Beginner Hiking Checklist - 13 items you need
Just like camping, there are items you really need to bring along on an overnight trip to make your trip enjoyable, safe and just be practical.
We have our top 10 camping items listed here - all items we think beginners to car camping need as basic items to start you off.
This hiking checklist below is going to work on the same principle; gear you need to start off your hiking adventures, with a focus on gear that is not heavy. It is designed for those of you who are beginners.
This list is for those of you who are overnight hiking, not day trippers. Before you rush off and buy gear, we recommend you read the following story - "What gear to buy - some advice".
That story will give you some broader advice about not rushing in and buying gear until you know overnight hiking is the right choice for you. We also mention that if you plan on going down the ultralight route of gear, overseas stores/manufacturers have the most variety and cater more to your needs. Some brands in Australia who refer to their gear as ultralight are not ultralight nor even lightweight hiking gear, so keep that in mind if you are wanting to reduce pack weight (and if you are not sure about what all this lightweight and ultralight means we explain further and give you some suggestions too!)
Now that you have read that above story, we can move onto what to take.......
Here are the 13 things we think you must have for your overnight hiking gear list - in no particular order - whether you buy, borrow or hire.
1. Shelter
Big Agnes Copper Spur
Somewhere to sleep is going to be crucial. You have few options here - tent, hammock, tarp shelter, bivy shelter.
What you choose is going to depend on your familiarity with its use , weight and practicality for what you want as a shelter.
There is no right or wrong on your personal preference for a shelter - everyone is different and you need to find out what works for you.
Your shelter choice needs 4 key points:
- keeps you dry in wet weather
- can withstand high wind
- bugs are kept away from you
- you can carry it without weighing you down too much (aim for under 2kg max)
So that would be the 4 key criteria in working out what shelter you choose. With that in mind, a shelter is probably one of the items where buying good gear is important. Skimping on this item is not where we would recommend trying to save a few bucks, because this shelter is going to hopefully be with you a long time (if you treat it well), and you will be spending a lot of time in it every night of your hike.
And when looking at the types of shelter available, there is a lot available, especially in the tent category. So how to choose which one to take?
Many new hikers may find a tent a good first option as you may have camped already before. There are some definite benefits to taking a tent on your hike.
- familiarity with its use (and we are assuming you have tried tents before, so you have a rough idea on set up. We always suggest you practice set up with a new tent)
- comfort (you can keep your gear inside with you, out of sight and out of the elements)
- privacy (once in your tent, you are in your own little world)
- large variety on offer with big price range differences (plus you need to choose between a single wall or double wall tent)
The down side to tents is that they are heavier, take longer to set up (and pack up), bulkier in your pack and more prone to condensation. Your tent should come in under the 2kg packed weight ideally. Scanning some of the Australian camping stores, they have hiking tents (some classified as ultralight), which are closer to the 3kg weight. That's not lightweight nor ultralight.
Nemo Dagger 2p 3 season tent
MSR Hubba NX
Recommendations for tents
Look at tents that are light, easy to pitch and roomy interior for your gear storage (FYI - no food to be kept in your tent). Here are some recommendations that meet our key criteria for hiking tents. None are cheap here in Australia - its just that all the good hiking tents come from overseas manufacturers.
Other options like a hammock and tarp shelter - if you have camped with these options before, then taking them hiking won't be much of a difference to you and will meet your needs for a shelter when hiking. If you are new to hiking, and haven't tried either of these shelters, then you don't need to discount these shelters but you will need to be prepared for a different style of shelter and learning how to pitch them correctly to ensure they perform as required. These 2 shelters do need practice before you head out as there is a bit of a learning curve.
Look at tents that are light, easy to pitch and roomy interior for your gear storage (FYI - no food to be kept in your tent). Here are some recommendations that meet our key criteria for hiking tents. None are cheap here in Australia - its just that all the good hiking tents come from overseas manufacturers.
- The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 has been voted one of the best backpacking tents of the year. Freestanding and with a packed weight of 1.40kg, this makes this an excellent tent for backpacking.
- Also recommended (we have an earlier version of this tent) is the MSR Hubba NX - available in 1 person and 3 person (if camping in pairs you would probably take this latter option). The 1 person tent is 1.33kg. Expect to pay around $700 for the 1 person tent. The 3 person Mutha Hubba NX weighs over 2kg, but would sleep 2. Expect to pay around $1000 for this tent.
- Coming in a little heavier (1.75kg) but still voted as one of the best of the year, is the Nemo Dagger2p 3 season tent. A positive with this tent is that it comes with a dual stage stuff sack, so you can share the weight with someone else on the hike. Large vestibules for gear storage make this a more liveable tent.
Other options like a hammock and tarp shelter - if you have camped with these options before, then taking them hiking won't be much of a difference to you and will meet your needs for a shelter when hiking. If you are new to hiking, and haven't tried either of these shelters, then you don't need to discount these shelters but you will need to be prepared for a different style of shelter and learning how to pitch them correctly to ensure they perform as required. These 2 shelters do need practice before you head out as there is a bit of a learning curve.
ZPack Duplex Tent - using hiking poles as its support mechanism
ZPack Duplex tent - 660g weight
Recommendation for tarps
Look at overseas retailers. Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Mountain Laurel Designs and ZPacks for a big range of tarps and accessories.
Look at overseas retailers. Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Mountain Laurel Designs and ZPacks for a big range of tarps and accessories.
Mountain Laurel Designs Tarp
2. Backpack
Key item for your hiking checklist - your backpack. It's probably the most important purchase you will make on your hiking gear checklist, along with footwear.
You are going to need to carry your gear on your back and choosing a backpack for you is one area where you will need to do your homework and get right. A heavy and uncomfortable backpack is going to make your hike long and miserable.
But choosing a backpack is not an easy task. It's not something you should rush into and buy the first one you see and research is going to be needed by you.
You need to consider some key points when choosing a pack, such as
And after factoring in those points, then you need to make sure you get one that fits you and fits well. Go into reputable hiking stores and try some on and get fitted. Even if you don't buy one from that retailer, you have a guide to size and adjustment of your pack from wherever you buy it from. You can buy online once you establish a clearer idea of sizes and what you need.
Our recommendation would be Osprey backpacks. It's what we use (along with Gossamer Gear), and we find them good value and have all the features we need for hiking. There are so many packs in the market, and you may find it all a bit crazy trying to narrow it down, but we think a company that has a guarantee like this, must be very confident in their product and confident for a good reason
Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it. We proudly stand behind this guarantee, so much so that it bears the signature of company founder and head designer, Mike Pfotenhauer.
I do recommend that you do your own investigation and find what works for you, but if you are feeling like you don't know where to begin, look at Osprey.
Key item for your hiking checklist - your backpack. It's probably the most important purchase you will make on your hiking gear checklist, along with footwear.
You are going to need to carry your gear on your back and choosing a backpack for you is one area where you will need to do your homework and get right. A heavy and uncomfortable backpack is going to make your hike long and miserable.
But choosing a backpack is not an easy task. It's not something you should rush into and buy the first one you see and research is going to be needed by you.
You need to consider some key points when choosing a pack, such as
- Purpose you need it for eg. 1 night only trip, or multi-day trips. This will affect the next point, capacity.
- Capacity eg. how much can it hold in litres. As a guide, overnight hikes and say 3-5 day trips, a 50-60L will be sufficient.
- Features eg. sort of frame, padding, attachment points, hydration reservoir, pockets
- Weight - look at the weight when its empty. A heavy pack is not a good start. For a 60L pack, you would want to look at 2kg or under as a guide.
- Cost - The price range for packs is huge and your budget will determine what sort of pack you end up with. You may need to forgo some features to save on money but you probably won't get a decent one under $200 and the price goes way up from there. This is another item on the checklist which we think is worth spending money on to get a good pack.
And after factoring in those points, then you need to make sure you get one that fits you and fits well. Go into reputable hiking stores and try some on and get fitted. Even if you don't buy one from that retailer, you have a guide to size and adjustment of your pack from wherever you buy it from. You can buy online once you establish a clearer idea of sizes and what you need.
Our recommendation would be Osprey backpacks. It's what we use (along with Gossamer Gear), and we find them good value and have all the features we need for hiking. There are so many packs in the market, and you may find it all a bit crazy trying to narrow it down, but we think a company that has a guarantee like this, must be very confident in their product and confident for a good reason
Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge – whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it. We proudly stand behind this guarantee, so much so that it bears the signature of company founder and head designer, Mike Pfotenhauer.
I do recommend that you do your own investigation and find what works for you, but if you are feeling like you don't know where to begin, look at Osprey.
Other good alternative brands worth investigating :
Granite Gear, Gossamer Gear (with a special acknowledgement to the Mariposa, another fave of ours), ZPacks and Hyperlite Mountain Gear. These brands will provide quality hiking packs.
3. Sleeping Bag
Sierra Designs
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Marmot
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Keeping warm at night, whether camping or hiking, is something that everyone appreciates. If you have ever shivered through a long, cold night because of a poor sleeping bag (looking at you, Black Wolf Zambezie) then you will know what I mean. Like the tent and the backpack already mentioned, this is another key item on your hiking checklist needing consideration (and if you can borrow someone else bag, it's a good start as a down sleeping bag is not going to come cheaply).
There is also the quilt option - as an alternative to sleeping bags. If you are the type of person who feels constricted in a bag, then a quilt is worth considering. Read the story by Hiking Life on Quilt vs Sleeping Bag to help you understand this choice more.
Reputable quilt manufacturers to investigate if interested in this as an alternative to sleeping bags are Enlightened Equipment and Hammock Gear (all overseas retailers).
For hiking, and when looking at the weight, down sleeping bags are the obvious choice. We have a story on choosing sleeping bags here. It covers sleeping bag options in more detail.
Once more, homework to find what is best for you is going to be important and the price you can afford is going to determine which bag you end up buying.
Down sleeping bags will be lighter and less bulky than a synthetic so a down bag is the obvious choice for hiking. Prices will vary greatly depending for down sleeping bags. We can't recommend a synthetic bag for hiking due to weight and bulk. So your everyday camping sleeping bag just won't suit your hiking lifestyle (no point in having a bigger backpack to accommodate a synthetic bag, as the weight of the sleeping bag will be the same regardless of your -now bigger and heavier - backpack).
Top of the line down sleeping bag is the Western Mountaineering (you can read our review here of one the versions of this bag - it really is a great sleeping bag and continually is voted the best in the hiking community) but there are down sleeping bags at a range of prices from around $200 up to $1000, so huge range to view. Look for sales to get these bags cheaper whenever possible. As newer models come onto the market, old models will be discounted, so that's a great time to get a bag but don't skimp on this purchase if you can.
Weight - aim for under 1kg
Reputable brands in down sleeping bags for hiking which we would recommend
- Western Mountaineering
- Feathered Friends
- Marmot
- Sierra Designs
- NEMO
- Therm-a-Rest
- ZPacks
These manufacturers would be the ones I would look at in the first instance. None are Australian brands but you can buy some of them here in Australia, or get them shipped to you.
Read review of my Marmot sleeping bag here.
4. Cooking Device
Unless you are planning on eating cold food for your entire trip, you need something to cook on. Or at least heat up water. It doesn't need to be the most hi-tech stove, but it does need to be small enough to fit in your pack, and light enough as well.
Once again, weight is a factor in what stove you take. Maybe on an overnight trip, weight is not such an issue, so your stove choice could be something slightly heavier?
Cooking for more than 1 person? You need a stove option that caters to multiple people. What food you are planning to eat on the trip will also affect what stove you take. eg. Dehydrated food just needs hot water to make it, so your stove needs will be simple.
Ease of assembly and use is going to be important to some hikers. Do you want lots of fiddly bits to deal with each and every meal? And what fuel do you need to carry with you (factor that weight in as well)? Conditions your stove might need to perform in also should be considered
You will need to plan your food menu before any hiking trip, so just make sure your stove choice suits the meal plan.
We have a couple of stories that cover stoves and hiking
Smallest and most lightweight hiking stoves
Camping and Hiking Stoves - what we have for either camping or hiking
Read those stories to give you an idea of what is out there. Different stoves suit different trips, which adds to the confusion. You may find as you get more experienced at hiking trips, your stove needs change. You can see from the stories above, how many stoves we have owned/tried.
With cooking devices, it can be a bit of trial and error. Remember, to practice with your stove in advance of any trip and under different conditions when possible.
Our recommended stoves/brands:
All of those brands are good starting points for your hiking stoves. None are too complicated to use, and all are not going to weigh down your backpack and you can pick a hiking stove up at a reasonable price (not a huge splurge item).
Unless you are planning on eating cold food for your entire trip, you need something to cook on. Or at least heat up water. It doesn't need to be the most hi-tech stove, but it does need to be small enough to fit in your pack, and light enough as well.
Once again, weight is a factor in what stove you take. Maybe on an overnight trip, weight is not such an issue, so your stove choice could be something slightly heavier?
Cooking for more than 1 person? You need a stove option that caters to multiple people. What food you are planning to eat on the trip will also affect what stove you take. eg. Dehydrated food just needs hot water to make it, so your stove needs will be simple.
Ease of assembly and use is going to be important to some hikers. Do you want lots of fiddly bits to deal with each and every meal? And what fuel do you need to carry with you (factor that weight in as well)? Conditions your stove might need to perform in also should be considered
You will need to plan your food menu before any hiking trip, so just make sure your stove choice suits the meal plan.
We have a couple of stories that cover stoves and hiking
Smallest and most lightweight hiking stoves
Camping and Hiking Stoves - what we have for either camping or hiking
Read those stories to give you an idea of what is out there. Different stoves suit different trips, which adds to the confusion. You may find as you get more experienced at hiking trips, your stove needs change. You can see from the stories above, how many stoves we have owned/tried.
With cooking devices, it can be a bit of trial and error. Remember, to practice with your stove in advance of any trip and under different conditions when possible.
Our recommended stoves/brands:
- MSR (produce a wide range of stoves for hiking) Check out Pocket Rocket
- Evernew (Japanese brand),
- Jetboil
- Trangia (spirit burner option)
- Soto Amicus.
All of those brands are good starting points for your hiking stoves. None are too complicated to use, and all are not going to weigh down your backpack and you can pick a hiking stove up at a reasonable price (not a huge splurge item).
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5. Sleeping Pad
If you don't want to rough it when outdoors, a sleeping pad/mattress under you is going to help you enjoy your sleep a whole lot more. That's why a sleeping pad is on our hiking checklist as a must have.
To find out how to choose a self inflating mattress - read our story here - but keep in mind that a lot of sleeping mattresses you get in your local camping store are not for hiking due to weight and bulk. The self inflating mats are going to be for camping - you need to look at an air filled pad.
You want to choose one with good insulation (R-Value) comfort and good support for you, plus weight and ability to pack down small.
With your sleeping pad, aim for no more than 500g total weight. Anymore than that, your pad is probably too heavy.
And a reminder - with air filled pads, take care. Punctures can and do happen. Bring along some repair tape.
Recommendations:
Really, I don't think you can go past a Therm-A-Rest sleeping pad.
The NeoAir XLite (and for the colder sleepers, the NeoAir XLite Therm) are 2 very good mattresses. The downside is that they are expensive (and can be a bit noisy when turning over) but once you have one of these, the other brands probably won't live up to Therm-A-Rest. Every hiking website you read, will recommend Therm-A-Rest NeoAir - and that's because they are currently the most reputable sleeping pad. The NeoAir pictured below is what we have.
Ultralight campers - investigate Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Uberlite (weighing in at 250g).
Honorable mention - NEMO Tensor Ultralight Sleeping Mat (not as durable as the NeoAir).
NeoAir XLite
6. Headlamp
Another crucial piece of your hiking equipment because you really will need this! From setting up your camp late at night, to going to the toilet, or walking in the dark, your headlamp is an integral piece of equipment.
We dedicated a whole story to choosing a headlamp, and you need to read this to understand what to look for, the different features lamps have and what sort is right for you.
For hiking, probably look at a headlamp with 300 lumens and up as a guide.
If your headlamp takes batteries, bring spares.
Recommended Brands
We think Black Diamond headlamps are a great purchase. There are a wide variety to choose from. One great headlamp that won't break the bank is the Black Diamond Spot 325 but there are many others to choose from.
Another 2 brands which make excellent headlamps and worth investigating - LED Lenser and Petzl. Prices will vary greatly (and the most expensive doesn't necessarily mean its the best).
7. First Aid
Whether hiking or camping, a first aid kit is important to keep with you. If you are hiking in a group, everyone should be responsible for bringing their own kit (and not just relying on your supplies).
The kit should be one you make up to suit your needs, as different first aid contents may apply to different people's needs eg. specific medications. Don't go buying a pre-made First Aid Kit as it will probably contain items you dont need or in quantities that you don't need. Once again, you are thinking of weight as well. For many hikers they may think this is one area where they can watch their weight and cut down on supplies in the hope they don't need any of the first aid. It's a risk you take.
Your pack should include some key items regardless of your circumstances - snake bandage (learn how to apply it properly too), blister related prevention and bandaids, pain relief, anti-histamines, diarrhea relief, anti bacterial ointment (small tube) bandages, cleansing alcohol pads , pair of latex gloves - just to start off. If you are taking children with you, you need to pack a lot more for them as well.
You could also add in sunscreen and insect repellent in this kit but we keep this in our toiletry item section.
8. Navigation
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This is a broad item on your hiking checklist. It could mean
- maps
- app on your phone
- handheld navigation device (GPS Device)
- compass
- watch
You may take one or more on your hike. A topographic map printed (and laminated or protected in a pouch) is always a good idea for the area you are travelling in. Combined with a compass, these 2 tools could be very useful if you get lost. Whilst your phone may have a compass, a hand held one that doesn't rely on any sort of charge, is lightweight and useful. Just hang it off your pack. Now you have a map and compass, learn how to use them before you go. Find out more - see CompassDude.com for an idea on how to read a topo map.
A GPS device can be beneficial as well. Garmin seems to have the most available with the Garmin eTrex 30x GPS Worldwide getting the most positive reviews across the internet. These handheld devices are designed for outdoor use and therefore more rugged. Their battery life is longer as well. Look for a handheld device with a good size screen and resolution. Some will come with more features like an electronic compass, altimeter and touchscreen.
Many phones have GPS options as well, but there are issues with just relying on a phone. A phone is OK as a backup option but really, you shouldn't rely on it as your sole navigational device. Your phone battery will decrease quite fast using GPS, and you must ensure you have maps that are downloaded prior to the hike. We recommend you look at Avenza Maps for Android and Apple. It has over a million free and paid maps you can download to your phone. There are other apps available as well, so just look around to find one that suits you.
Your watch these days may do much more than tell the time. It may have maps on it, and also an altimeter (this has a barometric sensor which can measure air pressure change), plus GPS data. This sort of watch is not a must have for the hiking trip, but worth mentioning for navigation.
Regardless of what technology you take, the compass and map remain key items for your hiking checklist.
9. Hydration
When hiking, you need to take water and have the ability to get clean water if necessary. You should do some advance planning if possible and know if you will have access to water on the trip, because if there is any doubt, you need to be able to carry your water supplies for the trip with you (and that means factoring in a lot of extra weight). Doing your homework on water availability is a big part of your hiking plan.
Assuming you have your water bottle filled at the start, how will you access clean safe water? A easy to use hydration system is going to be needed (because you have done your prep work, you know about access to water right?).
Read our story on water filters for hiking and camping. This story provides options for all sorts of situations and our recommendations (and when to use).
Remember to take plenty of water with you when you start the hike, just to be on the safe side. If you come across plenty of water availability.... great. You could off load some of that extra water weight. But if you don't find water, at least you are prepared.
Our Recommendations:
Probably the brands that jump out for hiking would be Sawyer Mini Water Filter, Katadyn and Platypus Gravity Filters. These are ones that we have used the most, so we could be a bit biased but we do know they work and are reliable.
10. Food
Without food you are going to tire pretty fast. That walking burns calories and your body needs fuel and plenty of it to keep you going throughout the day.
Your meal plan should be thought of in advance whether it be for a single night or multi night trek. Your food choices will affect your cooking device and determine water needs as well. You do need to do some planning on menu.
Think about your 3 main meals of the day plus snacks. Take a little more than you planned just in case, but don't go crazy and pack so much that you are weighed down excessively. You could find that the more you hike, the more experienced you will get at gauging amounts of food you need to keep you sufficiently fuelled. There will be a learning curve.
Fresh food is not going to last too long - so if bringing any, plan to eat first meal of the trip, and food that needs refrigeration is not an option on a hike.
Read up on hiking websites for ideas on meals. You can always go the dehydrated option if you are stuck and wanting a hot meal but without a lot of fuss and hassle. They don't taste too bad, and after a long day's hike they are quick and a hot meal is appreciated.
If you have any doubt about cooking a meal on the hike or trying something new, it may be a good idea to have a test run of the meal before you go - is it achievable at the end of a long day ? Does it need a lot of work and clean up? Is your cooking device suitable for that meal?
When packing your meals, repackage them to only have the amount you need, and reduce waste when your are hiking (whatever packaging you take, you need to bring home with you).
Also if you are coffee drinker, make sure you bring along your coffee - plus your device for making coffee if you need a decent brew. Lots of different ways to make coffee on the trail, with varying brew quality. Read our stories on coffee makers for camping and hiking to get an idea what is available - part 1 and part 2
Food for the trail is a very long and detailed subject and hikers around the world share via the internet recipes, meal ideas, snack combinations and what they like. Read some hiking sites to find out about some of the options you have and maybe pick up some new achievable food options for you.
11. Clothing
You don't need to take a lot of clothing with you on a hike. It's not a fashion show. But there are some basic guidelines for clothing.
Firstly, the layering system. Dressing in multiple light layers as opposed to big, heavy clothing items. You are basically wearing all your clothes and shedding them as the weather dictates and as you warm up (or cool down). There are 3 basic principles of the layering system, though depending on what you read, there can be more. But the basics are
1. Base Layer (wicks sweat away from the skin)
2. Middle Layer (insulating layer and retains heat)
3. Outer Layer (shields you from the elements like wind and rain)
These 3 layers apply to top and bottoms. The layers are different for hot and cold weather too.
Secondly, merino wool is a good option winter and summer clothing layers due to its insulating properties (even when wet) doesn't smell after days of use, and is lightweight. You can get nearly everything you wear made of merino. The downside of merino is that the cost is quite high, especially if you are looking at the higher grades of merino wool. See the range of merino at Wilderness Wear.
Can't afford merino? Then look at synthetics next. Avoid cotton at all times (once wet, it stays wet for a long time and becomes heavy).
Next point - Take a fresh set of clothes to sleep in. You feel better at the end of the day getting out of stinky clothing and your sleeping bag will stay clean and less smelly. On the last day of the hike, they can be your clothes that you finish your hike in.
We also remind you to be sun safe (even when its cloudy) - wide brimmed hats, sunglasses and buff to protect your neck if its exposed.
Take what you need to be comfortable and to be prepared on your hiking trip for whatever the weather throws at you (expect the unexpected). Wrong choice in clothing could make your hike a miserable experience.
12. Footwear
Like your backpack, footwear is probably right up there as the most important item on the checklist.
Find the footwear that works for you and is comfortable and that doesn't mean you need to have hiking boots. These days trail runners are often the preferred choice for hikers. Don't go for cheap shoes that will fall apart after your first hike. Spend some money and get a good quality pair that won't fail you.
Now if you are confused about this, I refer you to a couple of stories on hiking boots vs trail runners to help you understand what the thinking is on this matter, and its certainly varied. Read up and then make the choice that you think is best for you.
- 5 Reasons to Ditch Your Hiking Boots
- Hiking boots vs Hiking Shoes vs Trail Runners
- Why I am giving up Trail Runners for Hiking Boots
Like so much gear, footwear is a big choice and its important that you get comfortable with whatever you choose, prior to any long hike. Blisters are bad news for hikers.
13. Incidentals
What are incidentals? These are items that do need to go on a hike with you as well! And as there are quite a few, we have bundled them all together.
1. Toilet paper
2. Trowel to dig a hole for your toilet (not crucial because a stick will do, but it is handy! So it's made the list - here's a few to check out)
3. Personal toiletries (toothpaste/toothbrush. Deodorant is not a must because everyone stinks).
4. Sunscreen and insect repellant (if not in your First Aid section - small useable bottles which you add only what you need)
5. Hand sanitiser (don't want to get sick on the trail due to poor hand hygiene, especially after going to the toilet)
6. Fire starter eg. matches, fire striker, lighter
1. Toilet paper
2. Trowel to dig a hole for your toilet (not crucial because a stick will do, but it is handy! So it's made the list - here's a few to check out)
3. Personal toiletries (toothpaste/toothbrush. Deodorant is not a must because everyone stinks).
4. Sunscreen and insect repellant (if not in your First Aid section - small useable bottles which you add only what you need)
5. Hand sanitiser (don't want to get sick on the trail due to poor hand hygiene, especially after going to the toilet)
6. Fire starter eg. matches, fire striker, lighter
You could have more items on your hike than listed here, but these are the key items we think every hiker should have for an overnight (or longer hike). Like most things, practice makes perfect, and the more you go hiking, the more you will adapt what is in your pack and what works for you (and the trip you are undertaking).
Get the contents of your pack right, comfortable, and a suitable weight, and your hiking trips will be an adventure you will want to repeat again.
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