dates, figs, mangoes, or unsulphured apricots)
- Nuts (whatever you like)
- Bananas (always keep them on top of the backpack to avoid squashing, and carry a rubbish bag for the peels, but they’re one of the best energy sources on a tour)
- Chocolate: Dark chocolate with at least 65% cocoa can give you an energy boost in the afternoon to help you manage the remaining kilometres; I particularly like ginger chocolate, whether as a bar or candied ginger with dark chocolate. Both provide good results after a slight delay.
- Cereal bars (homemade are usually better than store-bought)
- Fruit leather (again, homemade is usually better than store-bought as it contains less sugar)
- Official emergency rations (I would actually only carry these as emergency rations on wilderness trips, but they are surprisingly tasty given their shelf life)
Apart from food, you of course need water. Please plan this carefully and double-check if you’re relying on fountains or springs along the way. On longer climbs and in summer, you’ll need more water than usual. I now plan an additional 1 litre per 500 metres of elevation gain. If you’re not yet experienced, this is a good starting point. On descents, you may need less than usual, but you still need enough to avoid getting thirsty.
Navigation & First Aid
When you are hiking in unfamiliar terrain, you should always carry a physical map and a compass, especially if you are alone or others don’t have their own navigation devices.
While you can now navigate effectively with a mobile phone, technology can let you down at any time (and of course, always at the least convenient moment). It’s not just about the phone failing; GPS signals can be blocked by dense foliage or rock walls, or the map data on your phone might not be up-to-date enough to guide you effectively. This already assumes you have offline maps installed, as I often have occurrences that online maps can’t be loaded when I need them most in mountainous areas.
If you’re navigating with electronic devices, always carry a fully charged power bank with the appropriate charging cables. GPS in continuous navigation seriously drains battery life, and on a long hiking day, it will eventually run down. Sooner or later, you will need to recharge if you want your device to last until your destination.
But no matter what equipment you carry: at least a simple, functional compass should always be in your pack, along with a signal whistle. These are items we hope never to need, but they can save the day when things go a bit wrong.
And while we’re at it: even on a day hike, a small first aid kit is a good companion, because that one misstep after which you need to treat a scrape or a small cut can happen just as easily on a day hike as on a week-long trekking tour.
Interesting Accessories
The items mentioned so far are the basics for any day hike. But there are also some things that can make the hiking experience even better. A few examples:
- Hiking poles/Trekking poles: Many consider them overkill and the constant clacking sound annoying. But especially on uneven paths and steep trails, they have their place. Hiking poles act as a mobile handrail. They also relieve stress on your knees during endless descents. You can buy rubber feet for many hiking poles, which can stop the clacking on paved paths.
- Pocket knife: For many, this is already part of the basic equipment for a provisions bag, while others rarely need it. Most pocket knives are used only when it’s time to cut provisions: peppers, cucumbers, and salami are manageable. Apples are trickier, but it’s better to have bread sliced by the baker… However, especially small Swiss Army knives with mini scissors and a nail file can be used for all sorts of things on the go: nail care, scissors for a sewing kit for small repairs, cutting open stubborn bags, carving, scraping rust off a fellow hiker’s knife…
- Hiking umbrella: A rarely seen but surprisingly pleasant accessory is a hiking umbrella. Of course, it’s useless when the wind is howling, but great during constant rain or sudden showers when there’s no wind. It keeps rain off your face and hands and allows rain gear to drip dry. If the rain is falling straight down, you might even skip the rain jacket and enjoy the hike without turning into a steamy mess inside a waterproof jacket. Give it a try!
- Sitting pad: A simple foam sitting pad isn’t heavy, but it lets you sit down anywhere: on a wet wall, wet bench, floor, grass, whatever. Your bottom stays clean, dry, and warm and you can find a seat almost anywhere, even where there otherwise wouldn’t be one. Just make sure to hold onto it when you stand up, or the wind might sweep it away before you know it.
Day hikes are a fantastic way to get into hiking or to get back out there. In this post, I’ve given you a rough overview of the most important parts of your gear for a day hike. If you feel any part was too brief, you’ll find some more detailed articles on this blog soon. And if you now want to know how to best plan a day hike, you can keep reading here.
Happy hiking!