Hiking equipment

Hiking equipment is the equipment taken on outdoor walking trips. The duration, distance, planned activities, and environment impacts equipment selection. For example, a short day hike across flat farmland versus trekking in the Himalayas would call for different types of equipment.

Planning


According to Tom Brown, the order of survival is shelter (including clothing), water, fire, and food. Cody Lundin writes about the "Rule of 3s" and states three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, or three weeks without food will result in not surviving.



Considerations for selecting hiking equipment:


 * Length and remoteness of trip
 * Weight hiker can carry
 * Capacity of equipment
 * Medical needs
 * Weather (e.g., temperature range, sun/shade, rain, snow, ice)
 * Terrain (e.g., trail conditions, cliffs, sand, swamp, river crossings)
 * Shelter
 * Clothes
 * Water
 * Food
 * Protection from animals (e.g., insect repellent, mace, bear spray, bear-resistant food storage container)

Henry David Thoreau and several other early outdoor authors were some of the first individuals to publish examples of items to carry while hiking. The Mountaineers of Seattle later developed the “10 Essentials” while teaching climbing courses in the 1930s, which eventually appeared in Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills. This was developed so that outdoor recreationists could respond to an accident or spend an unforeseen night in the wild. Their research included modern equipment as it became available. The Mountaineers of Seattle proved that the following are necessary on hiking trips :


 * Navigation (map, compass)
 * Sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen)
 * Insulation (extra clothing)
 * Illumination (headlamp, flashlight)
 * First-aid supplies
 * Fire (waterproof matches, lighter, candle)
 * Repair kit
 * Nutrition (extra food)
 * Hydration (extra water)
 * Emergency shelter (tent, plastic tube tent, garbage bag)

Carrying methods


A pack's capacity to carry items is determined by :
 * Carrying methods on the body
 * Bag volume
 * Construction strength, design, materials, and construction quality

Commonly used carrying means include :
 * A wristband, belt loop, a thin neck lanyard, or clothing pockets for carrying lighter contents
 * A body pack or tactical vest
 * A single-shoulder pack
 * A waist pack
 * Day packs: small to mid-sized backpacks that have two shoulder straps
 * A harness system
 * Larger cargo backpacks

Apparel
Apparel provides insulation from heat, cold, water, and fire. It shades the body and protects it from injury from thorns, insect bites, blisters, and UV rays.

Basic outdoor clothing materials are goose down, wool, polyester, and polyolefin, which provide similar degrees of insulation when dry. Wool and polyesters perform reasonably well for most weather conditions and provide some insulation while wet. Cotton and linen wicks moisture, which is good for hot or humid weather.

Natural fabrics, such as cotton, linen, and wool have high burn temperatures, and they char instead of melting when exposed to flame. When a fabric melts onto skin it is difficult to remove, unlike a material that chars. Nomex is used for fire-resistant clothing.

Shoes with traction reduce the chance of slipping. Shoes that support the ankle may also prevent injury. Breathable and waterproof hiking boots are general-purpose hiking shoes. Mountaineering boots provide more specialized protection. Waterproof gaiters are used in cold or wet conditions to protect the lower pants and upper part of the shoes and reduces the amount of water, snow, and debris that gets into boots.

Overnight shelter
An overnight shelter may include a wool blanket and tarp or a complete sleep-system inside a double-walled, four-season tent. Bedding options range from a pillow made from clothes to a sleep system consisting of a sleeping pad, sleeping bag, bivouac shelter, bag liner, and compression sack. Shelter structures can be constructed from a tarpaulin, ground sheet, rope, poles, or trees (with a mosquito net).

Other hiking equipment

 * Food
 * Electronics
 * Bandana for a hat, dust mask, face scarf, water filter, first-aid, or signal
 * Knife, multi-tool, tomahawk, hatchet, axe, bucksaw, snow knife or snow saw for cutting, chopping, and sawing:
 * Sharp stick, stout knife, trowel, ice axe, entrenching tool (folding shovel), compact shovel, snow shovel for digging
 * Flashlight
 * Medical supplies
 * Sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip balm for protection from the sun
 * Trekking poles or hiking sticks for stability and balance
 * Containers for carrying water
 * Cordage

Possible hazards
The possible hazards of hiking may affect equipment choices:


 * Alligators
 * Altitude sickness
 * Avalanche
 * Bears
 * Cattle
 * Cliffs
 * Dehydration
 * Drowning
 * Exsanguination
 * Exposure (heights)
 * Flash floods
 * Hyperthermia
 * Hypothermia
 * Lightning
 * Malaria
 * Moose
 * Poisonous animals
 * Poisonous plants
 * Starvation
 * Swamps
 * Ticks
 * Weather
 * Whitewater
 * Wilderness diarrhea
 * Wildfires

Related activities

 * Adventure travel
 * Camping
 * Canoeing
 * Cross-country skiing
 * Dog hiking
 * Fishing
 * Hammock camping
 * Hillwalking
 * Hunting
 * Jungle tourism
 * Llama hiking
 * Mountain biking
 * Mountaineering
 * Nordic Walking
 * Orienteering
 * Rafting
 * Rock climbing
 * Scrambling
 * Snowshoeing
 * Swimhiking
 * Thru-hiking
 * Travel backpacking
 * Travel writing
 * Walking tour
 * Wilderness backpacking or trekking