Six useful items to take on a hike are water, food or snacks, navigation tools, a first aid kit, weather-appropriate extra clothing, and a headlamp. For longer, more remote, or more demanding hikes, you'll usually want additional emergency and safety equipment as well.
When I first started thinking seriously about hiking gear, I assumed the difficult part would be deciding what to bring.
It turned out the bigger challenge was deciding what not to bring.
Outdoor gear lists can become enormous. Before long, a simple day hike starts sounding as though you need enough equipment to survive independently for several weeks.
For most hikes, I find it more helpful to begin with the essentials and then add items based on the actual route.
A short walk on a familiar local trail and an all-day mountain hike shouldn't have identical packing lists.
But there are a few things that are useful on almost every hike.
The Short Answer
Six useful hiking items are:
-
Water
-
Food or snacks
-
Navigation tools
-
A first aid kit
-
Extra clothing or weather protection
-
A headlamp
These six items cover some of the most basic hiking needs: hydration, energy, navigation, minor injuries, changing weather, and unexpected delays.
They're a starting point rather than a complete packing list for every situation.
Your route, weather, season, distance, elevation, remoteness, and experience should determine what else goes into your backpack.
1. Water
If I could only emphasize one thing for a beginner hiker to think about before leaving, water would be near the top of the list.
Hiking is physical activity, and you'll lose fluids while you're moving.
How much water you need varies considerably.
Factors include:
-
Temperature
-
Humidity
-
Distance
-
Hiking intensity
-
Elevation
-
Your body
-
Access to reliable water sources
Hot weather and strenuous climbing can increase your needs substantially compared with a short, easy walk in cool conditions.
Don't simply assume you'll find drinkable water along the trail.
Streams and lakes aren't automatically safe drinking sources just because the water looks clear.
If you're planning to refill from natural sources, research the route beforehand and carry an appropriate water-treatment method.
For an ordinary beginner day hike, carrying the water you expect to need is often the simplest approach.
2. Food or Hiking Snacks
A short walk may not require much food.
A longer hike is another story.
After you've been walking and climbing for several hours, a snack can suddenly become one of the most exciting objects in your backpack.
Good hiking food is usually easy to carry, convenient to eat, and something you actually enjoy.
Options might include:
-
Trail mix
-
Nuts
-
Dried fruit
-
Energy or snack bars
-
Nut butter
-
Crackers
-
Fresh fruit
-
Sandwiches or wraps
For longer hikes, I like the idea of carrying a little more food than I expect to eat.
Plans sometimes change.
The trail may take longer than expected.
You might make a navigation mistake, spend more time at a viewpoint, or simply discover that hiking has made you much hungrier than anticipated.
A small amount of extra food gives you some flexibility.
3. Navigation Tools
Knowing where you're going is one of the foundations of hiking safety.
A phone with a hiking or mapping app can be extremely useful, especially if you've downloaded the route for offline use.
But I wouldn't assume you'll always have mobile reception.
Depending on the hike, navigation options can include:
-
Offline maps
-
GPS device
-
Paper map
-
Compass
-
Trail signs and markers
The equipment you carry should match the difficulty and remoteness of the route—and you should know how to use it.
Downloading a map five minutes before a hike isn't the same as understanding the route.
Before you start, look at:
-
Trail distance
-
Junctions
-
Elevation
-
Landmarks
-
Turnaround points
-
Alternative routes
-
Trailhead location
If you become uncertain while hiking, stop and check your position rather than continuing randomly.
A wrong turn is usually easier to correct after 100 meters than after five kilometers.
4. A First Aid Kit
You don't need to carry a hospital in your backpack.
But a small hiking first aid kit can be extremely useful.
For an ordinary day hike, it might contain supplies appropriate for common minor problems such as:
-
Small cuts and scrapes
-
Blisters
-
Minor wounds
-
Personal medical needs
Exactly what belongs in your kit depends on the hike and your knowledge.
One item I'd pay particular attention to is blister care.
A tiny hot spot on your heel may not seem important when you first notice it.
Several kilometers later, it can make every step uncomfortable.
Deal with small problems early when you can.
And remember that carrying first aid equipment is most useful when you understand how to use it.
For more remote or demanding adventures, appropriate first aid knowledge becomes increasingly important.
5. Extra Clothing and Weather Protection
I don't pack clothing based only on what the weather feels like when I leave home.
I think about what it could feel like later.
Temperatures can change during a hike because of:
-
Elevation
-
Wind
-
Rain
-
Cloud cover
-
Time of day
-
Changing weather
That's why an additional layer can be so valuable.
Depending on the conditions, you might carry:
-
A fleece
-
An insulated layer
-
A waterproof shell
-
A wind-resistant layer
-
Warm hat
-
Gloves
-
Spare socks
You don't necessarily need all of these on every hike.
Check the forecast and pack appropriately.
A common approach is the three-layer system:
Base layer — manages moisture
Mid layer — provides insulation
Outer layer — protects against wind and rain when needed
Being able to add and remove layers makes it much easier to stay comfortable as conditions change.
6. A Headlamp
A headlamp is one of those items that can seem completely unnecessary—right up until the moment it isn't.
Maybe your hike takes longer than expected.
Maybe someone in your group slows down.
Maybe you take a wrong turn.
Or perhaps that beautiful sunset viewpoint was so good that nobody noticed how quickly the daylight was disappearing.
A headlamp provides hands-free light and takes relatively little space in a backpack.
Check that it works before leaving and make sure its battery or charge is adequate.
Even when I'm planning to finish comfortably before sunset, carrying a headlamp on a substantial hike provides a useful margin for unexpected delays.
A phone flashlight can be useful in an emergency, but relying on your phone for everything—navigation, communication, photographs, and lighting—also puts a lot of pressure on one battery.
Is That Everything You Need for a Hike?
Not necessarily.
These six items are a useful starting point, not a universal complete equipment list.
Depending on the route and conditions, you may also want or need:
-
Sun protection
-
Emergency shelter
-
Whistle
-
Power bank
-
Repair tools
-
Insect protection
-
Trekking poles
-
Additional insulation
-
Water treatment
-
Emergency communication equipment
A remote mountain hike requires more preparation than a one-hour walk close to home.
Think about what could realistically happen on your particular route and what you would need if you were delayed.
That's much more useful than blindly following one packing list for every hike.
What Should Beginners Always Carry Hiking?
For beginners, I'd focus on covering a few basic needs:
Water for hydration.
Food for energy.
Navigation so you know where you're going.
First aid supplies for minor problems.
Clothing for changing conditions.
A light source in case you're unexpectedly out after dark.
Then add equipment according to the hike.
I'd also carry a charged phone where appropriate and tell someone where I'm going, particularly for solo, longer, or more remote hikes.
The goal isn't to make your backpack unnecessarily heavy.
It's to avoid being completely unprepared when something small changes.
How Do You Avoid Packing Too Much?
This is the other side of hiking preparation.
Once you start thinking about everything that could happen, it's easy to put half your belongings into your backpack.
Instead, evaluate the specific hike.
Ask yourself:
How long is the route?
How remote is it?
What does the weather forecast say?
What terrain will I encounter?
How much elevation is involved?
Are reliable water sources available?
How quickly could I get help if something went wrong?
As the consequences of a problem increase, your preparation should generally increase too.
For a short local hike, you may need relatively little.
For an all-day trip through remote terrain, you'll want a much more complete safety setup.
A Quick Aside About Your Phone
A smartphone is incredibly useful on a hike.
It can provide:
-
Navigation
-
Communication
-
Weather information
-
Photographs
-
Emergency features
-
A backup light
But I try not to make my phone the only solution to every problem.
Batteries drain.
Cold conditions can affect battery performance.
Screens break.
Signal disappears.
If your phone contains your only map, your only light, your only communication method, and your only copy of the route, losing access to it creates several problems simultaneously.
Download important maps for offline use, start with a charged battery, and consider carrying a power bank on longer hikes.
For more demanding routes, use appropriate backup systems rather than relying entirely on one device.
My Personal Takeaway
If you want a simple answer to what you should put in your backpack, start with these six useful hiking items: water, food, navigation, first aid supplies, extra clothing or weather protection, and a headlamp.
Then look at your actual hike.
Check the weather.
Study the route.
Consider the distance, terrain, daylight, and remoteness.
Add whatever equipment those conditions reasonably require.
You don't need to carry everything imaginable every time you step onto a trail.
But the handful of items that seem unnecessary on a beautiful morning can become remarkably valuable when the weather changes, the trail takes longer than expected, or darkness arrives sooner than planned.
A little preparation doesn't take the adventure out of hiking.
It gives you more freedom to enjoy it.