Hiking Packing List
By the NanoPack team · Updated on · Checked against official sources
What to pack for a day hike: carry the Ten Essentials even on a short, familiar trail, because a twisted ankle or a wrong turn can stretch two hours into a night out. Start with grippy, broken-in footwear and enough water, roughly half a litre an hour and more in heat. Add a top half you can layer and shed, sun protection, a headlamp, a small first-aid and blister kit, spare food, and a map you can read with no signal. Check the forecast for the trailhead and the summit, and tell someone your route and when you will be back.
Hiking essentials at a glance
- Broken-in shoes or boots with grip
- Water, about half a litre per hour
- A wind and waterproof layer
- Map and compass, plus offline phone maps
- A headlamp, for being out past dark
- Sun protection and a hat
- First-aid and blister care
- Spare food and a warm layer
Day hikers under-pack because the trail is short and the car park is warm. Then the weather turns, the descent takes longer than the climb, and a phone with no signal dies in the cold. The Ten Essentials cover exactly this, and the short, sunny trail is precisely where people talk themselves out of carrying them. Pack for the walk being longer, colder and darker than the plan, and most of what can go wrong stays a story rather than a rescue.
The Ten Essentials
- Navigation: a map, a compass and offline phone maps
- Sun protection: sunscreen, SPF lip balm, sunglasses and a hat
- Insulation: a warm layer beyond what you are wearing
- Illumination: a headlamp and a spare battery
- First-aid supplies and blister care
- Fire: a lighter or matches, kept dry
- A knife or multi-tool and a little tape
- Extra food: a spare meal you will not cook
- Extra water and a way to treat it
- Emergency shelter: a space blanket or bivy
Footwear and clothing
- Broken-in trail shoes or boots with grip
- Hiking socks ×2 · wool or synthetic, plus a dry spare
- A moisture-wicking shirt · not cotton
- A fleece or light insulated layer
- A wind and waterproof shell
- Quick-dry or convertible trousers
- A sun hat and a warm hat
Water, food and fuel
- Water ×~0.5 L per hour · more in heat or at altitude
- A filter or tablets · for longer routes with a stream to refill from
- Electrolyte tablets for hot or long days
- Calorie-dense snacks and a real lunch
- A spare no-cook meal in case you are out longer
Navigation and safety
- A paper map and compass, and the skill to use them
- Offline maps downloaded before you lose signal
- A power bank and cable
- A whistle
- Sunscreen and reapplied SPF lip balm
- Insect repellent
- A fully charged phone
The day pack
- A 15 to 30 litre pack
- A rain cover or a dry liner
- Trekking poles · they save the knees on long descents
- A small sit pad
- A bag for your rubbish · pack out everything, Leave No Trace
What not to pack
- Cotton shirts and socks · they chafe, hold sweat and give no warmth when wet; wear wool or synthetic
- Brand-new boots · break them in on short walks first or expect blisters
- Jeans · heavy, cold and slow to dry once they are wet
- Only your phone for navigation · batteries die and signal drops; carry a paper map and compass
Packing tips and mistakes to avoid
The Ten Essentials are for day hikes too
A short, familiar trail still needs them, because a sprain, a wrong turn or a sudden storm can turn a two-hour walk into an overnight one. Search-and-rescue call-outs are mostly day hikers who expected to be back by lunch. The list is navigation, sun protection, insulation, light, first aid, fire, a knife, extra food, extra water and emergency shelter.
Plan water by time, not distance
A useful baseline is about half a litre an hour, rising in heat, at altitude or on a hard climb. Dehydration brings the fatigue and poor decisions that lead to injuries, so drink before you feel thirsty. If you are relying on a stream to refill, carry a filter or tablets and treat it.
The descent is when knees and daylight run out
Coming down takes longer than people expect and is harder on the knees, so trekking poles earn their place and you should start early enough to finish before dark. Carry a headlamp anyway, because the one time you misjudge it is the time you need it.
Tell someone your plan
Leave your route and your expected return time with someone who will notice if you are late. On a day hike you have no overnight kit, so a delay after dark is the real hazard. Check the forecast for both the trailhead and the summit, which can be two different days of weather.
The things people forget
- Enough water for the whole route, plus a little
- A warm layer even on a warm morning
- A headlamp, in case the descent runs past dark
- Blister care, taped on before the hot spot becomes a blister
What people wish they had packed
- Trekking poles for a long, steep descent
- Electrolytes for a hot, sweaty climb
- A dry pair of socks halfway round
- A space blanket that weighs nothing and changes everything
Frequently asked questions
What should you pack for a day hike?
The Ten Essentials (navigation, sun protection, insulation, a headlamp, first aid, fire, a knife, extra food, extra water and emergency shelter), plus grippy broken-in footwear, enough water, a wind and waterproof layer, and blister care. Check it off here, or print it or save it as a PDF for the trailhead.
What are the Ten Essentials for hiking?
Navigation, sun protection, insulation (a warm layer), illumination (a headlamp), first-aid supplies, fire, a repair kit and knife, extra food, extra water with a way to treat it, and emergency shelter. It is the long-standing safety framework for anyone heading onto a trail.
How much water should you bring hiking?
A common rule is about half a litre per hour of hiking, and more in heat, at altitude or on a strenuous climb. For longer routes, carry a filter or purification tablets so you can safely refill from a stream rather than carry every litre.
What should you not wear hiking?
Cotton, which holds sweat and gives no warmth when wet, brand-new boots that will blister you, and jeans that are heavy and slow to dry. Wear wool or synthetic layers and footwear you have already broken in.
What do people forget on a hike?
A warm layer for a warm morning that turns cold, a headlamp for a descent that runs late, blister care, trekking poles, spare food and a whistle. The small safety items are exactly the ones a short trail tempts you to leave behind.