Preparation is always a very vital part of any kind of activity that you may do. Before going to school or work in the morning, you do your daily regimen. That may include a cup of coffee, a good breakfast or a few minutes jog in the neighborhood. The same is very much true when you plan to trek somewhere. You need to set up your hiking checklist.
Here are some of the things which you need to put in that backpack of yours. Let us start with the most important.
Let some know: You should have a detailed timetable for your hike. Write a copy of your scheduled trek for the week or the weekend and leave that at home, with a family member or a friend. If something happens to you, rescue teams will know where to find you.
Bring Tent with You: If you know that you will be staying in the vicinity overnight (or for a few more nights), you should definitely bring tenting provisions. This includes a sturdy tent, high quality sleeping bag and pad and maybe an extra blanket, if you know that the area can get pretty cold. Remember that your knapsack or backpack should be able to carry these all.
Bring Food as well: You will need to bring these for sustenance and energy. A very good example in this case is energy or protein bars. Besides these, you will need some stuffs to prepare food in open, for that you would need a portable gas grill, a mess kit, a small GI opener and a water bottle.
Care of Feet: People who plan to trek consider this as one of the most important part of their hiking checklist. Even if you will just be hiking around for one whole morning, you will still need these things. Start off with a solid pair of boots then buy the rest.
Medical equipment: Expect the unexpected and the worst possible thing to happen – and then get ready for that. You really do not want to nurse an infection, an allergic reaction or asthma while trekking the trail or camping in an area you are not too familiar with. Therefore, you should have the necessary provisions to ensure that you can deal with any possibilities.
You do not really have to be the man versus wild that you’d watch on Discovery channel. However, you should bring some of the things that he has too. He was able to survive with a knife and a fire starter so you should have that too. Bring your mobile phone, a radio or a GPS tracker as well.
Guide books, reading materials, binoculars, camera, hiking poles and even bear repellents are all under this category. Again, if you have space in your bag, you can bring these things too.
Conclusion
Hiking checklists are made available in various online shops nowadays. However, it would still be best if you ask somebody who has been in the trail that you are planning to follow and visit. They will know the things which you specifically need for that particular trip. Interviewing them will definitely work better for you.