Hiking day pack list
Sized for a day walk with a return before dark. The bottom half of this list is the part nobody uses and nobody should leave behind.
26 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Water, two litres eachThree in heat. This is the item people cut and regret.
- Food
- Lunch
- Two snacks more than you need
- Something saltySweating all day takes salt out, not just water.
- Weather
- Waterproof jacket
- Warm layer, even in summer
- Hat — sun or cold, depending
- Sun cream
- Gloves, above a thousand metres
- Navigation
- Paper map of the area
- Route downloaded for offline use
- Phone charged, plus a power bank
- Compass, if you can use one
- Safety
- Head torchWalks overrun. This is the cheapest insurance you can carry.
- Small first aid kit with blister plasters
- Emergency foil blanket
- Whistle
- Told somebody your route and your return time
- Boots with grip, worn in
- Walking poles, if there is descent
- Rubbish bagEverything you carried up comes back down.
- Cash for the refuge or the car park
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- How much water for a day hike?
- Two litres per person for a full day in mild weather, three in heat. Water is heavy, which is why people carry too little and regret it at the top.
- Do I need a paper map if I have my phone?
- Yes. Phones run out of battery on cold days and lose signal in valleys, which are the two conditions under which you most need to know where you are.
- What is the most forgotten item?
- A head torch. Walks overrun, and the last hour in the dark without one is how most mountain rescue call-outs on easy trails begin.