What to Pack for Your Next Social Distancing Hike

Are you planning on your social distancing hike? 

Well, if you’re going away for a week to keep yourself far away from people, you better do it with the right gear. Even if you’re heading for a day hike, you need to make sure to stock up on the essential hiking gear. We have listed the essential hiking gear you’ll need along with a set of quick hacks that can be used for perfecting the backpacking for a hike. 

5 Essential Hiking Gear You Have to Pack

Headlamp 

Unless you are heading for a day hike, a headlamp is must-have hiking gear. It will enable you to find your way through the wilderness at night. Keeping a light sourcewith you can ease many tasks such as cooking dinner or holding trekking poles. Furthermore, don’t forget to carry extra batteries. 

Perkin Knife: A multi-purpose tool 

Well, there’s no surprise on how functional a foldable knife can be during a hike. Especially if you’re carrying perkin knives, it will become more convenient for you to complete the hike. Just like swiss knives, perkin knives have established their usage in all kinds of hikes and trips. They can act as first aid, gear repairing tools, food preparation equipment, or can be helpful in other emergency needs. 

Munching Items 

Many hikers tend to forget to keep some munching items in their backpack by convincing themselves that they would buy some of it on their way. But that doesn’t happen much. 

While you hike or trek, you lose energy in a much faster way than you can anticipate. Keeping a few munching items in your backpack and consuming it on a regular interval will keep your energy level up. Energy bars are a great snack to keep handy, as they’ll keep you going without adding too much weight.

Sunscreen, Lipbalms, or other Sunblocks

Scaling mountains and hilly regions can expose you to extreme sunlight. While hiking, it would be best if you protect yourself from UV rays and direct sunlight. Using sunscreens with SPF 70 can save you from severe sunburns. Keeping lip balms with SPF ratings can further protect your lips from getting sunburn and keep them moisturized.

First Aid 

Yet again, despite the duration of your hike or trek, it’s imperative for you to carry a first aid box with you. An essential medical kit will include creams and tablets for bruises or burns. While hiking in no man’s land, you never know what you might have to deal with. Therefore, it’s better to travel with the first aid kit to deal with any health issues. 

Quick hacks for preparing a backpack for a hike 

• Always aim to pack light: You are going for a hike mate, you can’t take everything. Avoid adding anything that’s unnecessary or not required for your hike. Always aim at keeping your backpack as light as possible. 

• Be prepared for extreme weather conditions: First off is rain. The areas where you would be hiking will be well above the ground level and will have mountains all around, the chances of drizzling or raining in such areas is always high. Therefore, it’s essential to be prepared for it. Always keep  appropriate trekking gear that’s suitable for rainy conditions. 

• Make sure you wear layers: Whether you go for a short day or a multi-day hike, wearing layers of clothing will help in keeping your backpack light. 

• Choose quick-dry items: Hiking requires you to walk long distances and frequently change accommodations. In such scenarios, you must get things that can quickly dry and  be washed easily. 

• Check out the sites before hiking: Learn about the localities around or the checkpoints that you will come across during the hike beforehand. If you’re planning to stay in a camping site or in a hotel, check what facilities are available there and at what time you should be reaching there. Would you be staying overnight in a camp or a room, and then prepare accordingly. 

What’s on your must-have hiking gear list?